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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
7/31/08
"If
we cannot fully understand the atonement–and
men infinitely wiser than I have said publicly they cannot–you
and I can yet get a little glimpse of it in holding in our arms a
sweet child with a skinned knee or a bruised feeling. We share the
pain, we bear some of it in our own hearts. We begin to understand an
identification so close that when certain ones visited, or fed, or
clothed, or blessed, they were doing it not alone to those whom they
served, but to Him. He was that wrapped up in his children, his
spiritual children."
- Marion D. Hanks, May 28, 1964, "BYU Speeches of the Year," 1964,
p.14
10/6/08
"I
testify that while there are physical ailments that are not healed, all
spiritual illness can be healed because of the atonement of Jesus
Christ. If we will but use the God-given ingredients to cause such
healing, it will happen. I testify of His healing power and promise that
His prescription is the only cure for peace, happiness, and rest to
one’s soul." - Malcolm S. Jeppsen, "A Divine Prescription for Spiritual
Healing," Ensign (CR), May 1994, p.17
1/12/10
“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.” - Bruce R. McConkie, “The
Purifying Power of Gethsemane,” Ensign (CR), May 1985, p. 9
1/11/12
We were in bondage, through Adam's transgression. He and his
posterity after him became subject to death. Death had dominion over us,
and if that had continued, hell would have had dominion over us. What
did Christ do? He ransomed us. He restored us. He brought us back
through his atonement, through the shedding of his blood. He paid the
price, as Paul says. He rescued us from captivity and bondage. That is
what ransomed means. He liberated us from death. He paid the price that
death required; and we, through his redemption, were recovered by the
payment of the shedding of his blood. - Joseph
Fielding Smith, "Doctrines of Salvation," 3 vols., edited by Bruce R.
McConkie, 1:124
4/10/12
I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the
message of forgiveness inherent in this parable, but however late you
think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however
many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t
have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have
traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of
divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the
infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines. - Jeffrey R. Holland,
"The Laborers in the Vineyard," Ensign (CR) May 2012
9/25/12
As we repent and live
in accordance with the commandments of God, the Atonement of Jesus
Christ becomes a force for permanent change in our lives. We become
more pure in heart and true disciples of the Master. Personal
prayer, contributions of tithes and offerings, honoring the Sabbath
day, and partaking of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper are all
regular practices that protect us from the bondage of sin and bring
us true freedom and joy. - Russell M. Nelson, "Combating
Spiritual Drift—Our Global Pandemic," Ensign (CR) November
1993
1/23/13
Alas, in a secular world Jesus is regarded by many, at best, as a
distant figure; He is even denigrated. How transcendingly special,
therefore, that the revelations of the Restoration confirm this cosmic
fact: “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John
3:16). - Neal A. Maxwell, "How
Choice a Seer!" Ensign (CR) October 2003
8/2/14
There are some who believe that
because they have made mistakes, they can no longer fully partake of
the blessings of the gospel. How little they understand the purposes
of the Lord. One of the great blessings of living the gospel is that
it refines us and helps us learn from our mistakes. We “all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” yet the Atonement of
Jesus Christ has the power to make us whole when we repent. - Dieter
F. Uchtdorf, “The
Way of the Disciple,” Ensign (CR) May 2009
8/17/14
Against all odds and with none to help or uphold Him, Jesus of
Nazareth, the living Son of the living God, restored physical life
where death had held sway and brought joyful, spiritual redemption
out of sin, hellish darkness, and despair. With faith in the God He
knew was there, He could say in triumph, “Father, into thy hands I
commend my spirit.” - Jeffrey R.
Holland, “None
Were with Him,” Ensign (CR) May 2009
10/11/14
The
gospel of Jesus Christ opens the path to what we may become. Through
the Atonement of Jesus Christ and His grace, our failures to live
the celestial law perfectly and consistently in mortality can be
erased and we are enabled to develop a Christlike character. - D.
