The Blood of Christ

Elder Paul V. Johnson told of the health challenges of one of his grandsons named Aaron in the most recent general conference. Aaron “was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia, a disease where his bone marrow stopped producing red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.” He needed a bone marrow transplant, and one of his brothers, Maxwell, was found to be a perfect match. Aaron was given the transplant and though it took a second transplant as well, he was miraculously brought back to good health in time through his brother’s blood. Elder Johnson commented, “Aaron being saved by his brother’s blood has spurred many thoughts about the atoning blood of Jesus Christ and the effect of His Atonement on us…. Aaron did not have the power in himself to overcome the disease. His body could not make the blood cells needed to sustain his life. No matter what he personally did, he could not heal his bone marrow. Just as Aaron could not cure himself, we cannot save ourselves. No matter how capable, educated, brilliant, or strong we are, we cannot cleanse ourselves from our sins, change our bodies to an immortal state, or exalt ourselves. It is only possible through the Savior Jesus Christ and His infinite Atonement…. Although Aaron could not heal himself, in order for the transplant to work he needed to be willing to do what the doctors asked—even very difficult, challenging things. Although we can’t save ourselves, when we submit to the Lord’s will and keep our covenants, the way is open for our redemption. Like the remarkable process of the very DNA of Aaron’s blood cells changing, we can have our hearts changed, have His image in our countenances, and become new creatures in Christ.” We too are saved by the blood of our Brother, for “salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent” (Mosiah 3:18). We are “made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:69). Just as Aaron was changed and healed through the blood of His brother, we can find healing now and salvation ultimately as we accept the blood of Jesus Christ.

                Each week we have the opportunity to remember the blood of the Savior and to symbolically take His blood into us to heal our sins and weaknesses and shortcomings. The “elders and priests [administer] the flesh and blood of Christ unto the church” and pray these words: “O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee, in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them” (Moroni 4:1, 5:2). Elder Johnson highlighted the fact that “if Aaron committed a crime and left blood at the crime scene, the police could arrest his brother Maxwell. This is because Aaron’s blood would come from Maxwell’s transplanted cells and have Maxwell’s DNA.” The two were the same in their very DNA, and in a similar manner as we symbolically receive the blood of Christ to heal and transform us, we become more like Him. Each week as we drink in remembrance of His blood and commit to taking His name upon us, we can grow a little more in similitude of Him. We hope that our actions are literally the actions that He would take as we remember Him and He works to eventually make us perfect like He is. Moroni invited us in these words: “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ;… And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot” (Moroni 10:32-33). As we love Him with all our heart, His blood will, in time, work to make use holy and pure, saving us just like the blood of Maxwell saved his brother Aaron.