Background on the Atonement of Christ

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/topics/atonement?lang=eng

As used in the scriptures, to atone is to suffer the penalty for an act of sin, thereby removing the effects of sin from the repentant sinner and allowing him to be reconciled to God. Jesus Christ was the only one capable of making a perfect atonement for all mankind. He was able to do so because of His selection and foreordination in the Grand Council before the world was formed (Ether 3:14; Moses 4:1–2; Abr. 3:27), His divine Sonship, and His sinless life. His Atonement included His suffering for the sins of mankind, the shedding of His blood, and His death and subsequent resurrection from the grave.

Bible Dictionary

He was able to because of:

1) His selection and foreordination in the Grand Council before the world was formed,

2) His divine Sonship,

3) His sinless life

He made a perfect atonement for all mankind. His Atonement included:

1. His suffering for the sins of mankind

2. The shedding of His blood

3. His death and subsequent resurrection from the grave.

Pre-Mortal Foreordination and Purpose

Foreordination of Jesus Christ as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8; Moses 4:2).
The Grand Council in Heaven and the presentation of the Plan of Salvation (Abraham 3:27–28; D&C 29:36–38).
Christ’s voluntary submission to act as Redeemer ("Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever," Moses 4:2).
Creation of worlds without number through the power of the Only Begotten (Moses 1:33; D&C 76:24).
1 Peter 1:19–20; Moses 4:1–2; Abraham 3:27–28.

II. The Fall of Adam and Eve and the Necessity of an Infinite Atonement

The transgression of Adam and Eve and its dual consequence: physical death and spiritual death (2 Nephi 2:22–26; Moses 6:48).
The fallen state of mankind, rendering natural progression impossible without a divine intercessor (Alma 34:9; 2 Nephi 9:7–9).
The absolute infinity and universality of the Atonement across all space, time, and creations (2 Nephi 9:7; Alma 34:10–12).
The legal and eternal demands of justice satisfied by the Redeemer's sacrifice (Alma 42:15; Mosiah 15:9).

Old Testament Symbolism and Prophecy

Lev. 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Leviticus 1:4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

The Sacrificial System: The institution of blood sacrifice in the Mosaic Law as a temporary covering and object lesson for sin.
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur): The high priest's duties, the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat, and the symbolism of the scapegoat.
The Passover Lamb: Deliverance from physical bondage in Egypt pointing forward to spiritual redemption.
Isaiah 53: The detailed prophetic portrait of the Suffering Servant bearing human griefs and iniquities.
Messianic Psalms: Prophetic expressions of suffering, abandonment, and ultimate vindication (e.g., Psalm 22).

The Sacrificial System Established as an instructional prototype pointing directly to the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Mosaic institution of blood sacrifice taught ancient Israel that sin incurs a fatal debt satisfied only by innocent blood, a law fulfilled when the Savior offered Himself as the immaculate Lamb of God and replaced animal offerings with the higher covenant of a broken heart and a contrite spirit (Moses 5:5–8; Alma 34:13–14; Elder M. Russell Ballard, "The Law of Sacrifice" (October 1998); President Russell M. Nelson, "The Atonement" (October 1996)).

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) The annual ritual of Yom Kippur directly prefigured Christ’s atoning sacrifice, as the high priest sprinkling animal blood on the mercy seat symbolized the Savior entering the heavenly sanctuary through His own shed blood to satisfy justice, while the scapegoat driven into the wilderness represented Christ vicariously bearing away the sins and sorrow of all who repent (Leviticus 16:15–22; Hebrews 9:11–14; Elder Bruce R. McConkie, "The Purifying Power of Gethsemane" (April 1985); Elder Gerald N. Lund, "I Have a Question: How Did the Law of Moses Point to Christ?" (August 1986)).

The Passover Lamb The physical deliverance of Israel through the unblemished Passover lamb served as a divine type of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, whose sinless life and shed blood shield covenant keepers from spiritual death and grant eternal redemption from sin (Exodus 12:3–13; 1 Corinthians 5:7; President Howard W. Hunter, "Christ, Our Passover" (April 1985); Elder Gerrit W. Gong, "Good Shepherd, Lamb of God" (April 2019)).

Isaiah 53 Isaiah 53 delivers an explicit prophetic outline of the Messiah’s suffering, testifying that Jesus Christ would condescend to voluntarily bear human griefs, carry our sorrows, and be wounded for our transgressions so that humanity could be cleansed and healed through His infinite Atonement (Isaiah 53:3–7; Mosiah 14:3–7; Elder Dallin H. Oaks, "The Great Plan" (April 2020); Elder Quentin L. Cook, "The Savior's Atonement" (April 2021)).

Messianic Psalms Messianic prophecies such as Psalm 22 foretold the precise physical agony, public mockery, and temporary withdrawal of Heavenly Father's Spirit during the Savior's crucifixion, testifying that Christ's solitary endurance of Golgotha fulfilled ancient scripture to complete the Atonement (Psalm 22:1, 16–18; Matthew 27:46; Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "None Were with Him" (April 2009); Elder D. Todd Christofferson, "The Resurrection of Jesus Christ" (April 2014)).

Leviticus 14:1–9 (The Two Birds Ritual for Cleansing Leprosy): Explore the obscure Mosaic ritual for purifying a cleansed leper using two birds—one slain over running water and one dipped in blood and set free. Could this dual emblem mirror the blood and water flowing from Christ’s side and symbolizes the passage from spiritual death into resurrected life through the Atonement.
President Joseph F. Smith, "Gospel Doctrine" (1919): Review President Smith’s teachings on Moses 5, specifically examining how Adam offered sacrifices in complete obedience without initially knowing the divine reason why. This illustrates that covenant execution precedes full spiritual illumination regarding the mechanics of the Atonement.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "Willing to Submit" (April 1985): Analyze how Christ’s internal, voluntary subjection of His personal will to the Father in Gethsemane perfected and brought an end to the ancient Mosaic system of external animal offerings.

The Passover as a symbol of Jesus Christ

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “This Do in Remembrance of Me”, October 1995 general conference

The setting was Jerusalem. The season was that of the Passover, a celebration rich in symbolism for what was about to come. Long ago the troubled and enslaved Israelites had been “passed over,” spared, finally made free by the blood of a lamb sprinkled on the lintel and doorposts of their Egyptian homes (see Ex. 12:21–24). That, in turn, had been only a symbolic reiteration of what Adam and all succeeding prophets were taught from the beginning—that the pure and unblemished lambs offered from the firstlings of Israel’s flocks were a similitude, a token, a prefiguration of the great and last sacrifice of Christ which was to come (see Moses 5:5–8).

Now, after all those years and all those prophecies and all those symbolic offerings, the type and shadow was to become reality. On this night when Jesus’ mortal ministry was concluding, the declaration made by John the Baptist when that ministry had begun now meant more than ever—“Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:29).

As a final and specially prepared Passover supper was ending, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to his Apostles, saying, “Take, eat” (Matt. 26:26). “This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). In a similar manner he took the cup of wine, traditionally diluted with water, said a blessing of thanks for it, and passed it to those gathered about him, saying: “This cup is the new testament in my blood,” “which is shed … for the remission of sins.” “This do in remembrance of me.” “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come” (Luke 22:20; Matt. 26:28; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:26).

Since that upper room experience on the eve of Gethsemane and Golgotha, children of the promise have been under covenant to remember Christ’s sacrifice in this newer, higher, more holy and personal way.

That is why every ordinance of the gospel focuses in one way or another on the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, and surely that is why this particular ordinance with all its symbolism and imagery comes to us more readily and more repeatedly than any other in our life. It comes in what has been called “the most sacred, the most holy, of all the meetings of the Church” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–56, 2:340).

Perhaps we do not always attach that kind of meaning to our weekly sacramental service. How “sacred” and how “holy” is it? Do we see it as our passover, remembrance of our safety and deliverance and redemption?

With so very much at stake, this ordinance commemorating our escape from the angel of darkness should be taken more seriously than it sometimes is. It should be a powerful, reverent, reflective moment. It should encourage spiritual feelings and impressions.

Brian Call, How Does the Passover Symbolize Christ’s Atonement?

The Feast of the Passover commemorates the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt (see Exodus 12:27). Through symbols, the Passover can teach us today that just as the Lord delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, He can also deliver us from the bondage of sin.

Terms related to the Atonement of Jesus Christ

Propitiation

The satisfying of the rigid and eternal demands of justice through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As taught in the scriptures and by modern apostles, Christ served as the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, appeasing or fulfilling the requirements of broken law so that mercy could be extended to the repentant without violating eternal justice.

Expiation

The act of atoning for or paying the debt of sin. Derived from roots implying a covering or wiping away, expiation refers to the removal of the stain, guilt, and penalty of sin through the suffering, blood, and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, cleansing the soul of the transgressor.

Reconciliation

The restoration of harmony and fellowship between God and humanity. Because sin alienates man from God, the Atonement of Jesus Christ bridges the chasm of spiritual death, allowing individuals who repent and align their wills with God's to be brought back into divine favor and spiritual oneness with the Father.

Redemption

Buying back or releasing from bondage. In Latter-day Saint doctrine, redemption has a dual scope: 1) Universal redemption from physical death through the literal resurrection of all mankind, and 2) Conditional redemption from spiritual death and the bondage of sin for those who exercise faith in Christ, repent, and obey the laws and ordinances of the gospel.

Justification

Being declared guiltless, pardoned from punishment, and acquitted before the bar of God. Through the grace of Jesus Christ and personal repentance, an individual is justified—freed from the legal guilt of past sins and counted righteous before God.

Grace – see below

A divine means of help or strength, and an enabling power given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ. Grace empowers human beings to do good works, overcome personal weaknesses, and achieve spiritual progression that they could never accomplish by their own natural capacity alone.

Sanctification

The process of being made holy, clean, and purified from the internal effects and nature of sin. Through the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost made possible by Christ's Atonement, the natural man is transformed, and the soul is filled with divine attributes and charity.

Mediation – see below

The role of Jesus Christ as the sole Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). Through His sinless life, voluntary sacrifice, and infinite Atonement, He intercedes on behalf of mankind, bridging the gap between an offended lawgiver and fallen mortals, and inaugurating a new and better covenant.

Sources

Justice & mercy: The doctrine that Christ suffered the legal penalty of sin in the place of human beings.
Propitiation: The turning away of God's righteous wrath through the acceptable sacrifice of Jesus.
Expiation: The removal, blotting out, and cleansing of sin and guilt.
Reconciliation: The transformation of hostile relationships into harmonious peace between God and humanity.
Redemption (Ransom): The payment of a price to buy back enslaved sinners from the bondage of sin and death.
Justification: The judicial act whereby God declares sinners righteous on the basis of Christ's finished work.

Jesus Christ

The Harmony of Justice and Mercy

God operates by eternal, unchangeable laws. Mercy cannot rob justice; therefore, Christ stood as a Mediator, paying the penalty demanded by broken laws so that mercy could be extended to the penitent without violating the demands of justice.
Mosiah 15:8–9; Alma 42:13–25; Doctrine and Covenants 45:3–5.

The Infinite and Eternal Scope of the Atonement

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is infinite in coverage, extending beyond this mortal sphere to encompass an uncountable number of worlds created by Him, spanning past, present, and future time, and overcoming both physical and spiritual death.
2 Nephi 9:7; Alma 34:10; Doctrine and Covenants 76:24.

What the Atonement Meant for Jesus Christ

The Suffering in Gethsemane

Luke 22:41–44 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19 (The only First-Person Account of His Suffering)

For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink— Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.

The descent into the Garden of Gethsemane and the beginning of the intense phase of the Atonement (Luke 22:39–44; Matthew 26:36–39).
Taking upon Himself the physical pains, sicknesses, infirmities, and griefs of all mankind (Alma 7:11–12; Isaiah 53:4).
Suffering the unspeakable burden of the sins of every living soul, causing Him to bleed from every pore (D&C 19:16–19; Mosiah 3:7).
The supreme agony of experiencing the spiritual weight of sin, leading to a profound trial of soul (Luke 22:44; D&C 19:18).
The voluntary surrender of His life; no man took it from Him, but He laid it down of Himself (John 10:17–18).

Atoning Agony: Gethsemane and Golgotha

The Savior's atoning sacrifice began in the Garden of Gethsemane—where He bled at every pore under the weight of human sin and anguish—and was completed on the cross at Golgotha, where He voluntarily yielded up His life.
Luke 22:44; Mosiah 3:7; Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–19.

