Below are the quotes that were used in the video.
This week we will start our study of the infinite atonement of Jesus Christ and begin with Gethsemane. We will focus on how the atonement of Jesus Christ: Redeems (Cleanses), Enables (Strengthens), and Compensates (Reimburses) us.
“The Atonement included His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane as well as His suffering and death on the cross. Through the Atonement we can be freed from the burden of our sins and develop faith and strength to face our trials…
“Because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we will all be resurrected regardless of whether we have done good or evil in this life. We will have a perfect, immortal body of flesh and bones that will never again be subject to disease, pain, or death. The resurrection makes it possible to return to God’s presence to be judged but does not guarantee that we will be able to live in His presence. To receive that blessing, we must also be cleansed from sin. (Preach My Gospel, p. 32, 51)
Elder Craig C. Christensen: “There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection.” (Joy of Christmas Includes Christ’s Gift of Redemption, 4 December 2016)
President David O. McKay: "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one." (John 17:14-22.) This text is taken from one of the most glorious prayers — I suppose the greatest prayer — ever uttered in this world, not excepting the Lord's Prayer. This was Christ's prayer uttered just before he entered the Garden of Gethsemane on the night of his betrayal. It must have been impressive for John to remember so much of it and to write it word for word, as he has here. The occasion itself would be impressive to John, and undoubtedly as they knelt there in that upper room before they went through that beautiful gate into Gethsemane … I know of no more important chapter in the Bible.
“The parts I have quoted contain two important messages to you and to me. One of these messages is found in the words, "Make them one as thou, Father, and I are one." …
“To the future of the Church. As I think of the future of this Church and of the welfare of the young men and women, as well as of the mothers and fathers, I feel impressed that there is no more important message to give than "to be one," and avoid things that may cause a rift among members. I know that the adversary has no stronger weapon against any group of men or women in this Church than the weapon of thrusting in a wedge of disunity, doubt, and enmity.” (Conference Report, Oct. 1967, 5)
Elder Neal A. Maxwell: “Since not all human sorrow and pain is connected to sin, the full intensiveness of the Atonement involved bearing our pains, infirmities, and sicknesses, as well as our sins. Whatever our sufferings, we can safely cast our ‘care upon him; for he careth for [us]’ (1 Peter 5:7)” (“Not My Will, But Thine” [1988], 51).
Elder Neil A Maxwell: “Imagine, Jehovah, the Creator of this and other worlds, “astonished”! Jesus knew cognitively what He must do, but not experientially. He had never personally known the exquisite and exacting process of an atonement before. Thus, when the agony came in its fulness, it was so much, much worse than even He with his unique intellect had ever imagined! No wonder an angel appeared to strengthen him! (See Luke 22:43.)
“The cumulative weight of all mortal sins—past, present, and future—pressed upon that perfect, sinless, and sensitive Soul! All our infirmities and sicknesses were somehow, too, a part of the awful arithmetic of the Atonement. (See Alma 7:11–12; Isa. 53:3–5; Matt. 8:17.) The anguished Jesus not only pled with the Father that the hour and cup might pass from Him, but with this relevant citation. “And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me.” (Mark 14:35–36.)
“In this extremity, did He, perchance, hope for a rescuing ram in the thicket? I do not know. His suffering—as it were, enormity multiplied by infinity—evoked His later soul-cry on the cross, and it was a cry of forsakenness.” (See Matt. 27:46.) (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1985/04/willing-to-submit)
Elder James E. Talmage: “Christ’s agony in the garden in unfathomable by the finite mind, both as to intensity and cause. The thought that He suffered through fear of death is untenable. Death to Him was preliminary to resurrection and triumphal return to the Father from whom He had come, and to a state of glory even beyond what He had before possessed; and, moreover, it was within His power to lay down His life voluntarily.
“He struggled and groaned under a burden such as no other being who has lived on earth might even conceive as possible. It was not physical pain, nor mental anguish alone, that cause Him to suffer such torture as to produce an extrusion of blood from every pore; but a spiritual agony of soul as only God was capable of experiencing. No other man, however great his powers of physical or mental endurance, could have suffered so;…
"… for his human organism would have succumbed and syncope would have produced unconsciousness and welcome oblivion. In that hour of anguish Christ met and overcame all the horrors that Satan, “the prince of this world” could inflict.” (Jesus the Christ p 613).
