Rely on This Redeemer

This morning I looked for verses about the Savior and His atonement from each of the 15 books in the Book of Mormon. As I did so I noticed that there are a lot of words that start with the letter r that speak of the Savior, His sacrifice, and the remission of sins that we can receive through Him. I found passages from each book with a different r word that represents one aspect of the Savior’s atonement or how we come unto Him. Lehi wrote, “Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer” (1 Nephi 10:6). We must learn to rely on our Redeemer. Nephi explained what he did in these words: “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins” (2 Nephi 25:26). We should rejoice in Christ. Jacob encouraged us to come unto the Savior this way: “Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God, having faith, and obtained a good hope of glory in him before he manifesteth himself in the flesh” (Jacob 4:11). Through Christ we can be reconciled to God. Enos sought for forgiveness through the Savior and recorded: “And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed. And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away. And I said: Lord, how is it done? And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ” (Enos 1:4-8). His prayers reached the heavens because of His faith in Christ. Jarom summarized what happened among his people in these words: “Wherefore, the prophets, and the priests, and the teachers, did labor diligently, exhorting with all long-suffering the people to diligence; teaching the law of Moses, and the intent for which it was given; persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was. And after this manner did they teach them. And it came to pass that by so doing they kept them from being destroyed upon the face of the land; for they did prick their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto repentance” (Jarom 1:11-12). Looking forward to the Messiah helped them to repent. I love this invitation of Amaleki: “And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption” (Omni 1:26). Mormon focused on records that testify of the Savior and help us come unto Him: “And it is many hundred years after the coming of Christ that I deliver these records into the hands of my son; and it supposeth me that he will witness the entire destruction of my people. But may God grant that he may survive them, that he may write somewhat concerning them, and somewhat concerning Christ, that perhaps some day it may profit them” (Words of Mormon 1:2).

Each of the books from Mormon’s abridgement of the large plates similarly testifies of Christ with r words. Abinadi spoke of the Savior in these words: “And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection” (Mosiah 16:7). He can break the bands of death for each of us because He is risen from the grave. Alma related his experience receiving a remission of sins to Helaman this way: “And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world” (Alma 36:17). As we remember Him we receive His forgiveness. Samuel the Lamanite taught, “But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord” (Helaman 14:17). His resurrection brings us back into the presence of God. When among the Nephites the Savior said, “And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end” (3 Nephi 27:19). We can have rest as we symbolically wash our garments in His blood. After the Savior’s departure, the people received the Holy Ghost through baptism in His name: “And as many as did come unto them, and did truly repent of their sins, were baptized in the name of Jesus; and they did also receive the Holy Ghost” (4 Nephi 1:1). The Father seeks to restore us through His Beloved Son: “And behold, they shall go unto the unbelieving of the Jews; and for this intent shall they go—that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; that the Father may bring about, through his most Beloved, his great and eternal purpose, in restoring the Jews, or all the house of Israel, to the land of their inheritance, which the Lord their God hath given them, unto the fulfilling of his covenant” (Mormon 5:14). The Savior said this to Moroni as he struggled with his weaknesses: “My grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness” (Ether 12:27-28). Jesus is the fountain of all righteousness. Mormon questioned the believers in his day: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?” (Moroni 7:27). The Savior has claimed His rights of mercy to save us.

                All of these words together give a powerful glimpse of what the Savior and His atonement should mean to us: rely, rejoice, reconciled, reached, repentance, redemption, records, risen, remembered, resurrection, rest, receive, restoring, righteousness, rights. These sacred records teach us that we must remember and reach out to the Redeemer who has risen from the dead in the resurrection, relying on His righteousness and the power of His redemption and His rights of mercy so we can receive His rest through our repentance and rejoice that He has reconciled us and restored us to God.