Faith, an Anchor for the Soul

Brad Wilcox and Wendee Wilcox

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This address was given Thursday, May 3, 2007, at the BYU Women’s Conference

© 2007 by Brigham Young University Women’s Conference. All rights reserved

For further information write:
BYU Women’s Conference
352 Harman Continuing Education Building
Provo, Utah 84602
801-422-7692
E-mail: womens_conference@byu.edu
Home page: http://womensconference.byu.edu
______________________________________________________________________

In Ether 12:4 we read: “Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for
a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith,
maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast,
always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.”

Steadfastness and good works come from hope and faith, but not just any faith. Many
people who are not members of the Church believe in God. They even like to swap
stories over the Internet about God and angels. Still, in many cases their faith doesn’t
affect or change them. They rarely make any choice in their lives differently because of
their professed faith than they would if they had no faith at all. Faith is not an anchor to
them. That helps us better understand what Joseph Smith taught in the Lectures on
Faith. He said that true faith is more than knowing there is a God. It is knowing God—
knowing His attributes and His relationship to us. We must know He has a plan for us
and that we are living in accordance with that plan.1 Many people believe there is a
higher power, but without knowing Him, they are limited in accessing that higher power
to help them improve. Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve has said:
“You must understand and use the power of the interaction of faith and character. God
uses your faith to mold your character. . . . In turn, fortified character expands your
ability to exercise faith.”2 That is the life-changing cycle that many have yet to discover.

Christians have faith in Jesus Christ, but not a true faith as Joseph Smith described.
Millions of Christians in this world follow Christ and many do so with all sincerity of
heart. But it is one thing to follow Christ and another thing entirely to be led by Him.
Latter-day Saints are the only Christians on this globe who are led by Christ the same
way He has always led His people, through living prophets and apostles. That sets our
faith apart. Just as Joseph Smith defined a true faith in God, we testify that a true faith
in Christ is more than just knowing about Him like many in the world, or even believing
He is divine like many Christians. We must know His Atonement is real. We must use it
to be transformed, and we must realize it is a continuous force in our lives.

The Atonement Is Real

We remember a man in Chile who asked, “Who needs a Savior?” Obviously, he has no
understanding of the Fall and its effects. He certainly doesn’t understand the
precariousness and limited duration of his present state. Perhaps this man has not yet
felt the sting of death. But he will. Perhaps he has justified and rationalized his sins for
so long that he doesn’t feel the sting of guilt, remorse, and shame. But he will. Sooner
or later, someone close to him will die and he will know what it is like to feel as if part
of his soul is being buried right along with the body of his loved one. On that day, he
will hurt. He will need a Savior. Sooner or later, he will run out of escape routes and
have to face himself in the mirror knowing full well that his sinful, selfish choices have
affected others as well as himself. On that day, he will hurt. He will need a Savior.

But the blessings of the Atonement are not limited to freedom from death and sin. It is
also there when we feel down, overwhelmed, afraid, and alone. The Atonement is there
when we face sickness, pain, or the consequences of the choices of others. It is even
there when we make mistakes—not intentional sins, just stupid mistakes. When we hurt,
we need a Savior.

John the Baptist cried, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord. . . . Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be brought low” (Luke 3:4–5). That is what Jesus
does for us. If the knuckles of my hand represent the valleys and mountains of my life,
it is Jesus who offers to hold our hand through both the highs and the lows. He makes
the mountains manageable and fills the valleys.

The word atonement is from the ancient Hebrew word Kaphar, which means to cover.
Isn’t it interesting that when Adam and Eve discovered their nakedness in the Garden of
Eden, God sent Jesus to make coats of skins to cover them? Coats of skins don’t grow
on trees. They had to be made from an animal, which means an animal had to be killed.
Perhaps that was the very first animal sacrifice. Because of that sacrifice, Adam and Eve
were covered. In the same way, through Jesus’s sacrifice, we are also covered.

When Adam and Eve left the garden, the only things they could take to remind them of
that place were the coats of skins. The one thing we take with us out of the temple to
remind us of that heavenly place is a similar covering. We are always surprised when
we hear women say they don’t like their garment or that they don’t think it is feminine
enough. The garment reminds us of covenants, protects us, and even promotes modesty.
However, to us it is much more. The garment is a powerful and personal symbol of the
Atonement—a constant reminder both night and day that because of Jesus, we are
covered.

