The Great Plan of Happiness

The Atonement and Fall

For a message about the atonement, it is the rectification of the breaking of a universal law, in which the outcome is known in general terms as “the fall.” This atonement is also the blessing of the entire human family throughout all the eternities. So much of how we allow the atonement’s reach to be for us in the eternities, depends on our faithfulness according to the light and knowledge we have and receive here. In other words, we are to do the very best we can, with what we have and are given.

This fall, which started in the garden of Eden, made possible the birth of sin into this world, through introducing an unhealthy substance to their bodies, namely the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which poisoned their bodies, opening the door for sin to stick to and apply itself to their bodies, and bringing eventual death. Before the fall, Jesus’ forthcoming atonement would not have been able to clean them, because they were unknowledgeable of their sin. This means that they could do wrong, but not understand that what they were doing was wrong, except it be told them. This was their predicament in being innocent without wisdom or knowledge. Therefore, Eve needed to partake of the fruit, and Adam also, to learn for themselves, and progress from grace to grace through the atonement.

As is stated in LDS doctrine, partaking of the fruit gave their bodies the ability to have children, through the effect the fall had on them. God, who is without sin, and who cannot create anything in sin, had to create them in this state of innocence, to then try them with the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth, and not partake of the fruit which would bring about knowledge of sin. For God cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.

But even as the atonement was already part of God’s plan before sending us to this earth, so too was the fall. Heavenly Father is not capable of sin, so He could not create Adam and Eve into a fallen state to carry out His purposes for His children, which purpose is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

Truly this fall, which not only changed Adam and Eve by introducing eventual death to their bodies, and the ability to have seed, or children, it also changed the earth into a corruptible state, bringing about entropy and decay.

Christ is the rectification of this fall, using it to further the growth and potential of mankind, through turning something hard and sorrowful, into something good and glorious, by learning from our mistakes and repenting. So is this life.

Indeed the Tree of Life planted in the garden of Eden was God’s pinnacle creation in the garden, in terms of plant life, and man, the pinnacle of his creation, even after the image and likeness of Himself and His Son Jesus Christ. The tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was originally planted there by God as a fig tree, but through the evil influence of Satan and his devils, they wrought upon it, and it became unclean, thus unfit for Adam and Eve’s bodies to partake of. There is always a little bit of bad to everything good, and a little bit of good to everything bad. We know this because there is opposition in all things, and all things must be a compound in one, or it must needs be as dead or as naught. Our task is to choose that better part. The tree was there and Satan cast down to earth by God, to start the process of earth life for His children, so that they could suffer, have joy, learn, grow and have children, all toward the purpose of becoming more like our Father in Heaven.

The Atonement takes something which would by itself be the destruction of mankind (the fall), and raises mankind’s course upward into the celestial realms, where attainment to godhood is made possible. For as a child can become like their parents, so too can we, as literal children of our Father in Heaven, become like Him.

As was God’s plan in the beginning, He wanted us to be like Him, and to do this, we had to pass through mortality, as He once had, walk in the path wrought out by the Savior through His holy atonement, come unto Him, repent and keep His commandments.

With such a glorious gift as this, is it any wonder that those who understand this atonement and live by it, truly rejoice in their love and relationship with our Savior? Our Savior lives! He is the course of true joy and happiness! He understands all of us and our needs and concerns, and cares perfectly. How? Through the atonement. Because He experienced it. He also carries us, and lessens the burdens we carry, only to the degree we can bear, that we too can experience growth from trial. This is essential. We need to go to Him, and not try doing things by ourselves, for this is the great plan of happiness!

Atonement

A plan was presented,
In which One was chosen,
To carry the burden,
To give eternal progress.

Agency was the founding proposal,
And opposition was to be,
A perpetual agent, to achieve advancement,
In this most critical time of being.

In this plan, a heavenly law was broken,
And a falling away resulted.
There needed to be a way,
For all mankind to be saved.

So God our Father who loves us,
Sent His Son on our behalf,
Anointed and sacred,
To be the atoning One, and mark the path.

He was the Lamb of God,
The Firstborn, perfect and blameless,
The very greatest in heaven,
Offered up for us to return.

To magnify His Father’s power,
And give glory to Him on high,
He came to ultimately suffer, be crucified, die,
And raise again from death to life.

To do His Father’s will, was His only design.
His atonement is for all mankind,
Infinite, and eternally divine, to make us clean,
Redeem, set free, and never die again.

Shane