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The
Purifying Power of Gethsemane
Elder
McConkie's Last Talk
by Elder
Bruce R. McConkie
General Conference, April 1985
"I feel, and the Spirit
seems to accord, that the most important doctrine I can declare, and the most
powerful testimony I can bear is one of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
His atonement is the most
transcendent event that ever has or ever will occur, from creation's dawn and
through all the ages of a never ending eternity. It was the supreme act of
goodness and grace that only a God could perform. Through it all the terms and
conditions of the Father's Plan became operative. Through it was brought to
pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Through it all men are saved from
death, hell, the devil, and endless torment. Through it all men who believe and
obey the glorious gospel of God, those who are true and faithful and overcod,
those who are true and faithful and overcome the world, all who suffer for
Christ and his word, all who are chastened and scourged in the cause in whom we
are, all shall become as their maker and sit with him on his throne and rain
with him forever in everlasting glory.
In speaking of these
wondrous things I will use my own words. Though you might think these are the
words of scripture, words spoken by other Apostles and Prophets, true it is
that they were first proclaimed by others, but they are now mine. For the Holy
Spirit of God has born witness to me that they are true and it is now as though
the Lord has revealed them to me in the first instance. I have thereby heard
his voice and know his word.
Two thousand years ago,
outside of Jerusalem's walls, there was a pleasant Garden spot, Gethsemane by
name, where Jesus and his intimate friends were want to retire for pondering
and prayer. There Jesus taught his disciples the doctrines of the Kingdom and
all of them communed with him who is the Father of us all in who's ministry
they were engaged and on who's errand they served. This sacred spot like Eden
where Adam dwelt, like Sinai where Jehovah gave his law, like Calgary where the
Son of God gave his life as a ransom for many, this holy ground is where the
sinless Son of the Everlasting Father to upon himself the sins of all men on
conditions of repentance.
We do not know we cannot
tell, no mortal mind can conceive the full import of what Christ did in
Gethsemane. We know he sweat great gouts of blood from every pore as he drained
the dregs of that bitter cup his father had given him. We know he suffered both
body and spirit more than it is possible for man to suffer except it be unto
death. We know that in some way incomprehensible to us, his suffering satisfied
the demands of justice. Ransoms penitent souls from the pains and penalties of
sin and made mercy available to those who believe on his holy name. We know
that he lay prostrate upon the ground as the pains and agony of an infinite
burden caused him to tremble and would that he might not drink of the bitter
cup. We know that an angel came from the courts of Glory to strengthen him in
his ordeal. And we suppose that it was mighty Michael who foremost fell that
man might be. As near as we can judge, these infinite agonies, the suffering
beyond compare continued for some three or four hours.
After this, his body then
wrenched and drained of strength, he confronted Judas and the other incarnate
devils, some from the very Sanhedran itself and he was lead away with a rope
around his neck as a common criminal to be judged by the arch criminals who as
Jews sat in Aaron's seat and who as Romans wielded Caesar's's power. They took
him to Annas, to Caiaphas, to Pilot, to Herod, and back to Pilot. He was
accused cursed and smitten. Their foul saliva ran down his face as vicious
blows further weakened his pain engulfed body. With reeds of wrath they laid
blows upon his back. Blood ran down his face as a crown of thorns pierced his
trembling brow. But above it all he was scourged, scourged with forty strips
save one. Scourged with a multi-thonged whip in to whose leather strands sharp
bones and cutting metals were woven. Many die from the scourging alone, but he
arose from the sufferings of the scourge that he might die an ignominious death
upon the cross, the cruel cross of Calvary.
Then he carried his own
cross until he collapsed from the weight and pain and mounting agony of it all.