The Atonement Is Transforming

But is it enough to know that the Savior sacrificed for us, that His Atonement is real?
Many Christians know of these realities without fully understanding their complete
purpose. Jesus did not come only to save us, but also to redeem us. Most of our lives we
have thought the two terms were synonymous, but that is not the case. The second
question in the temple recommend interview is: Do you have a testimony of the
Atonement of Christ and His role as savior and redeemer? The words describe two
separate roles and having a testimony of both roles is essential.

By definition, a redeemer is one who buys or wins back; one who frees us from
captivity or debt by the payment of ransom; one who returns or restores us to our
original position. However, since our family’s mission in Chile we have come to
appreciate an additional definition: A redeemer is one who changes us for the better. If
our whole goal is just to be in God’s presence again, then why did we leave it in the first
place? In the premortal existence we were already with God, but we were also painfully
aware that we were not like Him physically or spiritually. We wanted to be like our
Heavenly Parents and knew it was going to take a lot more than just dressing up in their
clothes the way little children do. We needed to fill their shoes and not just clomp
around in them. The goal is not just being with God, but being like God. It is common
to hear people say, “God loves us and wants us back.” But that is only partially right.
Christ’s redemption doesn’t just put us back where we were. It makes us better. God
loves us so much He doesn’t just want us back. He wants us better. Some are old
enough to remember the six-million-dollar man. (He would cost a lot more today!) At
the beginning of the TV show the voice would say, “We can rebuild him. We can make
him better than before.” That’s what Jesus does for us.

At Easter time we sing the hymn, “He Is Risen,” by Cecil Frances Alexander. The text
speaks of Christ’s saving role—His victory over death and how He has freed us from
sin. But notice how the third verse also speaks of Christ’s redeeming role: It says:

“He is risen! He is risen!

He hath opened heaven’s gate.
We are free from sin’s dark prison,
Risen to a holier state.”3

John W. Welch has taught that the parable of the Good Samaritan can be viewed as an
allegory of the fall and redemption of mankind. A certain man (Adam) fell and was left
for dead. Finally a Samaritan—he that was hated of men (Christ)—saved him. But, the
Samaritan didn’t just bind his wounds and restore him to the health he enjoyed
previously. He also took him to an inn and paid additional funds to take care of him.
Based on this allegory, Christ’s redemption does not stop with restoring us to life. It
also provides a better quality of life (see Luke 10:25–35).4

Once, after a lesson about how Jesus had suffered for all of us, a young man said, “I
never asked Jesus to do that for me. If anyone has to suffer for my sins, I will do it for
myself.” This young man was ignorant of the amount and degree of suffering we are
talking about. In Doctrine and Covenants 19:18 the Lord says, “Which suffering caused
myself, even God, the greatest of all to tremble because of pain and to bleed at every
pore, and to suffer both body and spirit.”

But along with not understanding the extent of the suffering, this boy was also ignorant
of just what suffering can and cannot do. D&C 19 makes it clear that those who do not
repent and accept Jesus’s Atonement “must suffer even as [he did].” So will that cocky
teenager be able to suffer for his own sins and then waltz into the celestial kingdom and
live with God and his family eternally? Will he be beaten “with a few stripes and at last
. . . be saved in the kingdom of God”? (2 Nephi 28:8). No. The Book of Mormon makes
it clear that such an idea is false, vain, and foolish (see 2 Nephi 28:9). While one can
meet the demands of justice by suffering for his own sins, such suffering will not
change him. Just as a criminal can pay his debt to justice by doing time in prison and
walk out no different, suffering alone does not guarantee change. Real change can only
come through Jesus.
We must accept Christ, not because it will save us some pain down the road, but
because it is the only way we can become new creatures (see 2 Cor. 5:17; Mosiah 3:19).
No one walks into the celestial kingdom simply because a debt is paid, whether it is
paid by Jesus or by ourselves. The justified must still be sanctified. Those who dwell
with God are those who have come to be like Him through fulfilling what He asks. He
who met the conditions of justice now turns and meets us with a few conditions of His
own. What He asks of us does not pay justice, but helps us change. Christ asks faith,
repentance, ordinances, and covenants—not to pay justice, but to allow the Spirit to
begin to change and sanctify us.

