“What Church Leaders Are Saying about the Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign, April 2020
What Church Leaders Are Saying about the Atonement of Jesus Christ
Thy Will Be Done, by Ken Spencer, may not be copied
Hope for Eternal Life
“We worship Him who commenced His infinite Atonement in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was willing to suffer for the sins and weaknesses of each of us, which suffering caused Him ‘to bleed at every pore’ [Doctrine and Covenants 19:18]. He was crucified on Calvary’s cross and rose the third day as the first resurrected being of our Heavenly Father’s children. I love Him and testify that He lives! It is He who leads and guides His Church.
“Without our Redeemer’s infinite Atonement, not one of us would have hope of ever returning to our Heavenly Father. Without His Resurrection, death would be the end. Our Savior’s Atonement made eternal life a possibility and immortality a reality for all.
“I testify that He is the living Christ—our Lord and Savior, Redeemer, Exemplar, and Judge. Thanks to Him, no condition is hopeless. Brighter days are ahead, both here and hereafter.”1
President Russell M. Nelson
Comfort at the Loss of a Loved One
“You can spend your entire life believing in the plan of salvation, but often it’s not until you lose a loved one that you ask yourself, ‘Do I really believe it?’ As I stood alone one afternoon at the grave of our granddaughter Millee, I felt an overwhelming peace and assurance that Millee lives and that the plan of happiness is real. I wish I knew how to better express my gratitude to my Heavenly Father for His plan and to the Savior for His infinite Atonement. It’s a blessing to belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where eternal truth and knowledge have been restored. I am comforted (and excited!) to know that our daughter will hold her baby in her arms again and that we can be an eternal family.”2
Sister Becky Craven, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency
We Can Be Cleansed
“The atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ opens the door for ‘all men [to] repent and come unto him’ (Doctrine and Covenants 18:11). …
“… Our loving Savior opens His arms to receive all men and women on the loving conditions He has prescribed to enjoy the greatest blessings God has for His children.
“Because of God’s plan and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I testify with a ‘perfect brightness of hope’ that God loves us and we can be cleansed by the process of repentance. We are promised that ‘if [we] press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life’ (2 Nephi 31:20).”3
President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency
The Solid, Sure Foundation of the Atonement of Jesus Christ
“Learning to choose the things of the Spirit over the things of the flesh is one of the primary reasons why this earthly experience is part of Heavenly Father’s plan. It’s also why the plan is built upon the solid, sure foundation of the Atonement of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ so that our sins, including the errors we make when we yield to the flesh, can be overcome through constant repentance and we can live spiritually focused. Now is the time to control our bodily appetites to comply with the spiritual doctrine of Christ. That is why we must not procrastinate the day of our repentance.”4
President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
His Infinite Atonement
“On occasion, I have met with good Saints who have had trouble forgiving themselves, who have innocently but incorrectly placed limits on the Savior’s redemptive powers. Unwittingly, they have converted an infinite Atonement to a finite one that somehow falls short of their particular sin or weakness. But it is an infinite Atonement because it encompasses and circumscribes every sin and weakness, as well as every abuse or pain caused by others.”5
Brother Tad R. Callister, former Sunday School General President
Limitless in Duration and Scope
“We must remember that it is never too late and no one has ever wandered so far from the path that he or she is beyond the reach of the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ, which is limitless in its duration and scope.”6
Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
We Are Not Alone
“Yes, life can be overwhelming at times. My wife Dantzel died suddenly when her heart stopped beating. All my knowledge as a heart surgeon could not save her. Cancer has claimed the lives of two of our daughters. I understand the heartbreak of separation from loved ones.
“But Jesus is the Light that shines in the dark. He is ‘the way, the truth, and the life’ [John 14:6]. He is our anchor when we are desperately in need.
“We do not have to go through this life alone. Jesus Christ atoned to help us find the covenant path that leads back home. He can give us the strength and courage to walk confidently on that path.”7
President Russell M. Nelson
The Good Shepherd, by Ken Spencer, may not be copied
We Are Made Equal to Our Tasks
“Because of our Savior’s atoning sacrifice, we can be made equal to the tasks that lie ahead. The prophets have taught that as we climb the path of discipleship, we can be sanctified through the grace of Christ.”8
Sister Michelle Craig, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency
The Savior Works through Us
“I testify that when Jesus Christ, through the power of His Atonement, works on us and in us, He begins to work through us to bless others. We serve them, but we do so by loving and serving Him. We become what the scripture describes: ‘Every man [and woman] seeking the interest of his [or her] neighbor, and doing all things with an eye single to the glory of God’ [Doctrine and Covenants 82:19].”9
Sister Joy D. Jones, Primary General President
Jesus Heals Our Wounds
“Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, through the incalculable gift of His Atonement, not only saves us from death and offers us, through repentance, forgiveness for our sins, but He also stands ready to save us from the sorrows and pains of our wounded souls. …
“… It is my promise to you that increasing your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will bring you added strength and greater hope. For you, the righteous, the Healer of our souls, in His time and His way, will heal all your wounds.”10
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Reborn through the Atonement
“Being ‘converted unto the Lord’ means leaving one course of action, directed by an old belief system, and adopting a new one based on faith in Heavenly Father’s plan and in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. This change is more than an intellectual acceptance of gospel teachings. It shapes our identity, transforms our understanding of life’s meaning, and leads to unchanging fidelity to God. Personal desires that are contrary to being anchored to the Savior and to following the covenant path fade away and are replaced by a determination to submit to the will of Heavenly Father.”11
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles