March Sharing Time - Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ I Can Repent and Be Forgiven of My Sins

First, wow.  This week covers a lot of stuff: the atonement, our need for repentance, and forgiveness.  Huge.

Second, I am again so thankful for the opportunity to read amazing teachings.  Each week I learn, but some weeks I feel are especially for me.  Both of the talks I read this week hit home and touched me in different ways.

Third, THE GOSPEL IS AWESOME!!  Just thought I'd put that out there.

Speaking of the atonement, President Boyd K. Packer taught us that, "All wickedness could not quench that light.  When what was done was done, the ransom had been paid.  Both death and hell forsook their claim on all who would repent.  Men at last were free.  Then every soul who ever lived could choose to touch that light and be redeemed."

Together agency and the atonement allow us the opportunity to be cleansed over and over.  As often as we have need.  Some days, maybe even most days, I need a lot (and even that seems like an understatement).

The Sharing Time Outline asks us to read Doctrine and Covenants 19:16 which says, "For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent."

Unfortunately, it's much easier to say that He suffered for us so we don't have to than it is to put it into practice.  For some reason, we seem to be attached to our sins...or maybe that's just me.  I want to give them to Him, but I can't seem to do it with the fervor and ease that King Lamoni does when he gives away all his sins to know God.

Another great example is Alma the Younger.  He spent three days being wracked with torment until he finally remembered his father's teachings about the Savior.  Immediately he cried out for forgiveness and then, amazingly, remembered his pains no more.

Teach the children about these examples and then teach them that it is "...our responsibility to do the WORK of repentance" with a fun object lesson.  A fantastic object lesson.  I was telling my husband about it and I got a little teary eyed...it's that good.

I found this fantastic idea on the blog, By Common Consent.  You will need a T-Shirt you don't mind ruining, a few costume like accessories, hangers and these printouts.  I'm going to give you a basic overview, but to see a more detailed description and pictures, click on the blog link above.

Write, "I told a LIE" on the T-Shirt and either have it on and covered, or put it on as you get to this point in your sharing time.  Tell the kids that you feel bad, but you know what you can do, and then, one by one, pull out a hanger with an accessory and printout hanging off of it.  Put on the accessory and ask if it covers, hides or gets rid of the sin.  Do this one by one, slowly trying to "cover up" more and more of your sin.

Finally, pull out your last hanger, empty except for the words "The Atonement" and ask how in the world this empty hanger can help?

This is where I'd change it slightly.  On the back of the your paper, have the 5 steps mentioned in the Sharing Time Outline.  In my download this week, I list the steps and I thought of two different ways you could use them.  First, print them off on their own sheet of paper, cut them into step strips and either tape or sticky them onto the back of the sheet of paper that says, "Jesus Christ Atoned for our sins."  Second, print it onto the back of the Atonement sheet, cut it into strips and then sticky or tape it onto your hanger so that when you turn it to the Atonement side, you can still read the sign.

Whichever you choose, as you go through the steps, talk about how each of your ideas to "hide" the sin didn't really work and now, you have to do some of that WORK.  I already realized I'd done something wrong and I really did feel bad about it (that's why I tried to hide it), but now, I've learned I have to confess what I've done wrong and stop trying to hide it.  I have to fix it if I can (ask for examples of how we could fix a lie) and last, promise to not do it again.

After pulling each step off the hanger, it truly is empty (if you've chosen to print steps directly on the back of "Jesus Christ Atoned for our sins"), so ask again, HOW CAN AN EMPTY HANGER HELP?!  Take off the shirt/sin and put it on the hanger explaining that choosing to repent through the atonement is the ONE and ONLY way we can truly get rid of our sins.

President Packer concludes his talk with this inspiring testimony:

"I cannot with composure tell you how I feel about the Atonement.  It touches the deepest emotion of gratitude and obligation.  My soul reaches after Him who wrought it, this Christ, our Savior of whom I am a witness.  I testify of Him.  He is our Lord, our Redeemer, our advocate with the Father.  He ransomed us with Him blood.

Humbly I lay claim upon the atonement of Christ.  I find no shame in kneeling down in worship of our Father and His son.  For agency is mine, and this I choose to do!"

I couldn't say it better.

Leah