The Garden of Gethsemene &
The Church of All Nations
“The ordeal of the Atonement centered about the city of Jerusalem. There the greatest single act of love of all recorded history took place. Leaving the upper room, Jesus and His friends crossed the deep ravine east of the city and came to a garden of olive trees on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives. There in the garden bearing the Hebrew name of Gethsemane—meaning “oil-press”—olives had been beaten and pressed to provide oil and food. There at Gethsemane, the Lord “suffered the pain of all men, that all … might repent and come unto him.” He took upon Himself the weight of the sins of all mankind, bearing its massive load that caused Him to bleed from every pore.
…Even though the Father and the Son knew well in advance what was to be experienced, the actuality of it brought indescribable agony. “And [Jesus] said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” Jesus then complied with the will of His Father. Three days later, precisely as prophesied, He rose from the grave. He became the firstfruits of the Resurrection. He had accomplished the Atonement, which could give immortality and eternal life to all obedient human beings. All that the Fall allowed to go awry, the Atonement allowed to go aright.”
(Russell M. Nelson, The Atonement, October 1996 General Conference) http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1996/10/the-atonement?lang=eng&query=at-one-ment
My favorite scriptures about the atonement as well as scriptural references to the Garden of Gethsemane:
The Atonement of Jesus Christ – there is so much depth and meaning behind both the word “atonement” and the event that took place in the Garden of Gethsemane over two thousand years ago. Elder Nelson explains this well,
“…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. 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.”
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.”
I weep for joy when I contemplate the significance of it all. To be redeemed is to be atoned—received in the close embrace of God with an expression not only of His forgiveness, but of our oneness of heart and mind. What a privilege! And what a comfort to those of us with loved ones who have already passed from our family circle through the gateway we call death!”
(Russell M. Nelson, The Atonement, October 1996 General Conference) http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1996/10/the-atonement?lang=eng&query=at-one-ment
I find the topic of the Atonement the most difficult of all for me to write about because I honestly feel my words are weak and cannot do justice in explaining the impact it has had in my life. Personally, the Atonement of Jesus Christ has molded me into who I am today and continues to do so. It has impacted me in so many ways – in the choices I’ve made, the direction I’ve taken in life, and in becoming who I am – and it will continue to have an impact on my life forever. I am positive that there are countless ways the Atonement blesses us everyday that we don’t even recognize. All I can say is that I am grateful I have come to know my Savior, who is my source of strength when I feel weak, my hope when I feel down, my relief when under the world’s pressure, my healer when I make mistakes, and my guiding light on this journey. I can never repay the Savior for what He has done for me, but perhaps in sharing the gospel by action and deed and by following his ways, I can be an influence for good in this world and become the person He sees in me.
August 29, 2009
“…I had [President Okiishi] drop me off at the Garden of Gethsemane. I was impressed with the small garden of ancient olive trees. I sat there in front of one huge one as tourists and tour groups bustled past and took pictures. As I sat there reflecting (enjoying the short moments of silence when no tourists were in front of me), I decided to pull out my Bible and read each account of the Savior in Gethsemane between His intimate meeting with the apostles in the upper room and His betrayal.
I was touched by the Spirit as I looked out over the small garden (drowning out the sound of the cars, the honking, and the people) and tried to imagine my Savior walking out in the night among the trees, just a stones cast away from His disciples, falling on His face, and crying out in prayer, “Not my will, but thine be done,” and great drops of blood oozing from his pours as He suffered such intense pain and agony for the sins of every individual who has or will walk the earth. As I imagined this while I looked out on the garden I felt the spirit throughout my whole body. It was a calm feeling, not powerful, but the tingling sensation I’m used to whenever I have a spiritual experience. From this I learned a number of things – one, that my Savior and Father in Heaven love me, and two, that much knowledge of the Atonement and what happened and the reason for it happening has been restored through our modern day prophets, and three, that I can feel the same spirit I felt in the Garden of Gethsemane anywhere in the world as long as I strive to be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
I am eternally grateful for the entirely selfless sacrifice of the Savior for all of human kind. His eternal love is too broad and encompassing for my own understanding, although I got a small glimpse of it in that place. I’m so grateful for His patience and longsuffering towards me, a man whose weakness seems to always get the best of him. I want to know my Savior more, I want to feel closer to Jesus Christ and feel His love more powerfully in my life. I want to be more like Him and do what He would do in the situations that I face. I praise His name for His matchless and endless compassion, mercy, and love!”
