RICHARD ABANES:
They believe that Jesus’ death on the cross, His blood, is not sufficient to actually cleanse us from all of our sins. Now those are radically different concepts than what we believe about Jesus Christ.
HANK HANEGRAAF:
If the blood of Jesus Christ is insufficient, what is?
RICHARD ABANES:
Well, interestingly that would be our own blood. For example, for the sin of murder Jesus Christ’s blood cannot redeem us from that.
The Truth about the LDS Perspective on Christ’s Redeeming Atonement:
- Atonement—Critics seriously understate the position of the Church of Jesus Christ with respect to the atonement. (Link)
- LDS view of the atonement—Statements regarding the LDS view of the atonement (Link)
- The centrality of the atonement in LDS thought—Joseph Smith, the founding prophet, stated that “the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and 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.” (Link)
- Was Jesus actually crucified on a cross?—In the original Greek of the New Testament, accounts of Jesus’ death only say he was put to death on “a pole.” Is the belief of most of Christianity on “the cross” actually misguided? (Link)
- The garden and the cross—There is evidence that other mainstream Christians considered the atonement to have at least begun in the Garden, being consummated on the cross, which is what the Latter-day Saints have taught for more than 170 years. LDS do place a good deal of emphasis on the Lord’s experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Link)
- The Atonement as viewed by historical Christianity—Critics seem to assume that the LDS position is a “ransom” theory of atonement, and that the mainstream Christian interpretation is one of sacrificial death on the cross. (Link)
- Comparing the LDS and evangelical Christian views of the atonement—Critics often make comparisons of what they claim are LDS views of the atonement against evangelical Christian views in an attempt to discredit the LDS perspective. (Link)
- Extent of the atonement—Critics seem to object that the atonement is applicable to all who have ever lived. They want to restrict it to only those who lived after the Savior (“only after Christ’s death” and “for the believer”). (Link)
- The atonement as portrayed in Latter-day Saint hymns—Latter-day Saint hymns emphasize the atoning sacrifice of Christ for all people. He is the Savior, who shed His blood for us. This has been the position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the beginning, and continues to be so. (Link)