Crucifixion and Calvary

The trial, scourging, and physical torture endured in fulfillment of prophecy (Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 27:26–35).
The crucifixion upon the cross of Calvary as a public and physical expression of sacrifice (John 19:16–18; 1 Nephi 11:33).
The ultimate physical agony and the cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" marking the temporary withdrawal of the Father's sustaining presence (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34).
The final mortal utterance, "It is finished," signifying the completion of the mortal mission of suffering (John 19:30).
The piercing of His side and the burial in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (John 19:34–42).

The Resurrection and Conquest of Death

The visit to the spirit world during three days in the tomb, organizing the missionary work among the dead (D&C 138:11–37; 1 Peter 3:18–20).
The literal resurrection on the third day, breaking the bands of physical death for all mankind (Luke 24:1–7; 1 Corinthians 15:20–22).
The appearance of the resurrected Lord to Mary Magdalene, the Apostles, and the disciples in both Jerusalem and the Americas (John 20:14–18; 3 Nephi 11:8–15).
The guarantee of universal physical resurrection, ensuring that every person born on earth will receive a reunited body and spirit (Alma 11:42–45; 2 Nephi 9:12–13).

What Did Jesus Christ Experience During the Atonement

· https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2026/08/03-the-book-of-psalms?lang=eng

· His atoning sacrifice is the series of events He experienced from Gethsemane through Calvary and the Resurrection. He “suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:16

· Elder McConkie, The Purifying Power of Gethsemane, April 1985

· Then the heavens grew black. Darkness covered the land for the space of three hours, as it did among the Nephites. There was a mighty storm, as though the very God of Nature was in agony. And truly he was, for while he was hanging on the cross for another three hours, from noon to 3:00 p.m., all the infinite agonies and merciless pains of Gethsemane recurred.

· Atonement of Jesus Christ: Topics and Questions

· Jesus’s atoning sacrifice took place in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Calvary. In Gethsemane He submitted to the will of the Father and began to take upon Himself the sins of all people. He has revealed some of what He experienced as He paid the price for our sins:

· “I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

· “But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

· “Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

· “Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–19; see also Luke 22:44; Mosiah 3:7).

· The Savior continued to suffer for our sins when He allowed Himself to be crucified—“lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world” (1 Nephi 11:33).

· Luke 22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

· Mosiah 3:7 And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.

· President Russell M. Nelson, “The Correct Name of the Church,” Oct 2018

· He was brutally reviled, mocked, spit upon, and scourged. In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Savior took upon Himself every pain, every sin, and all of the anguish and suffering ever experienced by you and me and by everyone who has ever lived or will ever live. Under the weight of that excruciating burden, He bled from every pore. All of this suffering was intensified as He was cruelly crucified on Calvary’s cross.

Why Is Jesus Able to Offer Us Strength?

Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Isaiah 49:15–16 Yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.

Isaiah 53:3–5 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely, he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

John 16:33 In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Mosiah 3:7 And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.

Alma 7:11-12 And He shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.... And he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

What the Atonement of Christ Does for Me

The Grace of Jesus Christ

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2026/08/03-the-book-of-psalms?lang=eng

If mercy is not getting what we do deserve (earned punishments), grace is getting what we do not deserve (unearned rewards). Because of His grace, He will help us. When we experience trials, the book of Psalms encourages us to remember what God has previously done for us, saying:

“I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.

“Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.

“Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people” (Psalm 77:11–12, 14–15).

The book of Psalms confirms that the Lord offers refuge and strength to the brokenhearted in times of distress. Consider these verses from the book of Psalms:

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. …

“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. …

“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:8, 10, 12).

In modern terms, because of His mercy, we do not suffer as we deserve. When we sincerely repent, the Savior dissociates us from our sins, and we do not incur the punishment that we would otherwise warrant. The Savior has paid the price so that we do not have to.

The Grace of Jesus Christ & the Strength of the Lord

All based on the Atonement of Jesus Christ

Theme: Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, he can ease our burdens by strengthening us

Theme: When we know the strength of the Lord is the only reason we made it, we will know of a surety the Lord helps his people and that he is the only reason we can perform miracles.

Theme: The Lord gives us weakness so we have to be humble and rely on His atonement

BURDENS: Mosiah 24:14-15 I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. ...Yea the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

THORNS 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Job 1:21-22: The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. [Theron taught me that Job is thanking the Lord for his trials.]

WEAKNESS Ether 12:27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

BURDENS: Alma 33:23 Plant this word in your hearts...nourish it by your faith...And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his son. And even all this can ye do if ye will.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

2 Corinthians 4:8–10, 17 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Jacob 4:6-7 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and have the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea. Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things.

James 1:3-5: My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into many afflictions [JST]. 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Mosiah 3:19: and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, …willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

Elder Kearon: "1 Peter 4:12–13. Think of those surprises and think of the shocks we are dealt: Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice [what a word to use in that context], inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

1 Ne. 17:12-13 For the Lord had not hitherto suffered that we should make much fire, as we journeyed in the wilderness; for he said: I will make thy food become sweet, that ye cook it not; And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.

14 Yea, and the Lord said also that: After ye have arrived in the promised land, ye shall know that I, the Lord, am God; and that I, the Lord, did deliver you from destruction; yea, that I did bring you out of the land of Jerusalem.

1 Ne 1:20 I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty, even unto the power of deliverance.

1 Ne 3:7 For I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they many accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

Francis Webster “Not one of that company ever apostatized or left the Church, because everyone of us came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with him in our extremities. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company.”

Elder Patrick Kearon: https://speeches.byuh.edu/commencements/give-me-a-light-that-i-may-tread-safely-into-the-unknown

I would like to share some words written by the poet Minnie Louise Haskins:

“And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’
And he replied: ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day." [1]

The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality, Bednar, 2001

Grace is the divine assistance or heavenly help each of us desperately needs to qualify for the celestial kingdom. Thus, the enabling power of the Atonement strengthens us to do and be good and to serve beyond our own individual desire and natural capacity.

Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually, Elder Holland, October 2017 general conference

“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him … ,” Moroni pleads. “Love God with all your might, mind and strength, then … by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ.” Our only hope for true perfection is in receiving it as a gift from heaven—we can’t “earn” it. Thus, the grace of Christ offers us not only salvation from sorrow and sin and death but also salvation from our own persistent self-criticism.

The Gift of Grace, Pres. Uchtdorf, April 2015 general conference

We must never lose our sense of awe and profound gratitude for the eternal sacrifice of the Son of God. A powerful expression of that love is what the scriptures often call the grace of God—the divine assistance and endowment of strength by which we grow from the flawed and limited beings we are now into exalted beings of “truth and light, until [we are] glorified in truth and [know] all things.”

It is a most wondrous thing, this grace of God. Yet it is often misunderstood. Even so, we should know about God’s grace if we intend to inherit what has been prepared for us in His eternal kingdom. To that end I would like to speak of grace. In particular, first, how grace unlocks the gates of heaven and, second, how it opens the windows of heaven.

First: Grace Unlocks the Gates of Heaven

Even if we were to serve God with our whole souls, it is not enough, for we would still be “unprofitable servants.” Though we all have weaknesses, we can overcome them. Indeed it is by the grace of God that, if we humble ourselves and have faith, weak things can become strong.

; the demands of justice stand as a barrier, which we are powerless to overcome on our own. But all is not lost. The grace of God is our great and everlasting hope.

Because our beloved Savior “gave himself a ransom for all,” an entrance into His everlasting kingdom is provided unto us. The gate is unlocked! To inherit this glory, we need more than an unlocked gate; we must enter through this gate with a heart’s desire to be changed—a change so dramatic that the scriptures describe it as being “born again.

Second: Grace Opens the Windows of Heaven

Another element of God’s grace is the opening of the windows of heaven, through which God pours out blessings of power and strength, enabling us to achieve things that otherwise would be far beyond our reach. It is by God’s amazing grace that His children can overcome the undercurrents and quicksands of the deceiver, rise above sin, and “be perfect[ed] in Christ.”

Though we all have weaknesses, we can overcome them. Indeed it is by the grace of God that, if we humble ourselves and have faith, weak things can become strong.

Throughout our lives, God’s grace bestows temporal blessings and spiritual gifts that magnify our abilities and enrich our lives. His grace refines us. His grace helps us become our best selves. Salvation cannot be bought with the currency of obedience; it is purchased by the blood of the Son of God.

Why Then Obey? And All We Can Do

Trying to understand God’s gift of grace with all our heart and mind gives us all the more reasons to love and obey our Heavenly Father with meekness and gratitude. As we walk the path of discipleship, it refines us, it improves us, it helps us to become more like Him, and it leads us back to His presence. “The Spirit of the Lord [our God]” brings about such “a mighty change in us, … that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.”

However, I wonder if sometimes we misinterpret the phrase “after all we can do.” We must understand that “after” does not equal “because.”

We are not saved “because” of all that we can do. Have any of us done all that we can do? Does God wait until we’ve expended every effort before He will intervene in our lives with His saving grace?

Many people feel discouraged because they constantly fall short. They know firsthand that “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” They raise their voices with Nephi in proclaiming, “My soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.”

Today and forevermore God’s grace is available to all whose hearts are broken and whose spirits are contrite. Jesus Christ has cleared the way for us to ascend to heights incomprehensible to mortal minds.

Scriptures – In the Strength of the Lord

Alma 26:12 In his strength I can do all things; yea behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land...and this because of the power of his word which is in us.

Alma 31:38 And he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ.

Alma 56:56 They had fought as if with the strength of God; yea, never were men known to have fought with such miraculous strength.

Alma 58:10-11 We did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies.

· The Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us

· He did speak peace to our souls

· Did grant unto us great faith and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance.

Helaman 4:13 and because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength.

Ether 6:12 And they did land upon the shore of the promised land...they bowed themselves down upon the face of the land, and did humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them.

The Savior is the True Source of Strength

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Jesus Christ Is the Strength of Youth,” Gen Conf, Oct. 2022

I believe the Savior Jesus Christ would want you to see, feel, and know that He is your strength. That with His help, there are no limits to what you can accomplish. That your potential is limitless. He would want you to see yourself the way He sees you.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Exodus 15:2 The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Psalm 29:11 The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.

Helaman 5:9 Yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world.

How Can Strength from Jesus Help Us?

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Matthew 9:6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

Psalm 106:8–11 Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.

Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.

Moroni 7:41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

Moroni 10:32-33 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

Doctrine and Covenants 101:36 Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full.

D&C 32:3 (calling of missionaries) I am their advocate with the Father, and nothing shall prevail against them.

President Nelson said, “Because the Savior, through His infinite Atonement, redeemed each of us from weakness, mistakes, and sin, and because He experienced every pain, worry, and burden you have ever had, then as you truly repent and seek His help, you can rise above this present precarious world.”⁷

President Nelson has taught, “Jesus Christ … stands with open arms, hoping and willing to heal, forgive, cleanse, strengthen, purify, and sanctify us.”¹⁰

Jesus Christ: Advocate, Mediator, and Intercessor

Handbook 38.5.5 Wearing the Garment The First Presidency has provided the following guidance on wearing the garment: “The garment of the holy priesthood reminds us of the veil in the temple, and that veil is symbolic of Jesus Christ. When you put on your garment, you put on a sacred symbol of Jesus Christ.”

Elder Haynie, BYU “Meeting Jesus in the House of the Lord”

In his epistle to the Hebrews, Paul declared the following with reference to gaining access to the most holy part of the ancient temple: Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.⁵³

⁵³Specifically, I invite you to reflect upon those moments when you stand at the veil of the temple. I want you to know what the Apostle Paul taught about the veil of the temple. This is recorded in the book of Hebrews, chapter 10 starting at verse 19. [Russell M. Nelson, “Enter into Thy Closet,” seminar for new mission leaders, Missionary Training Center, Provo, Utah, 26 June 2022]

John provided further clarity to this scripture when he quoted Jesus as stating that “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”⁵⁴ When we stand at the veil of the temple, He who is our advocate with the Father symbolically stands between us and the Father,⁵⁵ saying:

Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;

Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.⁵⁶

Elder Ronald A. Rasband, ““Behold I Am the Light Which Ye Shall Hold Up,” Oct 2024

The Savior is not absent from our mortal journeys. Time and again, with His pure love and mercy, He sustains us as we face the drama of life. Nephi describes: “My God hath been my support; he hath led me though mine afflictions. … He hath filled me with his love.”

