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(3/6/98)
"Most significantly, through the Prophet Joseph came
translations and revelations which confirmed and described, as never before, the
reality of the glorious Atonement, in which, alas, so few really believe today.
It is the central act of all human history!" — Neal A. Maxwell, "My
Servant Joseph," "Ensign," May 1992 (April Conference) page
39
(3/7/98)
"Given the freedom to choose, we may, in fact, make wrong
choices, bad choices, hurtful choices. And sometimes we do just that, but that
is where the mission and mercy of Jesus Christ comes into full force and glory.
He has taken upon himself the burden of all the world's risk. He has provided a
mediating atonement for the wrong choices we make. He is our advocate with the
Father and has paid, in advance, for the faults and foolishness we often see in
the exercise of our freedom. We must accept his gift, repent of those mistakes,
and follow his commandments in order to take full advantage of this redemption.
The offer is always there; the way is always open. We can always, even in our
darkest hour and most disastrous errors, look to the Son of God and live."
— Howard W. Hunter, "The
Golden Thread of Choice," "Ensign," Nov. 1989 (October
Conference) page 18
(3/8/98)
"The cumulative weight of all mortal sins--past, present,
and future--pressed upon that perfect, sinless, and sensitive Soul! All our
infirmities and sicknesses were somehow, too, a part of the awful arithmetic of
the Atonement. (See Alma
7:11-12; Isa. 53:3-5; Matt. 8:17.) The anguished
Jesus not only pled with the Father that the hour and cup might pass from Him,
but with this relevant citation. 'And he said, Abba, Father, all things are
possible unto thee; take away this cup from me.' (Mark 14:35-36.)" —
Neal A. Maxwell, "Willing
to Submit," General Conference, April 1985
(3/9/98)
"If we could feel or were sensitive even in the slightest
to the matchless love of our Savior and his willingness to suffer for our
individual sins, we would cease procrastination and 'clean the slate,' and
repent of all our transgressions." — David B. Haight, "Our
Lord and Savior," "Ensign," May 1988, page 23
(3/10/98)
"Specific steps to assure that the Atonement is at work
in your life will not always be the same. For some, at one point, it would be to
see a bishop, a judge in Israel, to confess serious sin and to seek help. For
another, it would be to accept baptism. But for everyone, at every stage of
purification, there are constants. One is this: reception of the Holy Ghost is
the cleansing agent as the Atonement purifies you." — Henry B. Eyring,
"Come Unto Christ," BYU Speeches of the Year 1989-90
(1/10/99)
"It was not enough for him to know about our infirmities;
he had to experience them personally in order that he could reach us in every
extremity. There is no place so remote, no condition so dark and despairing, no
feeling so helpless, no hurt so deep that the Savior has not already been there
and borne those burdens for us. Only in this way could he then succor us--which,
as Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has pointed out, literally means 'to run to' ('Come
unto Me,' Ensign, April 1998, p. 22). It is comforting to me to think that
when I am in most desperate need of help from the Savior, not only will he be
there to help, but he will 'run to me' to do so. What compassion! What humility!
What overwhelming love and support for every one of us!" — L. Robert Webb, "Vast and
Intimate: The Atonement in the Heavens and in the Heart," BYU Speeches of
the Year, 16 November 1998
(1/11/99)
"This Gospel will save the whole human family; the
blood of Jesus will atone for our sins, if we accept the terms he has laid down;
but we must accept those terms or else it will avail nothing in our
behalf." — "Discourses of
Brigham Young," p. 7
(1/12/99)
"Atonement is really three words: At-one-ment,
meaning: to set at one, one with God; to reconcile, to conciliate, to
expiate." — Boyd K. Packer,
"Atonement,
Agency, Accountability," General Conference, April 1988
(1/13/99)
"Salvation and all things incident thereto center in,
revolve around, and are founded upon the atoning sacrifice of Christ. The
blessings of baptism and celestial marriage, the sanctifying power of the
Spirit, redemption from temporal and spiritual death, eternal life and
exaltation -- indeed, all spiritual blessings -- are living realities because of
the atonement. Without that infinite and eternal sacrifice they would not exist,
and the whole plan of salvation would fade away into nothingness and be of no
value." — Bruce R. McConkie,
"Man is Justified Through the Blood of Christ,"
Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol. 2
(1/14/99)
"The Atonement is real. As you steadily do the
things the Lord would have you do, a change will occur in you, and Satan's
ability to lead you into the things that will destroy you and bring misery to
you will become lessened." — Henry B.
