A Soldier and the Atonement

I wrote this while my husband was deployed (soon after he was injured) and I came across it this morning.  I was really hating the Army this morning so this help put things back into perspective for me.       

           There is no argument over the fact that in this mortal life the greatest gift we have been given is the saving, graceful gift of the atonement; a sacrifice of love where our Brother gave his life to save us all.  No one else could give this gift and our Savior willingly took the mantel and burden of our sins upon his shoulders because of the love he has for each and every one of us.  It is through the power of this gift that we have been invited to try and be like Jesus and the Gods we are preparing to become.  Although emulating perfection in this lifetime is impossible, it is not unattainable.  Our test here is to follow Christ and I want to recognize a special group of people who are following in his footsteps whether they recognize it or not.

                As we know the atonement came at a great price that required a perfect life and a willing heart that was given freely to secure our freedom in the afterlife; similarly, our men and women serving in the military offer the same thing, but on a mortal level.  Just as Christ, they willingly offer their lives as payment for our freedom to defend and protect our basic, unalienable rights.  Although this mortal freedom takes more than one sacrifice, I am amazed at how many willingly dedicate their lives to this calling.  Christ did not sacrifice his life for glory or worship and neither do our soldiers.  This is a gift both Christ and the member of the military offer freely because of the love for their brothers and sisters and for the love of freedom.

                On Christ’s way to the cross he was spurned and hated, mocked and discriminated; yet, he stood steady in his task and his duty to follow through with the plan.  The soldiers in our military deal with this injustice as well.  Even after these valiant individuals gave their lives many are faced with people protesting at their funerals, belittling the gift they gave.

Sadly, the gift of the atonement is not believed in or accepted by everyone, but yet it is a gift that applies to all whether it is wanted or accepted.  Just as the atonement applies to the atheist, so does the military’s gift of freedom apply to the hard hearted and ignorant.  Although these men and women willingly give themselves to the cause of freedom some people accuse that they are war mongers looking for a fight.  However, the sacrifice given is a sacrifice for all.

The purpose for this comparison is not to give glorify the soldier; instead it is meant to show how these individuals serve as an example to the rest of us what we can accomplish in this lifetime as we too strive to become more like our Father in Heaven and to appreciate to the fullest the eternal gift of life given to us through Christ as well as the gift of freedom to enjoy life given to us by brave men and women who sacrifice daily for our behalf.