"Atonement"
“And since man had fallen, he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atoneth for their sins, through faith and repentance.”
—Alma 13:46
September 22, 1827, was the Autumnal Equinox. This is the day in the fall when there is an equal amount of sunlight and night, hence the Latin name “equinox”— or equal night. Also, that same year, Rosh Hashanah the Jewish New Year or the Feast of Trumpets, began on the evening of September 21st at sunset. On the Hebrew calendar, this was the first day of the seventh month called Tishri. For the Jews, each new day begins at sundown. The Feast of the Trumpets continued on the 22nd of September 1827 as well.
Joseph and Emma went to the Hill Cumorah on the night of September 21, 1827, which coincided with the Feast of the Trumpets. According to Joseph Knight, who was in the Smith home on that evening, he saw Joseph preparing to get the plates. He is quoted as saying, “The angel had commanded Joseph to come to the hill on September 22. To be precise in his compliance and still to throw off meddlers who knew of the date, Joseph chose to go to Cumorah in the dead of night, almost the minute September 22 arrived.” Emma stayed with the wagon at the base of the hill while Joseph met with Moroni where the plates were hidden, and he was permitted to take them.
Many Judaic writers teach that the major theme of the Feast of Trumpets is remembrance. God’s remembrance of His covenants with Israel and the need for Israel to remember their God. The prayers of the day plead for this remembrance. They ask God to remember His covenants with the ancient prophets that He would regather His people.
For the Jews, the ten days that follow the Feast of Trumpets, are known as the “Days of Awe” and are a period of reflection, repentance, and preparation for the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), which is considered the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
In scriptural contexts, trumpets announce, and trumpets warn. Was the coming forth of the Book of Mormon on the Feast of Trumpets coincidental? Not so! Delivering the plates to Joseph on the Feast of Trumpets is symbolically meaningful in many ways (and prophetic in others) among which are that it’s coming forth announced both the time for the gathering of Israel to an appointed place as well as to announce again in simple and plain ways the salvation of all mankind through the atonement of Jesus Christ. This is the central message of Christianity and one that had perhaps become swallowed up in the various creedal debates in Christendom.
There are many today that look at Christianity as just one of the world’s great religions and Jesus as its central figure among the best of the human teachers who lived an exemplary life. In other words, Christianity is essentially ethics.
But this is not so. The real heart of Christianity are not Jesus’ teachings like the Sermon on the Mount. It certainly is important as are all Jesus teachings, but when Jesus commissioned His disciples, and they went forth to proclaim “Christianity,” what was proclaimed throughout the world was not “Love your enemies!” but “Christ is risen!” This was not a new ideal but a new event, that God became man, died, and rose for our salvation. Christianity is first of all not ideal but real, an event, news, the gospel, the “good news.” The heart of Christianity is not Christianity - the heart of Christianity is Christ. So, it is not surprising that a central understanding of the Book of Mormon is the atonement for mankind wrought by Jesus through His death and resurrection. It “trumpets” this message loud and clear.
The literal meaning of atone is “to cover.” In the Old Testament, it appears to have taken on the theological meaning of “to take away.” Even today, we can use the word cover to mean “take away.” If a person says, for example, “Let me give you $20 to cover the bill,” this does not mean that debt will be merely covered or hidden or “swept under the rug” but that it will be paid, and the obligation removed. Jesus atoned for our sins. He did not just cover them over. He paid the debt (death) on our behalf. The obligation has been removed.
Alma’s discourse to his son Corianton is without question the best explanation in all of scripture of why God had to send His Son to the cross to cover or take away our sin. To pay our debt. Corianton was struggling with understanding the justice of God. He could not understand why it was necessary for sinners to “be consigned to a state of misery.” He felt that the punishment was just too great.
Alma first describes how sin entered in through Adam’s transgression. He “had become as God, knowing good and evil” (Alma 19:83) making him subject to his own will. To keep him from partaking of the tree of life and living forever in this sinful condition he was removed from the garden, given the sentence of death, but also given a “probationary time, a time to repent and serve God.” (Alma 19:84) But as Aaron taught Lamoni’s father who was king, because “man had fallen, he could not merit anything of himself.” (Alma 13:46) Alma tells Corianton the same thing. That because of the justice of God “there was no means to reclaim men from this fallen state.” (Alma 19:93) Repent we must, but it alone would not save. If God were to accept us into His presence solely upon the conditions of our repentance, His mercy would destroy His justice. Something else had to happen.
That something else was an atonement for our sin. An atonement that we could not make. So, “God Himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.” (Alma 19:97) And because of the atonement, we can be restored back into the presence of God.
After his explanation, Alma asked his son to no longer be troubled by the justice of God and not to seek to excuse himself for his sins. But to let an understanding of his sin and God’s justice and mercy “have full sway” in his heart to lead him to humility and repentance. He also asked Corianton to declare this word – the understanding that Jesus atoned for our sins -- with truth and soberness. All who are called to preach should proclaim this message.
It is humbling to think that God has regarded our helpless estate and shed his own blood for our souls. That our sin, not in part, but the whole has been nailed to a cross and we bear it no more. And that is not all. Another trump is going to resound, and Jesus will come again! May the Lord hast the day!
Praise the Lord!