Eyring, "Surrender to Christ," Ricks
College Devotional, 21 September 1993
(1/15/99)
"I believe that our conduct reflects our depth of
understanding and appreciation for our Savior and his atonement. As your
scriptural theme for Book of Mormon week states: 'If ye have experienced a
change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, . . .
can ye feel so now?' (Alma 5:26).
Our love for the Lord should be our greatest motivation to live righteously When
we have a knowledge of and feeling for his suffering, how can we consciously
contribute to that suffering through choosing to commit sin? — J. Richard Clarke, "Choice
- The Crucible of Character," BYU Speeches of the Year, 14 February 1989
(2/9/01)
"It is only through the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ that people can
overcome the consequences of bad choices. Thus Nephi teaches us that it is
ultimately by the grace of Christ that we are saved even after all that we can
do (see 2 Ne. 25:23). No
matter how hard we work, no matter how much we obey, no matter how many good
things we do in this life, it would not be enough were it not for Jesus Christ
and His loving grace. On our own we cannot earn the kingdom of God—no matter
what we do." — M. Russell Ballard,
"Building
Bridges of Understanding," Ensign, June 1998, p. 65
(2/10/01)
"The central figure in his plan of salvation is our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. His atoning sacrifice for all mankind is the centerpiece of the history
of our Father in Heaven’s children here on earth. Each of us who accepts the
divine plan must accept the role of our Savior and covenant to keep his laws
that our Father has developed for us. As we accept Christ in spirit and in deed,
we may win our salvation." — L. Tom
Perry, "Sacrament
of the Lord’s Supper," Ensign, May 1996, p. 53
(2/11/01)
"The magnificent expression of His love came in His death when He gave His
life as a sacrifice for all men. That Atonement, wrought in unspeakable pain,
became the greatest event of history, an act of grace for which men gave nothing
but which brought the assurance of the Resurrection to all who have or would
walk the earth. No other act in all of human history compares with it. Nothing
that has ever happened can match it. Totally unselfish and with unbounded love
for all mankind, it became an unparalleled act of mercy for the whole human
race." — Gordon B. Hinckley, "At
the Summit of the Ages," Ensign, Nov. 1999, p. 73
(2/12/01)
"By understanding the Atonement, you will see that God is not a jealous
being who delights in persecuting those who misstep. He is an absolutely
perfect, compassionate, understanding, patient, and forgiving Father. He is
willing to entreat, counsel, strengthen, lift, and fortify. He so loves each of
us that He was willing to have His perfect, sinless, absolutely obedient,
totally righteous Son experience indescribable agony and pain and give Himself
in sacrifice for all. 6 Through that atonement we can live in a world where
absolute justice reigns in its sphere so the world will have order. But that
justice is tempered through mercy attainable by obedience to the teachings of
Jesus Christ." — Richard G. Scott,
"Finding
Forgiveness," Ensign, May 1995, p. 75
(2/13/01)
"I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me and the love Jesus offers
you. I think of the love he provided in Gethsemane. I think of the love he
provided in the wilderness. I think of the love he provided at the tomb of
Lazarus; of the love he demonstrated on Golgotha's hill, at the open tomb, and,
yes, when he appeared in that sacred grove with his Father and spoke those
memorable words to Joseph Smith. I thank God for his love in sharing his Only
Begotten Son in the flesh, even Jesus Christ, for you and me. I thank the Lord
for the love he demonstrated by providing his life, that we might have life
eternal." — Thomas S. Monson, "Formula
for Success," Ensign, Mar. 1996, p. 6
(1/6/04)
"Our Mediator, our Redeemer, our Brother, our Advocate with the Father died
