Gethsemane Atonement?
Gospel Classics
The Purifying Power of Gethsemane
By Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85)
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Bruce R. McConkie was born on July 29, 1915, in Michigan, USA. He was
sustained to the First Council of the Seventy on October 6, 1946, and
was ordained an Apostle on October 12, 1972. He died on April 19, 1985,
in Salt Lake City, Utah. This address was delivered in general
conference on April 6, 1985.
I feel, and the Spirit seems to accord, that the most important
doctrine I can declare, and the most powerful testimony I can bear, is
of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Note: Atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ occurred on the cross.
Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He
said to His disciples, “You know that after two days is the Passover,
and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” Matthew 26:1-2
His Atonement is the most transcendent event that ever has or ever will
occur from Creation’s dawn through all the ages of a never-ending
eternity.
Note: Atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ occurred on the cross.
But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I
know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is
risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go
quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and
indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.
Matthew 28:5-7
It is the supreme act of goodness and grace that only a god could
perform. Through it, all of the terms and conditions of the Father’s
eternal plan of salvation became operative.
Note: There is only one eternal God.
“You are My witnesses,” says the LORD, “And My servant whom I have
chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me.” Isaiah
43:10
Through it are brought to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
Through it, all men are saved from death, hell, the devil, and endless
torment.
And through it, all who believe and obey the glorious gospel of God,
all who are true and faithful and overcome the world, all who suffer
for Christ and His word, all who are chastened and scourged in the
cause of Him whose we are—all shall become as their Maker and sit with
Him on His throne and reign with Him forever in everlasting glory.
Note: All mankind will not be saved.
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you
cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his
angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you
gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked
and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit
Me.’” Matthew 25:41-43
In speaking of these wondrous things, I shall use my own words, though
you may think they are the words of scripture, words spoken by other
apostles and prophets.
Note: All prophets after Jesus Christ are false prophets.
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the
fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His
Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He
made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express
image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power,
when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of
the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as
He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. Hebrews
1:1-4
True it is they were first proclaimed by others, but they are now mine,
for the Holy Spirit of God has borne witness to me that they are true,
and it is now as though the Lord had revealed them to me in the first
instance. I have thereby heard His voice and know His word.
Note: The Holy Spirit will testify of Jesus Christ.
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of
Me.” John 15:26
In the Garden of Gethsemane
Two thousand years ago, outside Jerusalem’s walls, there was a pleasant
garden spot, Gethsemane by name, where Jesus and His intimate friends
were wont to retire for pondering and prayer.
Note: Jesus Christ never talked about Gethsemane.
And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. Matthew 10:38
There Jesus taught His disciples the doctrines of the kingdom, and all
of them communed with Him who is the Father of us all, in whose
ministry they were engaged and on whose errand they served.
Note: Jesus Christ taught publicly about the kingdom of God.
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness
and all kinds of disease among the people. Matthew 4:23
This sacred spot, like Eden where Adam dwelt, like Sinai from whence
Jehovah gave His laws, like Calvary where the Son of God gave His life
a ransom for many, this holy ground is where the sinless Son of the
Everlasting Father took upon Himself the sins of all men on condition
of repentance.
Note: Jesus Christ never talked about Gethsemane.
Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of
Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill
Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly
sorrowful.” Matthew 17:22-23
We do not know, we cannot tell, no mortal mind can conceive the full import of what Christ did in Gethsemane.
Note: Jesus Christ never talked about Gethsemane.
Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did
not want anyone to know it. For He taught His disciples and said to
them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they
will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.” But
they did not understand this saying and were afraid to ask Him. Mark
9:30-32
We know He sweat great gouts of blood from every pore as He drained the dregs of that bitter cup His Father had given Him.
Note: Forgiveness of sins came by the death of Jesus Christ.
But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the
greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not
of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His
own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained
eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes
of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of
the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason
He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the
redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those
who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 9:11-15
We know He suffered, both body and spirit, more than it is possible for man to suffer, except it be unto death.
Note: Jesus Christ humanity suffered due to His deity foreknowledge.
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our
iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His
stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
We know that in some way, incomprehensible to us, His suffering
satisfied the demands of justice, ransomed penitent souls from the
pains and penalties of sin and made mercy available to those who
believe in His holy name.
