Let the Atonement Shape You.

    I was talking to a very faithful member the other night about gospel topics. As we talked we came to the topic of the atonement of Jesus Christ, and she made a comment that made me ponder for a time. It went something like " I let the atonement shape me and decide who I will be!" I had no idea how the atonement could do that no clue on how it could shape her and make her who she was! But then it all dawned on me! So I hope that I will be able to shed some light upon the topic and write how I feel at this point!

    So we know that in this life we must suffer and endure hardships, trials, and things that we do not enjoy,  However, it's how we handle these trials, temptations, struggles, and pain that define who we are and shape us to what we can become. That is what we were sent here to do; learn, grow, and gain experience. God provided us a way to overcome those things as well and sent his son that knew how we would feel. As I studied the atonement the next morning I was reading in Alma 7:11 It states:

11. And he shall go forth, suffering pains and ^aafflictions and ^btemptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ^ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

Jesus Christ came, he suffered, he overcame spiritual and physical death for us. All so we could be happy and feel of the love of God and be forgiven of our sins. Now we learn that its not only sin that he took care of through the atonement, but all of the things listed in the above scripture. If we take all these trials and hardships to Christ, he will help us overcome them. Not only overcome them but make them strengths unto us,as found in Ether 12:27: 

27. And if men come unto me I will show unto them their ^aweakness. I ^bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my ^cgrace is sufficient for all men that ^dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make ^eweak things become strong unto them.

So how did the Atonement shape her and make her who she is? She simply took all the trials that she was burdened with and let Christ help her through making them her strengths, I know that this is true and possible for all of us and we should not let these small things get us down and ruin who we are and what we can become! So remember when you feel lost and weak or that no one is there, that Christ will be there to show you the way and love you and to help His Atonement shape you.