Elder Patrick Kearon, “Welcome to the Church of Joy,” Oct. 2024

The glorious focal point of our services is the blessing and receiving of the sacrament itself, the bread and the water representing the atoning gift of our Lord and the whole purpose of our gathering. This is “a sacred time of spiritual renewal.”

We may have been conditioned to suppose that the purpose of the sacrament is to sit in the pew thinking only about all the ways we messed up during the week before. But let’s turn that practice on its head. In the stillness, we can ponder the many ways we have seen the Lord relentlessly pursue us with His wonderful love that week! We can reflect on what it means to “discover the joy of daily repentance.” We can give thanks for the times the Saviour entered into our struggles and our triumphs and the occasions when we felt His grace, forgiveness, and power giving us strength to overcome our hardships and bear our burdens with patience and even good cheer.

1 Timothy 2:5–6

5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Hebrews 7:25

25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 9:2-24-26

24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

John 14:5–6

5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

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

Doctrine and Covenants 45:3–5

3 Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—

4 Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;

5 Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.

Doctrine and Covenants 29:5

Doctrine and Covenants

5 Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom.

Doctrine and Covenants 32:3

Interesting to note that with Christ as our advocate with the Father, nothing shall prevail against us now, plus he will plead for mercy in the judgement day.

3 And Ziba Peterson also shall go with them; and I myself will go with them and be in their midst; and I am their advocate with the Father, and nothing shall prevail against them.

Doctrine and Covenants 110:4

4 I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father.

Moroni 7:26–29

26 Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.

27 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?

28 For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens.

29 And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.

Mosiah 15:8–9

8 And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death; giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men—

9 Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, taken upon himself their iniquity and their transgressions, having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice.

2 Nephi 2:9–10

Book of Mormon

9 Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved.

10 And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him.

Dale G. Renlund, Your Divine Nature and Eternal Destiny, 2022–A:

As often as we repent and seek forgiveness with real intent, we can be forgiven.²⁹^[See ^{Mosiah
26:29–30}^Moroni
6:8 ^{Doctrine
and Covenants 58:42–43}^] What a remarkable gift from our Savior, Jesus Christ!³⁰ ^[See ^{Moroni 7:27–28}^{Remarkably,
our Judge is also our Advocate.]}

M. Russell Ballard, Hope in Christ, 2021–A

Fifth, our confidence in these assurances is rooted in our faith in Jesus Christ, by whose grace all things pertaining to mortality are set right.¹⁶^[See ^{Alma
7:11–13}^] All promised blessings are made possible through Him, who, by His Atonement, “descended below all things”¹⁷^[^{Doctrine
and Covenants 88:6}^] and has “overcome the world.”¹⁸^[^John
16:33^see
also ^{Doctrine
and Covenants 19:3}^] He “hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men … ; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men.”¹⁹^[^{Moroni
7:27–28}^]

Dale G. Renlund, Choose You This Day, 2018–O

In Jesus Christ, “we have an advocate with the Father.”⁷ ^1 John
2:1^{see also
Joseph Smith Translation, 1 John 2:1 (in 1 John 2:1, footnote a).]} After completing His atoning sacrifice, Jesus “ascended into heaven … to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men.” And, having claimed the rights of mercy, “he advocateth the cause of the children of men.”⁸ ^{Moroni
7:27–28}

Christ’s advocacy with the Father in our behalf is not adversarial. Jesus Christ, who allowed His will to be swallowed up in the will of the Father,⁹^[See ^Mosiah
15:7 would not champion anything other than what the Father has wanted all along. Heavenly Father undoubtedly cheers for and applauds our successes.

Christ’s advocacy is, at least in part, to remind us that He has paid for our sins and that no one is excluded from the reach of God’s mercy.¹⁰^[See ^1 John
2:2 For those who believe in Jesus Christ, repent, are baptized, and endure to the end—a process that leads to reconciliation¹¹^[See ^{2 Corinthians
5:16–21}^{Colossians
1:19–23}^{2 Nephi
10:24}—the Savior forgives, heals, and advocates. He is our helper, consoler, and intercessor—attesting to and vouching for our reconciliation with God.¹²[The Greek word for advocate (paraklētŏs) means intercessor, helper, comforter, or consoler (see 1 John 2:1 footnote b;^{The
New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible [1984],
Greek dictionary section, 55;}^{2 Nephi
10:23–25}^{Doctrine
and Covenants 45:3–5}

Jesus Christ Succors His People

President Dallin H. Oaks, “What Has Our Savior Done for Us? Why did our Savior suffer these mortal challenges “of every kind”? Alma explained, “And he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor [which means to give relief or aid to] his people according to their infirmities” (Alma 7:12).

Elder Ronald A. Rasband, ““Behold I Am the Light Which Ye Shall Hold Up,” Oct 2024

The Savior is not absent from our mortal journeys. For the past two days we have heard Him speak through His chosen leaders that we might draw closer to Him. Time and again, with His pure love and mercy, He sustains us as we face the drama of life. Nephi describes: “My God hath been my support; he hath led me though mine afflictions. … He hath filled me with his love.”

Succor for Suffering and Infirmities not Caused by Sin

Through His suffering, Christ took upon Himself not only human sins, but also every physical pain, mental anguish, sickness, grief, and infirmity experienced by mankind so that He might know according to the flesh how to succor His people.
Isaiah 53:4–5; Alma 7:11–13; Hebrews 2:18.

The Tender Mercies of Jesus Christ

1 Nephi 1:20 But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.

1 Nephi 8:8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

Ether 6:12 And when they had set their feet upon the shores of the promised land they bowed themselves down upon the face of the land, and did humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them.

Other Things the Atonement of Christ does for Me

Doctrine and Covenants 88:34–40 (Law Governing Spiritual Spheres): Study how the Law of Justice, Sanctification, and Celestial Law interact in this revelation. It outlines how Christ's Atonement enables individuals to be quickened by that portion of glory corresponding to the eternal law they have willingly chosen to obey.
President Marion G. Romney (October 1953): Examine this foundational address on the cosmic scale of the Atonement, specifically addressing how Christ redeemed not only humanity, but the Earth itself and all things created upon it.

Jacob 4:11Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection… and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God.

2 Ne. 2:7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit;

VI. Grace, Justification, and Sanctification

The doctrine of Grace: the enabling power and divine help made available through the Atonement (2 Nephi 10:24–25; Jacob 4:7).
Justification: being pardoned from punishment for sin and declared guiltless through the blood of Christ (Romans 3:24; Alma 13:11–12).
Sanctification: the process of being cleansed from the stain of sin and made holy through the Holy Spirit of promise (3 Nephi 27:19–20; Moses 6:59–60).
The role of genuine repentance—forsaking sin and turning to God—as the condition upon which mercy is extended (Alma 34:15–16; D&C 58:42–43).

VII. Ordinances, Covenants, and Eternal Life

The sealing power and binding ordinances of the temple made possible by the atoning sacrifice (D&C 128:18; D&C 132:19–20).
The sacrament as a weekly renewal of covenants and remembrance of Christ’s body and blood (D&C 20:77, 79; 3 Nephi 18:1–11).
The ultimate blessing of eternal life (exaltation), wherein faithful disciples become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16–17; D&C 84:35–38).
The final gathering of all things in Christ, fulfilling the eternal design of the Father's happiness plan (Ephesians 1:10; Moses 1:39).

King Benjamin’s Discourse on the Price of Remission of Sins: Examine Mosiah 4:2–3, where King Benjamin describes the cleansing power of the atonement of Christ—bringing peace of conscience and exceeding great joy through the remission of sins.

Godly power to change through Gifts of the Spirit

Moroni 10:18 And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ.

Moroni 10:30 And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift. Moroni 10:32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him

Mosiah 3:17-19 And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

18 For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; [1828 Webster young child] but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

Ether 12:27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Judges 7:2 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee [32,000] are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

President Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” Oct 2022

My message to you today is that because Jesus Christ overcame this fallen world, and because He atoned for each of us, you too can overcome this sin-saturated, self-centered, and often exhausting world.

Because the Savior, through His infinite Atonement, redeemed each of us from weakness, mistakes, and sin, and because He experienced every pain, worry, and burden you have ever had,⁵ then as you truly repent and seek His help, you can rise above this present precarious world. You can overcome the spiritually and emotionally exhausting plagues of the world, including arrogance, pride, anger, immorality, hatred, greed, jealousy, and fear.

Overcoming the world is not an event that happens in a day or two. It happens over a lifetime as we repeatedly embrace the doctrine of Christ. We cultivate faith in Jesus Christ by repenting daily and keeping covenants that endow us with power. We stay on the covenant path and are blessed with spiritual strength, personal revelation, increasing faith, and the ministering of angels. Living the doctrine of Christ can produce the most powerful virtuous cycle, creating spiritual momentum in our lives.¹⁰

As we strive to live the higher laws of Jesus Christ, our hearts and our very natures begin to change. The Savior lifts us above the pull of this fallen world by blessing us with greater charity, humility, generosity, kindness, self-discipline, peace, and rest.

President Russell M. Nelson, “The Correct Name of the Church,” Oct 2018

If we as a people and as individuals are to have access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ—to cleanse and heal us, to strengthen and magnify us, and ultimately to exalt us—we must clearly acknowledge Him as the source of that power.

President Nelson, “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” Oct 2021

The temple lies at the center of strengthening our faith and spiritual fortitude because the Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple. Everything taught in the temple, through instruction and through the Spirit, increases our understanding of Jesus Christ. His essential ordinances bind us to Him through sacred priesthood covenants. Then, as we keep our covenants, He endows us with His healing, strengthening power.³ And oh, how we will need His power in the days ahead. As you are true to your covenants made in the temple, you will be strengthened by His power. Then, when spiritual earthquakes occur, you will be able to stand strong because your spiritual foundation is solid and immovable.

President Nelson, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum,” April 2022

Do the spiritual work to seek miracles. Prayerfully ask God to help you exercise that kind of faith. I promise that you can experience for yourself that Jesus Christ “giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.”²⁴

Elder Russell M. Nelson, Decisions for Eternity, Oct 2013

We can change our behavior. Our very desires can change. How? There is only one way. True change—permanent change—can come only through the healing, cleansing, and enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He loves you—each of you! He allows you to access His power as you keep His commandments, eagerly, earnestly, and exactly. It is that simple and certain. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of change!

President Russell M. Nelson, "Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives Today," April 2017

There is nothing easy or automatic about becoming such powerful disciples. Our focus must be riveted on the Savior and His gospel. It is mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every thought.

Many of us have cried out from the depths of our hearts a variation of this woman’s words: “If I could spiritually stretch enough to draw the Savior’s power into my life, I would know how to handle my heart-wrenching situation. I would know what to do. And I would have the power to do it.”

When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do.

When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you. And then you will understand the deep meaning of words we sing in the hymn “The Spirit of God”:

· The Lord is extending the Saints’ understanding. …

· The knowledge and power of God are expanding;

· The veil o’er the earth is beginning to burst.

Elder Bednar, “The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality

Elder Bednar, Church Employees Leadership Enrichment Series from 2020

In wanting to develop more faith, more charity, or whatever the attribute might be, we need to understand they are not traits that we develop. Those are spiritual gifts. If I understand anything about spiritual gifts, we can receive them only if God trusts us to be in the right place at the right time, having been influenced by Him.

Elder Patrick Kearon, Receive His Gift, Gen. Conf. April 2025

But we could receive nothing without the greatest of all the Father’s gifts, His beloved Lamb, His Son, Jesus Christ. All of our Father’s gifts flow from and are activated by the Saviour’s willing offering in Gethsemane and on the cross and His triumphant Resurrection. Jesus Christ, our merciful Redeemer, is the supreme gift from our Father of lights. “In the gift of his Son hath God prepared [for us] a more excellent way.”
The reality is none of us is “deserving”—all the Father’s gifts are received only through the merits, mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah.

By Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “By This All Will Know That You Are My Disciples,” Apr. 2025

So, while we hold ourselves to the Lord’s high standards, let’s also be patient with one another. We are each a work in progress, and we all rely on the Savior for any progress we make. That’s true for us as individuals, and it’s true for the kingdom of God on earth.

Elder Dale G. Renlund, Accessing God’s Power through Covenants, Apr 2023

Like the Amazon, we have a natural flow to our lives; we tend to do what comes naturally. Like the Amazon, with heavenly help we can do seemingly unnatural things. After all, it is not natural for us to be humble, meek, or willing to submit our wills to God. Yet only by doing so can we be transformed, return to live in the presence of God, and achieve our eternal destiny.

