INTRODUCTION

The foundational doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (known as the LDS), is eternal progression. All their other teachings are based on this one doctrine. But it is unbiblical. So in order to fit what the Bible teaches in with it, they have given their own exclusive meanings to all the biblical terms. Unless one is aware of this fact, it would be easy to gain the impression that Mormonism is a biblical religion. But nothing could be further from the truth. The atonement has been one of the casualties.



THE ATONEMENT ACCORDING TO "GOSPEL PRINCIPLES"

In chapter 12 of their 2010 version of Gospel Principles, the LDS appears to heartily agree with the biblical teaching that Christ bore our sins in His atonement, and that through faith in Him we can be saved. (This book is available free of charge on the Internet.) But they take care not to mention that although Christ bore our sins, their church still requires us to earn the right to forgiveness. They teach their followers that our personal salvation is conditional on a great many other things that have nothing whatever to do with the atonement of Christ.

In the real world we call this deception.

Various other LDS doctrinal books and teachings insist that salvation is only possible through membership of their church, obedience to LDS laws and ordinances, acceptance of Joseph Smith as a prophet of God, baptism by a holder of the LDS priesthood (see the article, The LDS Priesthood is Unbiblical ), as well as through serving the LDS church faithfully, attending all their meetings, payment of full tithing, and so on. They further maintain that eternal life is only possible for those who have been married in an LDS temple ceremony for time and eternity. But none of these things have anything to do with having faith in Christ, or with His atonement.

Here are just some of their exclusive teachings:

We believe that through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the [LDS] gospel (3rd Article of Faith of the LDS church)

Full salvation is attained by virtue of knowledge, truth, righteousness, and all true principles. Many conditions must exist in order to make such salvation available to men. Without the atonement, the [LDS] gospel, the [LDS] priesthood, and the [LDS] sealing power, there would be no salvation. Without continuous revelation, the ministering angels, the working of miracles, the prevalence of gifts of the spirit, there would be no salvation. If it had not been for Joseph Smith and the restoration there would be no salvation. There is no salvation outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Doctrines of Salvation, Volume 2, pp. 1-350, as quoted in Mormon Doctrine, by LDS Apostle Bruce McConkie, page 670). (Editor's italics)

There is no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God, (Doctrines of Salvation, LDS Prophet and President Joseph Fielding Smith, Volume 1, page 188.)

The first effect [of the atonement] is to secure to all mankind alike, exemption from the penalty of the fall, thus providing a plan of General Salvation. The second effect is to open a way for Individual Salvation whereby mankind may secure remission of personal sins. As these sins are the result of individual acts, it is just that forgiveness for them should be conditioned on individual compliance with prescribed requirements, obedience to the laws and ordinances of the [LDS] Gospel (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, member of the LDS Quorum of the 12 Apostles — the second highest governing body in the LDS church; page 87).

Redemption from personal sins can only be obtained through obedience to the requirements of the [Mormon] gospel, and a life of good works ..... The Sectarian Dogma of Justification by Faith Alone has exercised an influence for evil (Mormon Apostle James Talmage, Articles of Faith, pages 478-479).

Immortality is assured to all of us through the atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But eternal life is a personal responsibility we must earn and be worthy of. (LDS Apostle Delbert L. Stapley, Member of the Quorum of the Twelve, The Path to Eternal Glory, Ensign, July 1973, page 99.) (Emphasis inserted by editor.)

..... But only those who obey the fullness of the [LDS] gospel law will inherit eternal life (D&C 29:43-44)..... Thus those who gain eternal life receive exaltation ..... They are gods. (Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie, member of the LDS Quorum of the 12 Apostles; page 237.)

If one is going to be ..... where God dwells in all his glory, one will be there as a husband or a wife and not otherwise. Regardless of his virtues, the single person, or the one married for this life only, cannot be exalted. (Spencer W. Kimball, 12th President and Prophet of the LDS Church, The Miracle of Forgiveness, page 245). (In Mormonism exaltation implies godhood and eternal life.)

After taking into account a short overview of their teachings, it becomes obvious that the LDS's idea of Christ's atonement doesn't fit in at all with what the Bible says. (For an informative discussion of the Mormon teaching that marriage in an LDS temple is essential in order to gain eternal life, see the article, Mormonism's Deceptive Teaching on Eternal Life .)



THE LDS ATONEMENT HAS TWO TYPES OF SALVATION

The LDS has split Christ's atonement into two different types of salvation.

Their first type only covers resurrection and provides for entrance into one of the lower degrees of the Mormon heaven (which is not where Christ and God are). They call this salvation by grace or universal salvation, because it applies to every single person, and nothing has to be done to earn it. Even those who do not believe in God fall into this category.

