Book of Mormon Gospel Topics - Latter Day Saints

Atonement

LDS Summary:

The LDS (Brigham Young) introduced the doctrine that Jesus' atonement was not infinite (contrary to the scriptures) and introduced a blood atonement doctrine in 1856 - reversed in 1966 (110 years later)

RLDS Summary:

The RLDS always maintained that Jesus' atonement was infinite

Scripture Comparison Both the LDS and RLDS scriptures agree that the blood of Jesus Christ's covers all sin
LDS	RLDS / Restoration
King James Version, 1 John, Chapter 1 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.	Inspired Version, 1 John, Chapter 1 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another; and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Scripture Comparison

Both the LDS and RLDS Book of Mormon scriptures agree that Christ's atonement was infinite

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

LDS Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi, Chapter 9
6 For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.
7 Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration.

RLDS Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi, Chapter 6
11 For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfill the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection.
12 And the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall;
13 And the fall came by reason of transgression;
14 And because man became fallen, they were cut off from the presence of the Lord;
15 Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement.
16 Save it should be an infinite atonement, this corruption could not put on incorruption.
17 Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration.

Scripture Comparison: Both the LDS and RLDS Book of Mormon scriptures agree that Christ's atonement was infinite
LDS	RLDS / Restoration
LDS Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi, Chapter 25 16 And after they have been scattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations for the space of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation until they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind—	2 Nephi, Chapter 11 26 And after they have been scattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations for the space of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation, until they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind--

Scripture Comparison:

Both the LDS and RLDS Book of Mormon scriptures agree that Christ's atonement was infinite and that atonement cannot come by shedding blood

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

LDS Book of Mormon, Alma, Chapter 34
8 And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.
9 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.
10 For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.
11 Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another. Now, if a man murdereth, behold will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay.
12 But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered; therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world.
13 Therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away.

RLDS Book of Mormon, Alma, Chapter 16
207 Behold, I say unto you that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God has spoken it.
208 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;
209 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;
210 For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice--yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.
211 Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood, which will atone for the sins of another.
212 Now if a man murdereth, behold, will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay.
213 But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered; therefore, there can be nothing, which is short of an infinite atonement, which will suffice for the sins of the world; therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice;
214 And then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall all be fulfilled, every jot and tittle; and none shall have passed away.

March 4, 1843

Joseph Smith Jr makes a comment about shooting as preferable to hanging as a method for execution if the opportunity to make a law ever came up

Note: This is frequently referenced as the first discussion of blood atonement, however, the only record here is an act of punishment, not atonement. There seems to be no Hebrew religous connotations for "smoke" in this usage - the closest match to the scriptures is in Revelation 14:11, "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night..." - which matches "punishment" rather than "atonement".

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

LDS Church History, Vol. 5, Chapter 16, page 296
In debate, George A. Smith said imprisonment was better than hanging.

I replied, I was opposed to hanging, even if a man kill another, I will shoot him, or cut off his head, spill his blood on the ground, and let the smoke thereof ascend up to God; and if ever I have the privilege of making a law on that subject, I will have it so.

This is not contained in the RLDS Church History

May 15, 1845

History of Joseph Smith describes "blood for blood" as a punishment (not atonement) "according to the law of heaven"

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

Times and Seasons, Vol. 6, No. 9, page 897
But the great change that may appear to some, in the views, designs, and craft of this man, to rob an innocent people of their arms by stratagem, and leave more than one thousand defenceless [defenseless] men, women, and children, to be driven from their homes, among strangers in a strange land of, to appearances, barbarians, to seek a shelter from the stormy blast of winter's cold embrace, is so glaringly exposed in the sequel, that all earth and hell cannot deny, that a baser knave, a greater traitor, and a more wholesale butcher, or murderer of mankind never went untried, unpunished and unhung; as hanging is the popular method of execution among the Gentiles, in all countries professing christianity; instead of blood for blood, according to the law of heaven.

1845 (filed/published 1893) William Smith (brother to Joseph Smith Jr) identifies blood atonement was a new doctrine brought into the church
LDS	RLDS / Restoration
	Abstract of Evidence, Temple Lot Case, U.S.C.C, filed 1893, page 98 I left Nauvoo in 1845 because my life was in danger if I remained there, because of my objections and protests against the doctrine of blood atonement and other new doctrines that were brought into the church.

