A spirit, having entered such a tabernacle, though it may commit no personal sins, is unfit to return again into the presence of a holy Being. [17] This teaching is not to be confused with the theory of original sin espoused by many Christian theologians, wherein the total depravity of man is inborn. 7:57). 2:21; 9:6; Mosiah 16:3; Alma 12:22; Hel. 7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 "He saved others; he cannot save himself. To add an RSC website shortcut to your home screen, open the website in the Safari browser. Only by experiencing opposites can we comprehend, for opposition gives definition. 22. Moroni exhorted his latter-day reader to come unto Christ, and be perfected in him (Moro. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of eyewitnesses to Christs resurrection (1 Cor. Jacob declared that because of the Fall, if there were no Atonement our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more. The Book of Mormon reveals that three important events work together to bring about Gods plan: the creation of the earth, the Fall of Adam, and the Atonement of Christ. Beyond the mortal consequences, the Book of Mormon teaches that the Fall of Adam brought upon humankind eternal consequences. 9:89). Alma explained, According to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men . They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. Recall that Jacob taught that if there was no resurrection from the dead, men would become eternally enslaved to Satan. [20] Talmage, A Study of the Articles of Faith, 64. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" 1. President Benson observed, Just as a man does not really desire food until he is hungry, so he does not desire the salvation of Christ until he knows why he needs Christ. [5] Why there is a need for the Atonement will first be considered from the perspective of the four Gospels. Save yourself and us! 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? We cannot tell Him anything about suffering. He then requested that the people come to him and thrust their hands into his side and feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet that they might know that he had been slain for the sins of the world (3 Ne. 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 1:20; Luke 1:35). 15. Thus the Lord brought forth the Book of Mormon to clarify the important doctrine of the Atonement. The infinite nature of the Atonement required Christ to be born of both mortal and divine parents (see Matt. Amulek explained that because of the Resurrection, the spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame (Alma 11:43). It is impossible to hold that it was the fact of death that moved Jesus so deeply. 6. 10:32). The Atonement for the Fall of Adam will not save each man from his personal sins. 36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there.

41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Luke 23:57: But they were urgent, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place." [15] George Q. Cannon, in Journal of Discourses, 26:191. That is, without an infinite atonement man would have become lost forever (Alma 42:6) in an endless state of spiritual and physical death. The Atonement is the greatest event in history because it enables us, as fallen humans, to return to our Father in Heaven. he shall be led, crucified, and slain . Elder Maxwell stated: Jesus daily mortal experiences and His ministry, to be sure, acquainted Him by observation with a sample of human sicknesses, grief, pains, sorrows, and infirmities which are common to man (1 Cor. For he said, 'I am the Son of God. It was not the intent of the Gospels, however, to present a complete theological treatise on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Other prophets prophesied of the Saviors suffering and crucifixion as well (see 2 Ne. Second, because of the mortal experience, Adam, Eve, and their posterity could be as God, knowing good and evil (2 Ne. An individual atonement is required. The four Gospels affirm the conditional aspect of the personal atonement. Further, the sicknesses, diseases, and pains that have plagued lives since the Fall of Adam will cease to exist. And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death (Mosiah 15:58). For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (John 3:1920). . Then he helps us to overcome the very infirmities that caused our troubles in the first place. The Fall would give man certain experiences that were necessary for his progression, part of which was being able to distinguish the difference between good and evil through personal experience. 49 But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." 5. A Vision, Times and Seasons 4 (1 February 1843): 8283. Words fail to express what Christ went through for us so He could restore us to Himself and have an eternal relationship with us. So he came and took away his body. Christ suffered both physically and spiritually for us. Will it be perfectly happy? [8] See Kay P. Edwards, Opposition, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, ed. Therefore, the justice of God demands that an atonement be made for Adams transgression to redeem humanity from the curse of Adam. Yet there are no references to a plan of salvation as such in the Old or the New Testament. [6] Surely, biblical prophets understood the plan of salvation, for they refer to elements of the plan. Instead, the Book of Mormon teaches that this plan was prepared from the foundation of the world (1 Ne. 2. 2:11). Luke 23:4649: Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit! And having said this he breathed his last. These same conditions are stated in the Book of Mormon as well. Because of the negative consequences of the Fall, mankind is in trouble. Rather, it was the kind of death that he would die that brought the anguish. 11. Not leaving it at that, he stayed with the man and helped him learn to swim. And though the experience of man in this lifes probation may be and often is severe, still it is but as a moment of time as compared with eternitynay, not so muchnot a moment; and the results in eternity will vindicate the wisdom of giving to man his earth lifehis probation in earthly mortality. Mircea Eliade (New York: Macmillan, 1986), 1:496. 2:15). When a commandment is broken, a commensurate penalty is imposed. Reason teaches this, and it is a simple matter of justice. It was not enough that the Savior paid the penalty of our sinsit was also necessary that he heal the infirmities that generate sin. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground (Luke 22:44). They said, "What is that to us? The Book of Mormon does more than that, however. Calvinism focused unnaturally on the natural man and lacked the lifting dimension contained in the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, with its exalting perspectives and sweeping promises. [34] Generally, most theologians believe that the suffering of Christ in Gethsemane was emotional agony related to his future suffering on the cross. First, he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people (Alma 7:11; cf. Pilate condemned Jesus to death by crucifixion. In the early pages of the Book of Mormon, Nephi saw in vision the life of Christ. They offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. That help comes through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. They come into the world where sin is prevalent, and it will enter into their hearts, but it will lead them to taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good. Conference Report, April 1958, 38. 6. 25. Matthew 27:5153: And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 10:32). King Benjamin reveals that during those hours of anguish, the Saviors suffering was for the wickedness and the abominations of his people. This is verified in modern revelation when the Lord said, Therefore I command you to repentrepent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sorehow sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. [8] The Lord stated that if [men] never should have bitter they could not know the sweet (D&C 29:39). Thus His atonement made perfect His empathy and His mercy and His capacity to succor us, for which we can be everlastingly grateful as He tutors us in our trials. [41]. 11:11). Those who reject the mercy of Christ, however, will feel the full blow of justices sword. Three days later Christ rose from the dead and proved victorious over sin and death. 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong. 42 And he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. 43 And he said to him, Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.. 26:39; see also Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). 13. [1] William J. Wolf, The Atonement, Encyclopedia of Religion, ed.

1. He to whom all must go to receive the living water that they may never thirst again (John4:10, 14) now thirsted! And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption (Alma 34:8,1516). Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered (2 Ne. In an age when the historicity and divinity of Jesus Christ are questioned, the Book of Mormon adds a powerful second witness of the reality of these sacred events. Go, make it as secure as you can." While the Atonement for the Fall of Adam redeems people from spiritual death in that they are brought back into the presence of God, where they are to be judged, men will be accountable for their own actions while in mortality. 3. [3] Eliade, Encyclopedia of Religion, 1:498. Hence came the saying abroad among the people, that the Son of God hath atoned for original guilt, wherein the sins of the parents cannot be answered upon the heads of the children, for they are whole from the foundation of the world (Moses 6:5354). Since not all human sorrow and pain is connected to sin, the full intensiveness of the Atonement involved bearing our pains, infirmities, and sicknesses, as well as our sins.[35] Again, he said that Christ knew beforehand, intellectually, that His acceptance of the atoning role entailed awesome responsibilities, responsibilities that would eventually lead to His knowing experientially in Gethsemane and on Calvary as the weight of the yoke of our sins, sicknesses, pains, and infirmities fell upon him. [36] Alma does not mention why Christ must take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. Yet, for the most part these afflictions have come upon humankind as a result of the Fall of Adam and therefore they must be infinitely removed through the infinite Atonement. In addition to the eternal effects of the curse of Adam, each persons own transgression of the laws of God also results in eternal consequences. [2] Therefore, to the Christian world the Atonement has remained an expression of the mystery of God. [3]. Lehi taught that God created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, including our first parents (2 Ne. . . The temple curtain was torn in two, and many people rose from the dead and appeared to others. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has uttered blasphemy. Elder Maxwell observed: Being sinless Himself, Jesus could not have suffered for personal sin nor known what such agony isunless He took upon Him our sins, not only to redeem us and to save us, but also in order that He might know how according to the flesh . The negative side of all this is that the Fall brings dire consequences both in mortality and in eternity. This offering will be voluntary (John 10:18) but will be the will of the Father (John 3:1617; 6:3840). What role do the Creation and the Fall play in the plan of salvation and the need for the Atonement? There is more evidence regarding Christs existence than Julius Caesar. . The universal redemption of humankind from the curse of Adam is free and unconditional. But they were urgent, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place." God did not develop and enact this plan after some unforeseen trouble into which we had brought ourselves. He was then taken to Golgotha, where he was crucified (Matt. Consequently, Christian theologians have been left to invent explanations that, as we shall see, fall short of the truth. First, the Atonement covers every physical and spiritual aspect of the Fall of Adam and mans personal fall. Knowing this, Lehi admonished his sons not to give in to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate (2 Ne. The purpose of the creation of this earth was to provide a place where opposites not only exist but are experienced. God has given unto us this probation for the express purpose of obtaining a knowledge of good and evilof understanding evil and being able to overcome the eviland by overcoming it receive the exaltation and glory that He has in store for us. [15] In light of this concept of understanding evil, at the beginning of World War I, the First Presidency gave the following instruction to the Church: God, doubtless, could avert war, prevent crime, destroy poverty, chase away darkness, overcome error, and make all things bright, beautiful and joyful. In this condition, they would remain forever in a state of misery (2 Ne. At this point the Savior uttered painfully, I thirst (John 19:28).

27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:33; John 19:1718). They are more than the physical illnesses that vex man. 21 But the governor said to them, Which of the two do you want me to release for you? And they said, Barabbas. 22 Pilate said to them, Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? They all said, Crucify Him! 23 And he said, Why, what evil has He done? But they kept shouting all the more, saying, Crucify Him!, 12. 26:28; Luke 22:20). It is for the benefit of His sons and daughters that they become acquainted with evil as well as good, with darkness as well as light, with error as well as truth, and with the results of the infraction of eternal laws. . The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ were real events that happened in history. [13] James E. Talmage, A Study of the Articles of Faith, 12th ed., rev. Bruce R. McConkie (Salt LakeCity: Bookcraft, 195456), 2:274; see also, 2:27374 and 2:22324. 28:18; Mark 16:114; Luke 24:148; John 20:121:24). The Book of Mormon teaches that because Christ descended below all things, he came to know according to the flesh how to succor his people (Alma 7:12). Through it, their infirmities will become strengths (Ether 12:27) and they will become even as God. In so doing, the Book of Mormon answers such questions as these: How did men arrive at a state of condemnation in which they love darkness rather than light? He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 26:5727:25; Mark 14:4615:14; Luke 22:5423:24; John 18:1219:16).

6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. The brother of Jared described this relationship while pleading with the Lord for a blessing: We know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures [i.e., physical bodies] have become evil continually (Ether 3:2). . The four Gospels were written to testify that Jesus is the Christ, whose sacred mission was to make an atonement for all of Gods children. Throughout history, and today, billions of people confess Christ as their Savior, and that He lives within them and has changed their lives. Because Christs body was so physically damaged, Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry Christs cross the rest of the way. 2:21; see also Alma 12:24). Included in this is the shocking reality that he bore not only the eternal consequences of our sins but also the very sins themselves (Mosiah 15:12; 26:23; Alma 7:13; 3 Ne. 7. 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord (Hel. 9:1113). And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. Upon entering the garden, he began to be sorrowful and very heavy . 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance. [21] Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, 1:284. Jesus died on the Cross at the exact time the sacrificial lamb of the Passover was to be sacrificed. In their initial creation, Adam and Eve were in a state of innocence, where they knew no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin (2 Nephi 2:23). 7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 20:28). Matthew 26:6568: Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has uttered blasphemy. What is included in believing that Jesus is the Christ? 10:18; Mosiah 15:19; Alma 12:25, 30; 22:13; Ether 3:14). From noon until 3:00 pm, darkness fell on the earth. 25 And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!"

Matthew 26:47: While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever (2 Ne. Pilate said to them, Behold the man! 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, Crucify him, crucify him! Pilate said to them, Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.. They said, "What is that to us? Go, make it as secure as you can." The consequences of the Fall had to come by mans agency rather than by God imposing fallen conditions upon his children. After Aaron had taught the king some initial principles about God and saw that the king believed his teachings, Aaron. The tomb of Jesus was secured by the Romans. Though these scriptural insights concerning the natural man may seem to put us sternly in our place, when they are combined with the fullness of the gospel, we are shown our immense possibilities and what we have the power to become. They compelled this man to carry his cross. 14:1517). Samuel the Lamanite taught: For behold, [Christ] surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord. [18], In this fallen state, man transgressed the laws of God, causing the natural man to become carnal, sensual, and devilish, by nature (Alma 42:10; see also D&C 20:20; Moses 5:13). And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Bearing our infirmities, fears, guilt, and remorse, he had become like the poor and needy who seek water, and there is none (Isa. He suffered the penalty of eternity in hell for each person who trusts in Him as their Savior. This is because man is not responsible for the mortal and eternal consequences that have come about as part of the Fall. As a result, his bowels [were] filled with mercy, according to the flesh. In other words, experiencing our infirmities gave him compassion and mercy for us as we struggle in the war between the spirit and the natural man. Because Christ suffered the eternal consequences of our sins, repentance will release man from the grips of justice. Jesus would be one with sinners in his death, he would experience the death that is due to sinners, and it seems that it was this that brought about the tremendous disturbance of spirit. Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992), 667. 8. So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves." 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 2:12). Ultimately, we must believe and follow what he taught. Amulek taught, Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another (Alma 34:11). Why? 22.

Why must Gods son be a sacrifice for our sins? The temple curtain was torn in two, and many people rose from the dead and appeared to others. 2. Though the Fall was a necessary part of Gods plan, from a human perspective the Fall brought both positive and negative results. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. To W. W. Phelps, Esq. 62 And he went out and wept bitterly. The Book of Mormon shows that the Atonement is part of this divine plan. And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world (1 Ne. PayPal does not require you to create a PayPal account to use your credit card. In the garden, Adam and Eve were in a deathless, immortal state. So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. To acquire that knowledge, they must suffer the effects of their fallen condition. [35] Maxwell, Not My Will, But Thine (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988), 51. 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.

Jacob declared that if men will not repent and believe in [Christ], and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it (2 Ne. Elder Orson Pratt explained why this is so: By one man came deaththe death of the body. This sacrifice will be a ransom for many (Matt. This is one of the inner marvels of the atonement of Jesus Christ! [40] Can we, even in the depths of disease, tell Him anything at all about suffering? That is, they are born into a world where sin prevails. 52 The tombs also were opened. Jesus was brought before Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the High Priest. The tomb of Jesus was secured by the Romans. 27:3950; Mark 15:2937; Luke 23:3446; John 19:2530). Christ most likely spent the rest of the night in a dungeon at the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest. His sacrifice will bring a remission of sins (Matt. After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. 67 Then they spit in his face and struck him. . 14. 21. [42]. So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me [Apostle Paul]. What further witnesses do we need? This is affirmed by the Lord himself in latter-day revelation: But, behold, I say unto you that I, the Lord God, gave unto Adam and unto his seed, that they should not die as to the temporal death, until I, the Lord God, should send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and redemption, through faith on the name of mine Only Begotten Son. He said, And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record. In view of this preparation, Elder Orson F. Whitney taught, Bear in mind that the Gospel of Christ is not a mere life boat or fire escapea way out of a perilous situation. One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, Are you not the Christ? Matthew 27:3843: Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. Judas, the disciple who betrayed Christ, hanged himself. Elder Talmage later said, A knowledge of good and evil is essential to progress, and the school of experience in mortality has been provided for the acquirement of such knowledge. [14] President George Q. Cannon explained this principle further: It is for this purpose that we are here. Gethsemane to Golgotha: Path to the Cross. 10:5; Alma 7:1113; Alma 33:22). But the agonies of the Atonement were infinite and first-hand! He then began to suffer miserably. 12. [25] Joseph Fielding Smith taught: No person who has lived and died on this earth will be denied the resurrection. 4. He then said that he who believes on him would not be condemned, while he that believeth not is condemned already (John 3:18). [2] For a review of Wolfs theories, see Eliade, Encyclopedia of Religion, 1:49698.

Bruce Satterfield, Gethsemane and Golgotha: Why and What the Savior Suffered, inThe Book of Mormon and the Message of the Four Gospels, ed. Matthew 27:1923: While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him. 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. 11:3233). 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. Who is it that struck you?". Eating the fruit brought about the Fall.