The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality
From a devotional
address given at Brigham Young University on October 23, 2001. For the full
text in English, visit speeches.byu.edu.
The enabling power of
the Atonement strengthens us to do and be good and to serve beyond our own
individual desire and natural capacity.
The grand objective of
the Savior’s gospel was summarized succinctly by President David O. McKay
(1873–1970): “The purpose of the gospel is … to make bad men good and good men
better, and to change human nature.”1Thus, the journey of
mortality is to progress from bad to good to better and to experience the
mighty change of heart—to have our fallen natures changed (see Mosiah 5:2).
The Book of Mormon is our handbook
of instructions as we travel the pathway from bad to good to better and strive
to have our hearts changed. 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 Christthe
Lord” (Mosiah 3:19; emphasis added).
I draw your attention
to two specific phrases. First—“putteth off the natural man.” The journey from
bad to good is the process of putting off the natural man or the natural woman
in each of us. In mortality we all are tempted by the flesh. The very elements
out of which our bodies were created are by nature fallen and ever subject to
the pull of sin, corruption, and death. But we can increase our capacity to
overcome the desires of the flesh and temptations “through the atonement of
Christ.” When we make mistakes, as we transgress and sin, we can repent and
become clean through the redeeming power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Second—“becometh a
saint.” This phrase describes the continuation and second phase of life’s
journey to make “good men better” or, in other words, to become more like a
saint. This second part of the journey, this process of going from good to
better, is a topic about which we do not study or teach frequently enough nor
understand adequately.
I suspect that many
Church members are much more familiar with the nature of the redeeming and
cleansing power of the Atonement than they are with the strengthening and
enabling power. It is one thing to know that Jesus Christ came to earth
to die for us—that is fundamental and foundational to
the doctrine of Christ. But we also need to appreciate that the Lord desires,
through His Atonement and by the power of the Holy Ghost, to live in us—not only to direct us but also to
empower us.
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.
The gospel of the
Savior is not simply about avoiding bad in our lives; it also is essentially
about doing and becoming good. And the Atonement provides help for us to
overcome and avoid bad and to do and become good. Help from the Savior is
available for the entire journey of mortality—from bad to good to better and to
change our very nature.
I am not suggesting
that the redeeming and enabling powers of the Atonement are separate and
discrete. Rather, these two dimensions of the Atonement are connected and
complementary; they both need to be operational during all phases of the
journey of life. And it is eternally important for all of us to recognize
that both of these essential elements of the journey of
mortality—both putting off the natural man and becoming a saint, both
overcoming bad and becoming good—are accomplished through the power of the
Atonement. Individual willpower, personal determination and motivation, effective
planning and goal setting are necessary but ultimately insufficient for us to
triumphantly complete this mortal journey. Truly, we must come to rely upon
“the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8).
Grace and the Enabling Power of the Atonement
In the Bible Dictionary we learn that the word grace frequently is used in the scriptures to connote
enabling power:
“[Grace is] a word that occurs frequently in the New
Testament, especially in the writings of Paul. The main idea of the word
is divine means of help or strength, given through
the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.
“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.”2
Grace is the divine
assistance or heavenly help each of us desperately needs to qualify for the
celestial kingdom. Thus, the enabling power of the Atonement strengthens us to
do and be good and to serve beyond our own individual desire and natural
capacity.
In my personal
scripture study, I often insert the term “enabling power” whenever I encounter
the word grace. Consider, for example, this verse with
which we are all familiar: “We know that it is by grace that we are saved,
after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23). I believe we can
learn much about this vital aspect of the Atonement if we will insert “enabling
and strengthening power” each time we find the word grace in the scriptures.
Illustrations and Implications
The journey of
mortality is to go from bad to good to better and to have our very natures
changed. The Book of Mormon is replete with examples of disciples and prophets
who knew, understood, and were transformed by the enabling power of the
Atonement in making that journey. As we come to better understand this sacred
power, our gospel perspective will be greatly enlarged and enriched. Such a
perspective will change us in remarkable ways.
Nephi is an example of
one who knew, understood, and relied upon the enabling power of the Savior.
Recall that the sons of Lehi had returned to Jerusalem to enlist Ishmael and
his household in their cause. Laman and others in the party traveling with
Nephi from Jerusalem back to the wilderness rebelled, and Nephi exhorted his
brethren to have faith in the Lord. It was at this point in their journey that
Nephi’s brothers bound him with cords and planned his destruction. Please note
Nephi’s prayer: “O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou
deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with
which I am bound” (1 Nephi 7:17; emphasis added).
