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I just finished reading “The Continuous Atonement” by Brad Wilcox.
Quick Take: Will increase your hope in the saving and transforming power of the Atonement.
Longer Take:
After hearing Brad Wilcox’s excellent General Conference talk (“Worthiness is not Flawlessness”), I knew I needed to get more of this fantastic orator. And it just so happened that I had “The Continuous Atonement” on my bookshelf already. 😊
In “The Continuous Atonement,” Brad Wilcox gives the reader an increased level of hope in the saving and transforming power of the Atonement. He works under the thesis that most people believe the Atonement only works after we have done most of the work (I have often caught myself thinking like this). Instead, he teaches that the Atonement can have continuous power at every point in our journey.
I enjoyed “The Continuous Atonement,” but I had hoped for a bit more. I was so blown away by other talks of Wilcox that I was expecting to be equally winded. I had expected more of a life-changing experience. Having said that, I would still recommend this book to anyone wanting increased hope in and understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Some of My Favourite Quotes:
“I chose to assume those readings words are the soft-shelled survivors of many a massive doctrinal overdose focusing on the ‘Thou shalts’ and the ‘Thou shalt nots.’ Let’s leave the afflicting for another day. The purpose of this book is to comfort.”
“Christ commanded us to forgive others seventy times seven times. Why is it so hard for us to believe he would forgive us with them once?”
“…the same Jesus who forgives those who ‘know not what they do’ also stands ready to forgive those of us who know exactly what we do.”
“…the Atonement … can’t be used up. It doesn’t run out or expire. There’s nothing on it that says ‘Best used by this date.’. It will always be a force in our lives.”
“President Boyd K. Packer … testified that even “an ordinary soul – struggling against temptation, failing and repenting, and failing again and repenting, but always determined to keep [his] covenants can still expect to one day hear ‘Well done thou good and faithful servant.’”
“Sister Chieko N. Okazaki has said: ‘[Christ is] not waiting for us to be perfect. Perfect people don’t need a Savior.’”
“Christ’s redemption doesn’t just restore the status quo by putting us back where we were. It makes us better. … To be admitted to His presence, we must be more than clean. Must also can be changed.”
“… Any effort is pleasing to God even if He and I both know it is not my all or my best. It may be far from an acceptable offering, but God accepts it because ultimately He is more concerned with the offerer and the offering. Elder Gerald N. Lund wrote: ‘Remember that one of Satan’s strategies, especially with good people, is to whisper in that ear’s: ‘If you are not perfect, you are failing.’ This is one of his most effective deceptions … We should recognize that God is pleased with every effort we make – no matter how faltering – to better ourselves.’”
“I no longer say, ‘The Lord helps those who help themselves’, but instead, ‘The Lord and helps us to help ourselves.’”
“When I slip, instead of saying ‘I have failed’, I try to say ‘I have not yet succeeded.’ Instead of saying look how far there is to go,’ I try to say ‘Look how far God and Christ have brought me.’ Instead of saying ‘I can’t keep my covenants,’, I try to say ‘I can’t do it now, but with heaven’s help I can learn.’ Instead of saying ‘I can’t walk on water,’ I try to say ‘At least I got out of the boat!’ In scripture we learn that even Christ received not of the fulness at first … but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness.” Can we expect our progress to be quicker?”
