BYU-Idaho service missionary teaches about receiving the blessings of the atonement  

Elder Steven C. Wheelwright, a service missionary in the Brigham Young University-Idaho Executive Office, gave the campus devotional address Tuesday, May 1, teaching students how to receive the blessings of the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Wheelwright reminded the audience of the devotional given by President Kim B. Clark two weeks earlier, saying he would build on that address and "focus my remarks on the promised blessings of the Savior's atonement and, more particularly, on how we can receive those blessing each day.

Wheelwright said the Atonement gave conditional and unconditional blessings. He described the unconditional blessings as ones that "require no action on our part to be received."

Wheelwright cited three unconditional blessings of the atonement, quoting Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. These are that humankind is not responsible for Adam's original transgression, that every person will be resurrected, and that little children and the mentally impaired will be saved.

"We all tend to have clear in our minds the blessings of the atonement that are unconditional and may find it relatively easy to espouse faith in them," he said. "But the blessings of the atonement that are conditional, that depend on our actions, we often find challenging to understand and we sometimes fail to put forth the work and effort required to obtain them, or even understand them."

Wheelwright said these blessings often come after this life. But he said many of them are available in this life.

"While we often focus on the blessings of eternal life in the world to come, I'd like to focus on the nearer term promise-the promise of peace in this world," he said.

Wheelwright described peace as the blessing of the atonement. He then gave four "roadblocks" on the path to peace, warning students to avoid them.

The first roadblock to peace is personal sins and their consequences. He used examples from the scriptures of the sorrow that comes from sin and the joy and peace that comes from repentance.

"Of course one of the best ways to sustain this type of peace is to strive to avoid sin and to adopt standards for ourselves that will guide us to activities that are uplifting and enriching," Wheelwright said.

The second roadblock is the consequences of personal sins on other people.

"The sins of others invariably affect those around them. We often feel wronged, slighted or offended because of the sins of others," he said. "The atonement's solution is forgiveness, leaving judgment and punishment to the Lord and in exchange receiving His peace."

The third roadblock is the circumstances of this mortal existence, the trials we face.

"[The] solution is agency; we are free to act or be acted upon. We can decide how we will respond to circumstance and the Savior will assist us in enduring and overcoming whatever that circumstance may be. The daily choices we make...have a profound impact on our whole outlook on life," he said.

The fourth roadblock is the "myth of mortal perfection," or belief that a person doesn't need the help of God.

"This myth of perfectionism results in part from the prideful notion of self-sufficiency," he said. "The Lord promises us that if we humble ourselves before Him and have faith in Him, His grace will help us overcome all of our personal weaknesses."

Wheelwright concluded by explaining that accepting the Savior's invitation to come unto Him is the definition of conversion. By taking advantage of the blessings of the atonement a person becomes fully converted.

"I know that the atonement has all power to sanctify us, to lift our burdens and to replace sadness and despair with joy and peace," he said. "It has done so repeatedly for me and my family. I cannot imagine life without these daily blessings."

Next week's devotional speaker will be Elder John K. Carmack, an emeritus member of the First Quorum of the Seventy.  Devotionals are held every Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Hart auditorium with additional seating in the Taylor Chapel.  Devotionals are broadcast on KBYI-FM 100.5 at 2 p.m. and rebroadcast Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m.