My
last post was an excerpt from a talk by Elder David A. Bednar on the character
of Christ. In that talk Elder Bednar, shared the following quote from Elder
Neal A. Maxwell:
"Jesus'
character necessarily underwrote His remarkable atonement. Without Jesus'
sublime character there could have been no sublime atonement! His character is
such that He '[suffered] temptations of every kind' (Alma 7:11), yet He gave
temptations "no heed" (Doctrine and Covenants 20:22). ("O How
Great the Plan of Our God," message delivered to CES religious educators
in February of 1995, p. 5)
The
following is an excerpt from an article by Elder Bednar entitled "The
Atonement and the Journey of Mortality". It is a lengthy article but well
worth the time it takes to read. It enlarges
my appreciation for and understanding of the vast reach and all encompassing
nature of the Atonement. I am grateful for the "sublime character"
that made the Atonement possible.
"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.'1 Thus, 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 Christ
the 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... 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 Lord seeth 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 strength according
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...
"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.
'For my yoke is
easy, and my burden is light' (Matthew 11:28–30).
"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." (David A. Bednar, "The Atonement and the Journey of
Mortality," Ensign, April 2012)
Notes
- See Franklin D. Richards, in Conference Report, Oct. 1965, 136–37; see also David O.McKay, in Conference Report, Apr. 1954, 26.
- Bible Dictionary, “Grace”; emphasis added.
- Daniel W. Jones, Forty Years among the Indians (n.d.), 57–58.
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