Todd Christofferson, “Free
Forever, to Act for Themselves,” Ensign (CR) November 2014
10/16/14
Yours is the privilege, if you
want it, to come to know for yourself, today or soon, that you are
pleasing God in spite of your shortcomings. I testify of a loving
Savior who expects us to live the commandments. I testify of a
loving Savior who is so very anxious to bestow His grace and mercy.
I testify of a loving Savior who rejoices when we apply His
Atonement daily with the calm and happy assurance that we are facing
in the right direction. I testify of a loving Savior who is anxious
for your “confidence [to] wax strong in the presence of God” (D&C
121:45). - Jörg Klebingat,
“Approaching
the Throne of God with Confidence,” Ensign (CR) November
2014
10/29/14
The
Atonement of Jesus Christ provides the cleanser necessary to be made
pure and clean, the soothing salve to heal spiritual wounds and
remove guilt, and the protection that enables us to be faithful in
times both good and bad. - David
A. Bednar, “Come
and See,” Ensign (CR) November 2014
11/7/14
Not
only does the Atonement of Jesus Christ overcome the effects of the
Fall of Adam and make possible the remission of our individual sins
and transgressions, but His Atonement also enables us to do good and
become better in ways that stretch far beyond our mortal capacities.
Most of us know that when we do things wrong and need help to
overcome the effects of sin in our lives, the Savior has made it
possible for us to become clean through His redeeming power. But do
we also understand that the Atonement is for faithful men and women
who are obedient, worthy, and conscientious and who are striving to
become better and serve more faithfully? I wonder if we fail to
fully acknowledge this strengthening aspect of the Atonement in our
lives and mistakenly believe we must carry our load all
alone—through sheer grit, willpower, and discipline and with our
obviously limited capacities. - David
A. Bednar, “Bear
Up Their Burdens with Ease,” Ensign (CR) April 2014
4/30/15
My beloved brothers and sisters, today is Easter Sunday. Although we
should always remember (we promise in our weekly sacramental prayers
that we will), nevertheless this is the most sacred day of the year
for special remembrance of brotherly hands and determined arms that
reached into the abyss of death to save us from our fallings and our
failings, from our sorrows and our sins. - Jeffrey
R. Holland, “Where
Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet,” Ensign (CR) April 2015
5/29/15
Think of it! When his body was taken from the cross and hastily
placed in a borrowed tomb, he, the sinless Son of God, had already
taken upon him not only the sins and temptations of every human soul
who will repent, but all of our sickness and grief and pain of every
kind. He suffered these afflictions as we suffer them, according to
the flesh. He suffered them all. He did this to perfect his mercy
and his ability to lift us above every earthly trial. - Howard
W. Hunter, "He
Is Risen," Ensign (CR), May 1988, p. 16
8/6/15
How can we ever repay the debt we
owe to the Savior? He paid a debt He did not owe to free us from a
debt we can never pay. Because of Him, we will live forever. Because
of His infinite Atonement, our sins can be swept away, allowing us
to experience the greatest of all the gifts of God: eternal life. -
Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Earthly
Debts, Heavenly Debts," Ensign (CR), May 2004, p. 40
9/22/15
I believe that no matter how
diligently you try, you cannot with your human mind fully comprehend
the eternal significance of the Atonement nor fully understand how
it was accomplished. We can only appreciate in the smallest measure
what it cost the Savior in pain, anguish, and suffering or how
difficult it was for our Father in Heaven to see His Son experience
the incomparable challenge of His Atonement. Even so, you should
conscientiously study the Atonement to understand it as well as you
can. You can learn what is needful to live His commandments, to
enjoy peace and happiness in mortal life. You can qualify, with
obedient family members, to live with Him and your Father in Heaven
forever. - Richard G. Scott, "The
Atonement Can Secure Your Peace and Happiness,” Ensign (CR)
October 2006
10/17/15
The pleasing word of God invites us to use the power of the Atonement
of Christ to apply it to ourselves and become reconciled with His
will—and not with the will of the devil and the flesh—so we, through
His grace, can be saved (see 2
Nephi 10:24–25). - Francisco
J. Viñas, “The
Pleasing Word of God,” Ensign (CR) November 2015
10/24/15
Our
Savior experienced and suffered the fulness of all mortal challenges
“according to the flesh” so He could know “according to the flesh”
how to “succor [which means to give relief or aid to] his people
according to their infirmities.” He therefore knows our struggles,
our heartaches, our temptations, and our suffering, for He willingly
experienced them all as an essential part of His Atonement. And
because of this, His Atonement empowers Him to succor us—to give us
the strength to bear it all. - Dallin
H. Oaks, “Strengthened
by the Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign (CR) November 2015
2/2/16
I think it is understood by many that the great suffering of Jesus
Christ came through the driving of nails in His hands and in His
feet, and in being suspended upon a cross, until death mercifully
released Him. That is not the case. As excruciating, as severe as
was that punishment, coming from the driving of nails through His
hands and through His feet, and being suspended, until relieved by
death, yet still greater was the suffering which He endured in
carrying the burden of the sins of the world—my sins, and your sins,
and the sins of every living creature. This suffering came before He
ever got to the cross, and it caused the blood to come forth from
the pores of his body, so great was that anguish of His soul, the
torment of His spirit that He was called upon to undergo. - Joseph
Fielding Smith, "Conference Report," April 1944, Afternoon
Meeting, p.50
3/8/16
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. - M.