President Russell M. Nelson: “Joy is powerful, and focusing on joy brings God’s power into our lives. As in all things, Jesus Christ is our ultimate exemplar, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.” Think of that! In order for Him to endure the most excruciating experience ever endured on earth, our Savior focused on joy!
“And what was the joy that was set before Him? Surely it included the joy of cleansing, healing, and strengthening us; the joy of paying for the sins of all who would repent; the joy of making it possible for you and me to return home—clean and worthy—to live with our Heavenly Parents and families.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/10/joy-and-spiritual-survival)
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "Now our Lord's jurisdiction and power extend far beyond the limits of this one small earth on which we dwell. He is, under the Father, the Creator of worlds without number. (Moses 1:33.)… The atonement of Christ, being literally and truly infinite, applies to an infinite number of earths. (Mormon Doctrine, 65-66)
President Russell M. Nelson: “"In preparatory times of the Old Testament, the practice of atonement was finite—meaning it had an end. It was a symbolic forecast of the definitive Atonement of Jesus the Christ. His Atonement is infinite—without an end. It was also infinite in that all humankind would be saved from never-ending death. It was infinite in terms of His immense suffering. It was infinite in time, putting an end to the preceding prototype of animal sacrifice. It was infinite in scope—it was to be done once for all. And the mercy of the Atonement extends not only to an infinite number of people, but also to an infinite number of worlds created by Him. It was infinite beyond any human scale of measurement or mortal comprehension." (Ensign, November 1996, p.35)
Elder David A. Bednar: “Covenants help us access the power of the Savior’s atonement—and in covenants we use our agency, we express and exercise our agency, to accept the terms and conditions of the covenants as they have been established by God… Then and only then are we free. And then and only then do we have access to the full power of the Savior’s atonement. And only in that way do we really understand what it means to be happy. (http://radio.lds.org/eng/programs/conversations-episode-1)
Elder M. Russell Ballard: “God is the source of all moral and spiritual power. We gain access to that power by entering into covenants with Him and keeping those covenants. (Ensign, May 2010)
President Dallin H. Oaks: “[An ordinance is] a sacred act prescribed by our Savior Jesus Christ as one of the conditions upon which we receive the purifying and exalting blessings of his atonement." (Address to Regional Representatives Seminar, 3 April 1987, p.1; quoted in Callister, The Infinite Atonement, p.297)
Elder Richard G. Scott: “To receive all of the blessings of His atoning sacrifice, we are only asked to be obedient to His commandments and to receive all of these essential ordinances. (Ensign, May 1997, p.53)
Elder Bruce C. Hafen: “So if you have problems in your life, don’t assume there is something wrong with you. Struggling with those problems is at the very core of life’s purpose. As we draw close to God, He will show us our weaknesses and through them make us wiser, stronger. If you’re seeing more of your weaknesses, that just might mean you’re moving nearer to God, not farther away. (The Atonement: All for All, Ensign (CR), May 2004, p.97)
President Henry B. Eyring: “Now that is a fact you can act on with confidence. You can invite the Holy Ghost's companionship in your life. And you can know when he is there, and when he withdraws. And when he is your companion, you can have confidence that the Atonement is working in your life.” (Come Unto Christ, Address given at Brigham Young University, October 29, 1989).
Elder Marvin J. Ashton: “The best and most clear indicator that we are progressing spiritually and coming unto Christ is the way we treat other people.” (Ensign, May 1992, 20).
Elder Quentin L. Cook: “You love the Lord and His gospel and continuously try to live and share His message, especially with your families. You are in harmony with the promptings of the Spirit, have awakened to the power of God’s word, have religious observance in your homes, and diligently try to live Christlike lives as His disciples.” (April 2012 General Conference)
Elder Merrill J. Bateman: “The prophet Abinadi further states that “when his soul has been made an offering for sin he shall see his seed” (Mosiah 15:10). Abinadi then identifies the Savior’s seed as the prophets and those who follow them. For many years I thought of the Savior’s experience in the garden and on the cross as places where a large mass of sin was heaped upon Him. Through the words of Alma, Abinadi, Isaiah, and other prophets, however, my view has changed. Instead of an impersonal mass of sin, there was a long line of people, as Jesus felt “our infirmities” (Heb. 4:15), “[bore] our griefs, … carried our sorrows … [and] was bruised for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:4–5).
