The power of Becoming

Below is a letter I wrote to my religion professor this week. 

Ts week, something significantly stood out to me in class. Normally, it’s something that the 

Spirit teaches me through the readings.

However, not this week. This time, it was a short statement or rhetorical question you asked us.

It was towards the end of class, and if I remember correctly, we were almost out of time. But you 

said, “I feel like I should keep going for just a few more minutes.”

You then shared a quote from President Nelson.

This quote highlighted the difference between referring to the Atonement of Jesus Christ as a 

singular event and including His name alongside it.

This is something I have deeply understood and tried to remember throughout my life.

Ever since I first heard the quote, I’ve tried to include Jesus Christ’s name when mentioning His Atonement.

It was especially important, as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 

to emphasize whose Atonement it was and by what authority, that of God, it was authorized.

However, it wasn’t until that very moment in class, when you shared this question, that the 

Atonement of Jesus Christ took on a new meaning for me.

The question was, “Why do you think it’s significant that we mention the Atonement of Jesus 

Christ as a process rather than a singular event?”

The answer that came readily to mind was an excerpt from the readings.

“Christ offers the way by which we are saved, not just the reason why.”

Then you asked, “How does looking at events rather than processes change the way we view 

life?”

You brought up the idea of marriage, having a girlfriend, having a boyfriend, or graduating.

These are events. Then it hit me—just like Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, marriage is a process.

Marriage is something that requires effort; it doesn’t just come easily.

It isn’t just about two people; it’s about generations.

I realize that we often place too much value on singular events or titles.

Recently, a guy asked me if I would be his girlfriend.

I told him I’d pray about it, and after doing so, I didn’t receive a definitive yes or no. Therefore, I 

decided to move forward, knowing that if anything was true, it was the words of the prophet. As 

Howard W. Hunter said, “The light is green until it’s not.”

So I decided to study it out by learning through faith and told him I would be his girlfriend.

However, a few days into the relationship, I realized there was a disconnect be between the title and the process.

There’s often an expectation that certain things will just fall into place once we establish a title 

for our exclusivity; however, this was not the case.

He didn’t suddenly become comfortable in his own skin.

Just because I had a boyfriend didn’t mean I suddenly knew how to balance my time between 

spirituality, romance, and school.

It’s quite the opposite. It’s a process, not an event, that changes us.

It’s not a one-time thing. If anything, Jesus Christ suffered for those three days, but those days 

alone did not constitute His Atonement.

It was the process of living a perfect life, both before and after this life.

It was the eternal exposure to situations where He had to choose perfection.

So what I learned this week is that life is a process: repentance is a process, love and life are 

processes, perfection is a process, and relationships are processes. Most importantly, the 

Atonement of Jesus Christ was a process—one that Jesus Christ lived, and so will I.