for our sins and the sins of all mankind. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the
foreordained but voluntary act of the Only Begotten Son of God. He offered His
life as a redeeming ransom for us all." - Thomas S. Monson, "They
Showed the Way," General Conference, April 1997
(1/30/04)
"The Atonement is the chief expression of Christ's loving-kindness. He
endured so many things. For instance, as prophesied, He was spat upon (see 1 Ne. 19:9). As foretold, He
was struck and scourged (see Mosiah
3:9). Likewise, He was offered vinegar and gall while aflame with thirst
(see Ps. 69:21). Yet in His
later description of His agonies, Jesus does not speak of those things. Instead,
after the Atonement, there is no mention about His being spat upon, struck, or
proffered vinegar and gall. Instead, Christ confides in us His chief anxiety,
namely, that He 'would that [He] might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink' (D&C 19:18)-especially
desiring not to get partway through the Atonement and then pull back. Mercifully
for all of us, He 'finished [His] preparations unto the children of men' (D&C 19:19). Jesus partook
of history's bitterest cup without becoming bitter! Significantly, when He comes
again in majesty and power, He will cite His aloneness, saying, 'I have trodden
the wine-press alone' (D&C
133:50)." - Neal A. Maxwell, "Enduring
Well," Ensign, Apr. 1997, p. 10
(2/9/04)
"The Savior's Atonement is stunningly inclusive! 'For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive' (1 Cor. 15:22; emphasis
added). Come one, come all, the Lord has invited. The gospel of Jesus Christ is
for every man and woman, boy and girl. He doesn't change the rules for the rich
or the poor, the married or unmarried, the Portuguese or the Chinese. The gospel
is for every one of us, and the spiritual requirements and rewards are
universal. In matters pertaining to salvation, 'all are alike unto God'
(2 Ne. 26:33; emphasis
added). The Lord's motives stand in stark contrast to those of Lucifer, who is
obsessed with attempting to make us feel less than who we are as sons and
daughters of God. He despises a consecrated people and delights at obscuring our
vision and enticing us away from the path that leads back to our heavenly
home." - Sheri L. Dew, "Our
Only Chance," Ensign, May 1999, p. 66
(6/3/04)
"Thanks be to God, for He has a plan. Although the polishing process may be
difficult at times, we should be grateful that adversity may bring us closer to
Him and that His plan provided for a Savior and Redeemer who understands our
trials and tribulations. The book of Alma states that Christ would suffer our
'pains and afflictions and temptations' and would 'take upon him... the
sicknesses of his people' (Alma
7:11). Further, the Lord took death upon Himself so that the bands of death
would be broken; and He also took upon Himself our infirmities, 'that his bowels
may be filled with mercy,... that he may know... how to succor' us in our
weaknesses (Alma 7:12)."
- Merrill J. Bateman, "Living
a Christ-Centered Life," Ensign, January 1999, p. 13
(5/30/05)
"Part of the reason the Savior suffered in
Gethsemane was so that he would have an infinite compassion for us as we
experience our trials and tribulations. Through his suffering in Gethsemane, the
Savior became qualified to be the perfect judge. Not one of us will be able to
approach him on the Judgment Day and say, 'You don't know what it was like.' He
knows the nature of our trials better than we do, for he 'descended below them
all.'" - Glenn L. Pace, "Crying
with the Saints," Ensign, Sept. 1988, 71
(6/13/05)
"In
Luke 4:18, Jesus quotes part of a passage from Isaiah that describes the
heart of his ministry. The Isaiah passage reads: 'The Spirit of the Lord... hath
anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;... to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,... to appoint unto them that
mourn in Zion... beauty for ashes.' (Isa.
61:1, 3; italics added.)