Do you know what I
likely would have prayed for if I had been tied up by my brothers? “Please get
me out of this mess NOW!” It is especially interesting to me that Nephi did not
pray to have his circumstances changed. Rather, he prayed for the strength to
change his circumstances. And I believe he prayed in this manner precisely
because he knew, understood, and had experienced the enabling power of the
Atonement.
I do not think the
bands with which Nephi was bound just magically fell from his hands and wrists.
Rather, I suspect he was blessed with both persistence and personal strength
beyond his natural capacity, that he then “in the strength of the Lord” (Mosiah 9:17) worked and twisted and tugged on the
cords, and ultimately and literally was enabled to break the bands.
The implication of
this episode for each of us is straightforward. As you and I come to understand
and employ the enabling power of the Atonement in our personal lives, we will
pray and seek for strength to change our circumstances rather than praying for
our circumstances to be changed. We will become agents who act rather than
objects that are acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:14).
Consider the example
in the Book of Mormon as Alma and his people are persecuted by Amulon. The
voice of the Lord came to these good people in their affliction and indicated:
“I will also ease the
burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon
your backs. …
“And now it came to
pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made
light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that
they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and
with patience to all the will of the Lord” (Mosiah 24:14–15; emphasis added).
What was changed in
this episode? It was not the burden that changed; the challenges and
difficulties of persecution were not immediately removed from the people. But
Alma and his followers were strengthened, and their increased capacity and
strength made the burdens they bore lighter. These good people were empowered
through the Atonement to act as agents
and impact their circumstances. And “in the strength of
the Lord” Alma and his people were then directed to safety in the land of
Zarahemla.
You legitimately may
be wondering, “What makes the episode with Alma and his people an example of
the enabling power of the Atonement?” The answer is found in a comparison
of Mosiah 3:19 and Mosiah 24:15.
“And putteth off the
natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord,
and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of
love, willing to submit to all things which the Lordseeth fit to
inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father” (Mosiah 3:19; emphasis added).
As we progress in the
journey of mortality from bad to good to better, as we put off the natural man
or woman in each of us, and as we strive to become saints and have our very
natures changed, then the attributes detailed in this verse increasingly should
describe the type of person you and I are becoming. We will become more
childlike, more submissive, more patient, and more willing to submit.
Now compare these
characteristics in Mosiah 3:19 with those used to describe Alma and
his people: “And they did submit cheerfully
and with patience to all the will of the Lord” (Mosiah 24:15; emphasis added).
I find the parallels
between the attributes described in these verses striking and an indication
that Alma’s good people were becoming a better people through the enabling
power of the Atonement of Christ the Lord.
Recall the story of
Alma and Amulek contained in Alma 14. In this incident
many faithful Saints had been put to death by fire, and these two servants of
the Lord had been imprisoned and beaten. Consider this petition offered by Alma
as he prayed in prison: “O Lord, give us strengthaccording
to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance” (Alma 14:26; emphasis added).
Here again we see
Alma’s understanding of and confidence in the enabling power of the Atonement
reflected in his request. And note the result of this prayer:
“And they [Alma and
Amulek] broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw
this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon
them. …
“And Alma and Amulek
came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to
their faith which was in Christ” (Alma 14:26, 28; emphasis added).
Once again the
enabling power is evident as good people struggle against evil and strive to
become even better and serve more effectively “in the strength of the Lord.”
Another example from
the Book of Mormon is instructive. In Alma 31, Alma is directing a
mission to reclaim the apostate Zoramites, who, after building their
Rameumptom, offer a prescribed and prideful prayer.
Notice the plea for
strength in Alma’s personal prayer: “O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with
patience these afflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of
this people” (Alma 31:31; emphasis added).
Alma also prays that
his missionary companions will receive a similar blessing: “Wilt thou grant
unto them that they may have strength, that
they may bear their afflictions which shall come upon them because of the
iniquities of this people” (Alma 31:33; emphasis added).
Alma did not pray to
have his afflictions removed. He knew he was an agent of the Lord, and he
prayed for the power to act and affect his situation.
The key point of this
example is contained in the final verse of Alma 31: “[The Lord] gave
them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now
this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith”
(verse 38; emphasis added).
The afflictions were
not removed. But Alma and his companions were strengthened and blessed through
the enabling power of the Atonement to “suffer no manner of afflictions, save
it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ.” What a marvelous blessing. And what
a lesson each of us should learn.
