Studying Jesus’ atonement will help us prepare for general conference and Easter. April 5, 2020, is not only general conference, it’s Palm Sunday, commemorating the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
“Palm Sunday,” Eric D. Huntsman, from LDS Seasonal Materials
A list of readings from the Gospels, ideas for family activities, commentary, and personal reflections on Palm Sunday.
“Narrative Atonement Theology in the Gospel of Mark,” Julie M. Smith, BYU Studies Quarterly 54, no. 1
The Gospel of Mark barely mentions any reason for the Crucifixion, but by looking at the narrative, several meanings are evident. The narratives of the torn temple veil, the exclamation of the centurion, and the presence of women at the Crucifixion reveal Mark’s message of Jesus opening access to God for all people.
“The Israelite Roots of Atonement Terminology,” by T. Benjamin Spackman, BYU Studies Quarterly 55, no. 1
This article focuses on three common English terms—atonement, salvation, and redemption. The semantic lines between these Hebrew terms have been blurred in modern English usage, if not erased entirely; they have also become highly theological, eschatological, and heavenly, whereas their conceptual Israelite linguistic origins are often grounded in the concrete, this-worldly, and practical. The article suggests that recovering the Hebrew sources of the three terms yields more clarity about the theology of atonement.
“Empathy and the Atonement,” by Tyler Johnson, BYU Studies Quarterly 55, no. 4
Nephi and Benjamin teach that Christ allowed himself to suffer agony. Alma depicts Jesus’ “personal act of willing sacrifice wherein the Savior enters into our suffering with each of us one at a time.” As we wonder why there is so much suffering in the world, this personal Atonement provides a solution.