They call the second type individual salvation. And it involves earning the right to the forgiveness of our own personal sins through membership of the LDS church and obedience to their laws and ordinances. But this doesn't automatically warrant eternal life, which is an extra benefit that also has to be earned by still further requirements. (See the article Mormonism's Deceptive Teaching on Eternal Life .)

All men are saved by grace alone without any act on their part, meaning they are resurrected. (LDS Apostle Bruce McConkie, What the Mormons Think of Christ, page 28) (McConkie was a Mormon doctrinal writer and a well respected member of the Quorum of 12 Apostles, who advised the LDS Presidency.)

Salvation is twofold: General, that which comes to all men irrespective of a belief (in this life) in Christ, and Individual, that which man merits through his own acts through life and by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the [Mormon] gospel (Doctrines of Salvation, LDS President and Prophet Joseph Fielding Smith, Volume I, page 134).

On the other hand, the Bible teaches that Christ paid the full price for our forgiveness and the gift of eternal life, for those who have faith in Him:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ..... He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:14, 15, 18 KJV) (Italics by editor)

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree ..... (1 Peter 2:24, KJV)

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1:7 KJV)

THE LDS DIMINISHES WHAT CHRIST ACHIEVED ON THE CROSS

According to the LDS, Christ's atonement reversed of the curse of death that came about because of Adam's sin, thereby ensuring resurrection from the dead for the whole of mankind, regardless of whether or not they have trusted in Christ (Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 9:21-22, Articles of Faith, LDS Apostle James Talmage, page 87. ) But the Bible reveals that the resurrection of the dead was an accomplished fact long before the atonement ever took place:

But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. (Matthew 22:31-32, KJV)

And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God (Job 19:26, KJV)

Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. (Isaiah 26:19, KJV)

As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. (Psalm 17:15, KJV)

The Bible very clearly explains that Christ's atonement ratified a New Covenant of grace that provided for the forgiveness of all the sins of whosoever trusts in Him for salvation. Adam's sin, universal resurrection and immortality don't even come into it. Instead, what is consistently proclaimed throughout the New Testament, is forgiveness of all our sins by grace through faith in Christ, because of His atonement on our behalf, on the cross, plus the gift of eternal life. The following are just some examples:

And he is the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:2, KJV)

Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood (Revelation 1:5, KJV)

..... even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (Galations 2:16, KJV)

To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43, KJV) (Italics inserted by writer.)

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1:7, KJV)

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:14, KJV) (Italics inserted by writer.)

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV) (Italics inserted by writer.)

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. (Romans 11:6, KJV)

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:14-15, KJV)

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name [i.e. the person] of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life (1 John 5:13, KJV)

Seeing that Christ bore our sins and died to earn our forgiveness on condition that we trust in Him for salvation, what right has the LDS to insist that we also need to have faith in Joseph Smith, become a member of their church, pay them tithing and serve their organization, in order for salvation from sin to come into effect?

What the LDS is doing here, is redefining the terms of salvation so that both their church and Joseph Smith are given prominence, whilst what Christ achieved in His atonement is diminished. But Christ alone has the authority to save, not the LDS. He earned that right when He suffered and died for our sins, in our place, on the cross at Calvary.

The LDS seems to be under the delusion that they are controlling the entire universe when it comes to things concerning salvation. Their teachings indicate that unless folk submit to their unbiblical ideas and demands, and unless they participate in their exclusive rites and rituals, including temple ceremonies, God won't have the power or the right to permit them to have the benefit of the forgiveness of sin and the gift of eternal life that Christ earned on the cross, for those who trust in Him.

The reality is that Christ is quite capable of saving us to the uttermost, without any help from the LDS church.

Wherefore he (Christ) is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25, KJV) (Emphasis by editor)

Christ's death and shed blood ratified a New Covenant, which the Bible says is far better than the Old (Hebrews 7:22, 8:6). And under the Old Covenant, God didn't tell the Israelites that they would have to earn the right to the forgiveness of their sins. Instead He provided the sacrificial system. The guilty man took a blemish free sacrificial animal to the altar. Then he placed his hand on its head to indicate that it was to be his substitute, and would die in his place to cover his sin (Leviticus 4:27-31, Numbers 15:22-26, etc.) This was a picture of the coming, promised Messiah, who would die once and for all, for the forgiveness of all the sins of those who identified themselves with Him by faith.