The Atonement was an intimate, personal experience in which Jesus came to know how to help each of us.” (“A Pattern for All,” Ensign, October 2005)
Elder Bruce R. Hafen: “Some Church members feel weighed down with discouragement about the circumstances of their personal lives, even when they are making sustained and admirable efforts. Frequently, these feelings of self disappointment come not from wrongdoing, but from stresses and troubles for which we may not be fully to blame.
“The Atonement of Jesus Christ applies to these experiences because it applies to all of life. The Savior can wipe away all of our tears, after all we can do. . . .
“The Savior’s atonement is . . . the healing power not only for sin, but also for carelessness, inadequacy, and all mortal bitterness. The Atonement is not just for sinners” (“Beauty for Ashes: The Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign, Apr. 1990, 7.)
Elder Jeffery R. Holland: “To succor means to “run to.” I testify that in my fears and in my infirmities the Savior has surely run to me. I will never be able to thank Him enough for such personal kindness and such loving care.” (“He Hath Filled the Hungry with Good Things,” Ensign, Nov. 1997, 64 )
“All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” (Preach My Gospel, p. 52)
Elder David A. Bednar: “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.” (“The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality,” Ensign, Apr.2012)
Elder Richard G. Scott: “The Atonement will not only help us overcome our transgressions and mistakes, but in His time, it will resolve all the inequities of life—those things that are unfair which are the consequences of circumstance or others’ acts and not our own decisions.” (Ensign, May 1997, “Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer”)
Elder Todd D. Christofferson: “The Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane and His agony on the cross redeem us from sin by satisfying the demands that justice has upon us. He extends mercy and pardons those who repent. The Atonement also satisfies the debt justice owes to us by healing and compensating us for any suffering we innocently endure. “For behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.” (2 Nephi 9:21; see also Alma 7:11–12) (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/04/redemption)
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin: “The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2008/10/come-what-may-and-love-it)
Official Statement of the First Presidency on AIDS, 1988
“Members of the Church should extend compassion to those who are ill with AIDS. We express great love and sympathy for all victims but particularly those who have received the virus through blood transfusions, babies afflicted from infected mothers, and innocent marriage partners who have been infected by a spouse. In the Lord’s eternal plan those who endure such suffering, pain, and injustice, not of their own doing, will receive compensatory blessings through the Lord’s infinite mercy.” (https://www.thechurchnews.com/1988/5/28/23263947/first-presidency-statement-on-aids)
President James E. Faust: “All of us benefit from the transcendent blessings of the Atonement through which the divine healing process can work in our lives. The hurt can be replaced by the joy the Savior promised. Through faith and righteousness all of the inequities, injuries, and pains of this life can be fully compensated for and made right. Blessings denied in this life will be fully recompensed in the eternities. . . Thus our suffering in this life can be as the refining fire, purifying us for a higher purpose. Heartaches can be healed, and we can come to know a soul-satisfying joy and happiness beyond our dreams and expectations.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1996/10/woman-why-weepest-thou)
Elder Richard G. Scott: “Find the compensatory blessings in your life when, in the wisdom of the Lord, He deprives you of something you very much want. To the sightless or hearing impaired, He sharpens the other senses. To the ill, He gives patience, understanding, and increased appreciation for others’ kindness. With the loss of a dear one, He deepens the bonds of love, enriches memories, and kindles hope in a future reunion. You will discover compensatory blessings when you willingly accept the will of the Lord and exercise faith in Him.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1996/04/finding-joy-in-life?)
Elder Neil L. Andersen: “. . . As evil increases in the world, there is a compensatory spiritual power for the righteous. As the world slides from its spiritual moorings, the Lord prepares the way for those who seek Him, offering them greater assurance, greater confirmation, and greater confidence in the spiritual direction they are traveling. The gift of the Holy Ghost becomes a brighter light in the emerging twilight.” (The Divine Gift of Forgiveness, p. 43)
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: “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”. (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2009/09/lessons-from-liberty-jail)
Elder Dieter F. Elder Uchtdorf: “His refining light saturates our souls. His grace uplifts us. Our burdens are lightened, our peace deepened. When we truly behold the Man, we have the promise of a blessed future that inspires and upholds us through the bends and bumps in life’s journey. Looking back, we will recognize that there is a divine pattern, that the dots really connect.
“As you accept His sacrifice, become His disciple, and finally reach the end of your earthly journey, what will become of the sorrows you have endured in this life?