"The Savior's atonement is thus portrayed as the healing power not only for sin,
but also for carelessness, inadequacy, and all mortal bitterness. The Atonement
is not just for sinners.
"We need to understand the Atonement more fully than we do, both because
outsiders may misperceive our doctrine and because we may view the Atonement too
narrowly in our own lives." - Bruce C. Hafen, "Beauty
for Ashes: The Atonement of Jesus Christ," Ensign, Apr. 1990, 7
(7/22/05)
"It is so important for us to be on the Lord's side. But we
should never forget that the Lord is also on our side.
"Each of us will taste the bitter ashes of life, from sin and neglect to sorrow
and disappointment. But the atonement of Christ can lift us up in beauty from
our ashes on the wings of a sure promise of immortality and eternal life. He
will thus lift us up, not only at the end of life, but in each day of our
lives." - Bruce C. Hafen, "Beauty
for Ashes: The Atonement of Jesus Christ," Ensign, Apr. 1990, 13
(7/23/05)
"We cannot know to what extent his disciples fully understood
the approaching events, but we do know that Christ faced his final moments
alone. In one of the truly candid comments he would make to his brethren, he
said, 'My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.' (Matt.
26:38.) And he left them to do what only he could do. The Light of the World
stepped away from human company and entered the garden grove to wrestle with the
prince of darkness alone. Moving forward, kneeling, falling forward on his face,
he cried with an anguish you and I will never know, 'O my Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from me.' (Matt.
26:39.) But he knew, for our sakes, that it could not pass and that he must
drink that bitter cup to the dregs!" - Jeffrey R. Holland, “He
Loved Them unto the End,” Ensign, Nov. 1989, 25–26
5/13/06
"Alma revealed that Jesus knows how to succor us
in the midst of our griefs and sicknesses precisely because Jesus has already
borne our griefs and sicknesses (see
Alma 7:11-12). He knows
them firsthand; thus His empathy is earned. Of course, we do not comprehend it
fully any more than we understand how He bore all mortal sins, but His Atonement
remains the rescuing and reassuring reality." - Neal A. Maxwell, "From
Whom All Blessings Flow," Ensign (CR), May 1997, p.11
6/18/06
"[Jesus] rejoices in our genuine goodness
and achievement, but any assessment of where we stand in relation to Him tells
us that we do not stand at all! We kneel!
"Can we, even in the depths of disease, tell Him anything at all about
suffering? In ways we cannot comprehend, our sicknesses and infirmities were
borne by Him even before these were borne by us. (See
Alma 7:11-12;
Matt. 8:17.) The very
weight of our combined sins caused Him to descend below all. (See
D&C 122:8.) We have never
been, nor will we be, in depths such as He has known. Thus His atonement made
His empathy and His capacity to succor us perfect, for which we can be
everlastingly grateful as He tutors us in our trials. There was no ram in the
thicket at Calvary to spare Him, this Friend of Abraham and Isaac." - Neal A.
Maxwell, "O,
Divine Redeemer," Ensign (CR), November 1981, p.8
10/18/06
"The Atonement of Jesus Christ is available
to each of us. His Atonement is infinite. It applies to everyone, even you. It
can clean, reclaim, and sanctify even you. That is what infinite means—total,
complete, all, forever. President Boyd K. Packer has taught: 'There is no habit,
no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted
from the promise of complete forgiveness. That is the promise of the atonement
of Christ' ('The
Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness,' Ensign, Nov. 1995, 20)." - Shayne M.
Bowen, "The
Atonement Can Clean, Reclaim, and Sanctify Our Lives," Ensign, November 2006
11/7/06
"As we are called upon to endure suffering, sometimes inflicted upon us
intentionally or negligently, we are put in a unique position—if we choose, we
may be allowed to have new awareness of the suffering of the Son of God. While
Alma tells us that Christ suffered all that any of us will ever have to suffer
that He might know how to succor us, (See
Alma 7:11–12.) the reverse may also be true: that our suffering may allow us
insight into the depth and magnitude of His atoning sacrifice." - Keith R.
