Drawing upon the Atonement of Jesus Christ
Through His Atonement, Jesus Christ provides the only way to return and live with our Father in Heaven as eternal companions and families. Through His suffering and pure love, our Savior paid for our sins. We can draw upon His divine power as we face our mistakes, sins, and weaknesses. His redeeming love enables us to love more perfectly. His forgiveness enables us to forgive. His grace enables us to keep striving and always have hope. These redeeming gifts are especially significant as a husband and wife seek to become one and to love one another as He loves us .
One of the most empowering gifts essential in marriage is the gift of repentance—the daily opportunity to change, to learn from our mistakes, to forgive, and to love. Saying “I’m sorry” or “forgive me” reflects our desires to draw upon the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our relationships. Our actions as well as our words will demonstrate our desires to overcome our imperfections and mortal weaknesses.
To draw upon the Atonement of Jesus Christ is a conscious desire and continual effort to turn to Him, trust in Him, and seek His redeeming power in your marriage. When you are sealed as husband and wife in the temple, Jesus Christ and His Atonement is the connection that binds you together. If He is in the center of your marriage, He can heal, bless, and help you become one.
The following ideas can help you draw upon the Atonement of Jesus Christ in your marriage:
- Share with each other your personal feelings about and experiences with the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Let this be a core spiritual foundation to your marriage.
- Talk about how to say “I’m sorry” or “forgive me” in actions as well as words. What actions communicate your desire to repent and become one? Communicate in soft and kind ways. Set a goal to never raise your voice in anger.
- Prayerfully reflect on anything in the past that could harm your future together. Seek personal revelation on what the Lord would have you do to become free from sins or mistakes in your past. Counsel and pray together. If you feel you need help, counsel with your bishop.
- Talk about the sacrament and how it can become your weekly connection to the Savior, your renewal of sacred covenants, and your desire to place Jesus Christ in the center of your marriage.
- During the Savior’s Atonement, He invited His disciples to “watch … and pray always” (Luke 21:36). Pray together as a couple. Set a time every morning and evening to pray. Kneel together and express your love and appreciation to God and each other. Let this be an expression of love in your marriage.
Reflections
- How can we draw upon the Atonement of Jesus Christ more in our marriage?
- How does the Atonement free us from everything in the past and give hope for the future?
- Why is kneeling and praying together symbolic of the temple and the sealing?