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.
Alma 34:8-10 (Emphasis mine)
Amulek shares his testimony of Christ. Then, he begins to discuss the atonement.
Christ shall come to take upon Himself our sins. He will atone for the sins of the world. There must be an atonement made, or all mankind will perish; we will be fallen and lost. Except for the atonement, this would happen. It will be a great and last, an infinite and eternal sacrifice.
Amulek teaches us that this “great and last sacrifice” will not be a sacrifice of man, beast, fowl, or human sacrifice. What does this mean? Robert Millet explains:
“The Savior's dual nature—man and God—enabled him to make an infinite atonement, an accomplishment that no other person, no matter how capable or gifted, could do (cf. Alma 34:9—12). First, he was able, in Gethsemane, in some majestic but incomprehensible manner, to assume the burdens and effects of the sins of all mankind and, in doing so, to engage suffering and anguish beyond what a mere mortal could endure (2 Ne. 9:21; Mosiah 3:7; D&C 18:11; 19:16; Taylor, p. 148). Second, he was able to submit to physical death, to willingly lay down his life and then take up his body again in the resurrection (John 5:26; 10:17, 18; 2 Ne. 2:8).” [1] (Emphasis mine)
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.
14 And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.
Alma 34:11-14 (Emphasis mine)
Amulek continues his preaching about Christ and the atonement. No man can atone for the sins of another. If a man murders someone, can the law take the life of his brother? No. The law requires the life of the person who committed the crime. Only an infinite atonement can be enough for the sins of the world.
This last and great sacrifice will fulfill the law of Moses. Only the Son of God who is infinite and eternal can make this last and great sacrifice.
Bruce Hafen writes:
“Not just any person may invoke mercy on behalf of another: ‘Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another . . . . therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world’ (Alma 34:11—12). Jesus Christ alone can achieve such an infinite atonement ‘once for all’ (Hebrews 10:10) because of his nature as the actual son of God in the flesh and because he was himself without sin.
“Mercy is not extended arbitrarily. To protect individuals from the undeserved effects of sins for which they are not responsible, the Atonement unconditionally paid the penalty for the transgression of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It pays similarly for sins committed in ignorance (Mosiah 3:11; see also Moses 6:54). However, the Atonement removes the penalty for personal sins for which one is accountable only on the condition of individual repentance.” [2] (Emphasis mine)
[1] Jesus Christ, Robert L. Millet, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 6, 2011.
[2] Justice and Mercy, Bruce C. Hafen, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 6, 2011.
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