Atonement Theory and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Atonement Theory and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Summary: Why did Jesus have to suffer, bleed, and die for the sins of mankind? Why could not God have simply forgiven men for their sins when they repented and turned to Him without requiring Jesus to die? These are the central questions of Atonement theory. While The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has no official Atonement theory, the questions posed are important to answer for Christian and Latter-day Saint belief. This page will combine scripture and philosophy to propose an unofficial though strong theory as to why Christ had to die.

Scriptural Requirements

The requirements for a theory of Atonement are outlined in scripture and in the teachings of living prophets and apostles.

The words most often used for Christ's action are "save," "redeem," and "atone" and the corresponding nouns atonement, savior, salvation, redeemer, and redemption.[1][2]

  1. The Atonement was planned from before the foundation of the world (Mosiah 4:6–7; Alma 13:3–5).
  2. Christ's Atonement is necessary rather than supererogatory (Alma 34:9; 42:15; Helaman 14:15; Jacob 7:12). It was necessary to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament (Luke 24:46), bring about our salvation (Alma 34:9; 42:15), and reconcile us to God (Hebrews 2:17; Jacob 4:11).
  3. Christ's name and Atonement are the only means by which mankind can be saved (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 2 Nephi 25:20; 31:21; Mosiah 3:17; Alma 38:9; Helaman 5:9; Doctrine and Covenants 18:23).
  4. Christ's blood—shed in Gethsemane and on the cross—atones for our sins (Mosiah 3:16; 4:2; Alma 24:13; Helaman 5:9; Doctrine and Covenants 76:69).
  5. Christ's Atonement somehow justifies us (Romans 3:21–4:25; 1 Corinthians 1:30) and sanctifies us (Mosiah 3:19; Doctrine and Covenants 76:69) through our faith.
  6. Christ's Atonement is said to "ransom" us (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; 1 Timothy 2:6). In some way, we were "bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
  7. Christ's Atonement is not merely expiatory in that it brings us back to union with God (Jacob 4:11), but propitiatory in that it appeases God's wrath against our sin (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:1–2; 4:10; Doctrine and Covenants 45:3–5).
  8. The Atonement cannot declare Christ "guilty" or punish him for our sins (Alma 34:11).
  9. The author of 1 Peter declares, "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" (1 Peter 2:21).
  10. Paul wrote, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Galatians 1:19–20, emphasis added). To the Romans, he wrote, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3–4, emphasis added).
  11. The Atonement delivers humanity from "that awful monster, death and hell"; from "the devil, and death, and hell" (2 Nephi 9:10,19); from “this evil world” (Galatians 1:4). Christ's Atonement "destroy[s] him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14). Christ's Atonement "delivers [us] who through fear of death were all [our] lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:15).
  12. Christ's Atonement covers the whole world and not merely a limited group of people that believe in Him (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2; 2 Nephi 25:16; Mosiah 4:7; Alma 34:8; 36:17; Articles of Faith 1:3)
  13. The Atonement ended the practice of offering sacrifice and burnt offerings for sin (3 Nephi 9:19).
  14. Christ's Atonement was superior to the system of animal sacrifice because animal sacrifice could not perfect the conscience (Hebrews 9:9–14).
  15. Performance of the various, prescribed rituals under the law of Moses could not provide salvation to those that performed those sacrifices. The sacrifices only became efficacious because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ (Mosiah 3:15; Mosiah 13:28)
  16. As a result of Christ's Atonement and as a prerequisite for forgiveness, we must now offer Christ—not a sacrifice of animals—but the "sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit" (2 Nephi 2:7; 3 Nephi 9:20; 12:19; Ether 4:15; Moroni 6:2).
  17. Those that do not repent are delivered unto the "demands of justice" (Alma 34:16). Christ has satisfied and appeased the demands of justice (Mosiah 15:9; Alma 42:15).
  18. Christ's Atonement must be "infinite." It must be infinite in the sense that it must be done by a Divine Being (Alma 34:10–14; Mosiah 3:18). Men, being mortal, could not perform the Atonement (2 Nephi 9:6–7). Christ was a god at the time He performed the Atonement (Alma 42:15). He became fully divine at the time that the Holy Ghost, in the form of a dove, descended upon Him at His Baptism (Doctrine and Covenants 93:15–19). The Atonement is also infinite in that it applies to all mankind (2 Nephi 25:16).
  19. The Atonement is retroactive in that it applies to those souls—and their individual sins—that came before the mortal life of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:15; Mosiah 3:13; Doctrine and Covenants 20:25–26).
  20. Christ's Atonement (2 Nephi 9:7; Moroni 7:41) and Resurrection (Alma 33:22; Moroni 7:41) brings about our resurrection. In the words of Alma, "the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead" (Alma 42:23). Christ, in this way, redeems us from the Fall (2 Nephi 2:26) and becomes the new Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45–47). Were the Atonement not infinite, our resurrection could not happen (2 Nephi 9:7). If we repent, we can be part of those who are resurrected first, before anyone else (Jacob 4:11).
  21. Were it not for the Atonement, our redemption—including our reconciliation to God and resurrection—could not have happened (Alma 21:9).
  22. Christ's Atonement covers those that do not have the law, sin ignorantly, or die before the age of accountability (2 Nephi 9:25–26; Mosiah 3:11, 16, 18; Moroni 8:20–22; Doctrine and Covenants 74:7). The age of accountability is eight years old (Doctrine and Covenants 68:25–27; JST Genesis 17:11).
  23. A punishment is affixed to various infractions of divine law so that the Atonement's purposes can be fulfilled (2 Nephi 2:10; Alma 42:15–16).
  24. Christ's Atonement redeems all mankind from original guilt (Moses 6:54).
  25. Christ's Atonement has not merely a salvific power, but also an enabling power whereby we are given strength against sin and greater fortitude in doing good that we would not have but for the Atonement.[3]
  26. Christ's Atonement does not cover every kind of sin, as there are sins that are unforgivable. One sin that is described as such is murder while being a baptized member of the Church (Doctrine and Covenants 42:18). Another is denying the Holy Ghost after you have felt it, and knowing that you are denying it (Alma 39:5).
  27. Christ does not currently suffer for our sins. His sacrifice, offered in the meridian of time (Doctrine and Covenants 20:26; 39:3; Moses 5:57; 6:57; 6:62; 7:46), was the last sacrifice that will be offered for sins on this earth (John 4:34; 19:28–30; Hebrews 10:10–14; Alma 34:10; Doctrine and Covenants 19:19).
  28. The Savior's atoning sacrifice may be efficacious for people living on other worlds (besides this one) created by Him.[4]
  29. Christ's sufferings and death atone for sins (Alma 22:14).
  30. The Atonement was an act of mercy (Alma 42:23; Doctrine and Covenants 29:1).
  31. Were the Atonement not to happen, we would suffer "everlasting death" (2 Nephi 10:25).
  32. Alma 13:3–5: "And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such. And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren. Or in fine, in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren; thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared."
  33. Justification and sanctification come "through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (Doctrine and Covenants 20:30–31). Sanctification comes about when we choose to yield our hearts to God (Helaman 3:35).


