How do we live the creation, fall and atonement in our lives?

Each of us experiences periods of creation, such as the beginning of a marriage, the birth of a child, beginning a new school year or semester, receiving a new Church calling, starting a new job, or beginning any other important process. These periods of creation are generally times when we are optimistic and hopeful concerning the future. Times of creation are generally followed by times when we experience a “fall” as we are confronted with adversity, affliction, and opposition. Our optimistic idealism about the future often turns into recognition of the difficult reality of the present. It is important to remember that these difficult times of fallenness can be followed by experiences of healing and reconciliation as we come to understand our need for a Savior and embrace the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Consider the example of a young couple in the beginning of their relationship, when they are experiencing a Garden of Eden–like existence. In a metaphorical sense, the grass is green, the water is clear, and the sky is blue—everything in their relationship appears to be idyllic. At some point in their relationship, however, they (like Adam and Eve) are destined to experience opposition. It is a part of the Lord’s plan for them to experience the Fall as opposition and adversity comes and affliction follows. Their challenge and opportunity then becomes, as individuals and as a couple, to actively seek reconciliation and healing through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Social scientists have also recognized that marriages, families, and most relationships often pass through stages of growth in their development. Miller, Wackman, Nunally, and Miller acknowledged, “The important relationships we have in life go through transitions” (1988, p. 239). This group of marriage and family scholars coined the term visionary to describe the beginning, or what has been termed in this chapter as the creation, of a relationship. They used the term adversarial to describe the times of disillusionment, or what this chapter describes as the fall that is commonly experienced in marriages and families. Vital is the term they use to describe what this chapter terms as atonement to describe how a couple or others can learn to reconcile their differences.

Hawkins A. J.; Draper T. W.; Dollahite D. C.; BYU Studies. Successful marriages and families Brigham Distributing. Salt Lake City. 2016. p, 343.