• Podcast
    • Apple Podcasts
    • Spotify
  • Topics
    • Atonement
    • Symbolism
    • Temple Prep
    • Temples
    • Notebook
    • Vlog
  • Study Tools
    • Etymology Dictionary
    • Lectures on Faith.com
    • LDSSymbols.com
    • LDS Architecture Blog
    • Number in Scripture
    • Isaiah Explorer
    • ScriptureNotes
    • Septuagint (English)
    • Strong’s Condordance
    • The Book of Isaiah (IIT)
    • Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
  • About
    • About oneClimbs
    • Contact
Trending Posts
  • The Whole Book of Mormon in 15 Verses via gentlyhewstone.com
  • The “All-Seeing-Eye” Symbol and the Urim and Thummim Connection
  • Brigham Young on Truth
Trending
  • Justice and Peace as Negative Principles
  • Mormon Yeshiva
  • Big Jacob 2:30 Update
  • The “Conversion Spectrum” in the Book of Mormon
  • The Dark Night of the Soul
  • 29 – Two versions of reality
  • #28 – Navigating the interfaith world
  • George MacDonald Quotes About Forgiveness
oneClimbs.comoneClimbs.com
  • Podcast
    • Apple Podcasts
    • Spotify
  • Topics
    • Atonement
    • Symbolism
    • Temple Prep
    • Temples
    • Notebook
    • Vlog
  • Study Tools
    • Etymology Dictionary
    • Lectures on Faith.com
    • LDSSymbols.com
    • LDS Architecture Blog
    • Number in Scripture
    • Isaiah Explorer
    • ScriptureNotes
    • Septuagint (English)
    • Strong’s Condordance
    • The Book of Isaiah (IIT)
    • Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
  • About
    • About oneClimbs
    • Contact
oneClimbs.comoneClimbs.com
Home»Articles»How Cockroaches Taught Me About the Atonement
Articles November 19, 20122 Mins Read

How Cockroaches Taught Me About the Atonement

To some of you, this article might just be the most disgusting parable that you’ve ever read, but please, bear with me.

When I was a teenager, I volunteered to sit at a booth for our city zoo at a scout show. I’ve always loved animals and it’s a good thing too because during this event, I was holding a black and white checkered tegu lizard, had about three giant hissing cockroaches climbing on me and a big black scorpion in my armpit, I guess it liked the warm and cozy environment.

As I sat tending to the various critters crawling all over me, I noticed something odd going on in a small container that had two different cockroach species in it (I know, we had a lot of cockroaches). One of the roaches was beginning to molt, and in a brownish environment surrounded by other brown roaches, the bright white roach emerging from its old skin caught my eye.

He struggled quite a bit to get out of that old, hardened skin of his. I took note of how vulnerable he looked and was amazed at how white he was; I had never seen a white cockroach before. At the same time this one roach was molting, I noticed that another roach started acting strange – it was giving birth – live birth! I didn’t even know that roaches did that. A cylinder of white emerged and then broke apart as these tiny white baby roaches began to scurry all over the place.

What struck me is how the big roach and the baby roaches were both this pure white color. I thought of how when we are born, we are pure and innocent but after being exposed to the world, a hardened exoskeleton of sin eventually envelops us. However, like the adult roach, we can shed that exoskeleton of sin and become pure and clean once more.

There are a number of lessons to be learned from the humble cockroach it seems. The prophet Alma testified that “all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it…do witness that there is a Supreme Creator” (Alma 30:44). I guess he was right.

Maybe you’ll think twice before squashing another roach ;)

Atonement Jesus Christ Parallels
Previous ArticleDon’t worry about tomorrow
Next Article Looking forward without your eyes
Steve Reed

I created oneClimbs as a place to organize my thoughts and share my observations with anyone who might find the information useful. Though I may speak passionately or convincingly in some of this content, PLEASE don't simply take my word alone on anything. Always seek the truth of all things through study and prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.