We once imagined the final judgment as a time when people would be begging Jesus to
let them stay in His presence and He would have to say, “Sorry. You missed it by two
points.” Then the person would beg Jesus to reconsider. Now we imagine the scene
quite differently. Instead of an unworthy person saying, “Let me stay. Let me stay,.” we
think he will be saying, “Let me leave. Let me leave.” The unworthy will choose to
leave Christ’s presence because they will not be comfortable. No one will have to be
kicked out. Sadly enough, he will leave on his own.

We’ve heard our current mortal condition described in many ways. Some say we are in
a hole. Others say we are in debt or that we are lost. Whatever the analogy, Jesus
doesn’t just save us by lifting us out of the hole. He redeems us by lifting us to a much
higher plain. He doesn’t just save us by paying the debt. He redeems us by paying us in
addition. He doesn’t just save us by finding the lost. He redeems us by guiding us home.
Jesus not only opened to us the possibility of returning to God’s presence, but also of
returning with His image in our countenances. Redemption is more than paying justice
and bringing everyone back to God. It is mercifully giving us the opportunity of being
comfortable there. Not only can we go home, but we can also feel at home.

The Atonement Is Continuous

The Atonement is real, and through repentance and sanctification it is transforming. But
that transforming change is a process that takes time—a long time. The Atonement is a
continuous force in our lives. Perfection is the ultimate goal, but we get lots of chances
to reach it.

Our friend Brett Sanders once pointed out a lesson to be learned when a new priest is
blessing the sacrament. He is nervous and messes up when reading the prayer. He
knows the prayers have to be perfect and that expectation can’t be lowered. So what
happens when the priest makes a mistake? He looks at the bishop, who nods his head
and the priest simply begins again. What if he stumbles a second time or a third? Does
he finally just give up or is there a trap door that opens and he falls through? No. He just
starts again. How many times? As many times as it takes to get it right.

When Brad was serving as the bishop of a BYU ward a young man came to him to
confess. He unloaded everything he had ever done wrong since elementary school. Brad
heard what he had never had the courage to tell another bishop, stake president, mission
president, or parent. While the sins were not of major proportions, they needed to be
confessed and should have been taken care of years earlier. Imagine the young man’s
relief and joy as he finally let go of all he had been carrying so needlessly, privately,
and personally for so long. Brad prayed and reviewed some scriptures with him. They
discussed the role of confession in the repentance process and set goals for the future.
When that young man left Brad’s office he almost floated out of the room.

The following Sunday Brad looked for him in church, but didn’t see him. The next
week he wasn’t there either. Brad called his apartment and left messages. Finally Brad
went over. The young man answered the door, but didn’t invite Brad in. The boy’s
countenance was dark and his eyes hollow. His comments were negative and sarcastic,
revealing his depressed mood. Brad asked if he could come in and talk with him.

The young man said, “Like that will make any difference?” His words were cold and
hard. “Just face it, Bishop, the Church isn’t true. No one can even prove there is a God.
It’s all just a joke, so don’t waste your time.”

Wow! From floating on air to the pit of despair, and all in a matter of days. Brad’s first
reaction was to become angry. He had no call to be so rude. Brad also wanted to defend
the truthfulness of the Church and the existence of God, but then he had one of those
bishop moments. Instead of raising his voice or quoting scripture, Brad simply said,
“You messed up again, didn’t you?”

The young returned missionary’s darkened expression melted and he began to cry.
Between sobs he motioned Brad into his empty apartment and they sat together on the
couch. The young man said, “Bishop, I’m sorry. I just feel so bad. I finally repented. I
was finally clean. I finally put it all behind me. I finally used the Atonement and felt so
good. Then I blew it all over again. Now, my former sins have returned and I feel like
the worst person in the world.”

“So the Church is true and there is a God after all?” Brad asked.

“Of course,” he said sheepishly.

“So you just need another chance?”

“But that’s the problem. D&C 58:43: ‘By this may ye know if a man repenteth of his
sins, behold he will confess them and forsake them.’ I confessed. I didn’t forsake. So I
didn’t really repent. It’s over.”

“Tell me about the Savior’s grace then.”

