President Dallin H. Oaks on the healing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ

President Dallin H. Oaks (born August 12, 1932) served as president of BYU from 1971-1980.  He was then appointed as a justice of the Utah Supreme Court, and resigned when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1984. He became President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles and also 1st Counselor in the First Presidency in January 2018.

"The Atonement of Jesus Christ and the healing it offers do much more than provide the opportunity for repentance from sins. The Atonement also gives us the strength to endure 'pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind,' because our Savior also took upon Him 'the pains and the sicknesses of his people' (Alma 7:11). Brothers and sisters, if your faith and prayers and the power of the priesthood do not heal you from an affliction, the power of the Atonement will surely give you the strength to bear the burden.

"'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,' the Savior said, 'and I will give you rest … unto your souls' (Matthew 11:28–29).

"As we struggle with the challenges of mortality, I pray for each of us, as the prophet Mormon prayed for his son, Moroni: 'May Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, … and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever' (Moroni 9:25).

"I testify of Jesus Christ, our Savior, who invites us all to come unto Him and be perfected in Him. He will bind up our wounds and He will heal the heavy laden."

- Dallin H. Oaks, "He Heals the Heavy Laden," General Conference, October 2006
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There is no shortage of challenges in mortality. President Oaks shared this reassuring and encouraging testimony that the Savior invites us to come to Him in order to find help and healing in the midst of our challenges. One of the most powerful messages of the gospel is that the Atonement of Jesus Christ can bless our lives in ways far beyond forgiveness of sin:

Many of us have had times in life when nothing seems to resolve our challenges; prayer, faith, and priesthood power sometimes don't take away pain or bring resolution the way we hope. At those times, the faithful disciple realizes that here is power in the Savior's Atonement to bring "strength to bear the burden" for the time we are asked to bear it. That is also a great gift, and we will learn to treasure it as well.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)