The Atonement

Taken from familyartusa.com (by Simon Dewey)

I would like to start by wishing Elise a happy happy birthday!! I hope it was wonderful! I wanted to share my experience of reading a book. It is by LDS author Rachel Ann Nunes. It's called Ariana: The Making of a Queen. Have you guys read that series? I only read the first one and decided I couldn't read anymore because that one was so emotional. But what I loved about that book was that it made the Atonement so real to me. Towards the end, Ariana is tempted to have a drink of a beer and a smoke of marijuana, addictions she had overcome years ago. She was now a baptized member and returned missionary. Right as she was about to give in, the power of the Atonement hit her full force. She realized she had been forgiven for her past life. She knew at that moment that the Savior had paid for her sins, and she did not want to cheat herself of that incredible blessing by giving in to temptation. She also knew that He had been there for her and had carried her through the most painful trials you can imagine. (I don't want to give those away in case any of you haven't read it yet and would like to.) Even though she is a fictional character, I admire her so much. I can't imagine having the faith and strength that she had to have to go on living at times. It made me realize how weak I am. Part of me worries that I would not survive trials as great as hers, even with the Savior behind me. But that is why He is there. Life goes on, even after experiencing the greatest pain or sadness. We need the Savior to support us in every step of life. We need His love and support in order to become Kings and Queens one day. That is a lesson that will probably take a lifetime to learn.