The Apostle John warned us against sin, but he added this happy footnote:
If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
1 John 2:1
We all fall into the category of people who sin, so we can all count Jesus as our advocate.
An advocate is someone who speaks on your behalf, like a defense attorney in a court of law. Their job is to tell your story in the best possible light, in order to persuade a judge and jury to side with you. The word comes from the Latin roots ad (“to”) and vocāre (“to call”). You summon an advocate when you need a capable and respected third party at your side.
The accuser, on the other hand, sits on the other side of the courtroom. Their job is to make you look bad, to emphasize your worst traits and decisions in a way that turns the judge and jury against you. The Hebrew word satan (שָׂטָן) means “accuser,” “opponent,” or “adversary.” The devil and his angels not only tempt us to do wrong, they also try to make us look bad, to diminish our worth in our own eyes and in the eyes of others. (See Revelation 12:10, Alma 12:5-6.)
So my question is this: Which voice are you listening to and amplifying in your own mind: your advocate or your accuser? Jesus said:
Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him.
Doctrine and Covenants 45:3
When Sister Tamara W. Runia and her husband were serving as mission leaders in Australia, they would tell the story of the resurrected Savior praying on behalf of a group of people at the temple in Bountiful. Those who were there testified, “No one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father” (3 Nephi 17:17).
They would then ask this searching question: “If you could hear the Savior praying for you, what do you think He would say?”
Sister Runia suggested that we each try this exercise for ourselves:
Tonight, before you pray, imagine Jesus Christ close by. He is your Advocate with the Father. Ask yourself, “What would my Savior say to the Father about me?”
And then become silent.
Listen for that voice that says good things about you—the voice of the Savior, your finest friend, and your Father in Heaven, who is really there. Remember, Their love and your worth are always great, no matter what!
“Your Repentance Doesn’t Burden Jesus Christ; It Brightens His Joy,” General Conference, April 2025
Even when I’m having a bad day, I can imagine my Advocate saying, “Paul’s had a rough start today. No question about it. Things haven’t gone his way, and he hasn’t made the best of decisions so far. But I have a lot of confidence that he’s going to turn things around and make the rest of the day fantastic! He’s done it before, and I believe he will do it again with Our help.”
Today, I will listen to the voice of my advocate, not my accuser. I will remember the perfect love my Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, have for me, and I will strive to amplify their messages of hope and encouragement as I meet the challenges and the opportunities of the day.
Ohh…
Such a wonderful Blog!
Such a beautiful Reminder!
As a lawyer, I think about Section 45 often and this concept of an Advocate.
Our Lord is the BEST advocate!
He is an advocate for ALL of God’s children. He looks for the best in all to advocate for all, from those comprising the Quorum of the 12 Apostles to those comprising the drug dealing gangs in the streets of Chicago.
As an attorney and advocate for a career, I love the three verses below as read together in section 45. I love them and marvel at them because as our “advocate” He says nothing to the “judge” (the Father) about his accused “client” on trial (ie us). He doesn’t recite our good deeds to the judge. He merely states “I’m a perfect advocate. This accused person is with me. Because I’m perfect. And, because I am his/her advocate, let the accused go free.”
I don’t think I could ever pull that off with a judge in a courtroom saying – “I’m a perfect lawyer your honor, because I’m a perfect lawyer, you should let my client go free.” 😉
But …
These verses in Section 45 portray just that:
“ 3 Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—
4 Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;
5 Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name”
Thanks for the comment, Jeff. I can imagine the courtroom imagery is particularly vivid for a practicing attorney!
I like your insight on the differences between the Savior’s advocacy and a human advocate. His ability to replace our guilt with His perfect innocence because of His willing sacrifice on our behalf is truly the good news of the gospel!