Our Advocate

As I watched the April 2025 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I thought of how Jesus is our Advocate with the Father. I wondered what that actually meant as I listened to messages of hope, faith, and repentance. In this post, I hope to convey what it means that Christ is our Advocate with the Father.

Advocate Definition

An advocate (noun) is “a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.” To advocate is to “publicly recommend or support.” In the case of Jesus Christ, He is the person who publicly supports and recommends us to the Father. This support is also shown to all the hosts of heaven.

In Doctrine and Covenants 45:3-5 we read, “Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him— 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; Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.”

Here, Jesus is stating His purpose as our Advocate. What does that really mean?

Advocating for Us

In “Your Repentance Doesn’t Burden Jesus Christ; It Brightens His Joy“, Sister Tamara W. Runia talks about how the Savior is our Advocate.

“As mission leaders in Australia, during our last visit with each missionary, we talked about 3 Nephi 17, where the people were close to the Savior and could hear Him praying for them. We asked, ‘If you could hear the Savior praying for you, what do you think He would say?’

“To hear their answers was one of the most Spirit-filled experiences of my life. Every one of those missionaries would pause, and tears would fill their eyes as we reminded them, ‘Your Savior knows the degree of difficulty you’re experiencing. He’s felt it!’

“This is what those missionaries quietly and tenderly shared: One sister said, ‘Jesus would tell the Father, ‘She’s doing her very best. I know how hard she is trying.’’ An elder said, ‘With everything that’s happened in his life, I’m so proud of him.’”

Jesus doesn’t go to the Father and tell Him all the things we’ve done wrong. That’s not His nature! He pleads with the Father that we might be forgiven.

My wife and I have three children who required an Individual Education Plan (IEP) as they went through school. An IEP requires meeting with teachers before and during the school year to understand the needs of the student and what accommodations are to be provided.

After having a couple of meetings for our oldest child, Cheryl decided to take a different approach to the meetings. She felt as if the first meetings didn’t provide a sense of knowing our child. In the beginning of the school year, at the first IEP meeting, Cheryl brought a picture of our child and began describing him to the teachers. She talked about his likes, his personality, and his challenges. She was his advocate and his champion. She also made him a person in the eyes of those who would be working with him during the school year.

This approach helped the teachers and others feel a personal connection with our son. They had an opportunity to know him from the start and use the traits Cheryl provided to best help him in his education.

In similar fashion, I can see Christ going to the Father and stating something like, “Here is BJ, he has a tremendous capacity to love others. He is funny, kind and wants to do what’s right. He struggles in certain areas, but he always tries his best to be on the covenant path.” That’s the Advocate I see Christ being.

I can also see the smile on God’s face when Christ advocates for His children. God is not some bureaucrat trying to make numbers work for His kingdom. He is a loving Father and wants all of His children to succeed. I see Him thanking Jesus for his advocacy and then working to figure out how best to support His child.

I also believe that the hosts of heaven see Christ’s advocacy for God’s children. I know that they are willing to help in any way the Father wills so that we can be strengthened and supported in our mortal journey.

Conclusion

Every one of us needs an Advocate with the Father. As part of His divine mission, Jesus Christ is that Advocate. He pleads our case with the Father. When He pleads, He focuses in our goodness and our efforts, not on the things we have done wrong. As we repent of our mistakes, it makes it easier for Him to plead our case to the Father. No one is better suited to be our Advocate than He who paid the price for our sins. We must realize that He is doing everything He can to gain us a place in our Father’s Kingdom. We must strive to do our best, repent often, and live our lives according to His commandments. This will then lead to a successful pleading of our case by our Advocate, and we will receive a Celestial Reward.