Appendages

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland stated,

“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. Its importance in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cannot be overstated. Every other principle, commandment, and virtue of the restored gospel draws its significance from this pivotal event.” (The Atonement of Jesus Christ, March 2008 Ensign)

When the atonement is emphasized first, then all other pieces of testimony should find correct context and function properly. In the words of Joseph Smith,

“the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and the Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith)

A person can fixate on some appendage or another in the gospel, an arm or a leg or finger, but without exercising faith in the Savior’s grace, such appendages become only lifeless, disconnected limbs used to fumble around in the dark with. When our understanding of the gospel is in proper context with the grace of Jesus Christ, every limb and finger work together to form a powerful and complete organism of faith.

In the Book of Mormon, the brother of Jared came to the Lord for him to touch stones so that they could give light on his voyage across the sea, and he saw the finger of the Lord and "fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear...and the Lord said unto him:  Arise, why hast thou fallen?

"And he said unto the Lord:  I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.

"And the Lord said unto him...Sawest thou more than this?

"And he answered:  Nay, Lord, show thyself unto me." (Ether 3:6-10)

On our dark voyage to the promised land, we bring our dull and lifeless stones of faith to Christ and ask him to touch them and give them light. It is not just the finger that lights the stones, some appendage of the gospel, but Christ, all of him; his atonement and his power. When we exercise faith in the atonement of Christ, our stones will shine brightly. Christ will illuminate our road of doubt, and we shall one day receive Christ, all of him, not just his finger, and we will "behold him within the veil" (Ether 3:19) and will finally be home.

The atonement is not just a principle to be understood, but a power to be used. We choose for ourselves how much, or to what degree, we will partake in Christ’s sacrifice. We accept and use the atonement when we live his teachings. There are many alternatives for how we may lightly use the gift of the atonement, but there is only one path to receive it fully, for "strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it; but wide is the gate, and broad the way which leads to death, and many there be that travel therein" (3 Ne. 27:33).

In the end, we can only become true latter-day “saints through the atonement of Christ the Lord” (Mos. 3:19).