The Atonement
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/0/5/19058265/7617393.jpg?163)
“Imagine the consoling, liberating, exalting feeling that will come to you when you see the reality of the Atonement and the practical, everyday value of it to you individually… “We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.” 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.”
(Elder Boyd K Packer, Washed Clean, April 1997 General Conference)
(Elder Boyd K Packer, Washed Clean, April 1997 General Conference)
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/0/5/19058265/4246565.jpg?169)
“Without the Atonement, Father in Heaven’s plan of happiness could not have been placed fully into effect. The Atonement gives all the opportunity to overcome the consequences of mistakes made in life. When we obey a law, we receive a blessing. When we break a law, there is nothing left over from prior obedience to satisfy the demands of justice for that broken law. The Savior’s Atonement permits us to repent of any disobedience and thereby avoid the penalties that justice would have imposed…My reverence and gratitude for the Atonement of the Holy One of Israel, the Prince of Peace and our Redeemer, continually expand as I strive to understand more about it. I realize that no mortal mind can adequately conceive, nor can human tongue appropriately express, the full significance of all that Jesus Christ has done for our Heavenly Father’s children through His Atonement. Yet it is vital that we each learn what we can about it. The Atonement is that essential ingredient of our Father in Heaven’s plan of happiness without which that plan could not have been activated. Your understanding of the Atonement and the insight it provides for your life will greatly enhance your productive use of all of the knowledge, experience, and skills you acquire in mortal life.”
(Elder Richard G Scott, He Lives! All Glory to his Name! April 2010 general conference)
(Elder Richard G Scott, He Lives! All Glory to his Name! April 2010 general conference)
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/0/5/19058265/7559000.jpg?164)
“Sin is the willful transgression of divine law. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the gift of God to His children to correct and overcome the consequences of sin. God loves all of His children, and He will never cease to love and to hope for us. The plan of our Heavenly Father is clear, and His promises are great: “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world … might be saved” (John 3:17)…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.”
(President Dieter F Uchtdorf, Point of Safe Return, April 2007 General Conference)
(President Dieter F Uchtdorf, Point of Safe Return, April 2007 General Conference)
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/0/5/19058265/3249635.jpg?170)
“An infinite atonement was required to redeem Adam, Eve, and all of their posterity. That atonement must enable our physical bodies to be resurrected and changed 29 to a bloodless form, no longer liable to disease, deterioration, or death…According to eternal law, that atonement required a personal sacrifice by an immortal being not subject to death. Yet He must die and take up His own body again. The Savior was the only one who could accomplish this. From His mother He inherited power to die. From His Father He obtained power over death…The Lord declared that “this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). He who had created the earth came into mortality to fulfill the will of His Father and all prophecies of His atonement. And His atonement redeems every soul from penalties of personal transgression, on the condition of repentance.”
(Elder Russell M Nelson, Constancy amid Change, October 1993 General Conference)
(Elder Russell M Nelson, Constancy amid Change, October 1993 General Conference)
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/0/5/19058265/7266465.jpg?158)
“We know there is a great purpose in Christ’s suffering because this was an act of free agency. Jesus could have called upon legions of angels to bring Him down from the cross, but He did not. He endured to the end that we would have the benefits of the atoning sacrifice; that mercy could be brought into the world; that justice would be satisfied; that we might be resurrected; and that we might be able to earn, through our obedience, eternal life in the presence of God the Father and Jesus Christ.”
(Elder Robert D Hales, Lessons from the Atonement that Help us to Endure to the End, October 1985 General Conference)
(Elder Robert D Hales, Lessons from the Atonement that Help us to Endure to the End, October 1985 General Conference)
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/0/5/19058265/982840.jpg?153)
“Peace and happiness are the precious fruits of a righteous life. They are only possible because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ... The Atonement was a selfless act of infinite, eternal consequence, arduously earned alone, by the Son of God. Through it the Savior broke the bonds of death. It justifies our finally being judged by the Redeemer. It can prevent an eternity under the dominion of Satan. It opens the gates to exaltation for all who qualify for forgiveness through repentance and obedience.”