“They will be gone.
“The disappointments, betrayals, persecutions you have faced?
“Gone.
“The suffering, heartache, guilt, shame, and anguish you have passed through?
“Gone.
“Forgotten.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2018/05/sunday-afternoon-session/behold-the-man)
President Dallin H. Oaks: “Think of it! In the Savior’s Atonement, He suffered “pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind.” As President Boyd K. Packer explained: “He had no debt to pay. He had committed no wrong. Nevertheless, an accumulation of all of the guilt, the grief and sorrow, the pain and humiliation, all of the mental, emotional, and physical torments known to man—He experienced them all.”
“. . . There are millions of God-fearing people who pray to God to be lifted out of their afflictions. Our Savior has revealed that He “descended below all things” (D&C 88:6). As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “Having ‘descended below all things,’ He comprehends, perfectly and personally, the full range of human suffering.” We might even say that having descended beneath it all, He is perfectly positioned to lift us and give us the strength we need to endure our afflictions. We have only to ask.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/strengthened-by-the-atonement-of-jesus-christ)
“Few disabilities are more crippling to our temporal or spiritual lives than addictions. Some of these, like addictions to pornography or drugs, are likely to have been caused by sinful behavior. Even when that behavior has been repented of, the addiction may remain. That disabling grip can also be relieved by the decisive strength available from the Savior. So can the severe challenge experienced by those sent to prison for crimes. A recent letter testifies to the strength that can come even to one in that circumstance: “I know that our Savior is walking these halls, and I have often felt Christ’s love within these prison walls.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/strengthened-by-the-atonement-of-jesus-christ?)
Elder David A. Bednar (quoting the Bible Dictionary—”Grace”): “It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in 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.” (“In the Strength of the Lord,” in Brigham Young University 2001–2002 Speeches (2002)
A Scripture Chain on the Mercy and Grace of Jesus Christ—the Redeeming (Cleansing), Enabling (Strengthening), and Compensating (Reimbursing) Powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ:
Teaching Thoughts:
“The Atonement included His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane as well as His suffering and death on the cross. Through the Atonement we can be freed from the burden of our sins and develop faith and strength to face our trials…
“Because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we will all be resurrected regardless of whether we have done good or evil in this life. We will have a perfect, immortal body of flesh and bones that will never again be subject to disease, pain, or death. The resurrection makes it possible to return to God’s presence to be judged but does not guarantee that we will be able to live in His presence. To receive that blessing, we must also be cleansed from sin. (Preach My Gospel, p. 32, 51)
Elder Craig C. Christensen: “There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection.” (Joy of Christmas Includes Christ’s Gift of Redemption, 4 December 2016)
President David O. McKay: "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one." (John 17:14-22.) This text is taken from one of the most glorious prayers — I suppose the greatest prayer — ever uttered in this world, not excepting the Lord's Prayer. This was Christ's prayer uttered just before he entered the Garden of Gethsemane on the night of his betrayal. It must have been impressive for John to remember so much of it and to write it word for word, as he has here. The occasion itself would be impressive to John, and undoubtedly as they knelt there in that upper room before they went through that beautiful gate into Gethsemane … I know of no more important chapter in the Bible.
“The parts I have quoted contain two important messages to you and to me. One of these messages is found in the words, "Make them one as thou, Father, and I are one." …
“To the future of the Church. As I think of the future of this Church and of the welfare of the young men and women, as well as of the mothers and fathers, I feel impressed that there is no more important message to give than "to be one," and avoid things that may cause a rift among members. I know that the adversary has no stronger weapon against any group of men or women in this Church than the weapon of thrusting in a wedge of disunity, doubt, and enmity.” (Conference Report, Oct. 1967, 5)
Elder Neal A. Maxwell: “Since not all human sorrow and pain is connected to sin, the full intensiveness of the Atonement involved bearing our pains, infirmities, and sicknesses, as well as our sins. Whatever our sufferings, we can safely cast our ‘care upon him; for he careth for [us]’ (1 Peter 5:7)” (“Not My Will, But Thine” [1988], 51).
Elder Neil A Maxwell: “Imagine, Jehovah, the Creator of this and other worlds, “astonished”! Jesus knew cognitively what He must do, but not experientially. He had never personally known the exquisite and exacting process of an atonement before. Thus, when the agony came in its fulness, it was so much, much worse than even He with his unique intellect had ever imagined! No wonder an angel appeared to strengthen him! (See Luke 22:43.)
