Continuing to teach Jacob about Christ’s atonement, he tells
him that the time will come that all will stand before God and be judged by him
“according to the truth and holiness
which is in him” (2 Nephi 2:10). We
will receive punishment affixed to disobedience to God’s law and happiness
affixed to obeying God’s law.
The Book of Mormon is full of references to the importance
of the atonement and the consequences of sin.
Jacob, falling back on the teachings of his father, would preach to the
Nephites:
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. And if
so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth,
to rise no more.
And
he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his
voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every
living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of
Adam.
And
he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might
stand before him at the great and judgment day.
For
the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not
the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death
and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless
torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the
Holy One of Israel.
2 Nephi 9:7, 21-22, 26
Aaron taught King Lamoni’s father, “since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the
sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and
repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the
grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up
in the hopes of glory; and Aaron did expound all these things unto the king”
(Alma 22:14).
Alma2 taught the Zoramites,
O
my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye
might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your
hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes,
that ye might perish?
If
so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast about your eyes and begin
to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that
he shall suffer and die to atone for
their sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to
pass the resurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the
last and judgment day, according to their works.
(Alma 33:21-22)
Amulek explains the atonement to the Zoramites:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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, 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.
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.
And
thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this
being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy,
which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may
have faith unto repentance.
And
thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms
of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the
whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith
unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.
Alma 34:8 – 16
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland testifies of the Savior and what it
means to be Christian.
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