Should You Take The Atonement For Granted?

Today in sacrament meeting a youth in the ward gave a short talk about the 3rd article of faith. As part of the talk she said: "so, we should not take the atonement for granted". Immediately I had some unnecessarily contrary thoughts that I found both interesting and amusing. Plus, I knew I could make a blog post about them with a really click-baity title.

I think that part of "taking the atonement for granted" would be to assume that even without me trying at all or doing anything heroic, an atonement was made for me to return to a celestial heaven. I can just "take it for granted" that no matter what, there is a path way for me to return home and have peace in both this life and the life to come. It's okay to just assume that even if I cause a bunch of issues in my life, dig myself into a big proverbial hole and even make a whole bunch of other people's lives worse, even in that case, I still will have a lifeline to become clean and pure and happy again. It all seems very entitled, but still very true! The atonement is a gift always ready for the unwrapping. Sometimes, in an effort to feel like we're not being entitled we can mentally make it harder for ourselves to repent or feel worthy for grace or help from the Savior. Like, we know he had to suffer a lot, so in order to receive help from him we make sure to put a rock in our own shoe in the morning so by the end of the day we've suffered enough to feel worthy to ask for help too. I believe the atonement in not only the light at the end of the tunnel, but the iron rod that is right beside you the whole time. It doesn't ever leave. Take it for granted.
Although we absolutely don't need to put a rock in our shoe to gain access from the atonement, we do have to act with faith. Every little effort we make to do right counts. Life does take hard work, but we don't work hard in order to earn Christ's help, He does His part right away. Sort of like a really great employee match on a 401k. King Benjamin says in Mosiah 2:24 "...ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you".

The problem with "take it for granted" theory is that generally that phrase also implies a total lack of gratitude. Even though we don't have to earn the atonement, we absolutely should be grateful for it. We ought to live our entire lives striving to express our gratitude and acknowledging how much we need that help. Expanding upon King Benjamin's quote from above proves great context:

 "And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him. And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?"

So, yeah, don't take the atonement for granted. But do expect his help, even when repenting/improving seems hypocritical and that many of your problems are self-inflicted. Ultimately it seems like if you combine the assume-it-is-there part of "take it for granted" with gratitude, then that basically equals faith.