Clasped in the Arms of Jesus

In general conference this past weekend, President Nelson gave us this invitation: “I urge you to devote time each week—for the rest of your life—to increase your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” In an effort to do that this week, I listened to a talk he gave nearly three decades ago about the atonement. In it he discussed the meaning of the word atonement. He said, “Let us now ponder the deep meaning of the word atonement. In the English language, the components are at-one-ment, suggesting that a person is at one with another.” That is certainly a point that I have heard many times, and it is interesting to understand that the word itself was first used by William Tyndale as he translated the Bible into English. David Seely wrote, “In addition to the noun atonement (Greek katallagē), two forms of the related Greek verb katallassō occur in Romans 5:10, which Tyndale translated as ‘we were reconciled’ and ‘seeing we were reconciled.’ The words in this passage in Classical Greek mean ‘to change from enmity to friendship,’ or ‘to reconcile.’ In the New Testament, the verb is used in one passage describing the reconciliation of one human with another (1 Corinthians 7:11), but it most often describes the reconciliation of humans with God (Romans 5:10–11; 2 Corinthians 5:18–20; Colossians 1:20, 22; Ephesians 2:16). It is this Greek word that Tyndale translates with the word atonement, and it is likely that this Greek word provides the foundation for his understanding of the effects of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.” Understanding that the atonement is what reconciles us with God—making us “at one” with Him—is an essential aspect of understanding what Christ did for us. The whole purpose of Christ’s suffering for us was to bring us back into the presence of God and make it so we could stay there, one with Him and the Father.

                I appreciated that in this talk by President Nelson, he didn’t stop with the English language only in his discussion of the word atonement. Also conscious of an audience larger than just English speakers, he continued, “Other languages employ words that connote either expiation or reconciliation. Expiation means ‘to atone for.’ Reconciliation comes from Latin roots re, meaning ‘again’; con, meaning ‘with’; and sella, meaning ‘seat.’ Reconciliation, therefore, literally means ‘to sit again with.’” Adding that perspective gives us a richer view of what the atonement is meant for—ultimately to help us sit again with God. As Mormon put it, our eternal goal like that of the three Nephites is to “be received into the kingdom of the Father to go no more out, but to dwell with God eternally in the heavens” (3 Nephi 28:40). President Nelson continued his discussion of the words used to describe the atonement: “Rich meaning is found in study of the word atonement in the Semitic languages of Old Testament times. In Hebrew, the basic word for atonement is kaphar, a verb that means ‘to cover’ or ‘to forgive.’ Closely related is the Aramaic and Arabic word kafat, meaning ‘a close embrace’—no doubt related to the Egyptian ritual embrace. References to that embrace are evident in the Book of Mormon. One states that ‘the Lord hath redeemed my soul … ; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.’ Another proffers the glorious hope of our being ‘clasped in the arms of Jesus.’” The atonement of Jesus Christ covers our sins so that they can be seen by the Father no more. They are forgotten by Him. Christ’s atonement also brings us into a heavenly embrace with the Lord. I remember going to the Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt and our instructor pointed out to us images of a divine embrace where the arms of Deity were placed around the arms of the mortal. This clearly has great significance for us and the atonement is at the center of that scene as we are “clasped in the arms of Jesus” as Mormon described. But it only can happen if we will repent and receive that divine embrace of love and forgiveness (see Mormon 5:11). Thus the word atonement, considered from multiple languages, includes the ideas of being made at one with the Father, sitting down with God and being reconciled to Him, having our sins covered, and ultimately receiving a divine embrace.