How to BECOME like Christ...

Last week we talked in class about the importance of the creation, the fall, and the atonement.  Each is necessary for our Father in Heaven's plan to be fulfilled.  The creation was necessary for us to be able to progress beyond the spirit world. For the same reason the fall was required.  We could not remain in the Father's presence and progress. We had to come to earth and experience mortality and because that separation was necessary, an atonement had to be made so that we could become perfected and be able to once again be in our Father's presence.

2 Nephi 9:7 tells that it had to be an infinite atonement and that without it none of us would be able to return.  That's right - none of us are worthy.  We all need help.   We all need a Savior.  Infinite means that it is for everyone, everywhere and it covers all sin and all fear and all doubt - there is no end to His willingness to sacrifice for us. There is no end to His love for us.

Last night I was able to attend a fireside with Dawn Armstrong, from "Meet the Mormons".  It was a truly moving experience.  She spoke about things that she had experienced in her childhood.  She talked about how darkness was scary and light was hope.  She had a horrifying childhood and was homeless for 3 years. She went through terrible things as a young woman and made some bad choices probably because she didn't know any better.  I felt for her.  I have some understanding of how it feels to be a child, unloved and afraid but not as severely as her.  I knew who I was and I was not alone.
I had the gospel  of Jesus Christ. She had nothing.

She told us how much the gospel meant to her and how excited she was when she was baptized.  Despite all she had been through, she felt God's love for her.  She accepted the atonement and became new and clean.  She embraced everything the church had to offer her.

Then someone made an ugly comment and she started to wonder if the atonement really had cleansed her.  You see, she had a kid and she wasn't married.  There will always be someone(often many more than one) who thinks they have the right to even for a second think to judge someone else.

These people don't understand the atonement at all.  I really believe the only people who truly understand it are those who have partaken of it.  Sister Armstrong understands it well.  She told us how she would go through those terrible things all over again because they taught her how to be able to better serve and care for others.  Isn't that why we are here? What more can we do to become Christlike?

That is what the atonement does.  It makes us more like Christ.  It makes us humble and teachable and it allows the Spirit to guide us.  When we become softer, God can mold us into what He wants us to be.

So, we all need to partake of the atonement in order to BECOME what He wants us to be.  None of us are perfect.  We all have things to work on.  Take stock.  Identify things that you need to change.  Take advantage of the atonement.  It is a gift but you need to make some effort to receive it.

Oh, yeah, and don't ever presume to judge anyone else.  I can tell from personal experience that if you look beyond the surface and get to know someone, you will be surprised at what is underneath.

Get to work.