Dostoyevsky and the Atonement

"If anyone could prove to me that Christ is outside the truth, and if the truth really did exclude Christ, I should prefer to stay with Christ and not with truth."

-Dostoyevsky

This quote was in one of my books when I started the mission.  I read this my first day in the MTC and haven't been able to forget it since.  I strive for this level of devotion to Christ.

Okay, so I know that I talk about my Russian Literature class a lot.  I just can't help but share what I learn in this class!  I love Russia.  I love Russian literature.  I love all of you guys, so it just makes sense to share.

ANYWAY - 

The lecture today was EPIC.  Here is picture I took of my professor (Raissa Volfovna) throwing down:

Today we were talking about Dostoyevsky.  If you have never heard about Dostoyevsky, read about him here.  He is the author of Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, and Poor Folk... to name a few of his novels.

In short, he was a genius and a believer.  

But what is interesting is that his life, and the testimony that I quoted in the beginning, didn't come without a struggle.  He lived through some scary stuff.  

At one point in his life, he was on Red Square with a death sentence from the Tsar.  He was saved only after watching group after group of his friends get shot in front of him.  It was after this, that he promised to never waste another minute of his life.

After telling us this story, our Professor went on to describe how Dostoyevsky became an avid gambler.  At one point he had lost everything down to his wives earrings.  He was LOW. 

At this point, a few of my fellow students started "bagging" on Dostoyevsky.  They commented on how he didn't hold to his promise of never wasting a moment of his life again.  They commented on how his work is too dark and how they felt that he was a "hypocrite".

Thats when my professor LOST IT.  She went OFF on this student!  haha

She explained that after he hit his low point with his gambling, that he swore again to his wife that he would never gamble.  And that after that day, thanks to his love for his wife and for his daughter (and to his Savior), he never gambled again.  

My professor went on to explain that this is how Dostoyevsky teaches us in his novels as well.  His themes are dark and scary.  They are full of murder, theft, temptation, and sin.  But he, through his characters, always shows us a way out of the dark times.  He shows us the path back to the light!

And then to translate the poem that is on the board in the picture (I was actually taking a picture of what she pulled up, but I happened to catch her in one of her passionate moments... haha):

Don't say that there is no salvation,

That you are in sorrow inescapable:

The darker the night, the brighter the stars,

The deeper the mourning, the closer God is...

 - Apollon Maykov (another Russian poet)

And that is what is beautiful about this life and about the atonement!  There is always a way back.  This earth is mired in sin, evil, and sadness.  At times is can seem REALLY DARK.  Sometimes your sorrow is so deep, you feel you can't escape!  BUT WE CAN.

I want to add my testimony to that of Dostoyevsky's.  I know that Christ is the way.  I have a testimony of the efficacy of the atonement.  IT WORKS.  We can be clean!  The dark and scary parts of life have an escape!  If our challenge is gambling, the death of a loved one, pornography, same sex attraction, or just doubts in general - the way out is through Him.

John 14:6

 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.