Examples of the
enabling power are not found only in the scriptures. Daniel W. Jones was
born in 1830 in Missouri, and he joined the Church in California in 1851. In
1856 he participated in the rescue of handcart companies that were stranded in
Wyoming by severe snowstorms. After the rescue party had found the suffering
Saints, provided what immediate comfort they could, and made arrangements for
the sick and the feeble to be transported to Salt Lake City, Daniel and several
other young men volunteered to remain with and safeguard the company’s
possessions. The food and supplies left with Daniel and his colleagues were
meager and rapidly expended. The following quote from Daniel Jones’s personal
journal describes the events that followed.
“Game soon became so
scarce that we could kill nothing. We ate all the poor meat; one would get
hungry eating it. Finally that was all gone, nothing now but hides were left.
We made a trial of them. A lot was cooked and eaten without any seasoning and
it made the whole company sick. …
“Things looked dark,
for nothing remained but the poor raw hides taken from starved cattle. We asked
the Lord to direct us what to do. The brethren did not murmur, but felt
to trust in God. … Finally I was
impressed how to fix the stuff and gave the company advice, telling them how to
cook it; for them to scorch and scrape the hair off; this had a tendency to
kill and purify the bad taste that scalding gave it. After scraping, boil one
hour in plenty of water, throwing the water away which had extracted all the
glue, then wash and scrape the hide thoroughly, washing in cold water, then boil
to a jelly and let it get cold, and then eat with a little sugar sprinkled on
it. This was considerable trouble, but we had little else to do and it was
better than starving.
“We asked the Lord to
bless our stomachs and adapt them to this food. …
On eating now all seemed to relish the feast. We were three days without eating
before this second attempt was made. We enjoyed this sumptuous fare for about
six weeks.”3
In those circumstances
I probably would have prayed for something else to eat: “Heavenly Father,
please send me a quail or a buffalo.” It likely would not have occurred to me
to pray that my stomach would be strengthened and adapted to the food we had.
What did Daniel W. Jones know? He knew about the enabling power of the
Atonement of Jesus Christ. He did not pray that his circumstances would be
changed. He prayed that he would be strengthened to deal with his circumstances.
Just as Alma and his people, Amulek, and Nephi were strengthened,
Daniel W. Jones had the spiritual insight to know what to ask for in that
prayer.
The enabling power of
the Atonement of Christ strengthens us to do things we could never do on our own.
Sometimes I wonder if in our latter-day world of ease—in our world of microwave
ovens and cell phones and air-conditioned cars and comfortable homes—we ever
learn to acknowledge our daily dependence upon the enabling power of the
Atonement.
Sister Bednar is a
remarkably faithful and competent woman, and I have learned important lessons
about the strengthening power from her quiet example. I watched her persevere
through intense and continuous morning sickness—literally sick all day every
day for eight months—during each of her three pregnancies. Together we prayed
that she would be blessed, but that challenge was never removed. Instead, she
was enabled to do physically what she could not do in her own power. Over the
years I have also watched how she has been magnified to handle the mocking and
scorn that come from a secular society when a Latter-day Saint woman heeds
prophetic counsel and makes the family and the
nurturing of children her highest priorities. I thank and pay tribute to Susan
for helping me to learn such invaluable lessons.
The Savior Knows and Understands
In Alma chapter 7 we
learn how and why the Savior is able to provide the enabling power:
“He shall go forth,
suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of
every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take
upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
“And he will take upon
him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he
will take upon him their infirmities, that
his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know
according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities”
(Alma 7:11–12; emphasis added).
The Savior has
suffered not just for our iniquities but also for the inequality, the
unfairness, the pain, the anguish, and the emotional distresses that so frequently
beset us. There is no physical pain, no anguish of soul, no suffering of
spirit, no infirmity or weakness that you or I ever experience during our
mortal journey that the Savior did not experience first. You and I in a moment
of weakness may cry out, “No one understands. No one knows.” No human being,
perhaps, knows. But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He felt
and bore our burdens before we ever did. And because He paid the ultimate price
and bore that burden, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of
mercy in so many phases of our life. He can reach out, touch, succor—literally
run to us—and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do
that which we could never do through relying upon only our own power.
“Come unto me, all ye
that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
“Take my yoke upon
you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest
unto your souls.
I declare my witness
of and appreciation for the infinite and eternal sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
Christ. I know the Savior lives. I have experienced both His redeeming power
and His enabling power, and I testify that these powers are real and available
to each of us. Indeed, “in the strength of the Lord” we can do and overcome all
things as we press forward on our journey of mortality.
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