I Choose to Believe in the Power of Christ's Atonement

Women's Conference Talk by Miriam Franson

I sat at a lunch recently with some dear friends who shared their discouragement with their college-age daughters’ struggles to find men to date who do not or have not had issues with pornography. They just don't want their daughters to have to deal with that! I am sure we all can relate to deep feelings of concern for how battles with addiction today affect not only now, but the marriages and families of our children and grandchildren.

As I sat at that lunch and in other circumstances where the question, “Can people really change? Truly overcome and begin new?” is wrestled with, I’ve wished I knew how to share my own depth of belief in the power of the Savior’s Atonement to do just that. I’ve felt His power help me move past things in my own life, and have seen it transform the lives of people I dearly love.

I have come to believe that there are many more hopeful stories than we realize sitting all around us, but out of loyalty, self-preservation, and a desire not to have it be the headline of life moving forward, we don’t hear them.

When a single friend of mine moved here from out of state, I asked her if there was anything tough for her about the move to Utah. She said, “I don’t know if people here really believe that the Atonement works. They talk about it, but do they really believe that it can change lives?”

The Difficult Path of Forgiveness

by Mechelle Wingle
There was a time in my life when I had been offended. I was always the one thinking that people “should just not be offended.” I believe there is truth in that thinking even now. But I could tell myself until I was blue in the face to not be hurt, but I was. I prayed and fasted and spent hours listening to conference talks, all in an effort to earn the blessing of forgiveness. It didn’t come like I wanted it to come. It was such a hard time in my life.

During this period of time I completed my daily scripture goal and it was time to start a new study. I couldn’t bring myself to begin something new. I was so hurt and felt that I needed something from Heavenly Father – some kind of jump start or blessing.

I prayed and fasted and spent hours listening to conference talks, all in an effort to earn the blessing of forgiveness. It didn’t come like I wanted it to come.

I had tried so hard and felt like I was not getting the help that I needed and deserved. I had put a lot in the "bank," and I felt I deserved to make a withdrawal. My scripture study stopped. I wish I could say that I felt something was missing so I got back to it but it didn’t. Life went on just as it had when I had been spending all that time in study and in prayer. I was in pain – still hurt.