…Even though the Father and the Son knew well in advance what was to be experienced, the actuality of it brought indescribable agony. “And [Jesus] said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” Jesus then complied with the will of His Father. Three days later, precisely as prophesied, He rose from the grave. He became the firstfruits of the Resurrection. He had accomplished the Atonement, which could give immortality and eternal life to all obedient human beings. All that the Fall allowed to go awry, the Atonement allowed to go aright.”
(Russell M. Nelson, The Atonement, October 1996 General Conference) http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1996/10/the-atonement?lang=eng&query=at-one-ment
My favorite scriptures about the atonement as well as scriptural references to the Garden of Gethsemane:
The Atonement of Jesus Christ – there is so much depth and meaning behind both the word “atonement” and the event that took place in the Garden of Gethsemane over two thousand years ago. Elder Nelson explains this well,
“…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. 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.”
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.”
I weep for joy when I contemplate the significance of it all. To be redeemed is to be atoned—received in the close embrace of God with an expression not only of His forgiveness, but of our oneness of heart and mind. What a privilege! And what a comfort to those of us with loved ones who have already passed from our family circle through the gateway we call death!”
(Russell M. Nelson, The Atonement, October 1996 General Conference) http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1996/10/the-atonement?lang=eng&query=at-one-ment
I find the topic of the Atonement the most difficult of all for me to write about because I honestly feel my words are weak and cannot do justice in explaining the impact it has had in my life. Personally, the Atonement of Jesus Christ has molded me into who I am today and continues to do so. It has impacted me in so many ways – in the choices I’ve made, the direction I’ve taken in life, and in becoming who I am – and it will continue to have an impact on my life forever. I am positive that there are countless ways the Atonement blesses us everyday that we don’t even recognize. All I can say is that I am grateful I have come to know my Savior, who is my source of strength when I feel weak, my hope when I feel down, my relief when under the world’s pressure, my healer when I make mistakes, and my guiding light on this journey. I can never repay the Savior for what He has done for me, but perhaps in sharing the gospel by action and deed and by following his ways, I can be an influence for good in this world and become the person He sees in me.
August 29, 2009
“…I had [President Okiishi] drop me off at the Garden of Gethsemane. I was impressed with the small garden of ancient olive trees. I sat there in front of one huge one as tourists and tour groups bustled past and took pictures. As I sat there reflecting (enjoying the short moments of silence when no tourists were in front of me), I decided to pull out my Bible and read each account of the Savior in Gethsemane between His intimate meeting with the apostles in the upper room and His betrayal.
I was touched by the Spirit as I looked out over the small garden (drowning out the sound of the cars, the honking, and the people) and tried to imagine my Savior walking out in the night among the trees, just a stones cast away from His disciples, falling on His face, and crying out in prayer, “Not my will, but thine be done,” and great drops of blood oozing from his pours as He suffered such intense pain and agony for the sins of every individual who has or will walk the earth. As I imagined this while I looked out on the garden I felt the spirit throughout my whole body. It was a calm feeling, not powerful, but the tingling sensation I’m used to whenever I have a spiritual experience. From this I learned a number of things – one, that my Savior and Father in Heaven love me, and two, that much knowledge of the Atonement and what happened and the reason for it happening has been restored through our modern day prophets, and three, that I can feel the same spirit I felt in the Garden of Gethsemane anywhere in the world as long as I strive to be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
I am eternally grateful for the entirely selfless sacrifice of the Savior for all of human kind. His eternal love is too broad and encompassing for my own understanding, although I got a small glimpse of it in that place. I’m so grateful for His patience and longsuffering towards me, a man whose weakness seems to always get the best of him. I want to know my Savior more, I want to feel closer to Jesus Christ and feel His love more powerfully in my life. I want to be more like Him and do what He would do in the situations that I face. I praise His name for His matchless and endless compassion, mercy, and love!”