Christ’s Atonement Is Both Cleansing and Enabling, Elder Hirst Teaches at BYU–Idaho

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By Kaitlyn Bancroft, Church News

Someone once asked Elder Karl D. Hirst, General Authority Seventy, an “inspired” question: “I know that repentance allows me to access the cleansing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, but how do I access His enabling power?”

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints know that when they do something wrong, repentance sets it right, Elder Hirst said. But “repentance” — a change to one’s mind and spirit — can also help good people become better, he said.

“I believe that what we know about accessing the Lord’s cleansing power also applies to accessing His enabling power,” Elder Hirst said.

Elder Hirst spoke about the cleansing and enabling powers of the Savior’s Atonement during a Brigham Young University–Idaho devotional on Tuesday, November 18. He was joined by his wife, Claire.

“I believe that we can repent to become better, not just to become cleansed,” Elder Hirst said. “Repentance, daily repentance, will bring relief and strength from Jesus Christ in moments of suffering because of our inadequacy as well as moments of suffering because of our sin. He gives strength to overcome sin and strength to overcome self.”

A Fuller Understanding of Repentance

Elder Hirst said that the word “repentance” doesn’t mean only “to pursue cleansing,” but individuals sometimes think that’s all it means. And while repentance is undoubtedly cleansing — “wonderfully, absolutely, even perfectly” — individuals sometimes think that the Savior’s power is limited to erasing sin.

“Repenting exclusively to seek cleansing from sin is like having your dream car but only driving it in reverse gear,” Elder Hirst said. “Not that cleansing is a backwards use of repentance, but … it’s still only ever about what’s behind us.”

Understanding repentance in a complete way, Elder Hirst continued, makes the process so much more joyful and powerful than when applied only to sin. Repentance is about a person’s full self, he said; it’s the difference between saying a prayer and establishing a deep connection with God, or between studying the scriptures and feasting on the word of God.

“It isn’t just about making covenants, but knowing the covenant maker,” Elder Hirst said. “Jesus Christ left nothing undone for us and now He offers us everything He has. The ‘everything’ that we offer Him is pale by comparison, but it is enough for Him. Wholeheartedness is part of repentance.”

Grace, Healing, Patience and Guilt

Elder Hirst also spoke about how grace, healing, patience and guilt fit into the repentance process.

Regarding grace, Elder Hirst said that no one has any right to the Lord’s saving and redeeming power, but He gives it freely — that’s what makes it grace.

“Grace is beautiful because she works where fairness and justice have no power,” Elder Hirst said. “When justice can’t, grace gives anyway. … Our Savior’s grace is abundant in any true understanding of repentance.”

Regarding healing, Elder Hirst said that a person’s poorer choices are often an attempt to soothe pain. It doesn’t surprise him, then, that the times Christ offered forgiveness are often closely connected to the times He offered healing.

“Whatever deep and unmet needs we’re trying to soothe by our baser choices, He’s the only one who perfectly understands how hard it is for us, what real healing is like and how to provide it,” Elder Hirst said. “Healing in connection with our weakness is one of the ways that we can be deeply strengthened through repentance rather than merely experiencing an adjustment in our behavior.”

Regarding patience, Elder Hirst said repentance can be a slower process than a person might like; but Heavenly Father knows what an individual needs and the pace they need it at. “It may be more important to a loving and insightful Father in Heaven to give us the patience we need before the gift we seek.”

And regarding guilt, Elder Hirst said it’s important to separate guilt from shame. Guilt is “a healthy spiritual signal” that leads to change, while shame is “a liar.”

“Shame is parasitic,” Elder Hirst said. “It applies itself to guilt to try and turn guilt into an identity issue. … Shame is the way we feel when the adversary speaks to our inadequacy. It’s not a divine product. Shame is how Satan tries to drain hope from our accountability.”

A Joyful Process

Elder Hirst concluded with his testimony that repentance is a joyful process.

“​​When I hear the command to repent, I also hear a parallel command to rejoice,” he said. “Can you see how this really is the great plan of happiness? Sometimes, when the plan doesn’t seem that way, it’s just about learning more about it.”