Thought-To-Be-Scriptural Requirements

There are several things that people might believe are scriptural requirements for a theory of Atonement but, actually, are not requirements.

  1. The Atonement does not necessarily allow Jesus Christ to experience, in some way, "the pains and sicknesses of his people," so that "he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities" (Alma 7:11–12). Scott C. Woodward, a professor of religion at BYU-Idaho, has demonstrated that the "empathetic aspect" of the Atonement is not borne out in scripture. Woodward is careful to say that a future, authoritative pronouncement might change that. However, for now, the idea is not scriptural.[5]

General Considerations

Two scholars of the Book of Mormon claim that the Book of Mormon does not present a single theory of Atonement.[6] However, as Noel Reynolds has pointed out, "The Nephite sermons reference the power of the Father, the victory over death, the sufferings of Christ, and the notion of a divine kinsman redeeming his people from the captivity of the devil. Whereas these various features of the Atonement have been developed in Christian tradition as competing theories of atonement, the Nephite prophets understood them all as compatible pieces of one coherent explanation, which is fully elaborated by Jacob."[7]

The Classical Theories of Atonement

Satisfaction Theory
Governmental Theory
Moral Influence Theory
Moral Example Theory
Penal Substitution Theory
Ransom Theory
Christus Victor Theory

Emerging Theories

Participationary Theories
Non-Violent Theories
Collective Theories

Latter-day Saint Theories of Atonement

Empathy Theory
Divine Infusion Theory
Demand of Intelligence Theory
Self-Rejection Moral Theory
Compassion Theory

Theories Can Be Mixed

The Problem with Metaphors

Most Atonement theorists would recognize that if one were to take all the metaphors that the scritpures use to illustrate the Atonement are taken literally and simultaneously affirmed, that would lead to contradictory results.

One scholar described some of the metaphors as "word-pictures" that simply illustrate the underlying intuitions behind the Atonement.

It's impossible to know what metaphors as "word-pictures" and which are to be taken literally.

However, any Atonement theory that does not attempt to take all the metaphors of scripture and attempt to explain how those metaphors can accurately get at the intuitions cannot be considered a theory that is thoroughly-grounded in scripture.

This article will propose a "mash-up" theory that makes sense of all of the metaphors.