“The cumulative weight of all mortal sins—past, present, and future—pressed upon that perfect, sinless, and sensitive Soul! All our infirmities and sicknesses were somehow, too, a part of the awful arithmetic of the Atonement. (See Alma 7:11–12; Isa. 53:3–5; Matt. 8:17.) The anguished Jesus not only pled with the Father that the hour and cup might pass from Him, but with this relevant citation. “And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me.” (Mark 14:35–36.)
“In this extremity, did He, perchance, hope for a rescuing ram in the thicket? I do not know. His suffering—as it were, enormity multiplied by infinity—evoked His later soul-cry on the cross, and it was a cry of forsakenness.” (See Matt. 27:46.) (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1985/04/willing-to-submit)
Elder James E. Talmage: “Christ’s agony in the garden in unfathomable by the finite mind, both as to intensity and cause. The thought that He suffered through fear of death is untenable. Death to Him was preliminary to resurrection and triumphal return to the Father from whom He had come, and to a state of glory even beyond what He had before possessed; and, moreover, it was within His power to lay down His life voluntarily.
“He struggled and groaned under a burden such as no other being who has lived on earth might even conceive as possible. It was not physical pain, nor mental anguish alone, that cause Him to suffer such torture as to produce an extrusion of blood from every pore; but a spiritual agony of soul as only God was capable of experiencing. No other man, however great his powers of physical or mental endurance, could have suffered so;…
"… for his human organism would have succumbed and syncope would have produced unconsciousness and welcome oblivion. In that hour of anguish Christ met and overcame all the horrors that Satan, “the prince of this world” could inflict.” (Jesus the Christ p 613).
President Russell M. Nelson: “Joy is powerful, and focusing on joy brings God’s power into our lives. As in all things, Jesus Christ is our ultimate exemplar, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.” Think of that! In order for Him to endure the most excruciating experience ever endured on earth, our Savior focused on joy!
“And what was the joy that was set before Him? Surely it included the joy of cleansing, healing, and strengthening us; the joy of paying for the sins of all who would repent; the joy of making it possible for you and me to return home—clean and worthy—to live with our Heavenly Parents and families.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/10/joy-and-spiritual-survival)
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "Now our Lord's jurisdiction and power extend far beyond the limits of this one small earth on which we dwell. He is, under the Father, the Creator of worlds without number. (Moses 1:33.)… The atonement of Christ, being literally and truly infinite, applies to an infinite number of earths. (Mormon Doctrine, 65-66)
President Russell M. Nelson: “"In preparatory times of the Old Testament, the practice of atonement was finite—meaning it had an end. It was a symbolic forecast of the definitive Atonement of Jesus the Christ. His Atonement is infinite—without an end. It was also infinite in that all humankind would be saved from never-ending death. It was infinite in terms of His immense suffering. It was infinite in time, putting an end to the preceding prototype of animal sacrifice. It was infinite in scope—it was to be done once for all. And the mercy of the Atonement extends not only to an infinite number of people, but also to an infinite number of worlds created by Him. It was infinite beyond any human scale of measurement or mortal comprehension." (Ensign, November 1996, p.35)
Elder David A. Bednar: “Covenants help us access the power of the Savior’s atonement—and in covenants we use our agency, we express and exercise our agency, to accept the terms and conditions of the covenants as they have been established by God… Then and only then are we free. And then and only then do we have access to the full power of the Savior’s atonement. And only in that way do we really understand what it means to be happy. (http://radio.lds.org/eng/programs/conversations-episode-1)
Elder M. Russell Ballard: “God is the source of all moral and spiritual power. We gain access to that power by entering into covenants with Him and keeping those covenants. (Ensign, May 2010)
President Dallin H. Oaks: “[An ordinance is] a sacred act prescribed by our Savior Jesus Christ as one of the conditions upon which we receive the purifying and exalting blessings of his atonement." (Address to Regional Representatives Seminar, 3 April 1987, p.1; quoted in Callister, The Infinite Atonement, p.297)
Elder Richard G. Scott: “To receive all of the blessings of His atoning sacrifice, we are only asked to be obedient to His commandments and to receive all of these essential ordinances. (Ensign, May 1997, p.53)
Elder Bruce C. Hafen: “So if you have problems in your life, don’t assume there is something wrong with you. Struggling with those problems is at the very core of life’s purpose. As we draw close to God, He will show us our weaknesses and through them make us wiser, stronger. If you’re seeing more of your weaknesses, that just might mean you’re moving nearer to God, not farther away. (The Atonement: All for All, Ensign (CR), May 2004, p.97)
President Henry B. Eyring: “Now that is a fact you can act on with confidence. You can invite the Holy Ghost's companionship in your life. And you can know when he is there, and when he withdraws. And when he is your companion, you can have confidence that the Atonement is working in your life.” (Come Unto Christ, Address given at Brigham Young University, October 29, 1989).
