Atonement of Jesus Christ

Mormonism teaches that Jesus Christ’s atonement is the central doctrine of the great plan of life and salvation. On one occasion the Prophet Joseph Smith was asked the question, "What are the fundamental principles of your religion?" The Prophet's answer to the question was: "the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and the Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it ..." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 121).

Truly Jesus’ mission, culminating in His Atonement, is the most important message of Mormonism.

The Atonement, which is the greatest event in the history of the world, was accomplished through Jesus’ sufferings in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. Although the finite human mind cannot fully understand how Jesus suffered for our sins, the scriptures affirm that in the Garden of Gethsemane, the weight of mankind’s sins caused Him to feel such agony that He bled from every pore (Luke 22:39–44).

Later, as He hung upon the cross, Jesus willingly suffered a painful death inflicted by one of the cruelest methods that men ever devised.

The same Savior tells us about that experience: "For behold, I ... have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer ... even as I" (Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–17).

As the Son of God, Jesus Christ is the only being who could have performed an infinite sacrifice to atone for our sins. Jesus did His part, but in order to make His Atonement fully functional in our individual lives, we must do certain things. First, we need to have faith in Christ; second, we need to repent of our sins; third, we need to be baptized by someone who has the proper priesthood authority; fourth, we need to receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands (again, by someone who has the proper priesthood authority); and finally, we need to obey God's commandments until the end of our days on the earth.

If we do these things, the benefits of the Atonement can reach our individual lives and allow us to return to live with Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father forever. According to Mormon doctrine we are saved by grace, but only after we do all we can to obey God’s commandments.

The Garden of Gethsemane and the Cross

The literal meaning of the word "Atonement" is at-one-ment, signifying the act of unifying or bringing together that which has been separated, or, in other terms, a reconciling two parties. According to the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Atonement of Jesus Christ was necessary because of the transgression, or fall, of Adam, which brought death into the world when Adam and his wife Eve partook of the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (see Gen. 2:9; 3:1-24). This resulting death includes not only a separation of the spirit from the physical body, but also a separation of all people from God their Father.

Frequently, when Christians (including many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) talk about the Atonement, they emphasize its physical aspects. They often speak of the crown of thorns that was placed upon the Savior's head, his scourging by Roman soldiers, or the pains he suffered when nails were driven into his hands and feet. Surely these were painful happenings and are important aspects of the Atonement. However, there is also a more spiritual dimension to Christ's redemptive act.

The scriptures state that when in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus began to be sorrowful and very heavy. He said to His apostles: "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, unto death" (Mark 14:34). The same Christ, later a resurrected being, revealed to Joseph Smith a few more details about His suffering in Gethsemane: "For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all men, that they might not suffer if they would repent. But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit--and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink--nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men" (Doctrine and Covenant 19:16-19).

The experience of the "bitter cup" in Gethsemane affected the Savior profoundly. It is this aspect of the Atonement that Latter-day Saint scriptures emphasize. The pains of mind, spirit, and body, suffered both in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the hill of Calvary, constituted Jesus' infinite sacrifice--through which he literally paid for us, rescuing us from the condemnation of our sins if we but accept his sacrifice by faithfully following his example and teachings. Thus the Atonement rejoins our spirits to our bodies in the Resurrection, and likewise rejoins us to our God.

For a better understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ you may want to read:

Skinner, Andrew C. Gethsemane. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2002.