4.26.2008

The Peacegiver

I've been reading a really excellent book lately titled "The Peacegiver" by James L. Ferrell and came across this passage about the Fall and the Atonement which I thought was rather interesting:

"After the Fall, the Lord said to Adam, 'As thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed,' signifying the parallel relationship of the Fall and the Atonement. And so it is no accident that the Atonement will begin, as did the Fall, in a Garden. And it is no accident as well that the individuals in those gardens were each sinless, or that the events in those gardens centered on their exercise of agency--for Adam, whether he would partake of the bitter fruit, and for the Savior, whether he would partake of the bitter cup. The Savior and Adam faced a similar choice: If they did not partake, they would become lone men in paradise. Both partook that man might be. And by partaking of that bitterness, Adam came to know good and evil, and the Savior came to know all of the good and evil that had and would transpire in the hearts of men through all generations of time." (page 170)

Pretty interesting, right? I've really enjoyed reading this book. It has given me a lot to think about concerning how the Atonement works both in regards to what is expected of me and what I can receive. Too much to go into here, but I would highly recommend the book if you haven't read it.

4 comments:

Denise said...

Very interesting. I need to read this book. Thanks!

Jen said...

This is one of my favorite books and I tell everyone to read it qualified by the fact that it's a parable and I don't think they have marriage problems! It really helped me to understand the atonement more. I loved the visual picture of Satan and the flaxen cords turned to chains. Good book! I hear he has written a new one although I haven't read it yet!

goddessdivine said...

I've heard of this book. Maybe I'll add it to my ever-growing list of 'to reads'.

Which reminds me....do you do goodreads.com? If not you should; I could send you an invite and you can be one of my friends. It's a fun little addiction.

Also, I noticed you're reading the Luxe. I have that on my list of books I want to read. Are you liking it?

Courtney said...

Kristen The Luxe is a fun book. It was funny for me to see how differently I felt toward different characters at different parts of the book. I am on goodreads.com but I'm not good at keeping it current (thanks for the reminder) send me an invite cause I'd love to be one of your friends.