Restoring what you cannot restore, healing the wound you cannot heal, fixing that which you broke and you cannot fix is the very purpose of the atonement of Christ.
When your desire is firm and you are willing to pay the “uttermost farthing,” the law of restitution is suspended. Your obligation is transferred to the Lord. He will settle your accounts.
I repeat, save for the exception of the very few who defect to perdition, there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. That is the promise of the atonement of Christ.
President Boyd K Packer, "The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness", General Conference, October 1995
It's very interesting that two talks in this past conference referenced this quote by President Packer. These speakers didn't coordinate their message. The Lord is telling us something. Through the mouth of two or three witnesses...
I was talking this morning with Lori, mom and dad about this. Granted, when we do something wrong, there has to be a restitution. Many times, we can't repair what's been broken. Through Christ's atonement, He can step in and repair what's been broken. That is His mission. That is why He came to earth...to suffer and die for us. Every single one of us.
But what if we didn't hurt someone else or break something? There still needs to be a restitution. And we can still be a part of that. We can still help to restore or repair or heal. It is then that we are emulating Christ's part, to a very small degree, in the atonement. It is then that we more fully understand, even a little bit, the sacrifice Christ made...for you and for me and for each of us.