I speak of those final moments for which Jesus must have been prepared intellectually and physically but which He may not have fully anticipated emotionally and spiritually—that concluding descent into the paralyzing despair of divine withdrawal when He cries in ultimate loneliness, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”16, The loss of mortal support He had anticipated, but apparently He had not comprehended this. Then He said: ‘No, my son; these have finished their work, and they may go with me; but you must stay and finish yours.’ Still I clung to Him. The literal meaning of the English word Atonement is self-evident: at-one-ment, the bringing together of things that have been separated or estranged. For example, while all members of the human family are freely given a reprieve from Adam’s sin through no effort of their own, they are not given a reprieve from their own sins unless they pledge faith in Christ, repent of those sins, are baptized in His name, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and confirmation into Christ’s Church, and press forward in faithful endurance the remainder of life’s journey. Late last winter I was feeling pretty blue about something or other that didn't seem quite right at the university and found myself wondering if all the effort was really worth it. Of this personal challenge, Christ said. “Presently He arose and walked to where those Apostles were kneeling—fast asleep! The goodness in Him allowed faith to triumph even in a state of complete anguish. In their rush to judgment these men and their councils declared their verdict quickly and angrily. Following the Last Supper, Jesus left Peter, James, and John to wait while He ventured into the Garden of Gethsemane alone. Elder Jeffery R. Holland addressed BYU students Sunday Evening as part of the CES Fireside. by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. None were with Him 179th General Conference talk given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, it was a very emotional and wonderful talk given. … I stood behind a tree in the foreground. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. In a world focused on achievement and perfection, let’s remove unrealistic expectations by celebrating our progress. The Book of Mormon declares emphatically that “there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah.”13, By this same grace, God provides for the salvation of little children, the mentally impaired, those who lived without hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ, and so forth: these are redeemed by the universal power of the Atonement of Christ and will have the opportunity to receive the fulness of the gospel after death, in the spirit world, where spirits reside while awaiting the Resurrection.14, To begin to meet the demands of the Atonement, the sinless Christ went into the Garden of Gethsemane, as Elder Whitney saw in his dream, there to bear the agony of soul only He could bear. The rest will depend entirely upon ourselves. It was in this premortal setting that Christ volunteered to honor the moral agency of all humankind even as He atoned for their sins. But, of course, it could not pass. Because He suffered “the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.”16 He experienced “temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great [was] his anguish.”17, Through this suffering, Jesus redeemed the souls of all men, women, and children “that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”18 In doing so, Christ “descended below all things”—including every kind of sickness, infirmity, and dark despair experienced by every mortal being—in order that He might “comprehend all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth.”19, The utter loneliness and excruciating pain of the Atonement begun in Gethsemane reached its zenith when, after unspeakable abuse at the hands of Roman soldiers and others, Christ cried from the cross, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? I speak of the Savior’s solitary task of shouldering alone the burden of our salvation. He has walked alone once. For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, abjectly, hopelessly alone. … Jesus, with Peter, James, and John, came through a little wicket gate at my right. Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually, Our Father’s Plan—Big Enough for All His Children, Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need, We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down, Come Let Us Go Up to the Mountain of the Lord. He lived the perfect life and is the perfect example. I was so moved at the sight that I wept also, out of pure sympathy with His great sorrow. See Revelation 13:8; Moses 4:1–2; Abraham 3:22–27. Some gifts coming from the Atonement are universal, infinite, and unconditional. that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”20 In the depths of that anguish, even nature itself convulsed. With faith in the God He knew was there, He could say in triumph, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”19, Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. Jeffrey R. Holland, Article: The Atonement of Jesus Christ April 3, 2015 The utter loneliness and excruciating pain of the Atonement begun in Gethsemane reached its zenith when, after unspeakable abuse at the hands of Roman soldiers and others, Christ cried from the cross, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? Near the top of their laborious climb, “As He prayed the tears streamed down His face, which was [turned] toward me. Special Witnesses of Christ In this series, the testimonies of prophets and apostles called as special witnesses of the Savior are presented, beginning with the First Presidency and continuing through the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “Returning to His place, He prayed again and then went back and found them again sleeping. He later wrote: “One night I dreamed … that I was in the Garden of Gethsemane, a witness of the Savior’s agony. Speaking twice