As an Old Covenant Jew, John the Baptist, who was a prophet, was familiar with the substitutionary sacrificial system, and had been eagerly awaiting the appearance of the promised One. Pointing to the Lord Jesus, he triumphantly proclaimed:

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29, KJV)

THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE

The LDS detracts from the real meaning of Christ's sacrificial death on the cross even further, by wrongly teaching that His atonement took place primarily in the Garden of Gethsemane, and that the cross merely signalled its completion:

Where and under what circumstances was the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God made? Was it on the Cross of Calvary or in the Garden of Gethsemane? It is to the Cross of Christ that most Christians look when centring their attention upon the infinite and eternal atonement. And certainly the sacrifice of our Lord was completed when he was lifted up by men; also, that part of his life and suffering is more dramatic and, perhaps, more soul stirring. But in reality the pain and suffering, the triumph and grandeur, of the atonement took place primarily in Gethsemane. (LDS Apostle Bruce McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:774) (Emphasis by editor)

Mormons classify the time Christ spent praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and agonizing over His forthcoming crucifixion, as "an atoning sacrifice." It is difficult to understand how they reach this conclusion, seeing it's not what the Bible teaches. The sacrificial system that covered the guilty person's sin and portrayed the coming final sacrifice of the Messiah always involved the death of the substitionary sacrifice.

One can't help but wonder what the LDS's motive was in introducing this false teaching, considering that it's in direct contradiction of what the Bible tells us. But it is a fact that they abhor the cross, and will not permit its presence anywhere on their premises. Instead, they have decorated their temples with occultic symbols. (See the articles Mormon Opposition to the Cross and LDS Temples Compared with those of Biblical Times .)



THE ATONEMENT, AS UNDERSTOOD IN BIBLICAL TIMES

Christ's substitutionary suffering and death on behalf of sinful mankind was much more meaningful and easier to understand for folk who lived at that time, than it is for us today. When a man was unable to pay his debt, he was faced with the penalty of the Law and sold into slavery to pay it off. However, a kinsman was permitted to redeem him, provided that he paid the amount of the debt in full. This then set the debtor free both from slavery and from his debt.

To qualify to be our kinsman so that He would have the right to redeem us from slavery to sin and from our debt to God (because all sin is against God), the Lord Jesus left the glories of heaven, took on a human body and lived in a fallen, sinful, hurting world, as one of us (Philippians 2:6-10). Then although He Himself had no sin, He paid the Law's full penalty for sin on behalf of those who identified themselves as being "in Him." And because He has paid our debt in full, those who trust in Him for salvation are set free from the consequences of their sins, and are forgiven.

John Reisinger explained Christ's substitutionary or vicarious atonement like this:

"The word vicarious means "acting on behalf of or as representing another," or "something performed or suffered by one person with the results accruing to the benefit or advantage of another." The key idea is representation in such a way that one party literally stands in the place of another and is actually treated as if they were the other person. The classic text is 2 Corinthians 5:21:

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21, KJV)

If Christ actually stood in my place and bore my sin then I can never be punished for that sin. If Christ literally stands as a substitute in the place of any particular individual then that individual must be brought to salvation and be eternally saved. Substitutionary, or vicarious, atonement must actually secure a real salvation for all for whom Christ died or else it is not truly vicarious." (Doctrine of the Atonement, by John G. Reisinger)

CHRIST'S ATONEMENT COVERS THE FORGIVENESS OF ALL OUR SINS

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you ALL trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross (Colossians 2:13-14, KJV) (Emphasis inserted by the writer. Note that it was on the cross that our sins were dealt with, not in the Garden of Gethsemane.)

My dictionary defines the word "all" as "the whole extent or number, without exception, without limit, past, present and future, infinitely and completely."

Don't forget that Christ died for the forgiveness of our sins long before we'd been born. So His atonement covered even those sins that we hadn't yet committed. The apostle John explained in his letter to the church that whenever we repent and ask for forgiveness for any sin that we've become aware of, God will grant us that forgiveness and cleanse us because as indicated above, Christ has already paid the price for the forgiveness of all our sins, in full:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, KJV)

However, Mormons should not get the wrong idea. For a Christian it is a very serious matter to have to ask for forgiveness for sin, as the picture of Christ suffering on that cruel cross to pay the ultimate penalty for "my" sin is ever before him.

Those of us who are trusting in Christ and the sufficiency of His atonement for our sins, will never stop praising Him for what He has done for us, unworthy as we are. And we unashamedly worship Him.

Christian churches generally display a cross in a prominent position, to remind the congregation of who they were (condemned sinners), what Christ has done for them (set them free from guilt, judgment and condemnation); and what it cost Him (the ultimate in suffering and shame). The fact that the LDS will not permit a cross to be displayed anywhere on their premises speaks volumes to Christians, as it clearly tells them that Mormons don't understand the meaning, the importance, or the purpose of Christ's crucifixion. And their teaching on the atonement is proof of this.

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