Imagine watching a sporting event in which you care deeply about the outcome.
What if you knew from the outset that no matter how far behind your team was, no matter how
many mistakes your favorite player made, no matter how bleak things looked, your team
would win?
You would feel less anxiety during the game.
Although you still might experience an array of emotions, you could watch the event with
happy anticipation, feeling safe in the known outcome.
We can relate this analogy to the plan of redemption.
Some of us live in a constant state of worry, troubled that we are too far behind, making
too many mistakes, and we can’t see how things are going to work out.
We lose sight of the ultimate victory when we are stuck in one of life’s frequent battles.
But we don’t need to be worried—if we are on Christ’s side, our team will win.
Jesus Christ has already overcome Satan, in part through what Eliza R. Snow termed, “the
triumphs of the cross.”1 The Savior prophesied shortly before his death, “Now
shall the prince of this world [Satan] be cast out” (John 12:31).
We can have confidence in “the triumph and the glory of the Lamb, who was slain” (D&C
76:39).2
In Paul’s epistle to the Colossians, he wrote that on “the cross [Christ] disarmed
the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by
the cross” (Col. 2:14–15, New International Version).
This claim must have seemed audacious at the time—did Christ really “disarm” authorities
and “triumph” over them?
After all, when Paul wrote to the Colossians, a Roman emperor was still on the throne.
As one New Testament scholar explains, “[The emperor’s] local officials around the world
were still running the show with brutal efficiency.
The chief priests were still in charge of the Temple in Jerusalem.
Paul himself was in prison!”3 How then was Christ’s death a triumph?
The Savior’s death didn’t overthrow a worldly kingdom; rather, he accomplished a
cosmic victory by overcoming “the rulers of the darkness of this world” and “spiritual
wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).
Paul explained that the satanic forces at work in the world were not aware Christ’s
Crucifixion would lead to exaltation, “for had they known it, they would not have crucified
the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8).
Perhaps this is why an early hymn sung by Latter-day Saints states, “Satan rages at
his loss, and hates the doctrine of the cross.”
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Knowing of the Savior’s victory on Calvary can sustain us when life becomes crushingly
burdensome.
One friend shared this story with me: [[[Insert images of contentious coworkers, and money
being taken away]]]
I went through a time when many things went wrong.
There was growing contention at my workplace, to the point where I sometimes didn’t even
want to show up.
This increased the nervousness I felt about how upcoming management changes would affect
me.
At the same time, a side job I had been counting on fell through, costing me a great deal of
money that I had already allocated to the family budget.
Moreover, I made some poor investment decisions that led to anxiety about my family’s financial
future.
All of this led me to feel increasingly discouraged.
Amid these challenges, I spent some time thinking about Jesus Christ.
I realized that because of his Atonement, I can return to live with him and Heavenly
Father.
Everything I was worried about was temporal and probably would resolve itself within a
few months or years.
And even if these things did not work out, from the viewpoint of eternity, everything
was going to be just fine.
Having this perspective completely changed the way I felt about my circumstances.
Knowing that Christ has been and will always be victorious gives us a priceless perspective.
It worked for my friend, and it worked for Paul, who while imprisoned, wrote of Christ’s
triumph.
It can also work for each of us.
We will face serious difficulties in the coming days.
Mistakes and missed opportunities, sorrows and sickness, disappointments and death will
come to each of us.
But we can face our challenges with an optimistic perspective when we know that Jesus has already
triumphed over sin and death.
The day will come when “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall
be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain” (Rev.
21:4).
This day is coming because of “Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who
. . . maketh intercession for us” (Rom. 8:34).
When we are connected with Christ, we can not only look ahead to future peace but also
feel peace in our lives today.
Right now.
We can trust in a triumphant Savior who is working on our behalf in this very moment
and forever.
Today and always I hope you will feel the blessings and peace that our ours because
of the Savior’s “triumph of the cross”
For additional details about how the Savior’s Crucifixion can be seen as a triumph, click
the link in the video description.