February 22, 1851

Secretary of State [Willard Richards] describes that a murderer's "punishment should be the letting out of the murderer's blood upon the earth" in order to receive a remission of sin. He also mentions the phrase, "smoke thereof may ascend towards heaven" that Joseph Smith Jr used.

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

Deseret News, 1851-02-22, Murder, Hanging, & C.
To conclude this subject, we give the following quotation from the recent address of the Secretary of State, before the General Assembly of Deseret, on constitutional law...

What saith the great law book on this subject? When Cain killed his brother, we have no account that any law had been given against murder; but his sentence was to be a fugitive and vagabond in the midst of the earth, as a warning to others, and a mark was set upon him, by the lawgiver himself, lest any one should slay him. In process of time the law came:—"Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood he shed". And the reason is given; because that in the blood is the life of the flesh. The mere act of designedly killing an innocent man, is the same to him, whether it be done by poison, strangling, or the sword; it is murder, and is punishable with death; and that punishment should be the letting out of the murderer's blood upon the earth; that the smoke thereof may ascend towards heaven, as the only offering the great Lawgiver would accept in any degree, towards opening up the way for a remission of the crime; and eternity must unfold how far even that may tend to its intended effect.

Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.

July 16, 1854

Heber C. Kimball discusses executing blood atonement against prostitutes and a proposal to do likewise to Latter-day Saints who did not "make their profession honorable"

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, pages 17, 19
Thus all Israel put to death the transgressor, and sanctified themselves [stoning to death Achan] before the Lord. Would it not be an excellent course to pursue with this people, to sanctify them to the fullest extent of the word? There are individuals in these valleys who profess to be Latter-day Saints; but do they by their works make their profession honorable? No; their works and their profession are very dissimilar indeed. I think it would be an excellent thing for this people to be sanctified from such persons, and have them cleansed from our midst, by making an atonement...

It is believed in the world that our females are all common women. Well, in one sense they are common - that is, they are like all other women, I suppose; but they are not unclean, for we wipe all unclean ones from our midst: we not only wipe them from our streets, but we wipe them out of existence. And if the world want to practice uncleanness, and bring their prostitutes here, if they do not repent and forsake such sins, we will wipe the evil out. We will not have them in this valley, unless they repent; for, so help me God, while I live, I will lend my hand to wipe such persons out; and I know this people will.

March 16, 1856

Brigham Young describes blood atonement and Jesus' atonement is not infinite - that for your own sins, "your own blood must atone for it". This is the first record that Jesus' atonement is not infinite - that remission of some sins can only be made through individual blood letting.

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, page 247
You say, "That man ought to die for transgressing the law of God." Let me suppose a case. Suppose you found your brother in bed with your wife, and put a javelin through both of them, you would be justified, and they would atone for their sins, and be received into the kingdom of God. I would at once do so in such a case; and under such circumstances, I have no wife whom I love so well that I would not put a javelin through her heart, and I would do it with clean hands...

There is not a man or woman, who violates the covenants made with their God, that will not be required to pay the debt. The blood of Christ will never wipe that out, your own blood must atone for it; and the judgments of the Almighty will come, sooner or later, and every man and woman will have to atone for breaking their covenants.

September 21, 1856

Jedediah M. Grant states that there are sins that Jesus' atonement cannot forgive, states a need for a designated place to shed blood, and calls on sinners to shed their blood "as an atonement for your sins"

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, pages 49-51
They are the old hardened sinners, and are almost--if not altogether--past improvement, and are full of hell, and my prayer is that God's indignation may rest upon them, and that He will curse them from the crown of their heads to the soles of their feet.

I say, that there are men and women that I would advise to go to the President immediately, and ask him to appoint a committee to attend to their case; and then let a place be selected, and let that committee shed their blood.

We have those amongst us that are full of all manner of abominations, those who need to have their blood shed, for water will not do, their sins are of too deep a dye.

You may think that I am not teaching you Bible doctrine, but what says the apostle Paul? I would ask how many covenant breakers there are in this city and in this kingdom. I believe that there are a great many; and if they are covenant breakers we need a place designated, where we can shed their blood.

