In Newness of Life

About a decade ago in a BYU devotional speech, Brother Lloyd Newell spoke about the ability for us to change and “walk in newness of life” through the atonement of Jesus Christ. He referred to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and said this: “All is not lost for Scrooge, who sees his past, present, and future and undergoes a change of heart. This heartwarming story resonates with us because it reminds us so powerfully that anyone can change—even a callous old man who literally defines grumpy selfishness. If there is hope for Scrooge, there is hope for all of us.” He then made this observation which I had not considered before: “But there is a tragic aspect to this story that never fully gets resolved. When you hear the word scrooge, what do you think of? Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines scrooge as ‘a miserly person’—not a person who was once miserly but who, when given a second chance, chose to reform his life and share his wealth with those less fortunate. Just ‘a miserly person.’ Even though everyone knows how Scrooge’s story ends, his name has nevertheless entered our consciousness (and our dictionary) as the embodiment of what he once was—not what he ultimately became. The poor Scrooge is immortalized for his abandoned past, not his reformed future.” Indeed, we for some reason remember Scrooge for his worst instead of his best. We have the same problem with Thomas the apostle. Near the end of the Savior’s life when He insisted on going back to Judea where his life was in danger, John recorded, “Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16). And yet most people if you asked them to name one thing about Thomas, it wouldn’t be that he was willing to die for the Savior but that he once doubted the Savior’s resurrection.

               Two days ago, two of my younger children were having a bit of a scuffle at the top of the stairs. I went over to break it up and grabbed the one closer to be, but that child then kicked the one below who then went tumbling down the stairs, all the way to the bottom. Gratefully there were no permanent injuries, and the guilty child felt really bad, having only intended to give a soft kick and not a “launch you down the stairs” kick. What was most impressive to me was to later see these two playing together and interacting as if nothing had happened. The ability for children to forgive and forget is amazing to me. Unlike how we subconsciously can’t let Scrooge off (or anyone else) for previous bad behavior, small children are quick to forgive and, in my experience, generally don’t define others by their worst moments. The Lord told us, “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:42). Surely if He doesn’t remember them then He would also want us to strive not to remember the past failings of others. That may not mean that we are able to entirely forget, but we can see them in their best light and not by their worst actions. In other words, we must believe in the atonement of Jesus Christ which implies that both we and others can permanently change their behaviors and “walk in newness of life” as Paul taught (Romans 6:4).

               Paul also wrote this to the Corinthian Saints: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:17-19). Through Jesus Christ we can become new and reconciled to God. He doesn’t want to impute our trespasses to us but wants to take them on Himself and make us new. Brother Newell highlighted the significance of the fact that the Savior’s atonement and resurrection took place in the springtime: “The events we celebrate at Eastertime provide an excellent example. It is surely no coincidence that the Savior’s sacrifice and Resurrection, complete with the promise of renewed physical and spiritual life, occurred during springtime. Who can witness the emergence of colorful blossoms on limbs that seemed so dead and barren all winter without marveling at the earth’s miraculous regeneration every year? The arrival of spring after a long, cold winter is a bold declaration that rebirth is always possible. It is an annual reaffirmation of our hope in new life and renewed life, a sweet and tender reassurance of hope centered in Jesus Christ. I suppose it shouldn’t surprise us that the Master Teacher uses the largest visual aid in history—the world He created—to teach us about His Atonement. Truly, ‘all things are created and made to bear record of’ Him, including the marked change from winter to spring (Moses 6:63).” Spring should remind us that like the earth, we can all walk in newness of life thanks to the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ.