The Atonement

Note: The material for this writing comes from a lesson I taught several weeks ago to our High Priests Group from our current study guide, Gospel Principles.

Without the atonement of Jesus Christ, the creation and peopling of this earth would have been for naught. The Prophet Malachi confirms this truth. Had mankind failed to accomplish God’s purpose for their being here, then “the whole earth would be utterly wasted at [the] coming” of His Son, Jesus Christ (Joseph Smith -- History 1:39). Thus, it is not incorrect to believe that the atonement was the single most important event in the earth’s history.

“For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made” (Alma 34:9).

Central to an understanding of why men and women everywhere “are fallen and are lost, and must perish” in the absence of an atonement being performed in our behalf are the relevant events that took place in the garden of Eden. By partaking of the fruit from the “tree of knowledge of good and evil” contrary to God’s commandment, Adam and Eve suffered two major consequences of eternal importance. The first of these, spiritual death, they suffered apparently without much delay. They were shortly to learn that they would no longer have the opportunity to converse face to face with their Father in Heaven as they walked in the garden. Their only contact with Him would be through prayer, inspiration, and messengers sent from His presence to instruct them from time to time concerning His will pertaining to them.

The second personal consequence of their misbehavior would not be experienced ultimately for many years to come, other than for the deepening effects of the aging process. Physical death had been introduced into the world as a result of their actions. Consistent with God’s warning and contrary to what Lucifer told them, they would eventually die. In the mean time, they would live in their fallen state of mortality having been responsible not only for their own fall but for the fall of all fauna and flora on the earth as well as the earth itself from a terrestrial to a telestial order of things.

Absent the atonement wrought by Jesus Christ, our first parents and all of their descendants would have of necessity perished as Amulek taught. To perish in this sense does not mean to cease to exist. Rather it means that we all would have found ourselves in hell with Lucifer as our leader for the duration of eternity. The world would have been destroyed, and mankind would have become devils, “angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself” (see 2 Nephi 9:7-9).

The atonement of Jesus Christ is “[t]hat he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness; That through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him ” (D&C 76:41-42). How are all saved because of the atonement? The answer is a multi-faceted one. In fact, in only one sense are all of mankind saved by the Lord’s atonement.

The Father communicating through His Son instructed Moses concerning His plan for His spirit children namely, “For behold, this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Immortality and eternal life are not synonymous terms. Immortality refers to the duration of life while eternal life refers to the quality of life we may enjoy in the future. “Eternal” is one of Elohim’s names, thus eternal life is the quality of life that Elohim lives and is one of the subjects of Section 131 in the Doctrine and Covenants.

As stated, the effects of the atonement concerning who is to be saved are many. To the extent that every human being who ever calls earth home will be resurrected and not spend eternity as a disembodied spirit, it may be truly said that all are saved through the Lord’s atonement. This is the unconditional result of the atonement. All will be resurrected. None may opt out. However, if by saved we mean to say that all of God’s spirit children will return home to live with their Heavenly Father, then by no means will that be the case. And here the situation becomes somewhat complex. Enter the subjects of salvation and damnation. If we assume salvation to mean that an individual has been saved, then clearly, not all who live upon this earth will be saved or inherit salvation. Those who will clearly not be saved in this sense are the sons of perdition. They are they who alone will experience the “second death” and go away to live out eternity with Lucifer and his minions. However, they will keep their resurrected bodies making them superior in nature to the father of lies (D&C 76:43-45).

All of God’s remaining children will inherit some kingdom of glory for eternity. Then what is it that those who inherit the terrestrial and telestial kingdoms have been saved from? Hell and Lucifer’s temptations and corruptions. Those who are resurrected to obtain the celestial kingdom are those who are saved to the degree that they will re-enter their Father’s presence. Thus salvation comes in varying degrees. This then is the conditional aspect of the atonement. It is within our power to determine through our worthiness the degree to which we will inherit salvation or damnation.

Indeed, the terms salvation and damnation may be used correctly to describe the conditions of those who will enter even the celestial kingdom. It is God’s hope for us that we will not only be found worthy to return and live with Him, but more so, that we will be worthy of the progression necessary to eventually live as He does. To obtain eternal life is the real purpose for our existence. Anything short of that is less than what our Heavenly Father hopes for us and will in time prove to be a damnation for us. For those who fail to receive eternal life will not be capable of “increase” which is the clearest distinguishing potential of those inheriting eternal life (D&C 131:4).