“Man unquestionably has impressive powers and can
bring to pass great things by tireless efforts and indomitable will. But after
all our obedience and good works, we cannot be saved from the effect of our
sins without the grace extended by the atonement of Jesus Christ.” Elder Dallin H.
Oaks, What Think Ye of Christ?,
October 1988 General Conference https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1988/10/what-think-ye-of-christ?lang=eng
“[Christ’s] atonement is the most transcendent event
that ever has or ever will occur from Creation’s dawn through all the ages of a
never-ending eternity. It is the supreme act of goodness and grace that only a
god could perform. Through it, all of the terms and conditions of the Father’s
eternal plan of salvation became operative. Through it are brought to pass
the immortality and eternal life of man. Through it, all men are
saved from death, hell, the devil, and endless torment. And through it, all who
believe and obey the glorious gospel of God, all who are true and faithful and
overcome the world, all who suffer for Christ and his word, all who are
chastened and scourged in the Cause of him whose we are—all shall become as
their Maker and sit with him on his throne and reign with him forever in
everlasting glory.” Elder Bruce R. McConkie, The Purifying Power of Gethsamane, April 1985 General Conference https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1985/04/the-purifying-power-of-gethsemane?lang=eng
“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).” President
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Point of Safe Return,
April 2007 General Conference http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/point-of-safe-return?lang=eng
“There is no greater expression of love than the
heroic Atonement performed by the Son of God. Were it not for the plan of our
Heavenly Father, established before the world began, in a very real sense, all
mankind—past, present, and future—would have been left without the hope of
eternal progression. As a result of Adam’s transgression, mortals were
separated from God (see Rom. 6:23) and would be forever unless a way was
found to break the bands of death. This would not be easy, for it required the
vicarious sacrifice of one who was sinless and who could therefore take upon
Himself the sins of all mankind. Thankfully, Jesus Christ courageously
fulfilled this sacrifice in ancient Jerusalem. There in the quiet isolation of
the Garden of Gethsemane, He knelt among the gnarled olive trees, and in some
incredible way that none of us can fully comprehend, the Savior took upon
Himself the sins of the world. Even though His life was pure and free of sin,
He paid the ultimate penalty for sin—yours, mine, and everyone who has ever
lived. His mental, emotional, and spiritual anguish were so great they caused
Him to bleed from every pore (see Luke 22:44; D&C 19:18). And yet
Jesus suffered willingly so that we might all have the opportunity to be washed
clean—through having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized by
proper priesthood authority, receiving the purifying gift of the Holy
Ghost by confirmation, and accepting all other essential ordinances. Without
the Atonement of the Lord, none of these blessings would be available to us,
and we could not become worthy and prepared to return to dwell in the presence
of God.” Elder
M. Russell Ballard, The Atonement and the
Value of One Soul, April 2004 General Conference http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2004/04/the-atonement-and-the-value-of-one-soul?lang=eng
“In fact, it ought to be a matter of great doctrinal
consolation to us that Jesus, in the course of the Atonement, experienced all
of the heartache and sorrow, all of the disappointments and injustices that the
entire family of man had experienced and would experience from Adam and Eve to
the end of the world in order that we would not have to face them so severely
or so deeply. However heavy our load might be, it would be a lot heavier if the
Savior had not gone that way before us and carried that burden with us and for
us.” Elder
Jeffrey R. Holland, Lessons From Liberty
Jail, 7 September 2008 BYU Speech http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1798
“Rich meaning is found in study of the word atonement in
the Semitic languages of Old Testament times. In Hebrew, the basic word for
atonement is kaphar, a verb that means “to cover” or “to
forgive.” Closely related is the Aramaic and Arabic word kafat, meaning
“a close embrace”—no doubt related to the Egyptian ritual embrace. References
to that embrace are evident in the Book of Mormon. One states that “the Lord
hath redeemed my soul…; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about
eternally in the arms of his love.” Another proffers the
glorious hope of our being “clasped in the arms of Jesus.” I weep
for joy when I contemplate the significance of it all. To be redeemed is to be
atoned—received in the close embrace of God with an expression not only of
His forgiveness, but of our oneness of heart and mind.” Elder Russell
M. Nelson, The Atonement, October
1996 General Conference http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1996/10/the-atonement?lang=eng
“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. You need not know
everything before the power of the Atonement will work for you. Have faith in
Christ; it begins to work the day you ask!” President Boyd K. Packer, Washed Clean, April 1997 General Conference http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1997/04/washed-clean?lang=eng
“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. Pondering the
grandeur of the Atonement evokes the most profound feelings of awe,
immense gratitude, and deep humility. Those impressions can provide you
powerful motivation to keep His commandments and consistently repent of errors
for greater peace and happiness. 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.” Elder Richard G. Scott, The Atonement Can Secure Your Peace and
Happiness, October 2006 General Conference http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/10/the-atonement-can-secure-your-peace-and-happiness?lang=eng
“Restoring what you cannot restore, healing the
wound you cannot heal, fixing that which you broke and you cannot fix is the
very purpose of the atonement of Christ.” President Boyd K. Packer, The
Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness, October 1995 General Conference https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1995/10/the-brilliant-morning-of-forgiveness?lang=eng
“Before the Crucifixion and afterward, many men have
willingly given their lives in selfless acts of heroism. But none faced what
the Christ endured. Upon Him was the burden of all human transgression, all
human guilt. And hanging in the balance was the Atonement. Through His willing
act, mercy and justice could be reconciled, eternal law sustained, and that
mediation achieved without which mortal man could not be redeemed. He, by
choice, accepted the penalty for all mankind for the sum total of all
wickedness and depravity; for brutality, immorality, perversion, and
corruption; for addiction; for the killings and torture and terror—for all of
it that ever had been or all that ever would be enacted upon this earth. In
choosing, He faced the awesome power of the evil one who was not confined to
flesh nor subject to mortal pain. That was Gethsemane!” President Boyd K. Packer, Atonement, Agency, Accountability, April 1988 General Conference
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1988/04/atonement-agency-accountability?lang=eng
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