Gospel Principles
Unit 4: Jesus Christ as Our Savior
Chapter 12: The Atonement
Concept 1: Introduction & The Atonement Was Necessary for Our Salvation
"Jesus Christ "came into the world... crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness; that through him all might be aved " (D&C 76:41-42). The great sacrifice he made to pay for our sins and overcome death is called the Atonement. It is the most important event that has ever occurred in the history of mankind: "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" (Alma 34:9).
Why did Jesus come the Earth?
The Atonement Was Necessary for Our Salvation
The fall of Adam brought two kinds of death into the world: physical death and spiritual death. Physical death is separation of the body and the spirit. Spiritual death is separation from God. If these two kinds of death had not been overcome by Jesus" atonement, two consequences would have resulted: our bodies and our spirits would have been separated forever, and we could not have lived again with our Heavenly Father. But our wise Heavenly Father prepared a wonderful, merciful plan to save us from physical and spiritual death. He planned for a Savior to come to the earth to ransom (redeem) us from our sins and from death. Because of our sins and the weakness of our mortal bodies, we could not ransom ourselves (Alma 34:10-12
"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.
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."
Discussion
Compare our earthly bodies to a hand with a glove on it. Take off the glove. This is like physical death - the spirit (the hand) and the body (the glove) are separated."