Author: Lucas Nethercott

An analogy often used to describe righteousness and sin is the contrast between being clean and dirty. In that light, today I want to accentuate the idea that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is about more than just becoming clean; it’s about becoming someone who no longer gets dirty. Through Christ’s grace, we are not only forgiven and cleansed but also empowered to change. This dual aspect of Christ’s Atonement—cleansing and converting—is central to the gospel of Jesus Christ and essential for our eternal progression. The below table shows some examples of the dual nature of Christ’s atonement.

The cleansing power of Christ’s Atonement is undeniably essential for our exaltation—a truth that cannot be overstated. However, it’s equally important not to overlook the converting power of The Atonement of Jesus Christ. Elder David A. Bednar has emphasized:

…remission of sin is not the only or even the ultimate purpose of the gospel. To have our hearts changed by the Holy Spirit such that “we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2), as did King Benjamin’s people, is the covenant responsibility we have accepted.

David A. Bednar, Clean Hands and a Pure Heart, 2007

The gospel is not about overcoming merely sin, but even the desire to sin. It is about becoming someone who naturally chooses righteousness, a person who sins less and less as they grow closer to Christ.

A perspective from Elder Dallin H. Oaks can help us expand on this idea:

…we conclude that the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become.

Dallin H. Oaks, The Challenge to Become, 2000

This insight shifts our focus from the past to the present. Instead of being judged for what we have or haven’t done, we will be judged by who we have become.

When a mechanic fixes a car with a leak, he doesn’t stop at cleaning up the spilled fluid. He investigates the cause and repairs the leak itself. It would be near pointless for the car owner to repeatedly clean up the mess without addressing the underlying problem.

In the same way, Christ doesn’t just cleanse us from sin—He heals and transforms us. He doesn’t merely forgive our past mistakes; He helps us become the kind of person who sins less. Focusing only on becoming clean is ineffective if we don’t also strive to change and grow through Christ.

Because of Jesus Christ not only can we be cleansed from sin but also changed into new creatures. As we embrace both the cleansing and converting power of Christ’s Atonement, we move closer to becoming who He wants us to be, progressing toward eternal life.

Additional Reading

Clean Hands and a Pure Heart, David A. Bednar, 2007

The Challenge to Become, Dallin H. Oaks, 2000

Hold Fast to That Which Is Good, Bruce R. McConkie, 1954

Introduction

The “War in Heaven” is a foundational concept that provides profound insight into the purpose of life and the role of agency. It refers to the pre-mortal conflict described in scripture, where God’s children were presented with two opposing plans.

I believe these opposing plans are too often portrayed as two viable options, with one simply being less desirable than the other. I would suggest that Satan’s plan is not only evil, but would result in an entirely different outcome; it was a big fat lie.

By exploring the principles at the heart of this conflict, we can gain deeper appreciation for the divine gift of agency and its role in our eternal destiny.

The Conflict

God’s work and glory is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). As Elder Bruce R. McConkie often taught, “eternal life is the name of the kind of life that God lives.” The end goal of a plan in the first place was to provide a way for us to become like God. The “War in Heaven” revolved around a fundamental misunderstanding of how God’s children can achieve this potential.

Elohim, in His wisdom, knew exactly how we could attain eternal life. He understood that growth, by its very nature, required agency. Without the ability to choose, there could be no learning, no development, and no becoming. By granting us the ability to choose, He could create an environment that would foster growth and development.

I believe Lucifer also had a testimony of this truth. His only problem with Elohim’s plan was that he wouldn’t be the one to hold the power and glory. So, in an attempt to usurp the Father Himself, he fabricated a new plan—a way for him to gain power, falsely disguised as a means for us to attain eternal life. He insidiously campaigned that he could guarantee the return of all God’s children by eliminating the risk of failure through the removal of agency. This wasn’t just some lesser, more evil way of achieving the same outcome, as I have often heard it taught. To gain eternal life without agency is fundamentally impracticable. The only end that Lucifer’s plan could accomplish would be his own rise to power.

The Dumbbell Analogy

An analogy I often use to better understand this concept is weightlifting. Imagine that in the pre-mortal life we had weak arms, representing our current state in spiritual progression. Now, picture that God had infinitely strong arms, symbolizing His advanced spiritual status. God’s work and glory was for our arms to one day be as strong as His. To achieve this, He would give us a set of dumbbells and teach us how to use them, patiently guiding us through the process if we so chose.

Satan’s plan was much different. He would chain the weights to right to our wrists and then move them up and down for us. While this would technically achieve the same motion, we wouldn’t gain any strength or progress in this way. Without the opportunity to choose to lift the weight ourselves, we would never develop the the muscle it took to be like God. Satan’s plan didn’t offer a true alternative—it’s impossible for us to progress without choosing to do so on our own.

The Reality of Choice

While agency is essential for growth, it’s important to recognize that it unfortunately doesn’t guarantee everyone will choose to become like God. But it at least offers the opportunity to those who desire it. In contrast, Satan’s plan removed that possibility entirely.

Conclusion

Agency is key to our progression. Satan’s plan was never a viable option for God’s children to achieve eternal life. While the Father’s plan doesn’t guarantee everyone’s return, it offers the only true path to it: agency.

