Elder Bednar says, “The enabling power of the Atonement of Christ strengthens us to do things we could never do on our own.” “Most of us know that when we do things wrong and need help to overcome the effects of sin in our lives, the Savior has made it possible for us to become clean through His redeeming power. But, do we also understand that the Atonement is for faithful men and women who are obedient, worthy, and who are striving to become better and serve more faithfully? I wonder if we fail to fully acknowledge this strengthening aspect of the Atonement in our lives and mistakenly believe we must carry our load all alone—through sheer grit, willpower, and discipline and with our obviously limited capacities.
It is one thing to know that Jesus Christ came to the earth to die for us. But, we also need to appreciate that the Lord desires, through His Atonement and by the power of the Holy Ghost, to enliven us—not only to guide but also to strengthen and heal us.
I know that I have had experiences in my life and in the life of others around me where I have seen and acknowledged the redeemtive side of the Atonement However I didn’t know that first hand I would be able to experience and recognize in my life the Strengthening and Enabling power of the Atonement.
After we had our fourth baby I had a postpatum hemmorage. It was scary and I was nervous and in shock. I pleaded to Our Father in Heaven that everything would be ok and that my body would function properly. Through the tender mercies of the Lord I was blessed and strengthened and all was well. However that experience left me quite traumatized and the thought of having any more children was not even an option in my mind. I was lucky to be alive and raise the children that we had been blessed with. However many years went by and then we received the gentle prompting from the holy ghost that our family was not complete and another one was waiting...I was distrought, scared and nervous. In my heart I knew that if it was supposed to happen then everything would be ok. But my mind had a hard time letting me believe it. I had a choice to make. I could either follow the promptings of the spirit that led to a confirmation through much prayer, OR let fear overcome me and choose not to. With faith I decided to aline my will with my Heavenly Father’s will for me and my family.
The pregnancy started out hard with having dizzy spells and getting morning sickness at 6wks that continued on and off till I delivered. I knew that I was going to be sick because of past pregnancies but this time it was difficult to deal with as I had 4 other kids at home and my husband is a busy anes resident. I thought to myself...why does this have to be SO hard, if it is the will of God? Honestly at the time the only thing that sufficed that question was...well I guess it was still hard for the Savior while he was fulfilling the will of God so why should it be any easier for me?
In Alma it says,
“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
“And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities”
To me that gives me hope and faith to know that He knows how to succor His people because he has Felt and bourne our individual burdens no matter how small or big they may be.
Elder Bednar says, There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first. In a moment of weakness we may cry out, “No one knows what it is like. No one understands.” But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice (see Alma 34:14), He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power.
The Savior said in Matthew 11....”Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Elder Bednar says, Covenants received and honored with integrity and ordinances performed by proper priesthood authority are necessary to receive all of the blessings made available through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Making and keeping covenants yokes us to and with the Lord Jesus Christ. In essence the Savior is beckoning us to rely on Him and pull together even though our best efforts are not comparable with the Savior. --So if I understand that right? By making Covenants by the proper priesthood authority we are already yoked! He is already right there, we just have to rely on Him... then why at times do we think we have to do it all by ourselves! Well, I am learning that I didn’t and I never had to!
Elder Bednar says, We are not and never need be alone. We can press forward in our daily lives with heavenly help. Through the Savior’s Atonement we can receive capacity and “strength beyond [our] own”
Looking back I can see the divine help that I received...I pleaded at times that the sickness would be taken away or that I wouldn’t have to experience ALL the uncomfortable things of pregnancy, but it was never taken away... The delivery was fast so no epidural and it was the most immense pain I have ever had to experience in my life! I Don’t recommend having babies without drugs!! The first six months of his life were a challenge with a very colicky baby, going off only a few hours of sleep, nursing, taking care of the other children and keeping the house in order! Which I am sure any parent can relate to of how chaotic life can be with babies! However as I reflect on that experience I was indeed blessed through the enabling power of the Atonement to do physically what in my own power I could not do! I learned that I by my own strength had reached my limit and that if it weren’t for the enabling power of the atonement I could NOT have done it...and not just done it by enduring it but by actually thriving and flourishing and being able to do all that was required of me! I was humbled that our prayers had been answered. Our baby was perfect and nourished for how sick I had been and I was ok and had a speedy recovery. It was miraculous! I am grateful to have trusted in the Lord to get me through the hardest of times physically as of yet . He didn’t take the pain away but I know that I was blessed to have patience, I was comforted and strengthened in body and spirit and that helped me to bear it easier. I truly felt Heavenly Father’s love for me and the Savior’s love.
in the BOM in Mosiah 24 this principle is related
“And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs” (Mosiah 24:14).
Many of us may assume this scripture is suggesting that a burden suddenly and permanently will be taken away. The next verse, however, describes how the burden was eased.
“And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord” (Mosiah 24:15; emphasis added).
Elder Bednar says, The challenges and difficulties were not immediately removed from the people. But Alma and his followers were strengthened, and their increased capacity made the burdens lighter. These good people were empowered through the Atonement to act as agents (see D&C 58:26–29) and impact their circumstances, And in the strength of the Lord Alma and his people were directed to safety in the land of Zarahemla.
I have learned now that what it was that I received was the Grace of God through my challenge and many, many tender mercies. Elder Bednar says if we replace the word grace in the scriptures with Strengthening and Enabling power of the Lord we would all better understand Grace. Grace for me has always been a confusing word to me, so I loved his simple explanation. The Savior often in our lives extends to us His grace without us even recognizing it, but as I have sought to learn more about this I feel like I am starting to actually recognize it in my life and I am humbled and know that I need it!
This seemingly small experience of mine made a big impact for me and my progression, as it has taught me more about trusting the Lord, about sacrifice, submitting to and understanding His will, about never being alone in our trials or challenges, about how to rely on His Strength and activate that enabling power, and about His love for me. I know that when we Trust in the Lord, have Faith and move forward with the Strength of the Lord we can do all things and do HARD things. His Enabling/Strengthing Power or grace and tender mercies are REAL. I know that Jesus is our Savior and we need him and His enabling power to get us through our hard times with ease. As covenant making and keeping people we can also tap into that power to become better, further progress in this life and ultimately achieve our potential. I know that the Savior knows how to succor his people in their times of need and that He loves us.
I want to end with this last quote from
Elder Bednar, “The unique burdens in each of our lives help us to rely upon the merits, mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah. I testify and promise the Savior will help us to bear up our burdens with ease. As we are yoked with Him through sacred covenants and receive the enabling power of His Atonement in our lives, we increasingly will seek to understand and live according to His will. We also will pray for the strength to learn from, change, or accept our circumstances rather than praying relentlessly for God to change our circumstances according to our will. We will become agents who act rather than objects that are acted upon.....As the Lord declared, “Therefore, continue your journey and let your hearts rejoice; for behold, and lo, I am with you even unto the end.”