Appendix A: Scriptures Important to a Theory of Atonement

  • (Mosiah 4:6–7; Alma 13:3–5)
  • (Alma 34:9; 42:15; Helaman 14:15; Jacob 7:12)
  • (Luke 24:46)
  • (Hebrews 2:17; Jacob 4:11).
  • (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 2 Nephi 25:20; 31:21; Mosiah 3:17; Alma 38:9; Helaman 5:9; Doctrine and Covenants 18:23).
  • (Mosiah 3:16; 4:2; Alma 24:13; Helaman 5:9; Doctrine and Covenants 76:69)
  • (Romans 3:21–4:25; 1 Corinthians 1:30)
  • (Mosiah 3:19; Doctrine and Covenants 76:69)
  • (Mat
  • (1 Corinthians 6:20).
  • (Jacob 4:11)
  • (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:1–2; 4:10; Doctrine and Covenants 45:3–5)
  • (Alma 34:11).
  • (1 Peter 2:21)
  • (Galatians 1:19–20, emphasis added)
  • (Romans 6:3–4, emphasis added).
  • (2 Nephi 9:10,19)
  • (Galatians 1:4)
  • (Hebrews 2:14)
  • (Hebrews 2:15)
  • (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2; 2 Nephi 25:16; Mosiah 4:7; Alma 34:8; 36:17; Articles of Faith 1:3)
  • (3 Nephi 9:19).
  • (Hebrews 9:9–14)
  • (Mosiah 3:15; Mosiah 13:28)
  • (2 Nephi 2:7; 3 Nephi 9:20; 12:19; Ether 4:15; Moroni 6:2)
  • (Alma 34:16)
  • (Mosiah 15:9; Alma 42:15)
  • (Alma 42:15)
  • (Doctrine and Covenants 93:15–19)
  • (2 Nephi 25:16)
  • (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:15; Mosiah 3:13; Doctrine and Covenants 20:25–26).
  • (2 Nephi 9:7; Moroni 7:41)
  • (Alma 33:22; Moroni 7:41)
  • (Alma 42:23)
  • (2 Nephi 2:26)
  • (1 Corinthians 15:45–47)
  • (2 Nephi 9:7).
  • (Jacob 4:11).
  • (Alma 21:9).
  • (2 Nephi 9:25–26; Mosiah 3:11, 16, 18; Moroni 8:20–22; Doctrine and Covenants 74:7)
  • (Doctrine and Covenants 68:25–27; JST Genesis 17:11)
  • (2 Nephi 2:10; Alma 42:15–16)
  • (Moses 6:54)
  • (Doctrine and Covenants 42:18
  • (Alma 39:5)
  • (Doctrine and Covenants 20:26; 39:3; Moses 5:57; 6:57; 6:62; 7:46)
  • (John 4:34; 19:28–30; Hebrews 10:10–14; Alma 34:10; Doctrine and Covenants 19:19)
  • (Alma 22:14)
  • (Alma 42:23; Doctrine and Covenants 29:1).
  • (2 Nephi 10:25).
  • Alma 13:3–5
  • (Doctrine and Covenants 20:30–31)
  • (Helaman 3:35)
Notes (click to expand)
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  1. ↑ T. Benjamin Spackman, "Atonement in the Old Testament: Implications for Latter-day Saints," in Latter-day Saint Perspectives on Atonement, eds. Deidre Nicole Green and Eric D. Huntsman (University of Illinois, 2024), 15–30.
  2. ↑ Eric D. Huntsman, "Latter-day Saints and the Atonement in the New Testament," in Latter-day Saint Perspectives on Atonement, eds. Deidre Nicole Green and Eric D. Huntsman (University of Illinois, 2024), 31–67.
  3. ↑ David A. Bednar, "In the Strength of the Lord," Ensign 34, no. 11 (November 2004): 76–77.
  4. ↑ Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement (Deseret Book Company, 2000), 87–90.
  5. ↑ Scott C. Woodward, "A Close Look at Scriptural Teachings Regarding Jesus Feeling Our Pains as Part of His Atonement," BYU Studies Quarterly 62, no. 2 (2023): 23–41.
  6. ↑ Nicholas J. Frederick, "'Atonement' in the Book of Mormon," in Latter-day Saint Perspectives on Atonement, eds. Deidre Nichole Green and Eric D. Huntsman (University of Illinois Press, 2024), 94–96; Blake T. Ostler, "LDS Perspectives on the Atonement?" Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 62 (2024): 73.
  7. ↑ Noel B. Reynolds, "The Atonement," in New Testament History, Culture, and Society: A Background to the Texts of the New Testament, ed. Lincoln H. Blumell (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Deseret Book, 2019), 355–56.
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