I often reflect on a popular ideology that has become deeply ingrained in our culture: “You are enough.” We see variations of this message everywhere—on clothing, wall art, social media, and even subtly woven into the themes of movies and TV shows. Phrases like “this is me” and “you are perfect just the way you are” are becoming defining sentiments of our culture. While these ideas may stem from good intentions, they encourage a mindset of complacency with who and what we are. Movements such as “Fat Pride”, LGBTQ, and others have taken this idea to extremes, promoting ideologies that not only reject the need for change–repentance–but openly defy principles taught by Jesus Christ. The “You are enough” campaign is, at its core, anti-repentant and, therefore, anti-Christ. And Satan is at the head of it.

The “You are enough” ideology presents an overt message of self-acceptance: encouraging us to love ourselves as we are. On the surface, this message appears positive and uplifting. However, inseparably tied to it is a subliminal message with far more concerning implications—it subtly suggests that you are enough, so you don’t need to change. These two messages, though seemingly distinct, are inextricably intertwined; the overt positivity serves as a vehicle for the dangerous implication that personal growth, repentance, conversion, and reliance on the Savior are not desired or needed.

I believe the “You are enough” movement gains its appeal from people’s struggle to reconcile what Elder Neal A. Maxwell described as “divine discontent.” Michelle D. Craig explains this concept as “our innate sense that we can do and be more.” God continually nudges us toward growth and progress, yet the natural man resists, seeking comfort instead. As the familiar saying reminds us, “there is no growth in the comfort zone, and no comfort in the growth zone.” The “You are enough” movement taps into this tension, offering a comforting narrative that silences divine discontent by telling us we don’t need to strive for more. While it feels affirming, this ideology ultimately denies us the opportunity for true growth and the transformative power of Christ’s atonement in our lives.

Let me share a perspective I believe to be rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ: you are not enough. You can become enough, however, but only through and with Jesus Christ.

The doctrine of salvation is expansive and beautiful. While all will be resurrected and inherit a degree of glory, exaltation—the fullness of salvation—requires us to repent and make changes in our lives. Elder Russell M. Nelson, in his 1992 address “The Doors of Death,” taught, “Even the Savior cannot save us in our sins; He will redeem us from our sins, but only upon the condition of our repentance.” We cannot be exalted without repentance. We will never be enough if we don’t change.

While the world says, “you don’t have to change, you are enough,” Christ says, “for as long as  you allow me to change you, I’ll make you enough.”

Now, please don’t misunderstand. I am not suggesting that we demand perfection of ourselves or that we should resent the person we are. Rather, I testify that true joy and lasting happiness come from trusting the Savior enough to let Him refine and transform us. Let us not be deceived by the world’s insidious messages of false comfort. Instead, let us embrace the Savior’s invitation to come unto Him, repent, and be perfected in Him.

I testify that through Jesus Christ, we can become all that our Heavenly Father created us to be. To do so, we must harness our divine discontent and choose to change. Through, and only through, Christ’s grace, can we achieve the potential The Father sees in us.

Today, I want to share an analogy that has helped me better understand the journey of learning and living the gospel.

Imagine the gospel as a magnificent jigsaw puzzle with millions of pieces. The Savior has given us the completed picture on the puzzle’s box—a glimpse of “all truth, circumscribed into one great whole.” Our leaders, the latter-day prophets and apostles, hold up this picture to guide us.

Each puzzle piece represents an idea, a doctrine, a question, or even a doubt about the gospel. Some pieces are foundational, forming the borders of the puzzle: the restoration of the gospel, the plan of salvation, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As we fit these foundational pieces together, they create the framework within which all other truths find their place.

A Stray Puzzle Piece

As we work on this spiritual puzzle, we occasionally encounter a piece that doesn’t seem to fit anywhere. We search for its place but can’t see where it belongs. From our limited perspective, it may seem as though this piece came from a different puzzle entirely. At such moments, we face a choice.

The first option is to fixate on the one piece that doesn’t seem to fit. If we focus all our attention on this single piece, our frustration will grow, and doubt will begin to creep in. We might start questioning not only the piece itself but the entire picture on the box. Our uncertainty can overshadow the beauty of what we’ve already accomplished. This fixation can leave us stuck, unable to move forward, and blind to the things we already know to be correct.

The second option is to set the challenging piece aside—for now—and focus on the many pieces we’ve already placed successfully. As we continue building, we find joy in the clarity and harmony emerging from the puzzle. Each new piece strengthens our understanding and confidence in the design of the picture.

Revisiting the Unmatched Pieces

The pieces we set aside are not meant to be forgotten. At some point, they will contribute to our spiritual growth and understanding. As we revisit these challenging pieces with patience and faith, we often find that the progress we’ve made in other areas provides the perspective we need. What once seemed like a tree branch reveals itself to be a deer antler.

The act of revisiting these pieces reminds us that questions and uncertainties are not threats to our faith but opportunities for it to deepen. Each time we approach these pieces again, we do so with greater trust in the divine Artist of this masterpiece. We come to realize that every piece, even the ones that once seemed confusing, has a place in the grand design of absolute truth.

As we practice this, our unmatched pieces can transform from wavering doubts into faithful questions. We can come to find peace among the pieces.

Trusting the Divine Artist

In this metaphor, God is not a distant puzzle maker, but the divine Artist who lovingly works with us as we piece together this work of eternal beauty. He inspires our minds and guides our hands as we come to comprehend something far more magnificent than we can imagine.

The Savior’s promise is sure: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). This peace, and the lack of fear that accompanies it, does not come from understanding every piece immediately, but from trusting in the One who knows how every piece fits together.

Let us trust in Heavenly Father. Let us look to the completed picture His servants hold up. And let us focus on the pieces of Christ’s gospel that we already know to be true. As we do so, I testify that we will come to find peace among the pieces. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.