devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our
God, and to remain with the Father of lies, in misery, like unto
himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents; who
transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up
the children of men unto secret combinations of murder, and all
manner of secret works of darkness."[B]
[Footnote A: II Nephi ix:17, 19.]
[Footnote B: II Nephi ix:8-9.]
Or else with Paul declare--
"By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God."[A]
"The law entered that sin might abound. But where sin abounded,
grace did more abound; that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so
might grace reign through righteousness, unto eternal life by Jesus
Christ our Lord."[B]
[Footnote A: Eph. ii.]
[Footnote B: Rom. v:20-21.]
LESSON XX.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
CO-OPERATION OF MAN NECESSARY TO INDIVIDUAL REDEMPTION.
ANALYSIS.
I. The Two Effects of the Atonement.
II. The Necessity of Man's Co-operation in Individual Salvation.
III. Sanctification as Well as Justification.
IV. Spiritual and Moral Growth.
V. Free Redemption of Little Children and Those Who Die without Law.
REFERENCES.
Book of Mormon: II Nephi ix; Doc. & Cov., Sec. 19; Alma xi.
The Gospel (Roberts), Ch. iii.
Orson Pratt's Kingdom of God, Part III, Subdivision V. Works
Taylor's Mediation and Atonement, Chs. xxi and XXV.
The texts and contexts of the scriptures quoted in the body of this
lesson.
_SPECIAL TEXT: "Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make
your calling and election sure." (II Peter i:10.)_
DISCUSSION.
_1. The Atonement as Related to Adam's Transgression, and Man's
Individual Sins:_ As already observed a difference is to be noted
between the results flowing out of the Atonement for Adam's first
sin--the fall; and the results derived from the satisfaction made by
the Christ for man's individual sins.
The difference consists in this: First, from the consequences of
Adam's transgression, there comes full and free redemption--salvation
unconditional and universal. "By Adam came the fall of man. And
because of the fall of man, came Jesus Christ even the Father and the
Son;[A] and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man. And
because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they
are brought back into the presence of the Lord; yea, this is wherein
all men are redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth to pass
the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless
sleep, from which sleep all men shall be awakened by the power of God
when the trump shall sound; and they shall come forth, both small and
great, and all shall stand before his bar, being redeemed and loosed
from this eternal band of death, which death is a temporal death."[B]
[Footnote A: For explanation see Doc. & Cov. Sec. xciii:1-6.]
[Footnote B: Book of Mormon, Ch. ix:12, 13. Also II Nephi Ch. ix.
Both chapters are devoted to the idea of the text above, and should be
studied carefully; they are too long for quotation here.]
To this may be added Paul's great generalization: "Since by man came
death, by man came also the resurrection from the dead; for as in Adam
all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."[A]
[Footnote A: I Cor. xv:21, 22.]
The universal physical death is overcome by the equally universal
resurrection.[A] The universal banishment of men from the presence of
God, the spiritual death, is overcome by the universally established
possibility of reunion with God; and all will be brought back into
the presence of God at the day of judgment; but their right and power
to remain in that presence and maintain union with God, will depend
upon conditions to be considered later. Second, redemption from the
consequences of man's individual sins, the penalties for which the
Christ has expiated, are granted to men only upon compliance with
certain conditions. "By grace are ye saved _through faith_"[B] "He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved."[C] "Wo unto him who knoweth
that he rebelleth against God; for salvation cometh to none such except
it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ."[D] "He
shall take upon himself the transgression of those who believe on his
name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation
cometh to none else."[E] "Behold, I God, have suffered these things for
all that they might not suffer if they would repent, but if they would
not repent they must suffer even as I, which suffering caused myself,
even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain and to bleed
at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit."[F] "And being made
perfect, he became the author of eternal life unto all them that obey
him."[G]
[Footnote A: Doc. & Cov. Sec. xix:26-29, 41. Matt. xxv:31-46. Alma
xi:40, 41.]
[Footnote B: Eph. ii:8.]
[Footnote C: Mark xvi:16.]
[Footnote D: Mosiah iii:11, 12.]
[Footnote E: Alma xi:40, 41.]
[Footnote F: Doc. & Cov. Sec. xix:16-19.]
[Footnote G: Heb. v:9.]
_2. Man's Co-operation With God in Working out Man's Salvation,
Grounded in Necessity:_ These scriptures establish the truth that
for redemption from the consequences of man's individual sins the
co-operation of man is required, his faith, his repentance; in a word
his obedience.
