PROVO, Utah — Brad Wilcox, keynote speaker at the 2nd Annual Winter BYU Single Alumni Conference Jan. 29-30, used to believe Christ's Atonement was the finishing touch to man's work on the Earth.Now he believes it's more than that."We may receive grace before, during and after our trial," Wilcox said as he addressed the audience Saturday, Jan. 30."Grace isn't an emergency generator or booster engine. It's a constant energy source, the energy to get us through the tunnel."Wilcox said people misunderstand the scripture in 2 Nephi 25:23, thinking it means that we only receive God's grace after all we can possibly do on our own."The problem is, we see many examples in the scriptures where this isn't the case. Paul and certainly Alma didn't do anything first to earn God's grace," he said.Wilcox said a more accurate interpretation would be to say: "We are all saved by grace after all is said and done."People should recognize God is pleased with every effort we make rather than become discouraged when we can't do it all, he said.LDS people tend to have pretty long daily lists of to-dos, he said."If we can't do it all, every day, we start on a downward spiral. We want to impress God but maybe we should be more worried about letting his sacrifice impress upon us," he said. "We need to focus on what the list is designed to help us become."Wilcox stressed that members of the church need to give themselves credit for the things they do."Look at mediocrity as a step on our way to greatness," he said, "We're halfway up the hill."He likened the Atonement to a mother who pays the piano teacher and the child who then decides whether or not to take advantage of the lessons.If he practices and excels, he is benefitting from the gift even though he never repays the debt.If he does not practice or enjoy the opportunity, the gift goes begging."In the final judgement hour, Jesus will be begging us to take advantage of his Atonement and his Transformation," Wilcox said.
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