Elder Russell M. Nelson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:
“As member’s of [Jesus Christ’s] Church we understand the deep significance of His Atonement, even though we cannot completely comprehend the miracle of it. . . .
Each time I reflect upon the ordeal of His Atonement, I realize that He didn’t have to do it. He did it voluntarily. And for it, he was “despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3).
All who are parents know the heartache felt when loved ones endure trials. The parents of Jesus were no exception. It is hard to comprehend the feelings of the Father, who had to withdraw His Spirit at His Son’s last hour so that the victory of the Atonement could be earned completely by Jesus. Yet meek Jesus gave the glory to His Father (see Doctrine and Covenants 19:19). Mary was also aware of many things she could not express. Do you supposed as she washed her baby and caressed His hands and feet that she knew that spikes would be driven into them? Surely she knew that her infant Christ child came into the world to do the will of His Father and all that His divine destiny would entail. I believe these were among the many things that she painfully pondered in her heart.
His infinite Atonement reversed the effects of the Fall of Adam. The Fall brought about mortality. The Atonement of Christ brought about immortality (see 1 Corinthians 15:22), and that gift applies infinitely to all mankind. His Atonement provided more than just a passover from death. His gift also opened the doors to eternal life. His Atonement fulfilled prophecies of the past, such as: “It is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice” (Alma 34:10). That responsibility was to be the sole province of the Son of God. (see 3 Nephi 27:13). (“The Infinite Atonement,” Combined Yale Wards Christmas Message, December 25, 1994)