Edwards, "That
They Might Know Thee," Ensign, November 2006
11/16/06
"I have long believed that the study of the
doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than talking about
behavior will improve behavior. The study of behavior is greatly improved when
linked to standards and to values. Practical values, useful in everyday life,
are found in the scriptures and the doctrines they reveal. I will give you one
example: '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)
"You should learn while you are young that while the Atonement of Christ applies
to humanity in general, the influence of it is individual, very personal, and
very useful. Even to you beginners, an understanding of the Atonement is of
immediate and very practical value in everyday life." - Boyd K. Packer, "Washed
Clean," Ensign, May 1997
5/3/07
"Christ came to save us. If we have taken a wrong course, the Atonement of Jesus
Christ can give us the assurance that sin is not a point of no return. A safe
return is possible if we will follow God's plan for our salvation." - Dieter F.
Uchtdorf, "Point
of Safe Return," General Conference, April 2007
9/2/07
"Mankind's
greatest need today is a sincere conviction that Jesus Christ was and is in very
deed the Savior and Redeemer of the world; that he is the Son of the Father, the
firstborn in the spirit and the Only Begotten in the flesh; that it was
necessary and a part of God's plan before the world was created, that he should
come to earth and take upon himself mortality, mend the law broken by Adam and
Eve, and provide for us the plan whereby we might resurrect from the grave and
return into the presence of our Heavenly Father from whence we came." - Joseph
Anderson, "A Testimony of Christ," Ensign (CR), November
1974, p.101
9/30/07
"If we could see the
Savior of men suffering in the garden and upon the cross and could fully realize
all that it meant to us, we would desire to keep his commandments and we would
love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our might, mind and strength,
and in the name of Jesus Christ would serve him." - Joseph Fielding Smith,
"Doctrines of Salvation," 3 vols., edited by Bruce R. McConkie, 2:347
3/1/08
"This precious Son, our Lord and Savior, atoned for our sins and the sins of
all. That memorable night in Gethsemane His suffering was so great, His anguish
so consuming that He pleaded, 'Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from
me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.' (Matt.
26:39) Later, on the cruel cross, He died that we might live, and
live everlastingly. Resurrection morning was preceded by pain, by suffering in
accordance with the divine plan of God. Before Easter there had to be a cross.
The world has witnessed no greater gift, nor has it known more lasting love." -
Thomas S. Monson, "Gifts,"
Ensign (CR), May 1993, p.59
3/21/08
"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. (See
Alma 26:15;
Morm. 5:11;
Morm. 6:17;
Moses 7:63.) 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."
- James E. Faust, "The
Atonement: Our Greatest Hope,"
Ensign (CR), November 2001, p.18
3/22/08
"To
the Lord Jesus, who bought us with a great price, we owe an undying debt of
gratitude. It is impossible for us, weak mortals as we are, to fully
comprehend and appreciate the suffering he endured on the cross so that he
might gain for us victory over death. And even less can we understand the
suffering he endured in Gethsemane so that we might obtain forgiveness of
our sins. 'Which suffering,'
he said, '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.'
(D&C 19:18.)
"But
nevertheless, he endured it for our sake. None of us could have endured that
suffering. No mortal man nor any number of men together could have endured
it. All people who understand what Jesus did for us ought to love him and
demonstrate that love by rendering to him, in a realistic manner, thanks and
gratitude." - Marion G. Romney, "Gratitude
and Thanksgiving," Ensign (CR),
November 1982, p.49
5/10/08
"We really are immortal in the sense
that Christ’s Atonement conquers death, both physical and spiritual. And
provided we have so lived Today that we have claim on the Atonement’s
cleansing grace, we will live forever with God. This life is not so much a time
for getting and accumulating as it is a time for giving and becoming. Mortality
is the battlefield upon which justice and mercy meet. But they need not meet as
adversaries, for they are reconciled in the Atonement of Jesus Christ for all
who wisely use Today." - Lance B. Wickman, "Today,"
General Conference, April 2008
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