In his Saturday morning address, President Boyd K. Packer, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught that all who repent and forsake sin will find Christ’s outstretched, merciful arm.
“The Savior wrought the Atonement, which provides a way for us to become clean,” President Packer said. “Jesus Christ is the resurrected Christ. We worship and recognize Him for the pain He suffered for us collectively and for the pain He endured for each one of us individually, in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. He bore all with great humility and with an eternal understanding of His divine role and purpose.”
The scriptures are replete with testimonies of Christ the Redeemer — the divine source of all hope, he noted.
“Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we are all redeemed from the fall of man, which occurred when Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, as stated in Corinthians, ‘For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive’ ”(1 Corinthians 15:22).
Peace, declared President Packer, can be realized by all who listen and heed Christ’s words and the words of His chosen servants — even in the midst of great heartache and sorrow.
“The result of His sacrifice is to free us from the effects of sin that all may have guilt erased and feel hope.”
The mercy and grace of Jesus Christ are not limited to those who commit sins either by commission or omission. “It encompasses the promise of everlasting peace to all who will follow and accept Him and His teachings. His mercy is the mighty healer, even to the wounded innocent.”
Through the Savior’s sacrifice, one can shake the burdens of regret for sin or offending another.
“The guilt that accompanies mistakes can be washed away,” said President Packer. “If we seek to understand His Atonement, we will come to a deep reverence for the Lord Jesus Christ, His earthly ministry and His divine mission as our Savior.”
The Church was restored to move throughout the world the knowledge of the life and teachings of the Savior. General conference is being broadcast in 94 languages to 102 countries and via the Internet. Church membership has passed 15 million.
“But no matter how large the organization of the Church becomes or how many millions of members join our ranks, no matter how many continents and countries our missionaries enter or how many different languages we speak, the true success of the gospel of Jesus Christ will be measured by the spiritual strength of its individual members. We need the strength of conviction that is found in the heart of every loyal disciple of Christ.”
Each member, he added, serves as a testimony of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
“We are at war with the forces of the adversary, and we need each and every one of us if we are going to succeed in the work the Savior has for us to do,” President Packer declared.