Unlike the Amazon, we can choose whether we yield to heavenly powers or “go with the flow.” Going against the flow may be difficult. But when we yield “to the enticings of the Holy Spirit” and put off the selfish tendencies of the natural man or woman, we can receive the Savior’s transforming power in our lives, the power to do difficult things.

Moroni 10:18 And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ.

Moroni 10:30 And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.

Moroni 10:32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him

1 Nephi 15:36 Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

The Enabling Power of Grace (Sanctification)

In addition to providing cleansing from sin (justification), the Atonement grants divine strength, capacity, and spiritual endowment (grace) to overcome human weakness and attain eternal life.
Ether 12:27; Moroni 10:32–33; Bible Dictionary, "Grace."

Unconditional Universal Resurrection vs. Conditional Exaltation

The Redemption of Christ yields two distinct outcomes: a free, unconditional resurrection for all human beings regardless of righteousness, and a conditional exaltation granted exclusively to those who exercise faith, repent, and keep sacred covenants.
1 Corinthians 15:22; Alma 11:42–45; Doctrine and Covenants 88:21–32.

The Ultimate Objective: Joint-Heirship and Becoming Gods

The supreme purpose of the Atonement is not merely to restore man to a state of innocence, but to transform fallen mortals into joint-heirs with Christ, capable of inheriting all that God has and becoming like Him.
Romans 8:16–17; 2 Peter 1:4; Doctrine and Covenants 84:37–38.

How Can I Rely on/Access the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

3 Nephi 18:7 And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you. …and this doth witness to the father.

Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

1 Samuel 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

Matthew 7:7–8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Matthew 11:28–30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

2 Ne 25:26 We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

Alma 38: 8-9 And never, until I did cry out unto the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy, did I receive a remission of my sins. There is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ, Behold, he is the life and the light of the world.

Helaman 5:12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Ether 12:41 And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father; and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever.

Doctrine and Covenants 68:6 Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.

Sacrament – Take His Name Upon us

Pres. Russell M. Nelson, Prophets, Leadership, and Divine Law, January 2017

A few years ago, President Russell M. Nelson studied all the scriptures concerning Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide.10 He then invited young adults to study these same scriptures. Concerning Jesus’s many names, President Nelson said, “Study everything Jesus Christ is by prayerfully and vigorously seeking to understand what each of His various titles and names means personally for you.”

Our Trials Bring us to Rely on Christ

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, "Learning from the Lord's Example," Ensign, March 2008.

"The trials and tribulations of this life can be the fire that refines us (see 1 Peter 1:7; Alma 32:3). We should feel comforted in the knowledge that the Lord knows and feels our struggles. His suffering in Gethsemane and on the cross was to prepare Him to 'succor his people according to their infirmities' (Alma 7:12). Our efforts to be worthy of that succor are our most important lifetime exertion."

Elder Kearon: "1 Peter 4:12–13. Think of those surprises and think of the shocks we are dealt: Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice [what a word to use in that context], inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Daily Repentance as a Joyful Principle of Progression

Repentance is not a punishment for failure, but a covenant opportunity provided by the Atonement to daily align one's mind, heart, and actions with God's will.
Mosiah 27:25–28; Helaman 5:11–12; Doctrine and Covenants 58:42–43.

Serving or Suffering Like the Savior Did

Elder Holland, Lifted Up upon the Cross

As we take up our crosses and follow Him, it would be tragic indeed if the weight of our challenges did not make us more empathetic for and more attentive to the burdens being carried by others. It is one of the most powerful paradoxes of the Crucifixion that the arms of the Savior were stretched wide open and then nailed there, unwittingly but accurately portraying that every man, woman, and child in the entire human family is not only welcome but invited into His redeeming, exalting embrace.

Elder Christofferson, "The Redemption of the Soul," October 2019

"It would not be an exaggeration to say that a major part of what the Savior experienced was for our benefit to know how to respond in times of suffering. His submission was not passive surrender but the most profoundly active step—a step toward His Father. ... As we strive to take our own cup of suffering, we learn, as He learned, 'the means of deliverance' and find 'strength and wisdom beyond [our] own.'" — "The Redemption of the Soul," October 2019 Gen Conf.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "Lessons from the Vineyard," Ensign, May 1999

"The winepress of suffering is so very real. The only way you can really come to know the Lord is to go through some of the things He went through. We are asked to endure 'as a good soldier' (2 Timothy 2:3). ... The Lord’s empathy and compassion are perfect, but He is not a casual observer. He expects us to participate in our own process of change and growth. ... Though we cannot, of course, duplicate His atoning experience, we are asked to endure well, using our spiritual resources."

Elder Bednar, Church Employees Leadership Enrichment Series from 2020

There is not necessarily a predictable sequence. Learning and becoming better comes line upon line, precept upon precept. I am not sure we understand consecration until we first understand sacrifice. There is a series of attributes we have to both learn about with the help of the Spirit and gain experience with before we begin to really appreciate and understand what meekness is. In wanting to develop more faith, more charity, or whatever the attribute might be, we need to understand they are not traits that we develop. Those are spiritual gifts. If I understand anything about spiritual gifts, we can receive them only if God trusts us to be in the right place at the right time, having been influenced by Him. If we are blessed with a spiritual gift, it comes to us and through us to bless somebody else, not simply because we want it. This is a surrender of what we want, when we want it, and how we want it. And in that submissiveness, which is one of the elements of meekness, we express to Him, “Make of me what you will.” Then the experiences come that teach us the lessons but for which we would never volunteer.

I have already mentioned that the yearning for spiritual gifts cannot be because we want it.

Sometimes we want to have those gifts so we can flaunt them or so other people will think highly of us. That simply cannot be the reason. The reason we desire spiritual gifts should be to allow God to use us, to help us be in the right place at the right time, and to be the conduit to bless other people. And that ever-increasing purity of motive can only come through the strengthening power and grace of the Savior’s Atonement. We cannot do that without Him. Then Elder Henry B. Eyring stayed at our home during an assignment at BYU–Idaho when I was the president. In the morning he said, “I was rebuked last night by the Holy Ghost.” We tend to think that rebuke is a harsh thing, like getting yelled at. Being rebuked by the Holy Ghost is seeing things as they really are and being corrected. And then Elder Eyring looked at me and said, “Brother Bednar, if you haven't been rebuked by the Holy Ghost lately, you need to improve your prayers.” Think about that for a while. The Holy Ghost will help you see things as they really are—tutoring from heaven that is both painful, liberating, and edifying. We often believe that if we follow these three steps, we will be there in 19 days. Developing spiritual gifts is a life-long pursuit. Just as consecration is the capstone covenant of the temple, meekness is perhaps the capstone characteristic of the Savior. We are not going to develop meekness in three easy steps."

Daily Repentance as a Joyful Principle of Progression

Repentance is not a punishment for failure, but a covenant opportunity provided by the Atonement to daily align one's mind, heart, and actions with God's will.

Mosiah 27:25–28; Helaman 5:11–12; Doctrine and Covenants 58:42–43.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (April 2022)

President Russell M. Nelson (April 2019)

Final Pleas to Come unto Christ from Book of Mormon Writers

Lehi:

2 Nephi 2:6-8 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered. Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah.

2 Nephi 2:26-30 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon...And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit; And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh... I have spoken these few words unto you all, my sons, in the last days of my probation; and I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet. And I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls. Amen.

Nephi:

2 Nephi: 31:13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost.

2 Nephi 31:21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

2 Nephi 33:9-10 9 I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ...And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.

Jacob:

not really any, but his last chapter is about Sherem the Anti-Christ

Enos:

And I saw that I must soon go down to my grave, having been wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days and have rejoiced in it above that of the world.

And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen.

Amaleki:

Omni 1:25-26 I shall deliver up these plates unto him, exhorting all men to come unto God, the Holy One of Israel, and believe in prophesying, and in revelations, and in the ministering of angels, and in the gift of speaking with tongues, and in the gift of interpreting languages, and in all things which are good; for there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord: and that which is evil cometh from the devil.

And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.

Mormon

1:2, 4, 8 I deliver these records into the hands of my son; and it supposeth me that he will witness the entire destruction of my people. But may God grant that he may survive them, that he may write somewhat concerning them, and somewhat concerning Christ, that perhaps some day it may profit them.

And the things which are upon these plates pleasing me, because of the prophecies of the coming of Christ; and my fathers knowing that many of them have been fulfilled;

My prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people.

Moroni

Ether 12:38-41 And now I, Moroni, bid farewell unto the Gentiles, yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood. And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things.

41 And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen.

Moroni 10: 2-3, 30-34

2-3 And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you. Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men.

30 And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.

31 And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.

32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

34 And now I bid unto all, farewell.

Talks on the Atonement of Jesus Christ

Bruce R. McConkie, “The Purifying Power of Gethsemane,” Ensign, May 1985, 9

Now, the atonement of Christ is the most basic and fundamental doctrine of the gospel, and it is the least understood of all our revealed truths.

Many of us have a superficial knowledge and rely upon the Lord and his goodness to see us through the trials and perils of life.

But if we are to have faith like Enoch and Elijah we must believe what they believed, know what they knew, and live as they lived.

May I invite you to join with me in gaining a sound and sure knowledge of the Atonement.

I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears.

But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.

Russell M. Nelson, “The Atonement,” Oct 1996

Humbly I join the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob, who asked, “Why not speak of the atonement of Christ?” 1 This topic comprises our third article of faith: “We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.” [A of F 1:3]

Before we can comprehend the Atonement of Christ, however, we must first understand the Fall of Adam. And before we can understand the Fall of Adam, we must first understand the Creation. These three crucial components of the plan of salvation relate to each other. 2

The Creation

The Creation culminated with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They were created in the image of God, with bodies of flesh and bone. 3 Created in the image of God and not yet mortal, they could not grow old and die. 4 “And they would have had no children” 5 nor experienced the trials of life. (Please forgive me for mentioning children and the trials of life in the same breath.) The creation of Adam and Eve was a paradisiacal creation, one that required a significant change before they could fulfill the commandment to have children 6 and thus provide earthly bodies for premortal spirit sons and daughters of God.

The Fall

That brings us to the Fall. Scripture teaches that “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” 7 The Fall of Adam (and Eve) constituted the mortal creation and brought about the required changes in their bodies, including the circulation of blood and other modifications as well. 8 They were now able to have children. They and their posterity also became subject to injury, disease, and death. And a loving Creator blessed them with healing power by which the life and function of precious physical bodies could be preserved. For example, bones, if broken, could become solid again. Lacerations of the flesh could heal themselves. And miraculously, leaks in the circulation could be sealed off by components activated from the very blood being lost. 9

Think of the wonder of that power to heal! If you could create anything that could repair itself, you would have created life in perpetuity. For example, if you could create a chair that could fix its own broken leg, there would be no limit to the life of that chair. Many of you walk on legs that were once broken and do so because of your remarkable gift of healing.

Even though our Creator endowed us with this incredible power, He consigned a counterbalancing gift to our bodies. It is the blessing of aging, with visible reminders that we are mortal beings destined one day to leave this “frail existence.” 10 Our bodies change every day. As we grow older, our broad chests and narrow waists have a tendency to trade places. We get wrinkles, lose color in our hair—even the hair itself—to remind us that we are mortal children of God, with a “manufacturer’s guarantee” that we shall not be stranded upon the earth forever. Were it not for the Fall, our physicians, beauticians, and morticians would all be unemployed.

Adam and Eve, as mortal beings, were instructed to “worship the Lord their God, and … offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord.” 11 They were further instructed that “the life of the flesh is in the blood: … for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” 12 Probation, procreation, and aging were all components of—and physical death was essential to—God’s “great plan of happiness.” 13

But mortal life, glorious as it is, was never the ultimate objective of God’s plan. Life and death here on planet Earth were merely means to an end—not the end for which we were sent.

The Atonement

That brings us to the Atonement. Paul said, “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” 14 The Atonement of Jesus Christ became the immortal creation. He volunteered to answer the ends of a law previously transgressed. 15 And by the shedding of His blood, His 16 and our physical bodies could become perfected. They could again function without blood, just as Adam’s and Eve’s did in their paradisiacal form. Paul taught that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; … this mortal must put on immortality.” 17

Meaning of Atonement

With this background in mind, let us now ponder the deep meaning of the word atonement. In the English language, the components are at-one-ment, suggesting that a person is at one with another. Other languages 18 employ words that connote either expiation or reconciliation. Expiation means “to atone for.” Reconciliation comes from Latin roots re, meaning “again”; con, meaning “with”; and sella, meaning “seat.” Reconciliation, therefore, literally means “to sit again with.”