Brethren and sisters, we want you to repent and forsake your sins. And you who have committed sins that cannot be forgiven through baptism, let your blood be shed, and let the smoke ascend, that the incense thereof may come up before God as an atonement for your sins, and that the sinners in Zion may be afraid.

September 21, 1856

Brigham Young uses the same phrase that Joseph Smith used, but also adds the concept of blood atonement.

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, page 53
There are sins that men commit for which they cannot receive forgiveness in this world, or in that which is to come, and if they had their eyes open to see their true condition, they would be perfectly willing to have their blood spilt upon the ground, that the smoke thereof might ascend to heaven as an offering for their sins; and the smoking incense would atone for their sins, whereas, if such is not the case, they will stick to them and remain upon them in the spirit world.

February 8, 1857

Brigham Young introduced the doctrine that Jesus' atonement is not infinite and that blood needs to be shed for some sins - contrary to the Book of Mormon

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, pages 219-220
Now take a person in this congregation who has knowledge with regard to being saved in the kingdom of our God and our Father, and being exalted, one who knows and understands the principles of eternal life, and sees the beauty and excellency of the eternities before him compared with the vain and foolish things of the world, and suppose that he is overtaken in a gross fault, that he has committed a sin that he knows will deprive him of that exaltation which he desires, and that he cannot attain to it without the shedding of his blood, and also knows that by having his blood shed he will atone for that sin, and be saved and exalted with the Gods, is there a man or woman in this house but what would say, “shed my blood that I may be saved and exalted with the Gods?”

All mankind love themselves, and let these principles be known by an individual, and he would be glad to have his blood shed. That would be loving themselves, even unto an eternal exaltation. Will you love your brothers or sisters likewise, when they have committed a sin that cannot be atoned for without the shedding of their blood? Will you love that man or woman well enough to shed their blood? That is what Jesus Christ meant. He never told a man or woman to love their enemies in their wickedness, never. He never intended any such thing; his language is left as it is for those to read who have the Spirit to discern between truth and error; it was so left for those who can discern the things of God. Jesus Christ never meant that we should love a wicked man in his wickedness.

This is loving our neighbor as ourselves; if he needs help, help him; and if he wants salvation and it is necessary to spill his blood on the earth in order that he may be saved, spill it. Any of you who understand the principles of eternity, if you have sinned a sin requiring the shedding of blood, except the sin unto death, would not be satisfied nor rest until your blood should be spilled, that you might gain that salvation you desire. That is the way to love mankind.

May 6, 1877

Brigham Young still maintains the doctrine of blood atonement

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

Journal of Discourses, Vol. 18, pages 361-362
They killed Joseph, and what for? For the Gospel's sake. It was for no evil, for I was well acquainted with him. He testified to the truth, he sealed his testimony with his blood. Whether we believe in blood atonement or not, the Lord so ordered it, that Joseph, as well as others of the Prophets, sealed their testimony with their blood.

I said here last Sabbath, that, if the people of this government are not satisfied with what they have already passed through this side of twenty years past, “Wait a little longer, and they will be perfectly satisfied with blood.” They shed the blood of the innocent; if they are not satisfied with the blood they have shed of each other, wait a little while and they will shed each other's blood to their full satisfaction. The Lord has spoken it, and we have nothing to do with it.

1884

Charles Penrose (LDS Apostle) explains the blood atonement doctrine that Jesus' atonement does not apply to all sins and shedding blood (not hanging) is required for the sins that Jesus' atonement does not cover

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

Blood Atonement, pages 10-11
pages 10-11: But if people accept the atonement wrought out by Jesus Christ for them--and that acceptance is not merely in assenting unto it by word, but in obedience to His gospel--then it will act as a propitiation for their actual sins, just as the Apostle John says: "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." If they are not in the light as He is in the light, if they have not fellowship with Him, then His blood is not a propitiation for their sins. It is shed unconditionally for the sin of Adam; it is shed conditionally for the actual sins of his posterity.