The Gospel so far as the individual man is concerned, is the power of
God unto salvation to everyone that believes and obeys the same. In the
difference between the redemption from the transgression of Adam and
redemption from man's personal sins, the one being free, unconditional,
universal; and the other being free, possible to all, but conditional,
and therefore limited to those who comply with the conditions, there
is to be observed nice discriminations in the justice of God. Free
and universal redemption comes from the consequences of Adam's fall
because that fall is absolutely necessary to the accomplishment of
the purposes of God with reference to man; without it nothing may
be done for his progress, therefore since that fall is necessary to
these ends Justice demands that there be provided free and universal
and complete and unconditional redemption from its consequences. But
in the case of man's personal sins they are not absolutely necessary
to the accomplishment of the general purposes of God. Of course the
earth-environment of man, including the broken harmonies as we find
them, including the self-wilfullness, and even the personal sins of
men, with the consequent suffering and sorrow, may be necessary to
the experience of man; but all that will abundantly come once men
are at the same time free to choose, and good and evil is set before
them. But what is here meant is that it is not absolute necessity that
individual men should sin, or that they sin without limit. Men can
refrain from sin if they will; the power is in them. They are able
to stand, "yet free to fall." They have power to choose good and to
follow that instead of evil if they so elect. Therefore, while it is
eminently proper that the Atonement of the Christ should be made to
include satisfaction to Justice for the personal sins of men, and the
debt of suffering due to them should be paid vicariously,--especially
since man is powerless to offer expiation himself--for it is needful
that ample provision be made for the justification of man's pardon;
yet it is also in accordance with Justice that man shall co-operate
with God in bringing about the blessed result of his deliverance from
the consequences of his personal sins; and that conditions shall be
required as necessary to participation in the forgiveness provided;
such conditions as belief in and acceptance of the terms of Atonement;
repentance of sin, and a hearty co-operation with God in overcoming
evil and its effects in the human soul.
_3. The Work of Salvation a Work of Sanctification as well as of
Justification:_ Moreover, this salvation from the effects of
personal sins is not only a matter of forgiveness of past sins; a
matter of justification before God; a matter of re-establishing union
with God, which is spiritual life; but it is a matter of sanctification
of the soul; and of power to maintain the renewed spiritual life with
God. It is a matter that involves human desires and human will. Surely
it is unthinkable that God would hold man in union with himself against
his desire, or against his will. Such a condition would not be "union"
but bondage. The co-operation of man then in this work of his personal
salvation becomes an absolute necessity, and hence the conditions of
individual salvation already noted, and which may be summed up in the
doctrine of man's self-surrender unto God, manifested by his obedience
to God under the law; and the declared intention of that obedience by
receiving the symbols of the Atonement, to be found in the ordinances
of the Gospel, especially in baptism and the sacrament of the Lord's
supper.
_4. Spiritual and Moral Growth:_ The attainment of this condition
of Christian righteousness, however, becomes a matter of character
building under the favorable conditions provided by the gospel; and
character building, even under favorable conditions is a matter of
slow, self-conquest, It means to follow the admonition of the chief
Judean apostle, and "add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue,
knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience;
and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and
to brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you and
abound," said he, "they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor
unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."[A]
[Footnote A: II Peter i.]
To be fruitful in that knowledge means to be growing in grace, in
knowledge of the truth, in righteousness. It means development
according to the type of the Christian spiritual life, which is Christ
Jesus. "If you wish to go where God is," said the Prophet Joseph, "you
must be like God, or possess the principles God possesses." All of
which, of course, may not be possessed without divine help, as well
as human effort. "He that lacketh these things"--the virtues above
enumerated by Peter, and the disposition to build them up by his own
effort, as well as by divine grace, "is blind and cannot see afar off,"
continues that apostle, "and hath forgotten that he was purged from his
old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your
calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never
fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into
the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."[A]
[Footnote A: II Peter i:9-11.]
_5. Phase of the Atonement Peculiar to "Mormonism:"_ It may
be remarked in passing that the difference noted in the foregoing
paragraphs of this lesson on applying the Christ's Atonement to Adam's
sin and man's personal sins--in the first case unconditional, and in
the second conditional--is a doctrine, in modern times, peculiar to
"Mormonism;" or, to speak more accurately, to the New Dispensation
of the Gospel revealed to Joseph Smith; and is derived almost wholly
from the teachings of the Book of Mormon.[A] In that distinction the
beauty and glory of the Atonement, the balanced claims of justice and
mercy shine forth as no where else, even in holy writ,--much less in
the uninspired writings of men. It may be regarded as the "Mormon"
contribution to views of the Atonement of Christ, for it is to be found
no where else except in Mormon literature.
[Footnote A: See II Nephi ii. Ibid ix. Alma xxxiv and xlii. Mormon ix.]