Rich meaning is found in study of the word atonement in the Semitic languages of Old Testament times. In Hebrew, the basic word for atonement is kaphar, a verb that means “to cover” or “to forgive.” 19 Closely related is the Aramaic and Arabic word kafat, meaning “a close embrace”—no doubt related to the Egyptian ritual embrace. References to that embrace are evident in the Book of Mormon. One states that “the Lord hath redeemed my soul … ; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.” 20 Another proffers the glorious hope of our being “clasped in the arms of Jesus.” 21

I weep for joy when I contemplate the significance of it all. To be redeemed is to be atoned—received in the close embrace of God with an expression not only of His forgiveness, but of our oneness of heart and mind. What a privilege! And what a comfort to those of us with loved ones who have already passed from our family circle through the gateway we call death!

Scriptures teach us more about the word atonement. The Old Testament has many references to atonement, which called for animal sacrifice. Not any animal would do. Special considerations included:

• the selection of a firstling of the flock, without blemish, 22

• the sacrifice of the animal’s life by the shedding of its blood, 23

• death of the animal without breaking a bone, and 24

• one animal could be sacrificed as a vicarious act for another. 25

The Atonement of Christ fulfilled these prototypes of the Old Testament. He was the firstborn Lamb of God, without blemish. His sacrifice occurred by the shedding of blood. No bones of His body were broken—noteworthy in that both malefactors crucified with the Lord had their legs broken. 26 And His was a vicarious sacrifice for others.

While the words atone or atonement, in any of their forms, appear only once in the King James translation of the New Testament, they appear 35 times in the Book of Mormon. As another testament of Jesus Christ, it sheds precious light on His Atonement, as do the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. Latter-day revelation has added much to our biblical base of understanding.

Infinite Atonement

In preparatory times of the Old Testament, the practice of atonement was finite—meaning it had an end. It was a symbolic forecast of the definitive Atonement of Jesus the Christ. His Atonement is infinite—without an end. It was also infinite in that all humankind would be saved from never-ending death. It was infinite in terms of His immense suffering. It was infinite in time, putting an end to the preceding prototype of animal sacrifice. It was infinite in scope—it was to be done once for all. And the mercy of the Atonement extends not only to an infinite number of people, but also to an infinite number of worlds created by Him. It was infinite beyond any human scale of measurement or mortal comprehension.

Jesus was the only one who could offer such an infinite atonement, since He was born of a mortal mother and an immortal Father. Because of that unique birthright, Jesus was an infinite Being.

The Ordeal of the Atonement

The ordeal of the Atonement centered about the city of Jerusalem. There the greatest single act of love of all recorded history took place. Leaving the upper room, Jesus and His friends crossed the deep ravine east of the city and came to a garden of olive trees on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives. There in the garden bearing the Hebrew name of Gethsemane—meaning “oil-press”—olives had been beaten and pressed to provide oil and food. There at Gethsemane, the Lord “suffered the pain of all men, that all … might repent and come unto him.” He took upon Himself the weight of the sins of all mankind, bearing its massive load that caused Him to bleed from every pore.

Later He was beaten and scourged. A crown of sharp thorns was thrust upon His head as an additional form of torture. He was mocked and jeered. He suffered every indignity at the hands of His own people. “I came unto my own,” He said, “and my own received me not.” Instead of their warm embrace, He received their cruel rejection. Then He was required to carry His own cross to the hill of Calvary, where He was nailed to that cross and made to suffer excruciating pain.

Later He said, “I thirst.” 37 To a doctor of medicine, this is a very meaningful expression. Doctors know that when a patient goes into shock because of blood loss, invariably that patient—if still conscious—with parched and shriveled lips cries for water.

Even though the Father and the Son knew well in advance what was to be experienced, the actuality of it brought indescribable agony. “And [Jesus] said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” Jesus then complied with the will of His Father. Three days later, precisely as prophesied, He rose from the grave. He became the firstfruits of the Resurrection. He had accomplished the Atonement, which could give immortality and eternal life to all obedient human beings. All that the Fall allowed to go awry, the Atonement allowed to go aright.

The Savior’s gift of immortality comes to all who have ever lived. But His gift of eternal life requires repentance and obedience to specific ordinances and covenants. Essential ordinances of the gospel symbolize the Atonement. Baptism by immersion is symbolic of the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Redeemer. Partaking of the sacrament renews baptismal covenants and also renews our memory of the Savior’s broken flesh and of the blood He shed for us. Ordinances of the temple symbolize our reconciliation with the Lord and seal families together forever. Obedience to the sacred covenants made in temples qualifies us for eternal life—the greatest gift of God to man —the “object and end of our existence.”

The Atonement Enabled the Purpose of the Creation to Be Accomplished

The Creation required the Fall. The Fall required the Atonement. The Atonement enabled the purpose of the Creation to be accomplished. Eternal life, made possible by the Atonement, is the supreme purpose of the Creation. To phrase that statement in its negative form, if families were not sealed in holy temples, the whole earth would be utterly wasted.

The purposes of the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement all converge on the sacred work done in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The earth was created and the Church was restored to make possible the sealing of wife to husband, children to parents, families to progenitors, worlds without end.

This is the great latter-day work of which we are a part. That is why we have missionaries; that is why we have temples—to bring the fullest blessings of the Atonement to faithful children of God. That is why we respond to our own calls from the Lord. When we comprehend His voluntary Atonement, any sense of sacrifice on our part becomes completely overshadowed by a profound sense of gratitude for the privilege of serving Him.

As one of the “special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world,” 43 I testify that He is the Son of the living God. Jesus is the Christ—our atoning Savior and Redeemer. This is His Church, restored to bless God’s children and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord. I so testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

James E. Faust, “The Atonement: Our Greatest Hope,” Oct 2001
My beloved brothers and sisters and friends, I come humbly to this pulpit this morning because I wish to speak about the greatest event in all history. That singular event was the incomparable Atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. This was the most transcendent act that has ever taken place, yet it is the most difficult to understand. My reason for wanting to learn all I can about the Atonement is partly selfish: Our salvation depends on believing in and accepting the Atonement. 1 Such acceptance requires a continual effort to understand it more fully. The Atonement advances our mortal course of learning by making it possible for our natures to become perfect. 2 All of us have sinned and need to repent to fully pay our part of the debt. When we sincerely repent, the Savior’s magnificent Atonement pays the rest of that debt. 3

Paul gave a simple explanation for the need of the Atonement: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” 4 Jesus Christ was appointed and foreordained to be our Redeemer before the world was formed. With His divine sonship, His sinless life, the shedding of His blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, His excruciating death on the cross and subsequent bodily Resurrection from the grave, He became the author of our salvation and made a perfect Atonement for all mankind. 5

Understanding what we can of the Atonement and the Resurrection of Christ helps us to obtain a knowledge of Him and of His mission. 6 Any increase in our understanding of His atoning sacrifice draws us closer to Him. Literally, the Atonement means to be “at one” with Him. The nature of the Atonement and its effects is so infinite, so unfathomable, and so profound that it lies beyond the knowledge and comprehension of mortal man. I am profoundly grateful for the principle of saving grace. Many people think they need only confess that Jesus is the Christ and then they are saved by grace alone. We cannot be saved by grace alone, “for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” 7

Some years ago, President Gordon B. Hinckley told “something of a parable” about “a one room school house in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough no teacher had been able to handle them.

“Then one day an inexperienced young teacher applied. He was told that every teacher had received an awful beating, but the teacher accepted the risk. The first day of school the teacher asked the boys to establish their own rules and the penalty for breaking the rules. The class came up with 10 rules, which were written on the blackboard. Then the teacher asked, ‘What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?’

“ ‘Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,’ came the response.

“A day or so later, … the lunch of a big student, named Tom, was stolen. ‘The thief was located—a little hungry fellow, about ten years old.’

“As Little Jim came up to take his licking, he pleaded to keep his coat on. ‘Take your coat off,’ the teacher said. ‘You helped make the rules!’

“The boy took off the coat. He had no shirt and revealed a bony little crippled body. As the teacher hesitated with the rod, Big Tom jumped to his feet and volunteered to take the boy’s licking.

“ ‘Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?’ the teacher asked.

“After five strokes across Tom’s back, the rod broke. The class was sobbing. ‘Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. “Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!” ’ ” 8

President Hinckley then quoted Isaiah:

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. …

“… He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” 9

No man knows the full weight of what our Savior bore, but by the power of the Holy Ghost we can know something of the supernal gift He gave us. 10 In the words of our sacrament hymn:

We may not know, we cannot tell,
What pains he had to bear,
But we believe it was for us
He hung and suffered there. 11

He suffered so much pain, “indescribable anguish,” and “overpowering torture” 12 for our sake. His profound suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He took upon Himself all the sins of all other mortals, caused Him “to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit.” 13 “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly,” 14 saying, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.” 15 He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and denied by Peter. He was mocked by the chief priests and officers; He was stripped, smitten, spat upon, and scourged in the judgment hall. 16

He was led to Golgotha, where nails were driven into His hands and feet. He hung in agony for hours on a wooden cross bearing the title written by Pilate: “JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 17 Darkness came, and “about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” 18 No one could help Him; He was treading the winepress alone. 19 Then “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.” 20 And “one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” 21 “The earth did quake” and “when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.” 22 In the words of the hymn, “Let me not forget, O Savior, / Thou didst bleed and die for me.” 23 I wonder how many drops were shed for me.

What He did could only be done by Deity. As the Only Begotten Son of the Father in the flesh, Jesus inherited divine attributes. He was the only person ever born into mortality who could perform this most significant and supernal act. As the only sinless Man who ever lived on this earth, He was not subject to spiritual death. Because of His godhood, He also possessed power over physical death. Thus He did for us what we cannot do for ourselves. He broke the cold grasp of death. He also made it possible for us to have the supreme and serene comfort of the gift of the Holy Ghost. 24

The Atonement and the Resurrection accomplish many things. The Atonement cleanses us of sin on condition of our repentance. Repentance is the condition on which mercy is extended. 25 After all we can do to pay to the uttermost farthing and make right our wrongs, the Savior’s grace is activated in our lives through the Atonement, which purifies us and can perfect us. 26 Christ’s Resurrection overcame death and gave us the assurance of life after death. Said He: “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” 27 The Resurrection is unconditional and applies to all who have ever lived and ever will live. 28 It is a free gift. President John Taylor described this well when he said: “The tombs will be opened and the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and they shall come forth, they who have done good to the resurrection of the just, and they who have done evil to the resurrection of the unjust.” 29

With reference to our mortal acts and the Atonement, President J. Reuben Clark Jr. contributed this valuable insight when he said:

“I feel that [the Savior] will give that punishment which is the very least that our transgression will justify. I believe that he will bring into his justice all of the infinite love and blessing and mercy and kindness and understanding which he has. …

“And on the other hand, I believe that when it comes to making the rewards for our good conduct, he will give us the maximum that it is possible to give, having in mind the offense which we have committed.” 30

As Isaiah wrote, if we will return unto the Lord, “he will abundantly pardon.” 31

We are commanded to remember the singular events of the mediation, Crucifixion, and the Atonement by partaking of the sacrament weekly. In the spirit of the sacramental prayers, we partake of the bread and water in remembrance of the body and the blood sacrificed for us, and we are to remember Him and keep His commandments so that we may always have His Spirit to be with us.

Our Redeemer took upon Himself all the sins, pains, infirmities, and sicknesses of all who have ever lived and will ever live. 32 No one has ever suffered in any degree what He did. He knows our mortal trials by firsthand experience. It is a bit like us trying to climb Mount Everest and only getting up the first few feet. But He has climbed all 29,000 feet to the top of the mountain. He suffered more than any other mortal could.

The Atonement not only benefits the sinner but also benefits those sinned against—that is, the victims. By forgiving “those who trespass against us” (JST, Matt. 6:13) the Atonement brings a measure of peace and comfort to those who have been innocently victimized by the sins of others. The basic source for the healing of the soul is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This is true whether it be from the pain of a personal tragedy or a terrible national calamity such as we have recently experienced in New York and Washington, D.C., and near Pittsburgh.

