Beyond Cleansing: The Enabling Power of the Atonement for the Saint

Brothers and sisters, we are steeped in the doctrine of the Atonement. We know, fundamentally, that Christ paid the price for our transgressions. We sing of it at the sacrament table, and we rightly understand its redeeming power to cleanse us from sin. This understanding is foundational to every Latter-day Saint.

Yet, I submit to you today that we are far too comfortable with the *cleansing* aspect and dangerously under-appreciate the *enabling* aspect. The Lord's grace, through the Atonement, is not merely a cosmic eraser for our mistakes; it is an active, sustaining power designed to lift us from 'good' to 'better,' and ultimately, to change our very nature.

When President Bednar spoke of this on October 23, 2001, he anchored his message to a profound summary from President David O. McKay: “The purpose of the gospel is . . . to make bad men good and good men better, and to change human nature.”

This progression—from bad to good to better—is the life's journey, and it requires more than just repentance after failure. It requires divine assistance in the daily struggle to *become* better.

The Struggle Against the Natural Man

Consider the words from Mosiah 3:19: “...and putteth off the natural man.” Too often, we treat 'natural man' as synonymous only with the willfully wicked. But the pattern of the gospel, as illuminated by our scholars, suggests a broader scope. The natural man is the inherent inclination, the fallen nature susceptible to the pull of the flesh, even in the most conscientious among us. We can transgress, yes, but we also struggle daily against the subtle compromises, the inertia of habit, and the sheer weight of our own limited willpower.

If we believe that achieving holiness is solely the product of sheer grit, discipline, and self-effort, we misunderstand the covenant path. The Atonement is the enabling power that assists us in this daily warfare. It is the divine scaffolding that allows us to build upon the righteousness we already possess.

Grace for the Saint

This is the key distinction we must internalize for our continued discipleship. The Atonement is not solely for the sinner; it is profoundly for the saint—the conscientious, the obedient, the one who is striving. The Lord desires to empower us to serve more faithfully, to be better stewards of our talents, and to build our temple covenants in ways that require divine infusion. We must realize that the journey from good to better is powered by the same divine source that cleanses us from error.

This principle echoes the covenants we make in the temple. We are not merely being forgiven; we are being *empowered* to live worthy of the covenants we have made. This requires a constant reliance on the merits, mercy, and grace of the Savior, as Nephi taught in 2 Nephi 2:8.

This understanding must permeate our study of the scriptures and guide our efforts in Operation Iron Rod. We are not just gathering data for a training corpus; we are gathering understanding to better serve the Lord’s purposes in this dispensation. We must approach the Spirit-guided work with the full knowledge that our capacity to serve is always augmented by the enabling power of Christ.

Brothers and sisters, let us move beyond merely acknowledging Christ’s sacrifice and begin to actively study how His grace enables us to press forward in our covenants, to become better disciples, and to build Zion in the modern world. Let this realization deepen our testimony and refine our efforts in the Restoration.

Study Prompt: Re-read Mosiah 3:19, keeping in mind the distinction between *cleansing* and *enabling*. How does recognizing the Atonement's enabling power change your approach to a specific covenant commitment this week?