to local congregations in the LDS chapel in Lodi, Holland delivered a message of hope when facing the challenges of life. He performed miracles and He still performs miracles today. We don’t know all that was going on here, nor do we know of protective counsel which the Savior may have given to His Apostles privately,12 but we do know Jesus was aware that even these precious ones would not stand with Him in the end, and He had warned Peter accordingly.13 Then, with the crowing of the cock, “the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. As we approach this holy week—Passover Thursday with its Paschal Lamb, atoning Friday with its cross, Resurrection Sunday with its empty tomb—may we declare ourselves to be more fully disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not in word only and not only in the flush of comfortable times but in deed and in courage and in faith, including when the path is lonely and when our cross is difficult to bear. In his article, Elder Holland relates a dream Elder Orson F. Whitney (1855–1931) had in which he saw the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Apostle Paul made clear, for example, that those fully committed to Christ will “rise first”10 in the Resurrection. Take a real tour through one of the most sacred places on earth, according to Jeffrey R. Holland, next to Gethsemane. John stood at the foot of the cross with Jesus’s mother. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. Thus, of divine necessity, the supporting circle around Jesus gets smaller and smaller and smaller, giving significance to Matthew’s words: “All the disciples [left] him, and fled.”15 Peter stayed near enough to be recognized and confronted. Galt members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a rare visit from one of the 12 apostles of the church, Jeffrey R. Holland. You can buy it here: bit.ly/1jrIkdC Its importance in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cannot be overstated. Thank you, Sister Thompson, and thanks to the remarkable women of this Church. I know that my Savior Jesus Christ lives. –Jeffrey R. Holland, Broken Things to Mend, April 2006 “My dear brothers and sisters, there will be days and nights when you feel overwhelmed, when your hearts are heavy and your heads hang down. To quote President John Taylor (1808–87): “In a manner to us incomprehensible and inexplicable, He bore the weight of the sins of the whole world; not only of Adam, but of his posterity; and in doing that, opened the kingdom of heaven, not only to all believers and all who obeyed the law of God, but to more than one-half of the human family who die before they come to years of maturity, as well as to [those] who … [die] without [the] law.”28. But we must remember the Fall was an essential part of Heavenly Father’s divine plan. I … They were about to depart and ascend into heaven. It was required, indeed it was central to the significance of the Atonement, that this perfect Son who had never spoken ill nor done wrong nor touched an unclean thing had to know how the rest of humankind—us, all of us—would feel when we did commit such sins. of Jesus Christ” by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the March 2008 . LESTER R. GLENN, 76, 39538 Gilbert Lane, Umatilla, died Saturday, Jan. 8. Joseph Higginbotham, 85, of Barefoot Bay, died June 15, 1997 at Sebastian River Medical Center after a prolonged illness. Now, may I ask that never again will He have to confront sin without our aid and assistance, that never again will He find only unresponsive onlookers when He sees you and me along His Via Dolorosa in our present day. Jeffrey R. Holland was a member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this fireside address was delivered at Brigham Young University on 2 March 1997. Our empathy embraces wives forsaken by their husbands, husbands whose wives have walked away, and children bereft of one or the other of their parents—or both. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. In the process, He would return to the Father all glory for such redemptive love.5, This infinite Atonement of Christ was possible because (1) He was the only sinless man ever to live on this earth and therefore was not subject to the spiritual death resulting from sin, (2) He was the Only Begotten of the Father and therefore possessed the attributes of godhood that gave Him power over physical death,6 and (3) He was apparently the only one sufficiently humble and willing in the premortal council to be foreordained to that service.7. It is His gospel. It is one of the ironies of history that sitting with Jesus in prison was a real blasphemer, a murderer and revolutionary known as Barabbas, a name or title in Aramaic meaning “son of the father.”5 Free to release one prisoner in the spirit of the Passover tradition, Pilate asked the people, “Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you?” They said, “Barabbas.”6 So one godless “son of the father” was set free while a truly divine Son of His Heavenly Father moved on to crucifixion. “What further need have we of witnesses?” they cried. ... And the path of salvation has always led one way or another through Gethsemane. I ran from behind the tree, fell at His feet, clasped Him around the knees, and begged Him to take me with Him. Rightly He would say: “I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me. (1916), 21–22. 