He said, “Oh, you know 2 Nephi 25:23: We are saved by grace ‘after all we can do.’ We
do our best and then Christ makes up the difference. But I did that and it didn’t work. I
still went out and did the same old dumb thing. I blew it. Nothing changed.”

Brad said, “Hold on. What do you mean Christ makes up the difference? Christ doesn’t
just make up the difference. He makes all the difference. He requires us to repent, but
not as part of paying justice—only as part of helping us to change.”

The young man said, “I thought it was like buying a bike. I pay all I can and then Jesus
pays the rest.”

I said, “I love Brother Robinson’s parable. He has helped us all see that there are two
essential parts that must be completed, but I think of it more like this: Jesus already
bought the whole bike. The few coins he asks from me are not so much to help pay for
the bike, but rather to help me value it and appreciate it.”

The returned missionary said, “Either way, it doesn’t matter since I just crashed the
bike. So much for grace!”

Brad said, “Wait. What do you mean, so much for grace? You think this is just a one-
shot deal? Don’t you realize that Jesus has a whole garage full of bikes? Knowing that
Christ makes the difference doesn’t mean much unless we also realize how often He
does it. The miracle of the Atonement is that He will forgive our sins (plural) and that is
not just multiple sins, but also multiple times we commit the same sin.”

Of course we don’t condone sin. Joseph Smith taught clearly that “repentance is a thing
that cannot be trifled with everyday.”5 Still, the same Jesus who forgives those who
“know not what they do” (Luke 23:24), will also forgive those of us who know exactly
what we do and just can’t seem to stop (see Rom. 3:23).

Brad said to the returned missionary, “Christ commanded us to forgive others 70 times
7 times (see Matt. 18:22). And we don’t think He is going to forgive us more than
once?”

The young man’s face began to show hints of a smile. “You’re saying there is still hope
for me?”

“Now you are beginning to understand grace,” Brad said.

In 1 Corinthians 15:9 we read that there is always hope in Christ. Elder Neal A.
Maxwell called the gospel inexhaustible.6 Perhaps that is a good word for the
Atonement as well—the inexhaustible Atonement. We hear many words associated with
the Atonement. We hear it is infinite, eternal, everlasting, perfect, divine,
incomprehensible, inexplicable, and even personal and individual. However, there is
another word that must be more closely associated with the Atonement if we are ever
going to be able to maintain hope in this world full of addictions. And that word is
continuous—the continuous Atonement.

Preach My Gospel explains, “Ideally, repenting of a specific sin should be necessary

only once. However, if the sin is repeated, repentance is available as a means of healing.
Repentance may involve an emotional and physical process.”7

So next time a priest in your ward has to begin the sacrament prayers again—next time
he has to start over—just remember that is what the sacrament is all about. That’s what
the Atonement is all about—the continuous Atonement.

Verbal expressions of belief or faith can’t save us. True faith always results in
faithfulness. True faith in Jesus Christ is trust in, confidence in, and reliance upon the
Atonement. We must know it is real, that its purpose is to transform us, and that it will
be there as long as that perfecting process takes. It is continuous. With that testimony,
we, like the returned missionary, can surely hope for a better world, yea even a place at
the right hand of God. That is the hope and true faith that becomes an anchor to our
souls.

When we, or those we love, are stuck in cycles of compulsive behavior, and we say,
“I’ll never do it again” and then we do it and we say, “I’ll never do it again” and then
we do it and we say, “This is so stupid. I will never do it again” and then we do it—
there is always hope.

We don’t have to pretend there is no God or desperately try to find reasons why the
Church is not true in order to avoid change. We don’t have to seek out others who are
struggling so we feel justified, or hate those who aren’t struggling so we can feel better.
We don’t have to hate ourselves. We just have to let faith be an anchor for our souls and
begin again. How many times? As many times as it takes. We can have true faith
because we have a Savior who covers us, a Redeemer who transforms us, and a Good
Shepherd who is willing to go in search of us again and again—continuously.

Notes
1. See Lectures on Faith
2. “Living Right,” Ensign, January 2007, 10–12.
3. Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1985), no. 199; emphasis added.
4. “The Good Samaritan: Forgotten Symbols,” Ensign, February 2007, 41–47.
5. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1976),
148.
6. [biography], 345.
7. (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2005), 187.