Finally on hill called Calvary, again it was outside Jerusalem's walls, while
helpless disciples looked on and felt the agonies of near death in their own
bodies, the Roman Soldiers laid him upon the cross. With great malice they
drove spikes of iron through his feet and hands and wrists. Truly he was
wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. Then the cross
was raised that all might see and gape and curse and deride. This they did with
evil venom for three ours from 9 a.m. until noon. Then heavens grew black
darkness covered the land for the space of three hours as it did among the
Nephites. There was a mighty storm as though the very God of nature was in
agony, and truly he was for while hanging on the cross for anothf nature was in
agony, and truly he was for while hanging on the cross for another three hours,
from noon until 3 p.m., all the infinite agonies and merciless pains of
Gethsemane reoccurred. And finally when the atoning agonies had taken their
toll, when the victory had been won, when the Son of God had fulfilled the will
of God in all things he said "It is finished" and he voluntarily gave
up the ghost. As the peace and comfort of a merciful death freed him from the
pains and sorrows of mortality he entered the Paradise of God. When he had made
his soul and offering for sin he was prepared to see his seed according the
Messianic word. These consisting of all the Holy Prophets and Faithful Saints
from ages past, these comprising of all those who took upon them his name and
who being spiritually begotten by him had become his sons and daughters even as
it is with us. All these were assembled in the Spirit World there to see his
face and hear his voice.
After some 38 or 40 hours,
three days as the Jews measure time, our blessed Lord came to the Arimathaeans
tomb where his partially embalmed body had been placed by Nicodemus and Joseph
of Arimathaea. Then in a way incomprehensible to us he took up that body which
had not yet seen corruption, and rose in that glorious immortality which made
him like his resurrected Father. He then received all power in Heaven and on
Earth, obtained Eternal Exaltation, appeared to Mary Magdalene and many others
and ascended intodalene and many others and ascended into Heaven. There to sit
down on the right hand of God the Father almighty there to reign forever in
eternal glory.
His rising from death on the
third day Crowned the Atonement. Again in some way incomprehensible to us the
affects of his Resurrection pass upon all men so that all shall rise from the
grave. As Adam brought death so Christ brought life. As Adam is the father of
mortality so Christ is the father of immortality. And without both, mortality
and immortality, man cannot work out his salvation and ascend to those heights
beyond the skies where God and angels reign forever in Eternal Glory.
Now the Atonement of Christ
is the basic fundamental of the Gospel and it is the least understood of all
our revealed truths. Many of us have a superficial knowledge and rely upon the
Lord and his goodness to see through the trials and perils of life. But if we
are to have faith as Enoch and Elijah, we must believe what they believed and
know what they knew and live as they lived.
May I invite you to join
with me in gaining a sound and sure knowledge of the Atonement. We must cast
aside the philosophies of men and the wisdom of the wise and hearken to that
Spirit which is given to us to guide us into all truth. We must search the
scriptures accepting them as the mind and will and voice of the Lord and the
very power of God unto salvation. As we read ponder and pray there o salvation.
As we read ponder and pray there will come to our minds a view of the three
gardens of God. The Garden of Eden, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Garden of
the empty Tomb where Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene. In Eden we will seen all
things created in a paradisiacal state without death without procreation
without probationary experiences. We will come to know that such a creation now
unknown to man was the only way to provide for the fall. We will then see Adam
and Eve the first man the woman step down from their immortal and paradisiacal
glory to become the first mortal flesh on earth. Mortality including as it does
procreation and death enter the world. And because of transgression a
probationary state of trial and testing will begin. Then in Gethsemane we will
see the Son of God ransom man from the temporal and spiritual death which came
to us because of the fall. And finally before an empty tomb we will come to
know that Christ our Lord has burst the bands of death and stands forever
triumphant over the grave.
Thus, creation is father to
the fall and by the fall came mortality and death. And by Christ came
immortality and eternal life. If there had been no fall of Adam by which cometh
death, there could have been no Atonement by which cometh life.
And now as pertaining to
this perfect Atonement, I testify that it took place at Gethsemane and at
Golgotha. And as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify tha pertaining to Jesus
Christ, I testify that he is the Son of the Living God who was crucified for
the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of
myself independent of any other person. I am one of his Witnesses. And in the
coming day I will feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall
wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know
now that he is God's almighty Son and he is our Savior and Redeemer and that
Salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.
God grant that all of us
will walk in the light, as God our Father is in the light so that according to
his promises the blood of Jesus Christ his son will cleanse us from all sin. In
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen."
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Elder Bruce R. McConkie died
thirteen days after giving this testimony.
Please visit Mormon.org to learn more or request a free copy of the Book of Mormon.