In her devotional address given today titled “Finding Peace and Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Anna Taylor shared her testimony of the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Taylor is the online employment and scheduling director at BYU-Idaho.
In her address, Taylor told the story of her daughter, Janice, who underwent many health difficulties while serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While in the hospital, Janice took an optimistic and spiritual approach, which deepened her relationship with Jesus Christ and gave strength to her worried mother.
“The time spent alone in the hospital allowed Janice to recognize Jesus Christ's influence in her life during the good and bad times,” Taylor said. “She knew that Jesus Christ gave her the strength to endure her challenges.”
Taylor described the same experience but from her own perspective, saying she remembers hearing the words, “I hold Janice in my hands and I'm watching over her.”
“I remember coming up the hill and just that distinct impression of those words that I shared,” Taylor said in an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio. “I was ready to get on an airplane and head to Boston because I thought I was the only one that could take care of her. And when those words came, I just felt so much love from my Savior, like it was tangible, you could feel it.”
Taylor said Jesus Christ, through his suffering and pain, intimately comprehends the pain and heartache and despair that she herself felt, as well as her daughter.
“I've learned to rely on the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ for strength, comfort, and peace,” Taylor said. “Understanding the Atonement has revealed its expansive reach. He not only redeems us from sin but can heal every wound we may encounter in this mortal life.”
Taylor invites everyone to draw upon the enabling power of the Atonement for extra strength and capacity to fight their own daily battles with Christ at the center of their lives.
“Learning to build a relationship and nurture that relationship with Jesus Christ is one way to bring happiness and positivity into your life,” Taylor said. “Even during the darkest of times. I don't know of a better source of light than our Savior Jesus Christ.”