A sister who had been through a painful divorce wrote of her experience in drawing from the Atonement. She said: “Our divorce … did not release me from the obligation to forgive. I truly wanted to do it, but it was as if I had been commanded to do something of which I was simply incapable.” Her bishop gave her some sound advice: “Keep a place in your heart for forgiveness, and when it comes, welcome it in.” Many months passed as this struggle to forgive continued. She recalled: “During those long, prayerful moments … I tapped into a life-giving source of comfort from my loving Heavenly Father. I sense that he was not standing by glaring at me for not having accomplished forgiveness yet; rather he was sorrowing with me as I wept. …

“In the final analysis, what happened in my heart is for me an amazing and miraculous evidence of the Atonement of Christ. I had always viewed the Atonement as a means of making repentance work for the sinner. I had not realized that it also makes it possible for the one sinned against to receive into his or her heart the sweet peace of forgiving.” 33

The injured should do what they can to work through their trials, and the Savior will “succor his people according to their infirmities.” 34 He will help us carry our burdens. Some injuries are so hurtful and deep that they cannot be healed without help from a higher power and hope for perfect justice and restitution in the next life. Since the Savior has suffered anything and everything that we could ever feel or experience, 35 He can help the weak to become stronger. He has personally experienced all of it. He understands our pain and will walk with us even in our darkest hours.

We long for the ultimate blessing of the Atonement—to become one with Him, to be in His divine presence, to be called individually by name as He warmly welcomes us home with a radiant smile, beckoning us with open arms to be enfolded in His boundless love. 36 How gloriously sublime this experience will be if we can feel worthy enough to be in His presence! The free gift of His great atoning sacrifice for each of us is the only way we can be exalted enough to stand before Him and see Him face-to-face. The overwhelming message of the Atonement is the perfect love the Savior has for each and all of us. It is a love which is full of mercy, patience, grace, equity, long-suffering, and, above all, forgiving.

The evil influence of Satan would destroy any hope we have in overcoming our mistakes. He would have us feel that we are lost and that there is no hope. In contrast, Jesus reaches down to us to lift us up. Through our repentance and the gift of the Atonement, we can prepare to be worthy to stand in His presence. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Gospel topics: Jesus Christ, Holy Ghost, Atonement, forgiveness, grace, love, mercy, peace, plan of salvation, repentance, resurrection, sacrament, Satan

Notes

1. See Mosiah 4:6–7. 2. See Moro. 10:32. 3. See 2 Ne. 25:23. 4. 1 Cor. 15:22. 5. See Bible Dictionary, “Atonement,” 617. 6. See Jacob 4:12. 7. 2 Ne. 25:23; emphasis added. 8. “Pres. Hinckley: Christmas a Result of Redeeming Christ,” Church News, 10 Dec. 994, 4. 9. Isa. 53:4–5. 10. See 1 Cor. 12:3. 11. “There Is a Green Hill Far Away,” Hymns, No. 194. 12. John Taylor, The Mediation and tonement (1882), 150. 13. D&C 19:18. 14. Luke 22:44. 15. Matt. 26:42. 16. See Matt. 26:47–75; Matt. 27:28–31. 17. John 19:19. 18. Matt. 27:46. 19. See D&C 133:50. 20. Matt. 27:50. 21. John 19:34. 22. Matt. 27:51, 54. 23. “In Humility, Our Savior,” Hymns, no. 172. 24. See John 15:26. 25. See Alma 42:22–25. 26. See 2 Ne. 25:23; Alma 34:15–16; Alma 42:22–24; Moro. 10:32–33. 27. John 1:25. 28. See Acts 24:15. 29. The Gospel Kingdom, sel. G. Homer Durham (1943), 118. See also John 5:28–29. 30. “As Ye Sow … ,” Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year] (3 May 1955), 7. 31. Isa. 55:7. 32. See Alma 7:11–12 .33. Name Withheld, “My Journey to Forgiving,” Ensign, Feb. 1997, 42–43. 34. Alma 7:12. 35. See Alma 7:11. 36. See Alma 26:15; Morm. 5:11; Morm. 6:17; Moses 7:63.

Boyd K. Packer, “Atonement, Agency, Accountability,” Ensign, May 1988, 69

The Lord had come from Gethsemane; before Him was His crucifixion. At the moment of betrayal, Peter drew his sword against Malchus, a servant of the high priest. Jesus said:

“Put up again thy sword into his place. …

“Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt. 26:52–53).

During all of the taunting, the abuse, the scourging, and the final torture of crucifixion, the Lord remained silent and submissive. Except, that is, for one moment of intense drama which reveals the very essence of Christian doctrine.

That moment came during the trial. Pilate, now afraid, said to Jesus: “Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?” (John 19:10).

One can only imagine the quiet majesty when the Lord spoke. “Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above” (John 19:11).

What happened thereafter did not come because Pilate had power to impose it, but because the Lord had the will to accept it.

“I lay down my life,” the Lord said, “that I might take it again.

“No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (John 10:17–18).

Before the Crucifixion and afterward, many men have willingly given their lives in selfless acts of heroism. But none faced what the Christ endured. Upon Him was the burden of all human transgression, all human guilt.

And hanging in the balance was the Atonement. Through His willing act, mercy and justice could be reconciled, eternal law sustained, and that mediation achieved without which mortal man could not be redeemed.

He, by choice, accepted the penalty for all mankind for the sum total of all wickedness and depravity; for brutality, immorality, perversion, and corruption; for addiction; for the killings and torture and terror—for all of it that ever had been or all that ever would be enacted upon this earth.

In choosing, He faced the awesome power of the evil one who was not confined to flesh nor subject to mortal pain. That was Gethsemane!

How the Atonement was wrought, we do not know. No mortal watched as evil turned away and hid in shame before the light of that pure being.

All wickedness could not quench that light. When what was done was done, the ransom had been paid. Both death and hell forsook their claim on all who would repent. Men at last were free. Then every soul who ever lived could choose to touch that light and be redeemed.

By this infinite sacrifice, through this atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.

Atonement is really three words: At-one-ment, meaning to set at one, one with God; to reconcile, to conciliate, to expiate.

But did you know that the word atonement appears only once in the English New Testament? Only once! I quote from Paul’s letter to the Romans:

“Christ died for us. …

“We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

“And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Rom. 5:8, 10–11; italics added).

Only that once does the word atonement appear in the English New Testament. Atonement, of all words! It was not an unknown word, for it had been used much in the Old Testament in connection with the law of Moses, once only in the New Testament. I find that to be remarkable.

I know of only one explanation. For that we turn to the Book of Mormon.

Nephi testified that the Bible once “contained the fulness of the gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles bear record” (1 Ne. 13:24) and that “After [the words] go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away” (1 Ne. 13:26).

Jacob defined the great and abominable church in these words:

“Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish; for they are they who are the whore of all the earth; for they who are not for me are against me, saith our God” (2 Ne. 10:16).

Nephi said, “Because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, … an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them” (1 Ne. 13:29).

He then prophesied that the precious things would be restored (see 1 Ne. 13:34–35).

And they were restored. In the Book of Mormon the word atone in form and tense appears fifty-five times. I quote but one verse from Alma: “And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also” (Alma 42:15; italics added).

Only once in the New Testament—fifty-five times in the Book of Mormon. What better witness that the Book of Mormon is indeed another testament of Jesus Christ?

And that is not all. The words atone, atonement, atoneth, appear in the Doctrine and Covenants eleven times and in the Pearl of Great Price three. Sixty-nine references of transcendent importance. And that is not all! Hundreds of other verses help to explain it.

The cost of the Atonement was borne by the Lord without compulsion, for agency is a sovereign principle. According to the plan, agency must be honored. It was so from the beginning, from Eden.

“The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency” (Moses 7:32).

Whatever else happened in Eden, in his supreme moment of testing, Adam made a choice.

After the Lord commanded Adam and Eve to multiply and replenish the earth and commanded them not to partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, He said: “Nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Moses 3:17).

There was too much at issue to introduce man into mortality by force. That would contravene the very law essential to the plan. The plan provided that each spirit child of God would receive a mortal body and each would be tested. Adam saw that it must be so and made his choice. “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Ne. 2:25).

Adam and Eve ventured forth to multiply and replenish the earth as they had been commanded to do. The creation of their bodies in the image of God, as a separate creation, was crucial to the plan. Their subsequent fall was essential if the condition of mortality was to exist and the plan proceed.

Jacob described what would happen to our bodies and our spirits except an atonement, an infinite atonement, were made. We should, he said, have become “like unto [the devil]” (see 2 Ne. 9:7–9).

I seldom use the word absolute. It seldom fits. I use it now—twice. Because of the Fall, the Atonement was absolutely essential for resurrection to proceed and overcome mortal death.

The Atonement was absolutely essential for men to cleanse themselves from sin and overcome the second death, which is the spiritual death, which is separation from our Father in Heaven. For the scriptures tell us, seven times they tell us, that no unclean thing may enter the presence of God.

Those scriptural words, “Thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee” (Moses 3:17), introduced Adam and Eve and their posterity to all the risks of mortality. In mortality men are free to choose, and each choice begets a consequence. The choice Adam made energized the law of justice, which required that the penalty for disobedience would be death.

But those words spoken at the trial, “Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above” (John 19:11), proved mercy was of equal rank. A redeemer was sent to pay the debt and set men free. That was the plan.

Alma’s son Corianton thought it unfair that penalties must follow sin, that there need be punishment. In a profound lesson Alma taught the plan of redemption to his son, and so to us.

Alma spoke of the Atonement and said, “Now, repentance could not come unto men except there were a punishment” (Alma 42:16).

If punishment is the price repentance asks, it comes at bargain price. Consequences, even painful ones, protect us. So simple a thing as a child’s cry of pain when his finger touches fire can teach us that. Except for the pain, the child might be consumed.

I readily confess that I would find no peace, neither happiness nor safety, in a world without repentance. I do not know what I should do if there were no way for me to erase my mistakes. The agony would be more than I could bear. It may be otherwise with you, but not with me.

An atonement was made. Ever and always it offers amnesty from transgression and from death if we will but repent. Repentance is the escape clause in it all. Repentance is the key with which we can unlock the prison from inside. We hold that key within our hands, and agency is ours to use it.

How supernally precious freedom is; how consummately valuable is the agency of man.

Lucifer in clever ways manipulates our choices, deceiving us about sin and consequences. He, and his angels with him, tempt us to be unworthy, even wicked. But he cannot, in all eternity he cannot, with all his power he cannot completely destroy us; not without our own consent. Had agency come to man without the Atonement, it would have been a fatal gift.

We are taught in Genesis, in Moses, in Abraham, in the Book of Mormon, and in the endowment that man’s mortal body was made in the image of God in a separate creation. Had the Creation come in a different way, there could have been no Fall.

If men were merely animals, then logic favors freedom without accountability.

How well I know that among learned men are those who look down at animals and stones to find the origin of man. They do not look inside themselves to find the spirit there. They train themselves to measure things by time, by thousands and by millions, and say these animals called men all came by chance. And this they are free to do, for agency is theirs.

But agency is ours as well. We look up, and in the universe we see the handiwork of God and measure things by epochs, by eons, by dispensations, by eternities. The many things we do not know we take on faith.

But this we know! It was all planned before the world was. Events from the Creation to the final, winding-up scene are not based on chance; they are based on choice! It was planned that way.

This we know! This simple truth! Had there been no Creation, no Fall, there should have been no need for any Atonement, neither a Redeemer to mediate for us. Then Christ need not have been.

At Gethsemane and Golgotha the Savior’s blood was shed. Centuries earlier the Passover had been introduced as a symbol and a type of things to come. It was an ordinance to be kept forever (see Ex. 12).

When the plague of death was decreed upon Egypt, each Israelite family was commanded to take a lamb, firstborn, male, without blemish. This paschal lamb was slain without breaking any bones, its blood to mark the doorway of the home. The Lord promised that the angel of death would pass over the homes so marked and not slay those inside. They were saved by the blood of the lamb.

After the crucifixion of the Lord, the law of sacrifice required no more shedding of blood. For that was done, as Paul taught the Hebrews, “once for all, … one sacrifice for sins for ever” (Heb. 10:10, 12). The sacrifice thenceforth was to be a broken heart and a contrite spirit—repentance.

And the Passover would be commemorated forever as the sacrament, in which we renew our covenant of baptism and partake in remembrance of the body of the Lamb of God and of His blood, which was shed for us.

It is no small thing that this symbol reappears in the Word of Wisdom. Beyond the promise that Saints in this generation, who obey, will receive health and great treasures of knowledge is this: “I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them” (D&C 89:21).

I cannot with composure tell you how I feel about the Atonement. It touches the deepest emotion of gratitude and obligation. My soul reaches after Him who wrought it, this Christ, our Savior of whom I am a witness. I testify of Him. He is our Lord, our Redeemer, our advocate with the Father. He ransomed us with His blood.

