The Gift of Redemption: Embracing Christ’s Power to Heal and Restore

What happens when you feel your mistakes are beyond repair? Sister Kristin M. Yee’s powerful message offers hope and guidance for those questioning their worthiness and potential for redemption. She shares personal experiences that illustrate how Christ’s love can help us overcome our struggles and find joy in the healing process. For those facing doubts about their faith or personal worth, Sister Yee’s words bring profound reassurance: our Savior has already made a way for us to be made whole again.

Questions, Misconceptions, and Criticisms

Doctrine

• “The LDS Church focuses too much on works, neglecting grace.”

• • Response: This is a common misunderstanding rooted in how Latter-day Saints interpret the relationship between grace and works. Sister Yee’s talk beautifully demonstrates that works are not an attempt to earn salvation but an expression of our faith in Christ’s grace. The Church teaches that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice, a gift we cannot earn (see 2 Nephi 25:23).
  • However, accepting Christ’s grace inspires action. As Sister Yee shares, striving to repent and improve is not a sign of trying to “work our way to heaven” but of responding to Christ’s love by becoming more like Him. Works are the fruit of true faith, not a replacement for grace.
  • The Apostle James said, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:17), emphasizing that genuine faith leads to action. 
  • Sister Yee’s experience with repainting her damaged painting illustrates this principle well. She could not “fix” it alone, but her effort, combined with God’s grace, created something better than before. This aligns with the idea that works invite grace into our lives—not because we can earn it, but because striving opens us to receive more of His transforming power.
  • Additionally, God’s grace extends beyond individual effort; it also transforms our trials. As taught in Doctrine and Covenants 90:24, those who love God and trust in Him will find that “all things shall work together for [their] good.” This doesn’t mean that God causes all our trials. Many challenges come from living in a fallen, mortal world or through the misuse of others’ agency. Yet, nothing we experience is beyond God’s ability to redeem. If we turn our burdens over to Him, He can reshape them into blessings we could never foresee.
  • Sister Yee also referenced C.S. Lewis’s “The Magician’s Nephew,” where Aslan, a Christ figure, lovingly rebukes a man who is resisting needed change:

“Oh, Adam’s sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good!”

How often do we do the same? Sometimes, out of pride, fear, or even shame, we resist the very help that God is eager to give us. Sister Yee’s story reminds us that God’s healing power is ever-present, but we must choose to receive it. When we stop resisting His grace and instead embrace His transforming love, miracles happen—even in the most broken parts of our lives.

Defending Divine Doctrines

Sister Yee’s talk underscores core LDS doctrines, including the power of Christ’s atonement and the process of repentance as an ongoing, accessible source of strength. The notion that we “try again” to draw upon Christ’s grace challenges the idea that repentance is a single, finite act.

• Christ as Redeemer and Restorer: Sister Yee reminds us that Christ’s role as our Savior includes a desire to repair the seemingly unrepairable. This is a message of hope for those who fear they have fallen beyond His reach.
• The Power of Covenants: She reinforces the promise that covenants allow us to feel God’s redemptive love and become more like Him. In the Church, covenants are not merely agreements but pathways to divine help that underscore our need for a Savior.

Application

Applying these doctrines means recognizing that repentance and change are part of a continuous journey, where we strive to align with Christ. Instead of viewing repentance as evidence of failure, Sister Yee’s perspective helps us see it as a path to access divine grace.

Historical and Doctrinal Connections

Contextual Background

• Christ’s Atonement in LDS Belief: In LDS teachings, Christ’s atonement is universal and infinite, encompassing every human weakness and sin. Sister Yee’s account of reworking her painting resonates with our belief that Christ helps us not only correct but also improve upon our missteps if we turn to Him.
• Repentance as Joyful Progress: In Come, Follow Me, we are studying Moroni’s teachings on faith, hope, and charity. Moroni 7 highlights the importance of recognizing good actions and intentions as part of faith in Christ. Sister Yee’s message about finding joy in repentance offers a practical example of Moroni’s teaching that repentance leads to hope and ultimately charity, as we become more Christlike.

Resources for Deeper Understanding

• Come, Follow Me 2024: Moroni 7–9
• “We Can Do Better and Be Better” by President Nelson

Living Apologetics

Practical Application

Sister Yee’s talk encourages practical steps toward living the gospel authentically, recognizing that forgiveness and healing are within reach through our Savior.

1. Reflect: Consider the question, “Where might you be defending yourself from blessings God desires for you?”
2. Discuss: Talk with friends or family about how you might rely more on Christ’s atonement rather than striving alone.
3. Write in a journal: Record a time when a perceived “mistake” led to a greater blessing through God’s intervention.

Faith in Action

Sister Yee’s talk encourages practical steps toward living the gospel authentically, recognizing that forgiveness and healing are within reach through our Savior.

Suggested Actions:

1. Reflect: Consider the question, “Where might you be defending yourself from blessings God desires for you?”
2. Pray: Regularly seek personal revelation on how to apply Christ’s teachings.
3. Discuss: Talk with friends or family about how you might rely more on Christ’s atonement.
4. Serve: Look for ways to lift others, reflecting Christ’s love in action.
5. Study: Engage deeply with the scriptures and Church teachings about Christ’s atonement.
6. Attend: Participate frequently in sacred ordinances like the sacrament and temple worship.
7. Write in a Journal: Record a time when a perceived “mistake” led to a greater blessing through God’s intervention.

Quick Reference: Key Defenses and Facts

Defensive Highlights:

• God’s Ability to Redeem: No mistake or trial is beyond His power to turn into good.
• Grace and Works in Harmony: Repentance is an act of faith that opens us to receive God’s transforming grace.
• Healing Through Covenants: Living covenants enables access to divine help and restoration.

Top Apologetic Facts:

• Redemption Through Effort and Grace: Human effort is essential but always paired with God’s grace.
• Trials Redeemed for Good: Life’s struggles, caused by mortality or others’ choices, can be transformed by God.
• Repentance as a Joyful Process: Continuous repentance brings peace and greater Christlike love.

Conclusion

Sister Yee’s message invites us to lay down our personal defenses and receive the blessings of redemption that Christ offers. As we learn from her experience with the painting, imperfections can be made whole through the Savior. How might you let go of the fears or barriers that keep you from fully embracing Christ’s love and power to heal? Each of us can find peace and joy as we choose to turn to Him, no matter our past or current struggles.

“Let us not defend ourselves from the good that God desires to bless us with. From the love and mercy that He desires us to feel. From the light and knowledge He desires to bestow upon us. From the healing that He knows we so readily need. From the deeper covenant relationship He intends for all His sons and daughters. I pray we may lay aside any “weapons of war” that we’ve consciously or even unconsciously taken up to defend ourselves from the blessings of God’s love. Weapons of pride, selfishness, fear, hate, offense, complacency, unrighteous judgment, jealousies—anything that would keep us from loving God with all our hearts and keeping all our covenants with Him.”

Share your insight
Your thoughts and experiences can help others along their journey. Share them below, and let’s continue this conversation on remaining spiritually grounded.

 

The Consider Conference series by FAIR offers an in-depth look at recent General Conference talks to help members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints navigate common questions, misunderstandings, and criticisms. Each post provides doctrinal insights, historical context, and practical ways to apply gospel principles in everyday conversations. Through this series, we hope to equip readers with faith-promoting resources that encourage thoughtful reflection, respectful dialogue, and a stronger foundation in gospel truths, fostering both personal conviction and meaningful discussions with others.