“Most damage to the collective reputation of the Church is done by those members who want to straddle the line, with one foot in the kingdom and the other foot in spiritual Babylon. Those who so compromise their principles want to play for both teams at once.”
Elder J. Richard Clarke, “Hold Up Your Light”, General Conference, April 1985
The allure of the world is strong. It may not be a temptation to sin necessarily, but even a minor disregard for physical or spiritual health, even for a moment, as we indulge in a seemingly harmless thing, can cause a foot to remain in Babylon, especially if continual indulgence is gratified. The habits we form may not be bad, per se, but are they good, better or best?
When we break a leg, or catch pneumonia, we need a doctor. When we scrape our knees, or nick or finger, we may not need a doctor, but we still need an antiseptic or a bandaid.
Likewise we need the Atonement constantly in our lives. Whether we break a spiritual leg by breaking a commandment, or whether we nick a spiritual finger by maybe listening to a song that doesn’t invite the Spirit. The Atonement isn’t just for major mistakes we make in life. It is there to repair every mistake or misjudgement we make, of commission or omission.
The Atonement heals spiritual wounds, it eases pain and anguish, it comforts anxiety and stress, it brings peace and solace.
But it doesn’t just work when our lives are experiencing a negative reaction because of our actions or the actions of someone else. Not just from bad to good, in other words. It also works to lift us to a higher plane. It takes us from good to better, and from better to best. Then, ultimately, from best to perfect. All we need to do is apply it in our lives. Like water to survive physically, we need the Atonement to survive spiritually.