Humbly I lay claim upon the atonement of Christ. I find no shame in kneeling down in worship of our Father and His son. For agency is mine, and this I choose to do!

M. Russell Ballard, “The Atonement and the Value of One Soul,” Ensign, May 2004, 84

This past January our family suffered the tragic loss of our grandson Nathan in an airplane crash. Nathan had served in the Russian-speaking Baltic Mission. He loved the people and knew it was a privilege to serve the Lord. Three months after I officiated at his eternal marriage to his sweetheart, Jennifer, this accident took his life. Nathan’s being taken so suddenly from our mortal presence has turned each of our hearts and minds to the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. While it is impossible for me to put into words the full meaning of the Atonement of Christ, I pray that I can explain what His Atonement means to me and our family and what it might also mean to you and yours.

The Savior’s precious birth, life, Atonement in the Garden of Gethsemane, suffering on the cross, burial in Joseph’s tomb, and glorious Resurrection all became a renewed reality for us. The Savior’s Resurrection assures all of us that someday we, too, will follow Him and experience our own resurrection. What peace, what comfort this great gift is which comes through the loving grace of Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind. Because of Him we know we can be with Nathan again.

There is no greater expression of love than the heroic Atonement performed by the Son of God. Were it not for the plan of our Heavenly Father, established before the world began, in a very real sense, all mankind—past, present, and future—would have been left without the hope of eternal progression. As a result of Adam’s transgression, mortals were separated from God (see Rom. 6:23) and would be forever unless a way was found to break the bands of death. This would not be easy, for it required the vicarious sacrifice of one who was sinless and who could therefore take upon Himself the sins of all mankind.

Thankfully, Jesus Christ courageously fulfilled this sacrifice in ancient Jerusalem. There in the quiet isolation of the Garden of Gethsemane, He knelt among the gnarled olive trees, and in some incredible way that none of us can fully comprehend, the Savior took upon Himself the sins of the world. Even though His life was pure and free of sin, He paid the ultimate penalty for sin—yours, mine, and everyone who has ever lived. His mental, emotional, and spiritual anguish were so great they caused Him to bleed from every pore (see Luke 22:44; D&C 19:18). And yet Jesus suffered willingly so that we might all have the opportunity to be washed clean—through having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized by proper priesthood authority, receiving the purifying gift of the Holy Ghost by confirmation, and accepting all other essential ordinances. Without the Atonement of the Lord, none of these blessings would be available to us, and we could not become worthy and prepared to return to dwell in the presence of God.

The Savior later endured the agony of inquisition, cruel beatings, and death by crucifixion on the cross at Calvary. Recently, there has been a great deal of commentary about this, none of which has made clear the singular point that no one had the power to take the Savior’s life from Him. He gave it as a ransom for us all. As the Son of God, He had the power to alter the situation. Yet the scriptures clearly state that He yielded Himself to scourging, humiliation, suffering, and finally crucifixion because of His great love towards the children of men (see 1 Ne. 19:9–10).

The Atonement of Jesus Christ was an indispensable part of our Heavenly Father’s plan for His Son’s earthly mission and for our salvation. How grateful we should be that our Heavenly Father did not intercede but rather withheld His fatherly instinct to rescue His Beloved Son. Because of His eternal love for you and for me, He allowed Jesus to complete His foreordained mission to become our Redeemer. The gift of resurrection and immortality is given freely through the loving grace of Jesus Christ to all people of all ages, regardless of their good or evil acts. And to those who choose to love the Lord and who show their love and faith in Him by keeping His commandments and qualifying for the full blessings of the Atonement, He offers the additional promise of exaltation and eternal life, which is the blessing of living in the presence of God and His Beloved Son forever.

We often sing a hymn that expresses what I feel when I consider the Savior’s benevolent, atoning sacrifice:

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.
(“I Stand All Amazed,” Hymns, no. 193)

Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind, is not dead. He lives—the resurrected Son of God lives—that is my testimony, and He guides the affairs of His Church today.

In the spring of 1820, a pillar of light illuminated a grove of trees in upstate New York. Our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith. This experience began the restoration of powerful doctrinal truths that had been lost for centuries. Among those truths that had been dimmed by the darkness of apostasy was the stirring reality that we are all the spirit sons and daughters of a loving God who is our Father. We are part of His family. He is not a father in some allegorical or poetic sense. He is literally the Father of our spirits. He cares for each one of us. Though this world has a way of diminishing and demeaning men and women, the reality is we are all of royal, divine lineage. In that unprecedented appearance of the Father and the Son in the Sacred Grove, the very first word spoken by the Father of us all was the personal name of Joseph. Such is our Father’s personal relationship with each of us. He knows our names and yearns for us to become worthy to return to live with Him.

Through the Prophet Joseph Smith came the Restoration of the gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ has once again revealed, through His chosen prophet, the ordinances and the priesthood authority to administer them for the salvation of all who will believe.

Another prophet in another time was shown “the nations of the earth” (Moses 7:23). “And the Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world” (Moses 7:67). Enoch saw also that Satan “had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he [Satan] looked up and laughed” (Moses 7:26).

With all that Enoch beheld, there was one thing that seemed to capture his attention above everything else. Enoch saw God look “upon the residue of the people, and He wept” (Moses 7:28). The sacred record then has Enoch asking God over and over: “How is it that thou canst weep? … How is it thou canst weep?” (Moses 7:29, 31).

The Lord answered Enoch: “Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands … ; unto thy brethren have I … also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood” (Moses 7:32–33).

Enoch saw the conditions of these latter days. He and other early prophets knew that only as we accept the Atonement in our lives and strive to live the gospel can we meet the challenges of life and find peace, joy, and happiness. Coming to understand this great gift is an individual pursuit for each child of God.

Brothers and sisters, I believe that if we could truly understand the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, we would realize how precious is one son or daughter of God. I believe our Heavenly Father’s everlasting purpose for His children is generally achieved by the small and simple things we do for one another. At the heart of the English word atonement is the word one. If all mankind understood this, there would never be anyone with whom we would not be concerned, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, or social or economic standing. We would strive to emulate the Savior and would never be unkind, indifferent, disrespectful, or insensitive to others.

If we truly understood the Atonement and the eternal value of each soul, we would seek out the wayward boy and girl and every other wayward child of God. We would help them to know of the love Christ has for them. We would do all that we can to help prepare them to receive the saving ordinances of the gospel.

Surely, if the Atonement of Christ was foremost in the minds of ward and branch leaders, no new or reactivated member would ever be neglected. Because every soul is so precious, leaders will counsel together to see that each one is taught the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When I think of Nathan and how precious he is to us, I can see and feel more clearly how our Heavenly Father must feel about all of His children. We do not want God to weep because we did not do all we could to share with His children the revealed truths of the gospel. I pray that every one of our youth will seek to know the blessings of the Atonement and that they will strive to be worthy to serve the Lord in the mission field. Surely many more senior couples and others whose health will permit would eagerly desire to serve the Lord as missionaries if they would ponder over the meaning of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was Jesus who said, “If … you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!” (D&C 18:15; emphasis added). Not only that, but great shall be the Lord’s joy in the soul that repenteth! For precious unto Him is the one.

Brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father has reached out to us through the Atonement of our Savior. He invites all to “come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption” (Omni 1:26). He has taught us that it is through our faithful adherence to gospel principles, through receiving the saving ordinances that have been restored, through continual service, and by enduring to the end that we can return to His sacred presence. What possible thing in the whole world is remotely as important as to know this?

Sadly, in today’s world, a person’s importance is often judged by the size of the audience before which he or she performs. That is how media and sports programs are rated, how corporate prominence is sometimes determined, and often how governmental rank is obtained. That may be why roles such as father, mother, and missionary seldom receive standing ovations. Fathers, mothers, and missionaries “play” before very small audiences. Yet, in the eyes of the Lord, there may be only one size of audience that is of lasting importance—and that is just one, each one, you and me, and each one of the children of God. The irony of the Atonement is that it is infinite and eternal, yet it is applied individually, one person at a time.

There is a level at which the child’s hymn “I Am a Child of God” (Hymns, no. 301) harmonizes with the music of eternity. We are children of God. Each one of us is precious to the point of bringing the Lord God Almighty to a fulness of joy if we are faithful, or to tears if we are not.

As the resurrected Savior said to the Nephites, so He might say to us today:

“Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.

“And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them” (3 Ne. 17:20–21; emphasis added).

Brothers and sisters, never, never underestimate how precious is the one. Remember always the simple admonition of the Lord: “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Always strive to live worthy of the sacred full blessings of the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. In our sorrow over the separation from our dear Nathan has come the peace that only the Savior and Redeemer can give. Our family has turned to Him, one by one; and we now sing with greater appreciation and understanding:

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!
(“I Stand All Amazed,” Hymns, no. 193)

My dear brothers and sisters, may you give to others and receive for yourselves every blessing the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ offers, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Neal A. Maxwell, “Apply the Atoning Blood of Christ,” Ensign, Nov. 1997, 22

Brothers and sisters, I renew but also widen and deepen my specific expressions of everlasting gratitude given in April conference.

I have been mercifully granted what might be called a “delay en route.” Whether short or long, it is a wonderful blessing from the Lord! I have thereby learned, however, that there is another side to the “Why me?” question, since some are not granted any “delay en route” at all. Whichever side of that question, what is needed is mortal submission, even when there is no immediate divine explanation. Thus we are to press forward, whatever the length of the near horizon, while rejoicing in what awaits us on the far horizon.

In bringing to pass the beneficent Atonement, certain things were utterly unique to Jesus. These cannot be replicated by us, the beneficiaries of the glorious Atonement with its gift of universal resurrection but also its proffer of eternal life (see Moses 6:57–62). Obviously, unlike our precious Savior, we surely cannot atone for the sins of mankind! Moreover, we certainly cannot bear all mortal sicknesses, infirmities, and griefs (see Alma 7:11–12).

However, on our smaller scale, just as Jesus has invited, we can indeed strive to become “even as [He is]” (3 Ne. 27:27). This process of developmental repentance occurs when we truly take His yoke upon us, thus finally qualifying for God’s greatest gift—eternal life (see Matt. 11:29; D&C 6:13; D&C 14:7). It is this latter dimension of the Atonement—now more appreciated by me—on which my brief focus will fall.

Mortality presents us with numerous opportunities to become more Christlike: first, by coping successfully with those of life’s challenges which are “common to man[kind]” (1 Cor. 10:13). In addition, there are also our customized trials such as experiencing illness, aloneness, persecution, betrayal, irony, poverty, false witness, unreciprocated love, et cetera. If endured well now, “all these things” can be for our good and can “greatly enlarge the soul,” including an enlarged capacity for joy (D&C 122:7; D&C 121:42). Meek suffering often does the excavating necessary for that enlarging! My admiration goes to my many spiritual superiors who so exemplify for us all. In the world to come, to these, the most faithful, our generous Father will give “all that [He] hath” (D&C 84:38). Brothers and sisters, there isn’t any more!

These next examples from the Atonement are nonexclusive to Jesus, and special guidance is found in His instructive, personalized words about the Atonement.

As He began to feel the awful weight of the approaching Atonement, Jesus acknowledged, “For this cause came I into the world” (John 18:37). We too, brothers and sisters, came “into the world” to pass through our particularized portions of the mortal experience. Even though our experiences do not even begin to approach our Master’s, nevertheless, to undergo this mortal experience is why we too are here! Purposefully pursuing this “cause” brings ultimate meaning to our mortal lives. And we are greatly helped if we enter with faith that pavilion of perspective—the plan of salvation. Then the search for meaning is ended, even though further and resplendent discoveries await us. Alas, as Church members we sometimes behave like hurried tourists, scarcely venturing beyond the entry point.

Next, as we confront our own lesser trials and tribulations, we too can plead with the Father, just as Jesus did, that we “might not … shrink”—meaning to retreat or to recoil (D&C 19:18). Not shrinking is much more important than surviving! Moreover, partaking of a bitter cup without becoming bitter is likewise part of the emulation of Jesus.

Continuing, we too may experience moments of mortal aloneness. These moments are nothing compared to what Jesus experienced. Nevertheless, since our prayers may occasionally contain some “whys,” we too may experience God’s initial silence (see Matt. 27:46).