_7. The Free and Complete Redemption of Little Children:_ From the
foregoing difference in the application of the Atonement to the sin
of Adam and the individual sins of men there arises another important
matter viz.: If redemption from the consequences of Adam's fall is to
be absolutely unconditional, and universal, and that entirely through
the Atonement of the Christ and without the co-operation of man, then
it logically follows that if man himself remains absolutely without
sin, he would stand in need of no satisfaction being made for his sin
and no forgiveness of sins, since in the case supposed they have no
existence; and therefore the Atonement of the Christ for the sin of
Adam, would be all sufficient to redeem man from the power of death and
restore him to union with God. It follows that if any part of the human
race die in this state of personal innocence then they are redeemed
by virtue of the Atonement of Christ without any other consideration
whatsoever. Hence Mormon said:
"Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your
God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but
the sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they
that are sick! wherefore little children are whole, for they are
not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken
from them in me, that it hath no power over them. * * * Little
children need no repentance, neither baptism. * * * Little children
are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world."[A]
[Footnote A: Moroni viii:8-12.]
No less explicit is the word of the Lord through the Prophet Joseph
Smith:
"But, behold, I say unto you, that little children are redeemed
from the foundation of the world through mine only Begotten,
wherefore they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to
tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable
before me."[A]
[Footnote A: Doc. & Cov. Sec. xxix:46, 47.]
_8. The Redemption of Those Who Die Without Law:_ Moreover, it
appears that Mercy has special claims upon those men and women, and
also upon nations and races who know not the Gospel. The first Nephi in
speaking of the Atonement of Christ and its effects where proclaimed
and rejected, says:
"Wherefore he [God] has given a law; and where there is no law
given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment,
there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation, the
mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them because of
the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him [Christ];
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 [See Alma xii:17],[A] which is endless
torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath,
which is the Holy One of Israel."[B]
[Footnote A: The torments of the ungodly sinners are likened unto a
lake of fire and brimstone by this writer, Nephi. Not that the sinners
are plunged into a lake of fire and brimstone as so-called orthodox
Christians teach. Indeed, in the above passage there is a definition of
what the lake of fire is--it is "endless torment," which ever exists
for the punishment of impenitent sinners--each one partaking of it to
such a degree and for such time as is necessary to satisfy the demand
of justice. In this very chapter above quoted Nephi says of the wicked:
"And their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames
ascend up for ever, and have no end."]
[Footnote B: Nephi ix:25, 26.]
And so Moroni:
"For the power of redemption cometh on all they that have no
law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under
no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth
nothing."[A]
[Footnote A: Moroni viii:22.]
To this also agrees the teachings of Paul:
"For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without
law:[A] and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by
the law."[B]
[Footnote A: I venture the suggestion, basing it on the sense of the
whole passage, that it should read: "Shall also be judged without the
law."]
[Footnote B: Rom. ii:12.]
LESSON XXI.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
SYMBOLS OF THE ATONEMENT.
ANALYSIS.
I. The Two Great Christian Symbols.
II. Baptism.
1. Introduction and Formula.
2. Symbolism of Atonement in Baptism.
3. Realities Give Virtue to Symbols.
III. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper--Eucharist.[A]
1. The Prayer of Consecration--Formula of.
2. Symbolism of the Atonement in the Eucharist.
3. Realities Back of Symbols.
REFERENCES.
All the texts and contexts of this lesson, and also
Matt. xi:26-29; Luke xxii; I Cor. xi:23-30.
Doc. & Cov., Sec. xx.
Moroni ix, v.
_SPECIAL TEXT: "Except a man be born of the water and of the spirit he
can not enter into the kingdom of God." (St. John iii:5.)_
_"For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the
Lord's death till he come." (I Cor. xi:26.)_
[Footnote A: The commemoration of the sacrifice of our Lord is often
and I may say generally called Eucharist. "The Lord's Supper, a solemn
rite commemorating the dying of Christ for the salvation of men; the
Holy Sacrament, the communion of the body and the blood of Christ" (Funk
& Wagnall Dic.).]
DISCUSSION.
_1. The Two Great Christian Symbols:_ The two great Christian
institutions of baptism and the sacrament of the Lord's supper have
already been alluded to as evidence of the fact of the Atonement.[A]
They are now to be considered as symbols of the Atonement. I take up
baptism first, as introduced by the Christ himself among the Nephites,
because there more perfectly than elsewhere we have this symbol set
forth, and only there, in ancient scripture, is the exact formula of
the ceremony given. The account of it in the Nephite record stands as
follows:
[Footnote A: Lesson XI which see.]
_2. Introduction of Baptism Among the Nephites--Its Formula:_
"And he said unto them, on this wise shall ye baptize; and there
shall be no disputations among you. Verily I say unto you that who
so repenteth of his sins through your words, and desireth to be
baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize him; behold,
ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye
baptize them. And now, behold, these are the words which ye shall
say, calling them by name, saying:
'Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.'