Elder Marvin J. Ashton: “The best and most clear indicator that we are progressing spiritually and coming unto Christ is the way we treat other people.” (Ensign, May 1992, 20).
Elder Quentin L. Cook: “You love the Lord and His gospel and continuously try to live and share His message, especially with your families. You are in harmony with the promptings of the Spirit, have awakened to the power of God’s word, have religious observance in your homes, and diligently try to live Christlike lives as His disciples.” (April 2012 General Conference)
Elder Merrill J. Bateman: “The prophet Abinadi further states that “when his soul has been made an offering for sin he shall see his seed” (Mosiah 15:10). Abinadi then identifies the Savior’s seed as the prophets and those who follow them. For many years I thought of the Savior’s experience in the garden and on the cross as places where a large mass of sin was heaped upon Him. Through the words of Alma, Abinadi, Isaiah, and other prophets, however, my view has changed. Instead of an impersonal mass of sin, there was a long line of people, as Jesus felt “our infirmities” (Heb. 4:15), “[bore] our griefs, … carried our sorrows … [and] was bruised for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:4–5).
The Atonement was an intimate, personal experience in which Jesus came to know how to help each of us.” (“A Pattern for All,” Ensign, October 2005)
Elder Bruce R. Hafen: “Some Church members feel weighed down with discouragement about the circumstances of their personal lives, even when they are making sustained and admirable efforts. Frequently, these feelings of self disappointment come not from wrongdoing, but from stresses and troubles for which we may not be fully to blame.
“The Atonement of Jesus Christ applies to these experiences because it applies to all of life. The Savior can wipe away all of our tears, after all we can do. . . .
“The Savior’s atonement is . . . the healing power not only for sin, but also for carelessness, inadequacy, and all mortal bitterness. The Atonement is not just for sinners” (“Beauty for Ashes: The Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign, Apr. 1990, 7.)
Elder Jeffery R. Holland: “To succor means to “run to.” I testify that in my fears and in my infirmities the Savior has surely run to me. I will never be able to thank Him enough for such personal kindness and such loving care.” (“He Hath Filled the Hungry with Good Things,” Ensign, Nov. 1997, 64 )
“All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” (Preach My Gospel, p. 52)
Elder David A. Bednar: “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.” (“The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality,” Ensign, Apr.2012)
Elder Richard G. Scott: “The Atonement will not only help us overcome our transgressions and mistakes, but in His time, it will resolve all the inequities of life—those things that are unfair which are the consequences of circumstance or others’ acts and not our own decisions.” (Ensign, May 1997, “Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer”)
Elder Todd D. Christofferson: “The Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane and His agony on the cross redeem us from sin by satisfying the demands that justice has upon us. He extends mercy and pardons those who repent. The Atonement also satisfies the debt justice owes to us by healing and compensating us for any suffering we innocently endure. “For behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.” (2 Nephi 9:21; see also Alma 7:11–12) (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/04/redemption)
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin: “The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2008/10/come-what-may-and-love-it)
Official Statement of the First Presidency on AIDS, 1988
“Members of the Church should extend compassion to those who are ill with AIDS. We express great love and sympathy for all victims but particularly those who have received the virus through blood transfusions, babies afflicted from infected mothers, and innocent marriage partners who have been infected by a spouse. In the Lord’s eternal plan those who endure such suffering, pain, and injustice, not of their own doing, will receive compensatory blessings through the Lord’s infinite mercy.” (https://www.thechurchnews.com/1988/5/28/23263947/first-presidency-statement-on-aids)
President James E. Faust: “All of us benefit from the transcendent blessings of the Atonement through which the divine healing process can work in our lives. The hurt can be replaced by the joy the Savior promised. Through faith and righteousness all of the inequities, injuries, and pains of this life can be fully compensated for and made right. Blessings denied in this life will be fully recompensed in the eternities. . . Thus our suffering in this life can be as the refining fire, purifying us for a higher purpose. Heartaches can be healed, and we can come to know a soul-satisfying joy and happiness beyond our dreams and expectations.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1996/10/woman-why-weepest-thou)
Elder Richard G. Scott: “Find the compensatory blessings in your life when, in the wisdom of the Lord, He deprives you of something you very much want. To the sightless or hearing impaired, He sharpens the other senses. To the ill, He gives patience, understanding, and increased appreciation for others’ kindness. With the loss of a dear one, He deepens the bonds of love, enriches memories, and kindles hope in a future reunion. You will discover compensatory blessings when you willingly accept the will of the Lord and exercise faith in Him.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1996/04/finding-joy-in-life?)