Certain mortal “whys” are not really questions at all but are expressions of resentment. Other “whys” imply that the trial might be all right later on but not now, as if faith in the Lord excluded faith in His timing. Some “why me” questions, asked amid stress, would be much better as “what” questions, such as, “What is required of me now?” or, to paraphrase Moroni’s words, “If I am sufficiently humble, which personal weakness could now become a strength?” (see Ether 12:27).

President Brigham Young spoke of what evoked the “why” from Jesus, saying that during the axis of agony which was Gethsemane and Calvary, the Father at some point withdrew both His presence and His Spirit from Jesus (see Journal of Discourses 3:205–6). Thereby Jesus’ personal triumph was complete and His empathy perfected. Having “descended below all things,” He comprehends, perfectly and personally, the full range of human suffering! (D&C 88:6; see D&C 122:8). A spiritual sung in yesteryear has an especially moving and insightful line: “Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen, nobody knows but Jesus” (see also Alma 7:11–12). Truly, Jesus was exquisitely “acquainted with grief,” as no one else (Isa. 53:3).

By sharing as best we can in the sufferings and sicknesses of others, we too can develop our empathy—that everlasting and vital virtue. We can also further develop our submissiveness to God’s will, so that amid our lesser but genuinely vexing moments we too can say, “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). When heartfelt, this expression of obedience constitutes real petition followed by real submission. It is much more than polite deference. Rather, it is a deep yielding in which one’s momentary uncertainty gives way to the certainty of Father’s rescuing love and mercy, attributes which drench His plan of salvation.

We too can learn greater meekness by giving more “glory … to the Father” in lieu of our attention-getting behavior or any arrogant views of personal accomplishment, such as, “My power and the might of mine [own] hand hath gotten me this wealth” (Deut. 8:17). Jesus, who accomplished the most by far, was also the most glad to give all the glory to the Father. Alas, even when you and I do place something on the altar, we sometimes hang around as if waiting for a receipt.

Amid the array of mortal tutorials, we too should strive to “[finish our] preparations” for the third and everlasting estate, which lies ahead—thanks be to Jesus’ glorious Atonement (D&C 19:19). By so doing, we too can become “completed” and “finished,” having finally attained our varied individual potentials (see Matt. 5:48, footnote b).

Though in a much smaller measure, we too may suffer the intensified, interactive pain of “body and spirit”—physical and mental anguish (D&C 19:18). Whatever the grim physical agonies of Jesus’ Crucifixion, surely His utterly unique sufferings in spirit were absolutely enormous, as He bore our sins to atone for them and our sicknesses to understand them “according to the flesh” (see Alma 7:11–12). Intensification can be part of tutoring. Otherwise we may be like superficial students comfortably coasting and merely auditing a course. Then comes the intensifying moment: we suddenly find ourselves enrolled for credit, and it’s pass or fail!

Periodically, we too will experience a measure of irony, that hard crust on the bread of adversity. Jesus met irony constantly as He was taunted by circumstances. For instance, this earth is Jesus’ footstool, but at Bethlehem there was “no room … in the inn” and “no crib for his bed,” as “foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Luke 2:7; Hymns, no. 206; Luke 9:58; see also Acts 7:49–50). The Most Innocent suffered the most when some of His subjects did unto Him “as they listed” (D&C 49:6). Bearer of the only salvational name, yet the Lord of the Universe lived modestly as a person “of no reputation” (Philip. 2:7; see also Acts 4:12; 2 Ne. 25:20; Abr. 3:27). Christ “constructed” the universe, yet in little Galilee He was known merely as “the carpenter’s son” (Matt. 13:55).

You and I, when impacted by lesser irony, are so much more brittle, often forgetting that some tests by their very nature are unfair, especially when crusty irony is present.

Thus, brothers and sisters, along with the great and free gift of the universal and personal resurrection there is also the personal possibility of meriting eternal life. Though stretched by our challenges, by living righteously and enduring well we can eventually become sufficiently more like Jesus in our traits and attributes, that one day we can dwell in the Father’s presence forever and ever. By so living now, our confidence will “wax strong in the presence of God” then (D&C 121:45). Confirmingly, the Prophet Joseph declared, “If you wish to go where God is, you must be like God, or possess the principles which God possesses” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 216).

Again, our experiences surely do not approach those of Jesus, yet the same principles and processes apply. His perfected attributes exemplify what can be much further developed by each of us. There is certainly no shortage of relevant clinical experiences, is there? Strange as it seems, we sometimes respond better to larger challenges than to the incessant small ones. For example, impatience with a spouse may occur while a more public challenge is managed quite well. One can be sincerely grateful for his major blessings but regularly murmur over minor irritations. One can have humility that is hierarchical: being humble up, but not humble down. Enduring large tests while failing the seemingly small quizzes just won’t do. Such shortcomings must be addressed if we are really serious about becoming more like Jesus.

While so striving daily, we will fall short. Hence the avoidance of discouragement is so vital. So where is the oft and much needed resilience to be found? Once again, in the glorious Atonement! Thereby we can know the lifting tide flowing from forgiveness.

Furthermore, by applying the Atonement we can continue to access the other nurturing gifts of the Holy Ghost, each with its own rich resilience. The Holy Ghost will often preach sermons to us from the pulpit of memory. He will comfort us and reassure us. The burdens not lifted from us, He will help us to bear, thus enabling, even after we err, to continue with joy the soul-stretching journey of discipleship. After all, while the adversary clearly desires our lasting misery, the Father and the Son truly and constantly desire our everlasting happiness (see 2 Ne. 2:27).

Brothers and sisters, Christ paid such an enormous, enabling price for us! Will we not apply His Atonement in order to pay the much smaller price required for personal progress? (see Mosiah 4:2). Being valiant in our testimony of Jesus, therefore, includes being valiant in our efforts to live more as He lived (see D&C 76:79). We certainly cannot enter His kingdom without receiving the restored ordinances and keeping their associated covenants, but neither can we enter His kingdom without having significantly developed our charity and the other cardinal attributes (see Ether 12:34). Yes, we need the essential ordinances, but we also need the essential attributes. Yes, we need to keep our covenants, but we also need to develop our character. Do we not sing, “More holiness give me,” pleading that we can be “more, Savior, like thee”? (Hymns, no. 131).

During this special process, how can you and I better insure that the precious blessings given by God are fully received by us? For my part, I desire that my blessings, including the recent “delay en route,” bring about my needed and greater spiritual refinement in addition to my grateful acknowledgment. Yes, you and I should count our blessings, but we should also make them count! Furthermore, since the focus in extremity falls on the things of eternity, such should be our focus in whatever remains of mortal brevity. This is my earnest prayer for me and for you in the holy name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Richard G. Scott, “Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer,” Ensign, May 1997, 53

While some may not understand or agree, I testify that it is not sufficient to be baptized and then live an acceptable life, avoiding major transgressions. The Lord has decreed that the additional ordinances and covenants that I have mentioned must be received for exaltation and eternal life. Being worthy of temple ordinances means that you will choose to do what many in the world are not willing to do. You will keep the Sabbath day holy, exercise faith through the payment of tithing and fast offerings, consistently participate in Church worship, give service, and show love and appreciation for your family by helping each member of it. After you have received all of the temple ordinances, you will continue to grow by keeping the covenants made and faithfully “endur[ing] to the end.” 13

Keeping the covenants is not hard when you do it willingly with a “broken heart and a contrite spirit.” 14 When obeyed, those covenants bring happiness and joy. They give purpose to life. Difficulty comes when agency is used to make choices that are inconsistent with those covenants. Study the things you do in your discretionary time, that time you are free to control. Do you find that it is centered in those things that are of highest priority and of greatest importance? Or do you unconsciously, consistently fill it with trivia and activities that are not of enduring value nor help you accomplish the purpose for which you came to earth? Think of the long view of life, not just what’s going to happen today or tomorrow. Don’t give up what you most want in life for something you think you want now.

The essential things must be accomplished during your testing period on earth. They must have first priority. They must not be sacrificed for lesser things, even though they are good and worthwhile accomplishments. After this life, you will be restored to that which you have here allowed yourself to become. Oh, if I but had the capacity to communicate the peace and serenity that come from knowing that you and your family have worthily received all of the saving ordinances and the corresponding covenants are being righteously kept.

I encourage you with every capacity that I possess to receive all of the ordinances for salvation and do all you can to have the other members of your family receive those ordinances before departing this earth. You can progress much more rapidly here on earth with your mortal body in this environment of good and evil than you will as a spirit in the spirit world. 15 Compared to the length of a normal life, it doesn’t take much time to receive all of the ordinances essential to exaltation. It does take diligence, understanding, and obedience. It does require you to do all within your capacity to qualify for those ordinances and to receive as many as you are able. Where, for reasons beyond your control, you are not able to receive them all, live worthily and do not disqualify yourself through neglect, indifference, or unworthiness. The Lord will make it possible for you to receive all of the blessings He has promised in His time and place.

Whether you intend to or not, when you live as though the Savior and His teachings are only one of many other important priorities in your life, you are clearly on the road to disappointment and likely on the path to tragedy. Is it really wise to forfeit eternal happiness by fulfilling only part of the requirements? I pray that you’ll be moved to make needed changes now.

I witness that “remission of sins [through the Atonement] bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love.” 17 I testify that God, your Eternal Father, loves you. He hears your prayers and will answer them. 18 The Redeemer loves you and will help you do the essential things that bring happiness now and forever. I am a witness of Jesus Christ. I know that He lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Sheri L. Dew, “Our Only Chance,” Ensign, May 1999, 66

The Lord has promised to heal our broken hearts and “to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18); to give power to the faint, to heal the wounded soul, and to turn our weakness into strength (see Isa. 40:29; Jacob 2:8; Ether 12:27); to take upon Him our pains and sicknesses, to blot out our transgressions if we repent, and loose the bands of death (see Alma 7:11–13). He promised that if we will build our lives upon His rock, the devil will have no power over us (see Hel. 5:12). And He has vowed that He will never leave us or forsake us (see Heb. 13:5). There is simply no mortal equivalent. Not in terms of commitment, power, or love. He is our only chance.

Our responsibility is to learn to draw upon the power of the Atonement. Otherwise we walk through mortality relying solely on our own strength. And to do that is to invite the frustration of failure and to refuse the most resplendent gift in time or eternity. “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed … and he receive not the gift?” (D&C 88:33). My brother and I would have been foolish to not seek or accept our father’s help when we were stranded. Likewise, the Lord is our advocate, and He “knoweth the weakness of man and how to succor them who are tempted” (D&C 62:1). In other words, He knows how to succor all of us. But we activate the power of the Atonement in our lives. We do this by first believing in Him, by repenting, by obeying His commandments, by partaking of sacred ordinances and keeping covenants, and by seeking after Him in fasting and prayer, in the scriptures, and in the temple.

Is it possible to be happy when life is hard? To feel peace amid uncertainty and hope in the midst of cynicism? Is it possible to change, to shake off old habits and become new again? Is it possible to live with integrity and purity in a world that no longer values the virtues that distinguish the followers of Christ?

Yes. The answer is yes because of Jesus Christ, whose Atonement ensures that we need not bear the burdens of mortality alone. There is nothing this confused world needs more, nothing that inspires a greater sense of well-being, nothing that has greater power to strengthen families than the gospel of Jesus Christ. President Howard W. Hunter said, “Whatever Jesus lays his hands upon lives. If Jesus lays his hands upon a marriage, it lives. If he is allowed to lay his hands on the family, it lives.” 3 The Savior will do for each of us what He has promised to do—if we will have faith in Him and receive His gift.

Through the years I, like you, have experienced pressures and disappointments that would have crushed me had I not been able to draw upon a source of wisdom and strength far greater than my own. He has never forgotten or forsaken me, and I have come to know for myself that Jesus is the Christ and that this is His Church. With Ammon I say, “[For] who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy … ? Behold, … I cannot say the smallest part which I feel” (Alma 26:16). I testify that in this, the twilight of the dispensation of the fulness of times, when Lucifer is working overtime to jeopardize our journey home and to separate us from the Savior’s atoning power, the only answer for any of us is Jesus Christ.

May we recommit to seek after this Jesus, of whom the prophets have testified. May we yoke ourselves to Him, draw liberally upon the matchless power of His Atonement, and rise up as sons and daughters of God and shake off the world. To “those who will have him to be their God” (1 Ne. 17:40), the Lord has extended a magnificent promise: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (D&C 84:88). Jesus Christ is our only chance. He will show us the way because He is the way, to which I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Thursday, August 20, 2026

An LDS View/Outline for Understanding and Applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