Russell Ballard, "The
Atonement and the Value of One Soul," Ensign (CR), May 2004,
p.84
5/6/16
The
gospel, the Church, and these wonderful semiannual gatherings are
intended to give hope and inspiration. They are not intended to
discourage you. Only the adversary, the enemy of us all, would try
to convince us that the ideals outlined in general conference are
depressing and unrealistic, that people don’t really improve, that
no one really progresses. And why does Lucifer give that speech?
Because he knows he can’t improve, he can’t progress, that worlds
without end he will never have a bright tomorrow. He is a miserable
man bound by eternal limitations, and he wants you to be miserable
too. Well, don’t fall for that. With the gift of the Atonement of
Jesus Christ and the strength of heaven to help us, we can improve,
and the great thing about the gospel is we get credit for trying,
even if we don’t always succeed. - Jeffrey
R. Holland, "Tomorrow
the Lord Will Do Wonders among You,” Ensign (CR) May 2016
8/26/16
We believe that the greatest story ever told in all the annals of
history is the story of the atonement of Christ. The record of his
resurrection and ascension, without which the atonement would not have
been complete, is the climax to that story; and now, two thousand
years after the event, it is still central and pivotal in all true
Christian thought. - Hugh
B. Brown, “Conference Report, April 1958,” Third Day-Morning Meeting,
p.107
9/26/16
Repentance, of necessity, is not easy. Things of eternal significance
rarely are. But the result is worth it. As President Boyd K.Packer
testified in his last address to the Seventy of the Church: “The
thought is this: the Atonement leaves no tracks, no traces. What it
fixes is fixed. …The Atonement leaves no traces, no tracks. It just
heals, and what it heals stays healed.” – Allen
D. Haynie, “Remembering
in
Whom We Have Trusted,” Ensign (CR) November 2015
3/12/17
I
testify that the cleansing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and
the transformative power of the Holy Ghost can heal and rescue
mankind. It is our privilege, our sacred duty, and our joy to heed the
Savior’s call to follow Him with a willing mind and full purpose of
heart. Let us “shake off the chains with which [we] are bound, and
come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust.” – Dieter
F. Uchtdorf, “Are
You
Sleeping through the Restoration?” Ensign (CR) May 2014
3/24/17
I
believe that it is instructive to try to imagine what the
Atonement required of both the Father and His willing Son. Three
of the challenges the Savior faced were:
First, an enormous sense of responsibility, for He realized that
except it be done perfectly, not one of His Father’s children
could return to Him. …
Second, in His absolutely pure mind and heart, He had to
personally feel the consequences of all that mankind would ever
encounter, even the most depraved, despicable sins. …
Third, He had to endure the vicious attack of Satan’s hordes while
physically and emotionally pressed to the limit. – Richard
G. Scott, “He
Lives! All Glory to His Name!” Ensign (CR) May 2010
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