by Amanda D

Elder Hales once said, “When the challenges of mortality come, and they come for all of us, it may seem hard to have faith and hard to believe at these times. Only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement can bring us peace, hope and understanding. Only faith that He suffered for our sakes will give us the strength to endure to the end. When we gain this faith, we experience a mighty change of heart, and like Enos, we become stronger and begin to feel a desire for the welfare of our brothers and sisters. We pray for them, that they too will be lifted and strengthen them through faith on the atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
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I was thinking recently about what the atonement means for me in my life and I thought a lot about my nine-year-old son. I’ve done most of my motherhood learning on him. I’m so far from perfect. He has gotten the brunt of my yelling, my frustration, my imperfection and my expectations that are too high.

When I’ve let my temper get the best of me, my son simmers for a few minutes and then forgives me. He puts those negative moments out of his mind. He doesn’t hide away from me. He still wants to be with me and talk and play.

I think this is kind of like Jesus Christ.

He suffered such unimaginable pain for us. For us – for me and for you. Jesus Christ forgives us. Not just once, but over and over again. Each and every time that we make a mistake, He forgives if we take the correct steps and do what we can to repent.
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When I think of the atonement, I think of a night shortly after we moved eight hundred miles from home. I was so lonely. I was stressed out and worried, and I was sitting on the bed and I was crying.

The house was quiet and I suddenly felt a warmth come over me. I felt the arms of the Lord wrap around me. I felt His love for me. I felt his reassurance that we had done the right thing and were where we were supposed to be. I felt the comfort that can only come through the spirit of the Lord.

I know that these feelings I experienced were possible because of the sacrifice of God’s Son for us.
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To sum it up, the atonement is many things to me: Hope, Comfort, Guidance, Peace, Forgiveness, Love, Perspective and Strength.