Note: Jesus Christ never talked about Gethsemane.
Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on
the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and
the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the
scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the
Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He
will rise again.” Matthew 20:17-19
We know that He lay prostrate upon the ground as the pains and agonies
of an infinite burden caused Him to tremble and would that He might not
drink the bitter cup.
Note: Jesus Christ humanity suffered due to His deity foreknowledge.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He
was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers
is silent, so He opened not His mouth. Isaiah 53:7
We know that an angel came from the courts of glory to strengthen Him
in His ordeal, and we suppose it was mighty Michael, who foremost fell
that mortal man might be.
Note: Brigham Young proclaimed blasphemy on April 9, 1852.
“Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and
sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into
it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him.
He helped to make and organize this world. He is MICHAEL, the
Archangel, the ANCIENT OF DAYS!” Journal of Discourses.
As near as we can judge, these infinite agonies—this suffering beyond compare—continued for some three or four hours.
Note: Jesus Christ humanity suffered due to His deity foreknowledge.
I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint; My heart
is like wax; It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a
potsherd, and My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the
dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the
wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count
all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among
them, and for My clothing they cast lots. Psalms 22:14-18
His Arrest, Trial, and Scourging
After this—His body then wrenched and drained of strength—He confronted
Judas and the other incarnate devils, some from the very Sanhedrin
itself; and He was led away with a rope around His neck, as a common
criminal, to be judged by the arch-criminals, who as Jews sat in
Aaron’s seat and who as Romans wielded Caesar’s power.
Note: Jesus Christ fulfilled prophecy.
And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What
is it these men testify against You?” But Jesus kept silent. Matthew
26:62-63
Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify
against You?” But He answered him not one word, so that the governor
marveled greatly. Matthew 27:13-14
They took Him to Annas, to Caiaphas, to Pilate, to Herod, and back to
Pilate. He was accused, cursed, and smitten. Their foul saliva ran down
His face as vicious blows further weakened His pain-engulfed body.
With reeds of wrath they rained blows upon His back. Blood ran down His face as a crown of thorns pierced His trembling brow.
But above it all He was scourged, scourged with 40 stripes save one,
scourged with a multi-thonged whip into whose leather strands sharp
bones and cutting metals were woven.
Many died from scourging alone, but He rose from the sufferings of the
scourge that He might die an ignominious death upon the cruel cross of
Calvary.
Note: Jesus Christ fulfilled prophecy.
Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. Matthew 27:26
So, Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them;
and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.
Mark 15:15
So, then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. John 19:1
Then He carried His own cross until He collapsed from the weight and pain and mounting agony of it all.
Note: Jesus Christ never talked about Gethsemane.
Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going
up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets
concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be
delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit
upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will
rise again.” Luke 18:31-33
Upon the Cross
Finally, on a hill called Calvary—again, it was outside Jerusalem’s
walls—while helpless disciples looked on and felt the agonies of near
death in their own bodies, the Roman soldiers laid Him upon the cross.
Note: Jesus Christ fulfilled prophecy.
We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no
right to eat. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought
into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the
camp. Therefore, Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His
own blood, suffered outside the gate. Hebrews 13:10-12
With great mallets they drove spikes of iron through His feet and hands
and wrists. Truly He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for
our iniquities.
Note: Will you believe that the death of Jesus Christ paid for your sins?
Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands;
and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be
unbelieving but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My
Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me,
you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed.” John 20:27-29
Then the cross was raised that all might see and gape and curse and
deride. This they did, with evil venom, for three hours from 9:00 a.m.
to noon.
Note: Jesus Christ fulfilled prophecy.
And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying,
“You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself!
If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Likewise, the
chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, “He
saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let
Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted
in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am
the Son of God.’” Matthew 27:39-43
Then the heavens grew black. Darkness covered the land for the space of
three hours, as it did among the Nephites. There was a mighty storm, as
though the very God of nature was in agony.
Note: The Book of Mormon is fiction.