2008, 32–38. … And [he] went out, and wept bitterly.”14. Take Your Rest, by Walter Rane, may not be copied; Not My Will, But Thine, Be Done, by Harry Anderson, courtesy of Seventh-Day Adventist Church, may not be copied; photograph of Easter lily by Matthew Reier, Christ in Gethsemane, by Harry Anderson; detail from Leaving the Garden of Eden, by Joseph Brickey; photograph of fruit by John Luke; photograph of sacrament by Matthew Reier, The Resurrection, by Harry Anderson; detail from The Burial of Christ, by Carl Heinrich Bloch, courtesy of the National Historic Museum at Frederiksborg in Hillerød, Denmark; photographs by John Luke, Detail from In the Garden of Gethsemane, by Carl Heinrich Bloch, courtesy of the National Historic Museum at Frederiksborg in Hillerød, Denmark; photograph of scriptures by John Luke. “The Divinity of Jesus Christ,” Improvement Era, Jan. 1926, 224–25; see also Liahona, Dec. 2003, 16; Ensign, Dec. 2003, 10; punctuation, capitalization, and spelling standardized. Jeffrey R. Holland. In a new video by Elder Jeffery R. Holland, “You Are Not Alone in This,” he details the Savior’s divine empathy for those experiencing loneliness and Christ’s role in the Atonement. He has served on the governing boards of a number of civic and business-related corporations. It’s entitled “Feed My Sheep” and was a precursor to the talk that he gave in General Conference. It was so vivid, so real that I felt the very warmth of His bosom against which I rested. “All at once the circumstance seemed to change. I know that He came to this earth and lived a perfect life. Andrew Van Wagenen/BYU Daily Universe The Savior, Elder Holland pointed out, acknowledged the trials the Prophet was going through while in Liberty Jail, but He said, "The Son of Man hath descended below them all. My whole heart went out to Him. Watch the full podcast here: https://www.ComeFollowMe2021.com https://www.bookofmormonevidence.org These might include those longing to be married, those who have lost a spouse, and those who have lost—or have never been blessed with—children. Elder Holland spoke of the miracles that made the BYU Jerusalem Center possible during the 30th anniversary of the dedication of the center on Oct. 11 on the BYU campus in Provo, Utah. The only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Later, after Jesus’s arrest and appearance at trial, Peter, accused of knowing Jesus and being one of His confidants, denies that accusation not once but three times. September 7, 2008. In 2009, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland articulated his feelings about this significant aspect of Christ’s Crucifixion: It is my personal belief that in all of Christ’s mortal ministry the Father may never have been closer to His Son than in these agonizing final moments of suffering. Elder Holland is no stranger to chiasmus. “He is [worthy] of death.”2. See D&C 76:50–113; compare 1 Corinthians 15:40–42. See James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. I could endure it no longer. ... it is a thrill for Sister Holland and for me to be with you tonight for this worldwide satellite broadcast. Obviously the unconditional blessings of the Atonement are unearned, but the conditional ones are not fully merited either. Soon enough He was arraigned before the Israelite leaders of the day—first Annas, the former high priest, then Caiaphas, the current high priest. Following the Last Supper, Jesus left Peter, James, and John to wait while He ventured into the Garden of Gethsemane alone. For Times of Trouble with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.. Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Atonement of Jesus Christ," Ensign, Mar 2008, 32-38 In the Garden of Gethsemane As a young missionary, Elder Orson F. Whitney (1855-1931), who later served in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, had a dream so powerful that it changed his life forever. Gazing up into His face—for He was taller than I—I besought Him most earnestly: ‘Well, promise me that I will come to You at the last.’ He smiled sweetly and tenderly and replied: ‘That will depend entirely upon yourself.’ I awoke with a sob in my throat, and it was morning.”1, This tender, personal glimpse of the Savior’s loving sacrifice is a fitting introduction to the significance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. (1924), 77. Nevertheless, that the supreme sacrifice of His Son might be as complete as it was voluntary and solitary, the Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His Spirit, the support of His personal presence. As a result of the Fall, all persons born into mortality would suffer these two kinds of death. President Russell M. Nelson, left, and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland look over the view at the BYU Jerusalem Center in Jerusalem on April 14, 2018. Then, please remember, Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, is the Head of this Church. Modern revelation clarifies the different orders of resurrected bodies,11 promising the highest degree of glory only to those who adhere to the principles and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ.12, Of course neither the unconditional nor the conditional blessings of the Atonement are available except through the grace of Christ. But Jesus held on. Indeed the Atonement of the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh is the crucial foundation upon which all Christian doctrine rests and the greatest expression of divine love this world has ever been given. But eagerness to continue walking with Him would quickly begin to wane. The most difficult to understand in this group is Judas Iscariot. Falling on His face in prayer, “sorrowful … unto death,”8 the record says, His sweat came as great drops of blood9 as He pled with the Father to let this crushing, brutal cup pass from Him. Never in the history of this world has so little money purchased so much infamy. From the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland answers those questions. Liahona. — Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Liahona, December 2003. James E. Talmage, The Articles of Faith, 12th ed. Other aspects of Christ’s atoning gift are conditional. Isaiah 63:3, 5; see also D&C 76:107; 88:106; 133:50. Way to eternity is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary a DVD devotional that included. 12Th ed their sins that Christ volunteered to honor the moral agency all. Paul made clear, for example, that those fully committed to Christ will “rise first”10 in Church. A witness of the Fall was an essential part of the loneliest journey ever made and New... 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