A BELONGING

 

“When Jesus completed His atoning act, He uttered these words from the cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30).  When the meaning and purpose of His Atonement are first realised in our lives, we may say, “It has begun”. What has begun? The process of becoming forever “at one” with him – belonging to him.

“Those who come unto Christ also enter into a spiritual child-parent relationship with him. They take upon themselves his name – not only “Christians” in a general sense, but as King Benjamin wrote of those who accepted Christ’s Atonement and His gospel, “ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters, for behold this day he hath spiritually begotten you” (Mosiah 5:7).

“The unlimited parental commitment the Saviour feels for those who are in this sense His children is anchored deeply in the sacrifice of His Atonement. A mother descends into the dark valley of pain and death, risking her life to bring forth the life of her child. And when the child is born, she feels the awesome limitlessness of maternal bonds that are stronger than the cords of death.

“This sacrifice, understandable to any parent, yet most understandable to mothers, mirrors both the Saviour’s sacrifice and His everlasting commitment to nourish and cherish the children of Christ for whom He offered His body and His blood (see 1 Nephi 21:15-16)”

-          Elder Bruce C. Hafen, “The Belonging Heart” p 142-144

Elder Hafen goes on to say that the parent-child relationship which we are in with the Saviour goes beyond His commitment to nourish and cherish us as His children. The crucial component of this relationship is that the child develops and grows to become like the parent: “Ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him…” (Moroni 7:48).

It gives the phrase “you are just like your father” a whole new meaning, does it not?

The day You climbed the fateful hill

And embraced the pain of Calvary

You freed us from this world of sin

And from every agony.

 

How noble, how enduring

How strong You must have been

To fight my soul’s enemy

In the Garden of Gethsemane.

 

I give You my heart

I give You my all

To one day see Your

Reflection in my soul.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Sands of Serenity and Joyful Teachings by Ivan Guaderrama)