In our family gospel study time, we often discuss what the atonement of Jesus Christ looks like in our life. When we say we are purified by His atonement, I usually thought about being forgiven of my sins. But we are also purified because He strengthens us and gives us gifts of charity, faith, meekness, humility, etc.
Moroni 10:32-33 - Book of Mormon
32 Yea, acome unto
Christ, and be bperfected in
him, and cdeny yourselves
of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness,
and dlove God
with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you,
that by his grace ye may be eperfect 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 asanctified in
Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the bblood of
Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your csins,
that ye become dholy,
without spot.
Jacob 4:6-7 - Book of Mormon
“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” (Jacob 4:6–7).
Elder Bruce C. Hafen, “The Atonement: All for All”, Ensign
May 2004
One early Australian convert said: “My past life [was] a
wilderness of weeds, with hardly a flower Strewed among them. [But] now the
weeds have vanished, and flowers Spring up in their place.”8
We grow in two ways—removing negative weeds and cultivating
positive flowers. The Savior’s grace blesses both parts—if we do our part.
First and repeatedly we must uproot the weeds of sin and bad choices. It isn’t
enough just to mow the weeds. Yank them out by the roots, repenting
fully to satisfy the conditions of mercy. But being forgiven is only part of
our growth. We are not just paying a debt. Our purpose is to become celestial
beings. So once we’ve cleared our heartland, we must continually plant, weed,
and nourish the seeds of divine qualities. And then as our sweat and discipline
stretch us to meet His gifts, “the flow’rs of grace appear,”9 like hope
and meekness. Even a tree of life can take root in this heart-garden, bearing
fruit so sweet that it lightens all our burdens “through the joy of his Son.”10 And when
the flower of charity blooms here, we will love others with the power of
Christ’s own love.11
We need grace both to overcome sinful weeds and to grow divine
flowers. We can do neither one fully by ourselves. But grace is not cheap. It
is very expensive, even very dear. How much does this grace cost? Is it
enough simply to believe in Christ? The man who found the pearl of great price
gave “all that he had”12 for it. If
we desire “all that [the] Father hath,”13 God asks all
that we have. To qualify for such exquisite treasure, in whatever way is
ours, we must give the way Christ gave—every drop He had: “How exquisite you
know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.”14 Paul said, “If
so be that we suffer with him,” we are “joint-heirs with Christ.”15 All of His
heart, all of our hearts.
The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality - Elder Bednar
King Benjamin teaches about the journey of mortality and the role of the Atonement in navigating successfully that journey: “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” (Mosiah 3:19; emphasis added). We can increase our capacity to overcome the desires of the flesh and temptations “through the atonement of Christ.”
Most of us know that when we do wrong things, we need help to overcome the effects of sin in our lives. The Savior has paid the price and made it possible for us to become clean through His redeeming power. Most of us clearly understand that the Atonement is for sinners. I am not so sure, however, that we know and understand that the Atonement is also for saints—for good men and women who are obedient, worthy, and conscientious and who are striving to become better and serve more faithfully. We may mistakenly believe we must make the journey from good to better and become a saint all by ourselves, through sheer grit, willpower, and discipline, and with our obviously limited capacities.
Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him
Will Move Mountains – President Russell M. Nelson
April 2021 general conference
Your growing faith in Him
will move mountains—not the mountains of rock that beautify the earth but the
mountains of misery in your lives. Your flourishing faith
will help you turn challenges into unparalleled growth and opportunity.
Tomorrow the Lord Will Do
Wonders among You - Elder Holland
April 2016 general conference
President George Q.
Cannon once taught: “No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress,
how great the affliction, [God] will never desert us. He never has, and He
never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character [to do so]. … He will [always]
stand by us. We may pass through the fiery furnace; we may pass through deep
waters; but we shall not be consumed nor overwhelmed. We shall emerge from
all these trials and difficulties the better and purer for them.”
The Gift of Grace - Elder Uchtdorf
But the grace of God does
not merely restore us to our previous innocent state. If salvation means
only erasing our mistakes and sins, then salvation—as wonderful as it is—does
not fulfill the Father’s aspirations for us. His aim is much higher: He wants
His sons and daughters to become like Him.
With the gift of God’s grace, the path of discipleship does not
lead backward; it leads upward.
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.
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.” I am certain Nephi knew that the Savior’s grace allows and enables us to
overcome sin. This is why Nephi labored so diligently to persuade his
children and brethren “to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God.”
After all, that is what
we can do! And that is our
task in mortality!
“My Peace I Leave with You”
Moroni said that when he
“heard these words,” he “was comforted” (Ether 12:29).
They can be a comfort to all of us. Those who do not see their weaknesses
do not progress. Your awareness of your weakness is a blessing as it helps you
remain humble and keeps you turning to the Savior. The Spirit not only comforts
you, but He is also the agent by which the Atonement works a change in your
very nature. Then weak things become strong.
Grace Bible Dictionary
It is through the grace of
the Lord Jesus, made possible by His atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be
raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a
condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the
Lord that individuals, through faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and
repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works
that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means.
This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on
eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.
The Divine Gift of Repentance
Second, repentance means
striving to change. It would mock the Savior’s suffering in the Garden of
Gethsemane and on the cross for us to expect that He should transform us into
angelic beings with no real effort on our part. Rather, we seek His grace to
complement and reward our most diligent efforts (see 2 Nephi 25:23). Perhaps as much as praying for
mercy, we should pray for time and opportunity to work and strive and
overcome.
“If Ye Had Known Me”
We believe and come to
know the Lord as the key of the knowledge of God administered through the
Melchizedek Priesthood unlocks the door and makes it possible for each of us to
receive the power of godliness in our lives. We believe and come to know the Savior
as we follow Him by receiving and faithfully honoring holy ordinances and
increasingly have His image in our countenances. We believe and come to
know Christ as we experience personally the transforming, healing,
strengthening, and sanctifying power of His Atonement. We believe and come
to know the Master as “the power of his word [takes root] in us” and is
written in our minds and hearts and as we “give away all [our] sins to
know [Him].”
Holiness and the Plan of
Happiness
“Experience the
strengthening power of daily repentance—of doing and being a little better each
day.
“When we choose to repent,
we choose to change! We allow the Savior to transform us into the best version
of ourselves. We choose to grow spiritually and receive joy—the joy of
redemption in Him. When we choose to repent, we choose to become more like Jesus
Christ!”
There are also quotes where they talk about how the Savior’s
atonement can strengthen us to overcome weaknesses. I suppose that means
overcome weakness to become purer:
Jesus Christ: The Caregiver of
Our Soul
As we draw nearer to Him,
surrendering ourselves spiritually to His care, we will be able to take upon ourselves
His yoke, which is easy, and His burden, which is light, thus finding that
promised comfort and rest. Furthermore, we will receive the strength we all
need to overcome the hardships, weaknesses, and sorrows of life, which are
exceedingly difficult to endure without His help and healing power. The
scriptures teach us to “cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain
thee.” “And then may God grant unto [us] that [our] burdens may be light,
through the joy of his Son.”
