Gethsemane

"For the Lord cannot look upon sin without the least degree of allowance" (D&C 1:31).

Harsh words and even a more harsh meaning. It clearly states that God cannot tolerate sin or sinfulness in any degree. God cannot wink at it, ignore it, or turn and look the other way. The Lord will not sweep it under a rug or say "It is just a little sin. It will be alright." God's standard, the Celestial standard, is abolute and allows no exceptions. There is no wiggle room.

Changing topics slightly, I want to look at "blind justice" - you know, the image of the lady, blindfolded, holding the scales. She represents justice and mercy. The blindfold is to signify that it does not matter who the person is on trial - everyone, celebrity or commoner, prince and pauper, is given the same justice. In a sense, the scales also represent pros and cons, or goods and bads, to imitate mercy.

If the Lord functioned this way, would he simply weigh us against our wooden blocks of sin and whichever came out better, he would judge us? "You have done 4 good things, but only sinned twice, so go on into heaven." No, the Lord has to be absolute or cease to exist.

Humanity looks on the outward countenance. We see people dressed and make our initial expressions about them. The Lord looks upon the heart (ref 1 Sam 16:7). We cannot judge men as the Lord judges for we all sin and are imperfect. "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thine brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" (Matt 7:3).

Because of the Lord's perfection, he cannot tolerate any sin. This is why we need a savior. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

Since the beginning, God has held true of this. Adam and Eve were told not to take of the fruit of that tree. When the Lord asked them of it, they confessed and were yet kicked, exiled, from the Garden of Eden for their sins. No sin is small in the eyes of the Lord.

Now, for the good news for anyone who has ever sinned, in any degree. The word atonement literally means to make at one. Atonement has Greek roots and is translated as to reconcile. Take two things that have become separated, estranged, or incompatible - much like a perfect God and an imperfect me and you - and bring them back together, thus making the two objects at one again (ref Isaiah 1:18).

No matter what we have done, no matter how vile it may be, through the Lord we may overcome it. I enjoyed Stephen E. Robinson's Believing Christ. He wrote "It does not matter what you did. Whatever it was, no matter how horrible or vile, it is not the issue. The issue here is that whatever your sin was or is, I can erase it. I can clean you up and make you innocent, pure, and worthy, and I can do it today; I can do it now!"

Many people, even those in the church believe in Christ, but do not believe in his words. Christ says we can be made pure, but many people still have the midset of "No, you cannot. The gospel only works for other people; It will not work for me."

I beg to differ as Christ tells us "draw near to me and I will draw near unto you" (D&C 88:63). It can be done. I beg that you do not have the attitude of the world. Through the Lord, we can be clean. The Atonement's greatest accomplishment is that it works for everyone. Not only does it work for me, it works for the person who does better than I and to those who do worse than I. We have to take the first step.

"We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel" (3rd Article of Faith). It does not say only a select few, it says everyone.

So, what does this all mean? Well, we know that we want exaltation. We also know that to get there, we have to be pure, clean and having no sin. But we are sinners. How can we still achieve this ending we all want?

Many people mistake the lifehood of the Savior. They know that this man named Christ came to this world and did miracles. Then, he died upon that cross. However, that was not the atonement. This greatest work that Christ did was not at the cross. It was not at the last supper. It was not in his holding cell or at a temple. Yet, it was in a quiet garden named Gethsemane.

In the garden, Christ bleed from every pore on his body. Imagine how painful that would be. It would have killed a lesser man. Only Christ could accomplish this because of his uniqueness with his Father. I know that at least one of those drops were for me.

Christ was the only person who could have lived through that painful ordeal. He was the only one that could raise himself from the dead three days after dying on the cross. There is not another single person who could have done that for us.

Countless times in the scriptures, we hear "Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened" (Matt 7:7-8).

I thought that I understoof the pain that Christ bore for us. I knew it was great. But it was only recently that it came to pass that I feel even closer. I know what Christ has done for us and I hope it does not go away in vain for us. How great will your joy be in that kingdom when you bring that "one soul unto me; How great shall your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" (D&C 18:15). Let that one soul be your own soul. Then, gather the reast of the flock.