(Elder Richard G Scott, The Atonement can Secure you Peace and Happiness, October 2006 General Conference)
(Elder Richard G Scott, The Atonement can Secure you Peace and Happiness, October 2006 General Conference)
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/0/5/19058265/4037918.jpg?170)
“Our hope in the Atonement empowers us with eternal perspective. Such perspective allows us to look beyond the here and now on into the promise of the eternities. We don’t have to be trapped in the narrow confines of society’s fickle expectations. We are free to look forward to celestial glory, sealed to our family and loved ones…This hope has led men and women through the ages to do remarkable things.”
(Elder Steven E. Snow, Hope, April 2011 General Conference)
(Elder Steven E. Snow, Hope, April 2011 General Conference)
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/0/5/19058265/2819859.jpg?167)
“Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God the Eternal Father. He is our Creator. He is our Teacher. He is our Savior. His atonement paid for the sin of Adam and won victory over death, assuring resurrection and immortality for all men. He is all of these, but he is more. Jesus Christ is the Savior, whose atoning sacrifice opens the door for us to be cleansed of our personal sins so that we can be readmitted to the presence of God. He is our Redeemer.”
(Elder Dallin H Oaks, What Think ye of Christ?, October 1988 General Conference)
(Elder Dallin H Oaks, What Think ye of Christ?, October 1988 General Conference)
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/0/5/19058265/4129111.jpg?168)
“Many carry heavy burdens. Some have lost a loved one to death or care for one who is disabled. Some have been wounded by divorce. Others yearn for an eternal marriage. Some are caught in the grip of addictive substances or practices like alcohol, tobacco, drugs, or pornography. Others have crippling physical or mental impairments. Some are challenged by same-gender attraction. Some have terrible feelings of depression or inadequacy. In one way or another, many are heavy laden…His Atonement reaches and is powerful enough not only to pay the price for sin but also to heal every mortal affliction…He knows of our anguish, and He is there for us. Like the good Samaritan in His parable, when He finds us wounded at the wayside, He binds up our wounds and cares for us (see Luke 10:34). Brothers and sisters, the healing power of His Atonement is for you, for us, for all.”
(Elder Dallin H Oaks, He Heals the Heavy Laden, October 2006 General Conference)
(Elder Dallin H Oaks, He Heals the Heavy Laden, October 2006 General Conference)
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/0/5/19058265/5168263.jpg?170)
“The gospel of Jesus Christ encompasses much more than avoiding, overcoming, and being cleansed from sin and the bad influences in our lives; it also essentially entails doing good, being good, and becoming better. Repenting of our sins and seeking forgiveness are spiritually necessary, and we must always do so. But remission of sin is not the only or even the ultimate purpose of the gospel. To have our hearts changed by the Holy Spirit such that “we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2)…This mighty change is not simply the result of working harder or developing greater individual discipline. Rather, it is the consequence of a fundamental change in our desires, our motives, and our natures made possible through the Atonement of Christ the Lord. Our spiritual purpose is to overcome both sin and the desire to sin, both the taint and the tyranny of sin.”
(Elder David A. Bednar, Clean Hands and a Pure Heart, April 2007 General Conference)
(Elder David A. Bednar, Clean Hands and a Pure Heart, April 2007 General Conference)
My Personal Position Statement on The Atonement
No greater gift has ever been given than the sacrifice Jesus Christ, our brother, made when he atoned for our sins, suffered and died so that we may one day return to live with our Heavenly Father in Heaven. Our selfish would it be if all that suffering was in vain because we refused to do our part and live worthily of Latter-day Saints. The Lord has made it possible for us to never endure what he had to in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross, if only we heed the warnings of our Latter-day prophets and words of the scriptures. We too often forget how lucky we are and what a privilege it is to be able to repent for our sins on a daily basis no matter how big or small they may be; let’s stop living beneath our privileges.