There are a number of anachronistic words and phrases in the Book of
Mormon—their existence in the text contradicts known linguistic
patterns or archaeological findings. Each of the anachronisms is a
word, phrase, artifact, or other concept that did not exist in the
Americas during the time period in which Mormonism founder Joseph Smith
said the Book of Mormon was originally written. Wikipedia Encyclopedia
And truly He was, for while He was hanging on the cross for another
three hours, from noon to 3:00 p.m., all the infinite agonies and
merciless pains of Gethsemane recurred.
Note: Are you saved from the wrath of God?
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not
with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no
effect. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1
Corinthians 1:17-18
And, finally, when the atoning agonies had taken their toll—when the
victory had been won, when the Son of God had fulfilled the will of His
Father in all things—then He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), and
He voluntarily gave up the ghost.
Note: Are you at peace with God?
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down
the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the
enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as
to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and
that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross,
thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to
you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we
both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:14-18
In the Spirit World
As the peace and comfort of a merciful death freed Him from the pains and sorrows of mortality, He entered the paradise of God.
Note: Jesus Christ proclaimed victory over death and Satan.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that
He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made
alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits
in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine
longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being
prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through
water. 1 Peter 3:18-20
When He had made His soul an offering for sin, He was prepared to see His seed, according to the messianic word.
Note: Are you a child of God?
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many
of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is
neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is
neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if
you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to
the promise. Galatians 3:26-29
These, consisting of all the holy prophets and faithful Saints from
ages past; these, comprising all who had taken upon them His name, and
who, being spiritually begotten by Him, had become His sons and His
daughters, even as it is with us; all these were assembled in the
spirit world, there to see His face and hear His voice.
Note: Have you been saved by faith alone?
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He
loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together
with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together,
and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that
in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in
His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:4-9
After some 38 or 40 hours—three days as the Jews measured time—our
blessed Lord came to the Arimathean’s tomb, where His partially
embalmed body had been placed by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.
Note: Jewish days are 24 hours long.
In Jewish tradition, a day is considered to begin at sunset and
continues until the next sunset. The Jewish day is divided into eight
watches or hours. First watch – sunset to 9pm. Second watch – 9pm to
midnight; Luke 12:38. Third watch – Midnight to 3am; Luke 12:38. Fourth
watch – 3am to sunrise; Matt 14:25; Mark 6:48.
His Resurrection
Then, in a way incomprehensible to us, He took up that body which had
not yet seen corruption and arose in that glorious immortality which
made Him like His resurrected Father.
Note: God the Father never changed or died.
“For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore, you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” Malachi 3:6
He then received all power in heaven and on earth, obtained eternal
exaltation, appeared unto Mary Magdalene and many others, and ascended
into heaven, there to sit down on the right hand of God the Father
Almighty and to reign forever in eternal glory.
Note: Jesus Christ will return to the earth.
The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” Psalms 110:1
His rising from death on the third day crowned the Atonement. Again, in
some way incomprehensible to us, the effects of His Resurrection pass
upon all men so that all shall rise from the grave.
Note: All shall be resurrected for the judgment.
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face
the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for
them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and
books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of
Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things
which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in
it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And
they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades
were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone
not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:11-15
As Adam brought death, so Christ brought life; as Adam is the father of mortality, so Christ is the father of immortality.
Note: Eternal life abounds to many in faith not all.
Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had
not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who
is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the
offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace
of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded
to many. Romans 5:14-15
And without both, mortality and immortality, man cannot work out his
salvation and ascend to those heights beyond the skies where gods and
angels dwell forever in eternal glory.
Note: Salvation is by the grace of God.
But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man
appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration
and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His
grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:4-7
A Knowledge of the Atonement
Now, the Atonement of Christ is the most basic and fundamental doctrine
of the gospel, and it is the least understood of all our revealed
truths.
Note: The gospel is strictly about Jesus Christ.
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to
you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you
are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless
you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I
also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third
day according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Many of us have a superficial knowledge and rely upon the Lord and His goodness to see us through the trials and perils of life.
Note: Are you looking to Jesus Christ?
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily
ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before
us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for
the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
But if we are to have faith like Enoch and Elijah, we must believe what
they believed, know what they knew, and live as they lived.
Note: Do you sincerely believe in Jesus Christ?