4 Comments

  1. BaSH PR0MPT on December 5, 2018 3:42 pm

    I’m an antitheist but even I don’t think you guys are cockroaches. :P And yeah, cockroaches are the victims of bad PR. They’re called waterbeetles in most other languages, except in English they have an ugly name, and a bad rep. They’re quite clean, live in a family unit and are only separated unwillingly by life, and are essential parts of the ecosystem. I find it ironic that after 150,000 years and billions of dollars of R&D we invented Roomba’s and other giant clunky inefficient things that are basically replicating the periplaneta species (and failing at it) when we’re surrounded by them anyway. Catch and release is the way to go with all critters that wander into your home. If you have a roach problem, it’s your own fault, clean the house, no food, and dry your sinks. They usually come in mostly for water, so a water feature in the backyard will get rid of 99% of them.

    Reply
    • oneclimbs on December 5, 2018 3:44 pm

      I agree, I’ve never liked killing roaches. My mother and three sisters were terrified of them but I would just catch them by hand and let them go. They’re impressive creatures if you take time to learn about them. Appreciate your comments.

      Reply
  2. Janet on November 24, 2012 5:16 pm

    Loved the analogy! Didn’t know that about cockroaches. However, still don’t want them in my house!

    Reply
    • oneclimbs on February 3, 2013 11:32 pm

      It sure makes you think twice about squashing them though ;)

      Reply

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

New Post Email Notifications

You can subscribe any time, and I will ONLY use your email to send you new post updates.

Trending Posts
  • Articles, Symbolism, Temples
    The “All-Seeing-Eye” Symbol and the Urim and Thummim Connection

    I've noticed a connection between the familiar "all-seeing-eye" symbol that...

  • Articles, Quotes
    Brigham Young on Truth

    The following quotes are from Brigham Young's discourses originally but I g...

  • Articles, Temples
    “Putting on the Names”: A Jewish-Christian Legacy

    by Truman G. Madsen Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah Reprinted by perm...

  • Articles, Symbolism, Temples
    Mikveh: Jewish ritual immersion in water

    A recent post on Junior Ganymede mentions the ritual bath called a mik...

  • Articles, Symbolism, Temples
    Restoring the pentagram to its proper place

    Most people today associate the pentagram with evil, but why? The truth may...

Recent Comments
  • Dino on Physical Parallels Between The Book of Mormon and Jesus Christ: “11 official witnesses to each”
  • Steve Reed on A Proposed Reinterpretation of Jacob 2:30: “Not to my knowledge. As far as I know, nobody else really questioned this verse within recent history. This essay…”
  • Steph on A Proposed Reinterpretation of Jacob 2:30: “I have studied and studied and studied and this feels the the correct interpretation to me as well. I am…”
  • ANISA on The Eye of God or Man?: “THANK YOU”
  • heidi on The Whole Book of Mormon in 15 Verses via gentlyhewstone.com: “yes, I like that substitution. It would apply to all individuals, not just those who are married. And it focuses…”
Blogroll
  • Academy for Temple Studies
  • Bruce Charlton's Notions
  • Hemlock Knots
  • Interpreter Foundation
  • Isaiah Explained
  • Isaiah Explorer
  • Isaiah Institute
  • Isaiah Prophecy
  • Junior Ganymede
  • Latter-day Saint Architecture Blog
  • Latter-day Saint Temples
  • LDSSymbols.com
  • Leading Saints
  • Number in Scripture by E. W. Bullinger
  • Sixty Symbols
  • Spiritual Arson Podcast
  • Strongs Concordance
  • TempleStudy
  • The Ancient Context of Joseph Smith's Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar
  • Webster's 1828 Dictionary
New Post Email Notifications

You can subscribe any time, and I will ONLY use your email to send you new post updates.

About this Site

I created oneClimbs as a place to organize my thoughts and share my observations with anyone who might find the information useful. All content on this site is considered a work in progress that is often updated when new insights are obtained.

Climbspiration

He is not here, but is risen – Luke 24:6

oneClimbs.com
  • Home
  • All Posts
  • About oneClimbs
  • Contact

LecturesOnFaith.com  //  LDSSymbols.com

© 2023 oneClimbs. All content unique to oneClimbs is fair use. All other content is property of the respective copyright owner. oneClimbs.com is not owned, controlled, or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All views and opinions are of the authors here who are solely responsible for their content and should not be interpreted as official statements of Church doctrine, belief, or practice, unless specifically stated and correctly referenced.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.