I Believe

What Is the Atonement of Jesus Christ? With the approach of Easter and the Christian world beginning to celebrate and remember the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, a few notes to explain the concept of the Atonement and the Easter celebration of the marvelous resurrection of Jesus Christ. What Does “Atonement” Mean?   The word “atonement” is actually a combination of three words that mean, respectively, “at” “one” “with.”   In Christian faith, man is estranged from God as a result of his sin.   The purpose of the Atonement is to correct or overcome the consequences of sin. Why Do We Need the Atonement?”   The process by which mankind became separated from the presence of God is recorded in Genesis 2-4.   With the eating of the “forbidden fruit,” Adam and Eve became mortal, sin entered, and death became a part of life.   As a result of man’s estrangement from God, a way for man to return to God was necessary.   As Paul taught the C...

Do Mormons Celebrate Easter? A good friend of mine asked me this question the other day.   It is a question that deserves a thorough answer.   Yes, Mormons celebrate Easter.   Not only do we celebrate Easter, but we believe that Easter, the day that Jesus Christ rose again after suffering for our sins and being crucified is the single most important event in history: The atoning sacrifice of our Lord is the most important single thing that has ever occurred in the entire history of created things; it is the rock foundation upon which the gospel and all other thing rest. Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine . What Is Easter? Easter Sunday is the day on which Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, on the third day after His crucifixion.   On Easter Sunday, we are especially reminded of the Atonement of Christ. We recognize that the events of the Atonement were motivated by Christ’s love for us and that Easter is a special time to rem...