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
May I invite you to join with me in gaining a sound and sure knowledge of the Atonement.
Note: Do you count all things loss for the knowledge of Jesus Christ?
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of
all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be
found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law,
but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is
from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His
resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to
His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the
dead. Philippians 3:7-11
We must cast aside the philosophies of men and the wisdom of the wise
and hearken to that Spirit which is given to us to guide us into all
truth.
Note: LDS doctrines are the philosophies of men.
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of
speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I
determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him
crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:1-2
We must search the scriptures, accepting them as the mind and will and
voice of the Lord and the very power of God unto salvation.
Note: The will of God is for you to sincerely believe in Jesus Christ.
“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the
Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him
up at the last day.” John 6:40
As we read, ponder, and pray, there will come into our minds a view of
the three gardens of God—the Garden of Eden, the Garden of Gethsemane,
and the Garden of the Empty Tomb, where Jesus appeared to Mary
Magdalene.
Note: The Apostle Paul never talked about gardens.
As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would
compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution
for the cross of Christ. For not even those who are circumcised keep
the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in
your flesh. But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and
I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. Galatians 6:12-15
The Creation, Fall, and Atonement
In Eden we will see all things created in a paradisiacal state—without
death, without procreation, without probationary experiences.
Note: Everything was good in Eden before sin.
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. Genesis 1:31
We will come to know that such a creation, now unknown to man, was the only way to provide for the Fall.
Note: Death is not good.
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to
tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every
tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it
you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:15-17
We will then see Adam and Eve, the first man and the first woman, step
down from their state of immortal and paradisiacal glory to become the
first mortal flesh on earth.
Note: Sin is not good.
To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your
conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall
be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” Then to Adam He said,
“Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from
the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:
“Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all
the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth
for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your
face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it
you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
Genesis 3:16-19
Mortality, including as it does procreation and death, will enter the world.
Note: Procreation was given before sin entered the world.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the
birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over
every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So, God created man in
His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He
created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful
and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish
of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that
moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28
And because of transgression, a probationary estate of trial and testing will begin.
Note: Have you sincerely believed in Jesus Christ?
For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the
word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith
in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as
He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’”
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For
He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And
God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; and again in this
place: “They shall not enter My rest.” Hebrews 4:2-5
Then in Gethsemane we will see the Son of God ransom man from the
temporal and spiritual death that came to us because of the Fall.
Note: The death of Jesus Christ ransomed mankind through faith.
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Matthew 26:27-28
And finally, before an empty tomb, we will come to know that Christ our
Lord has burst the bands of death and stands forever triumphant over
the grave.
Thus, Creation is father to the Fall; and by the Fall came mortality and death; and by Christ came immortality and eternal life.
Note: Sin and death are never good.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no
more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for
the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
If there had been no Fall of Adam, by which cometh death, there could have been no Atonement of Christ, by which cometh life.
Note: Have you overcome LDS doctrines by faith in Jesus Christ?
And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life
freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things,
and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly,
unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers,
idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns
with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:6-8
His Atoning Blood
And now, as pertaining to this perfect Atonement, wrought by the
shedding of the blood of God—I testify that it took place in Gethsemane
and at Golgotha, and as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that He
is the Son of the living God and was crucified for the sins of the
world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself,
independent of any other person.
I am one of His witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail
marks in His hands and in His feet and shall wet His feet with my tears.
Note: Have you been redeemed by Jesus Christ through faith alone?
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being
witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God,
through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there
is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood,
through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His
forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously
committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that
He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-26
But I shall not know any better then than I know now that He is God’s
Almighty Son, that He is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation
comes in and through His atoning blood and in no other way.
Note: Have you been redeemed by Jesus Christ through faith alone?
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for
the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps
for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His
own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died
for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we
shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we
were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having
been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but
we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we
have now received the reconciliation. Romans 5:6-11
God grant that all of us may walk in the light, as God our Father is in
the light, so that, according to the promises, the blood of Jesus
Christ, His Son, will cleanse us from all sin.
Note: Have you been redeemed by Jesus Christ through faith alone?
For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things
on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of
His cross. Colossians 1:19-20