Elder Neil L. Andersen: “. . . As evil increases in the world, there is a compensatory spiritual power for the righteous. As the world slides from its spiritual moorings, the Lord prepares the way for those who seek Him, offering them greater assurance, greater confirmation, and greater confidence in the spiritual direction they are traveling. The gift of the Holy Ghost becomes a brighter light in the emerging twilight.” (The Divine Gift of Forgiveness, p. 43)
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: “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”. (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2009/09/lessons-from-liberty-jail)
Elder Dieter F. Elder Uchtdorf: “His refining light saturates our souls. His grace uplifts us. Our burdens are lightened, our peace deepened. When we truly behold the Man, we have the promise of a blessed future that inspires and upholds us through the bends and bumps in life’s journey. Looking back, we will recognize that there is a divine pattern, that the dots really connect.
“As you accept His sacrifice, become His disciple, and finally reach the end of your earthly journey, what will become of the sorrows you have endured in this life?
“They will be gone.
“The disappointments, betrayals, persecutions you have faced?
“Gone.
“The suffering, heartache, guilt, shame, and anguish you have passed through?
“Gone.
“Forgotten.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2018/05/sunday-afternoon-session/behold-the-man)
President Dallin H. Oaks: “Think of it! In the Savior’s Atonement, He suffered “pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind.” As President Boyd K. Packer explained: “He had no debt to pay. He had committed no wrong. Nevertheless, an accumulation of all of the guilt, the grief and sorrow, the pain and humiliation, all of the mental, emotional, and physical torments known to man—He experienced them all.”
“. . . There are millions of God-fearing people who pray to God to be lifted out of their afflictions. Our Savior has revealed that He “descended below all things” (D&C 88:6). As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “Having ‘descended below all things,’ He comprehends, perfectly and personally, the full range of human suffering.” We might even say that having descended beneath it all, He is perfectly positioned to lift us and give us the strength we need to endure our afflictions. We have only to ask.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/strengthened-by-the-atonement-of-jesus-christ)
“Few disabilities are more crippling to our temporal or spiritual lives than addictions. Some of these, like addictions to pornography or drugs, are likely to have been caused by sinful behavior. Even when that behavior has been repented of, the addiction may remain. That disabling grip can also be relieved by the decisive strength available from the Savior. So can the severe challenge experienced by those sent to prison for crimes. A recent letter testifies to the strength that can come even to one in that circumstance: “I know that our Savior is walking these halls, and I have often felt Christ’s love within these prison walls.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/strengthened-by-the-atonement-of-jesus-christ?)
Elder David A. Bednar (quoting the Bible Dictionary—”Grace”): “It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in 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.” (“In the Strength of the Lord,” in Brigham Young University 2001–2002 Speeches (2002)
A Scripture Chain on the Mercy and Grace of Jesus Christ—the Redeeming (Cleansing), Enabling (Strengthening), and Compensating (Reimbursing) Powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ:
- Doctrine and Covenants 98:3; 122:7-9
- Hebrews 2:9-10, 16-18
- Hebrews 11:40 (JST)
- Alma 7:11-13
- 2 Nephi 2:2-3
- 3 Nephi 9:13-14, 21-22
- 3 Nephi 22:7-10
- Isaiah 61:1-3
Teaching Thoughts:
- The Atonement of Jesus Christ:
- Redeeming (Cleansing),
- Enabling (Strengthening),
- Compensating (Reimbursing)
- Infinite!