The Enabling Power of the Atonement

Today I listened to Elder Bednar’s classic address In the Strength of the Lord which he gave at BYU in 2001.  In this talk he encouraged us to consider two aspects of the atonement: the redeeming and the enabling powers of the atonement.  He taught that the atonement both helps to overcome sin and also to be given strength to overcome challenges and become better.  Of the latter he said, “The enabling power of the Atonement strengthens us to do and be good and serve beyond our own individual desire and natural capacity.”  In other words, the atonement of the Savior can help give us power to do more than we would otherwise be able to do and face our challenges with His strength and help.  Elder Bednar suggested that “the Book of Mormon is replete with examples of disciples and prophets who knew and understood and were transformed by the enabling power of the Atonement.”  One of those examples was Nephi who was given power to break the bands his brothers put upon him, to find food when it seemed impossible, to build a ship against all odds, and to cross the ocean despite the great difficulty.  He was the epitome of one who did everything he could himself and then trusted in the Lord.    

               I believe we do see many other examples of those who were given strength by the Lord to face and overcome their challenges in the Book of Mormon.  Alma taught his son Helaman, “I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day” (Alma 36:3).  That is precisely what the enabling power of the atonement does for us.  We see it for example when Alma was battling Amlici and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people.”  The account tells us that “he was strengthened” and because of that he was able to defeat the wicked Amlici (Alma 2:30-31).  The people of Zeniff similarly went against their enemies “in the strength of the Lord to battle” (Mosiah 10:10).  His grandson Limhi taught his people, “But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage” (Mosiah 7:33).  And that’s exactly what happened; the Lord strengthened them be able to escape out of their servitude to the Lamanites.  Lamani taught us this important principle about the Lord’s ability to help us: “I know, in the strength of the Lord thou canst do all things” (Alma 20:4).  The story of the people of Lachoneus is another example of that principle.  They were threatened with extinction by the Gadianton robbers and Lachoneus taught them, “As the Lord liveth, except ye repent of all your iniquities, and cry unto the Lord, ye will in nowise be delivered out of the hands of those Gadianton robbers” (3 Nephi 3:15).  They did cry unto the Lord and were indeed miraculously preserved from their enemies.  Again and again the Book of Mormon we see the message that we must trust in the Lord’s strength in whatever difficulty we may be in.  Christ’s power not only allows us to overcome sin but also to successfully face the daily battles of life, if we “put [our] trust I the Lord” (Mosiah 4:6).