The Atonement Lesson - Forming an Outline

This is going to be another one of those days where I "cheat," types up something really lame (like literature homework), and call it a blog post because it touches on some spiritual things. Today, I'm going to write up an outline for the lesson I'll be giving today, using the manual as a framework, and filling in some of the things I wrote about over the last two days.

The Atonement is Necessary for Our Salvation
- The Fall of Adam and Physical and Spiritual Death

Jesus Christ Was the Only One Who Could Atone for Our Sins
(Maybe I'll cover this one after I talk about how much of a burden it was for Him)

Jesus Christ Suffered and Died to Atone for Our Sins
- The Price He Paid

Let's say each commitment of sin incurs a debt vaguely equivalent to one cent (though it's actually probably much more), and each person commits an average of one sin per day (though we all sin far more frequently than that). There are 365 days in a year, and let's estimate that the average person lives for about 50 years (I have no idea what the world-wide average lifespan is, so 50 is only a guess). One sin per person per day times 365 days per year times 50 years equals $182.50 worth of sin per person. That doesn't sound too bad, until you consider how many people there are. The current world population is over 7 Billion. $1, 277, 500, 000, 000.

According to WisdomJournal.com:

One trillion dollars today would allow you buy Coca Cola, Apple, IBM, Bank of America, Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Motorola, AT&T, as well as Exxon Mobil and STILL have enough left over to live comfortably on just the interest from the billions left over– not to mention the profits these companies generate.

I also learned that $1.2 Trillion is, coincidentally, the cost of the war in Iraq, as of 2007, according to the New York Times, but I won't mention that in my lesson.

In other words, it was an unfathomably high price to pay, and the actual number, if Christ's suffering could even be measured in numbers, would actually be much higher than that.

The Atonement and Resurrection Bring Resurrection to All
- For Free

The Atonement Makes It Possible for Those Who Have Faith in Christ to Be Saved from Their Sins

- And now we get to talk about how we can "pay" our $182.50 back to Jesus Christ, which is mostly by trying not to incur any more debt.

I'd love to do more lesson planning right now, but I have to go get ready for church. I'd better Print this up and work on it more later.