This may be a little different from the view entertained by "Christian" sects; but all people who profess to be "Christians" believe in the atonement wrought out by Christ in some way or other--that is, they believe that through Christ's blood atonement was made for sin, and that through that atonement they have acceptance with God.

page 12: Here is a cardinal principle of the law of God--that without shedding of blood there is no remissions of sins. Therefore, if Christ's blood had not been shed, each individual would have had to have his blood shed, according to Bible doctrine. This may sound very horrifying to some people; but it is Bible doctrine all the same.

page 15: But there are persons who, after having been washed and made clean through the blood of Christ, and made members of His Church, again commit sin. What about them? Why, if they truly repent, and make all the restitution that lays in their power, they may be forgiven, they may be cleansed again. But there are some sins that can be committed from which they cannot be cleansed by the blood of Christ.

page 21: The Apostle John says in the same epistle I read from just now--the 3rd chapter of the First Epistle of John: "No murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." The man who commits murder, who imbrues his hands in the blood of innocence, cannot receive eternal life, because he cannot get forgiveness of that sin. What can he do? The only way to atone is to shed his blood. Hanging is not the proper method.

1908

RLDS Elder F. M. Cooper explains that blood atonement "nullifies the atonement of Jesus Christ"

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

Teachings in Contrast, Section 7, 1908
Board of Publication of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints BLOOD-ATONEMENT, The position of the Reorganized fitter Day Saint Church is that the doctrine of blood-atonement, as taught by the Utah church, is a heresy, and repugnant to every principle of Christianity. The constitutional law of the church provides that those who commit crime, who are members of the church, shall be "turned over to the law" of the land for punishment. The church only has the right to excommunicate members who are proven guilty of crime against the laws of the State, but it has no right to punish by fine, imprisonment or death those of its members who are guilty of the violations of law.

The Utah heresy, that a man can atone for his own sins, and obtain a future exaltation, is to teach salvation independent of the atonement of Christ. If one man can atone for his personal sins by having his blood shed, so can every other man; hence the shedding of the blood of each Individual sinner is made the ground-work of pardon and justification...Our lives are sacrificed and our blood spilt to save our souls, is the doctrine of Utah blood-atonement. This dogma supersedes and nullifies the atonement of Jesus Christ. In this "they deny the Lord that bought them."

1954

Joseph F. Smith states that there are sins that place a person beyond the atonement of Jesus Christ and salvation can only be attained by individual sacrifice

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

Doctrines of Salvation, Chapter 8, page 83, 1954
TRUE DOCTRINE OF BLOOD ATONEMENT. Just a word or two now, on the subject of blood atonement. What is that doctrine? Unadulterated, if you please, laying aside the pernicious insinuations and lying charges that have so often been made, it is simply this: Through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. 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 gospel.

But man may commit certain grievous sins -- according to his light and knowledge -- that will place him beyond the reach of the atoning blood of Christ. If then he would be saved he must make sacrifice of his own life to atone -- so far as in his power lies -- for that sin, for the blood of Christ alone under certain circumstances will not avail.

May 13, 1966

Hugh B. Brown (Apostle and a member of the First Presidency / First Counselor) denied the doctrine of blood atonement

Note: The aforementioned statements, communication to the LDS saints via the Deseret News (the official church publication), and statement by Joseph F. Smith in 1954 contradict Hugh Brown's statement that it's "not true".

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

Letter from Hugn B. Brown to Mr. Morris L. Reynlds, May 13, 1966
...The Adam-God doctrine is not the doctrine of the Church, and the reports on that subject as published in the Journal of Discourses are not accurate. The Godhead consists of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

There is no doctrine of the Church requiring the shedding of blood for the salvation where certain sins have been committed. We have been accused of such doctrine, but it is not true...Sincerely your brother, Hugh B. Brown

Latter Day Saints - What do they Truly Believe (about Atonement)?

Atonement

LDS Summary:

RLDS Summary:

Scripture Comparison

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RLDS / Restoration

Scripture Comparison

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RLDS / Restoration

Scripture Comparison:

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RLDS / Restoration

Scripture Comparison:

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RLDS / Restoration

March 4, 1843

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RLDS / Restoration

May 15, 1845

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RLDS / Restoration

1845 (filed/published 1893)

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RLDS / Restoration

February 22, 1851

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RLDS / Restoration

July 16, 1854

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RLDS / Restoration

March 16, 1856

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RLDS / Restoration

September 21, 1856

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RLDS / Restoration

September 21, 1856

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RLDS / Restoration

February 8, 1857

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RLDS / Restoration

May 6, 1877

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RLDS / Restoration

1884

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

1908

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

1954

LDS

RLDS / Restoration

May 13, 1966

LDS

RLDS / Restoration