And then shall we immerse them in the water and come forth again
out of the water."[A]
[Footnote A: III Nephi xi:22-26.]
_3. The Symbol of the Atonement in Baptism:_ In this ordinance
we have recognized first of all Jesus Christ in whose authority the
administrator acts--"Having authority given me of Jesus Christ," etc.
"I baptize you * * * then shall we immerse them in the water and come
forth again out of the water." By this immersion in the water is
symbolized the death and burial of the Christ, the Atonement he made
for the sins of man. In the coming forth again out of the water, is
symbolized the resurrection of the Christ, his triumph over death, the
victory side of the Atonement; death is conquered, life is triumphant;
Christ is the first fruits of the resurrection and through him all men
participate in the resurrection. "For since by man came death by man
came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so
in Christ shall all be made alive.'"[A]
[Footnote A: Cor. xv:21, 22.]
Nor is this all; but in baptism is symbolized the forgiveness of sins
to the baptized. John preached "the baptism of repentance for the
remission of sins."[A] Peter commanded the multitude on the day of
Pentecost to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins.[B] "Arise and be baptized and wash away thy
sins."[C] "Come unto me and be baptized in my name that ye may receive
a remission of your sins."[D] "Thou shalt declare * * * remission of
sins by baptism."[E] "Preach repentance and remission of sins by way of
baptism in the name of Jesus Christ."[F]
[Footnote A: Mark i:4. Luke iii:3.]
[Footnote B: Acts ii:38.]
[Footnote C: Acts xxii:16.]
[Footnote D: III Nephi xxx:2.]
[Footnote E: Doc. & Cov. Sec. xix:31.]
[Footnote F: Doc. & Cov. Sec. iv:2.]
"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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of
his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection."[A]
[Footnote A: Rom. vi:4, 5. See also "The Gospel"--Third Edition, Ch.
xvi.]
Baptism then not only becomes a symbol of the Christ's death, burial
and resurrection to newness of life; but also the death and burial to
sin of the baptized; and his resurrection to a newness of moral and
spiritual life. To him it is a birth to righteousness.
Water baptism is completed by the baptism of the spirit, by which man
is placed in union with God, through the reception of the Holy Ghost,
foreshadowing that more complete union which shall come when man shall
dwell in the very presence of God the Father, and God the Son after the
resurrection.[A]
[Footnote A: Doc. & Cov. Sec. xxvi.]
And thus the symbols of the Atonement of Christ to the very uttermost
are found in this Christian institution of baptism.
_4. Realities Give Virtue to Symbols:_ Let it be said here,
however, and because following the above presentation of baptism it
may be seen better than in any other connection, that it is not the
physical fact of being immersed in water that brings remission of sins,
nor the physical fact of the imposition of hands that re-established
the union with God through the medium of the Holy Ghost. These as we
have tried to explain are symbols of the deeper and greater realities
that produce the results of forgiveness of sins and union with God.
Back of the physical fact of baptism is the Atonement of Christ,
wrought out by his making satisfaction to the injured honor of God,
occasioned by sin, and bringing to pass the resurrection from the dead,
because a Lord of life, and having the power to impart life to others,
to the dead. Back of the physical fact of the immersion of a man in
water, in order to a remission of his individual sins, is the fact that
Jesus by his own suffering paid the penalty due to that and every other
man's sins in the world, and thus brought all men within the claims of
Mercy, and made it possible for the sins of men to be forgiven without
violence to the Justice of God. This ordinance of baptism supplies the
symbols of these realities; it is, however, in the realities instead of
the signs or symbols of the realities whence arises the power of God
unto salvation. Still the symbols of the realities may not be dispensed
with; they are necessary to the perpetuation, in palpable form, of the
realities behind them, hence the Church teaches and will always teach
the necessity of conforming to or obeying them; they are but the signs
and seals of our salvation, however, rather than the ground of it;
and they would have no virtue at all except for the existence of the
realities which they image forth to outward senses, and witness to the
world the covenant which those who accept the gospel make with God.
_5. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper as a Symbol of the
Atonement:_ This, like baptism, is a permanent Christian
institution; and also like baptism it is best set forth in the Nephite
scriptures,[A] the Book of Mormon; for there, and no where else in
ancient scripture, is the formula of the institution as given by the
Christ to be found. The prayer of consecration of these symbols is of
the highest value, and one of the noblest monuments of Nephite or any
other Christian literature extant. I give the prayers of consecration
together with the introductory remarks of Moroni which declare their
origin.
[Footnote A: The best New Testament account of the introduction of the
Lord's Supper is (1) That given by Matthew; and (2) by Paul. The first
of these is as follows: "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and
blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples and said, Take
eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it
to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new
testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew
Ch. xxvi:26-28).