The Atonement of Jesus Christ

The Beloved Son and the Father's will

The Pearl of Great Price takes the story of redemption back before mortal life. Moses records the Beloved Son's willingness to do the Father's will and give Him the glory. Abraham describes the council before the world and the choice of one who would be sent. Jesus Christ's mission belongs within the Father's loving purpose for His children.

Moses 4:1–4 · Abraham 3:22–28 · Moses 1:39

Creation belongs to the story

Moses records God creating through His Only Begotten. John's Gospel identifies the Word who was with God and through whom all things were made. The Savior who came into mortality is also the Creator. His love for the world is personal.

Moses 2:1 · John 1:1–5, 14 · Doctrine and Covenants 76:22–24

Mortal life, agency, and the Fall

Our lives include real choices and real consequences. Lehi places agency within God's plan and teaches that redemption comes through the Holy Messiah. The Fall brought mortality and separation from God's presence; Jesus Christ makes redemption possible. We are also responsible for our own sins. Our need for Him includes both the death we cannot prevent and the sins from which we cannot cleanse ourselves.

Read 2 Nephi 2:6–9, 22–27 and Mosiah 3:17.

Justice and mercy

Alma does not treat wrongdoing as unimportant. He teaches that mercy reaches the repentant through the Redeemer while justice remains real. Repentance is possible because of Christ. His invitation gives us a reason to face the truth about our choices and a way to move forward.

Read Alma 42:13–25. Reflect: What changes when I see repentance as an invitation from someone who loves me?

Deeper reading: 2 Nephi 9, Alma 34:8–17, Moses 5:9–12.

Redemption taught from the beginning

An angel taught Adam that sacrifice pointed to the Only Begotten. Adam and Eve heard the promise of redemption and rejoiced. Enoch's teaching connects the Fall, repentance, baptism, the Spirit, and the blood of the Only Begotten. The invitation to come to Christ runs through these earliest accounts.

Moses 5:5–12 · Moses 6:48–62

Enoch sees the Redeemer

Enoch mourned as he saw human wickedness and suffering. He also saw the coming of the Son of Man, the cross, and the promise of resurrection. The vision joins sorrow with hope. Read the account carefully and notice where Enoch's attention turns toward the Savior.

Moses 7:44–47, 53–57 · Moses 7:62

The Lamb and the suffering servant

The Passover account tells of deliverance. Isaiah speaks of the servant who bears grief and sorrow. John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God. Read these passages together and consider how scripture prepares us to understand His sacrifice.

Exodus 12:1–14 · Isaiah 53:3–7 · John 1:29 · 1 Corinthians 5:7

At the table

Before Gethsemane, Jesus shared bread and the cup with His Apostles. Remembering Him would become part of their worship. Read slowly and notice how personally He speaks about His body and blood.

Luke 22:14–20 · Matthew 26:26–29

In Gethsemane

Jesus prayed to the Father in anguish and submitted to His will. The account calls for reverence. We can attend to His words without pretending to measure everything He endured. In latter-day revelation, the Savior speaks of His suffering and invites us to repent.

Luke 22:39–46 · Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–19

At the cross

John records the title placed on the cross, the two others crucified beside Jesus, and His mother standing nearby. Even there, He spoke to His mother and the beloved disciple about their care for one another. He later declared His work finished and died. His burial followed; His Resurrection would transform the disciples' grief.

John 19:17–30 · Matthew 27:45–54 · John 19:38–42

The tomb was empty. Mary Magdalene encountered the risen Lord. The disciples' witness concerns a living Savior, not only the memory of a teacher they loved.

John 20:1–18 · Luke 24:36–43

Through Jesus Christ, everyone will be resurrected: spirit and body will be reunited. Eternal life with God is a distinct gift. Christ invites us to receive it through faith in Him, repentance, His ordinances and covenants, and faithful discipleship.

1 Corinthians 15:20–22 · Alma 11:42–45 · 3 Nephi 27:19–21

A Redeemer promised

Nephi's vision joins the birth and ministry of the Son of God with an explanation of God's love. King Benjamin teaches of the Savior's suffering and the salvation that comes through Him. Abinadi draws on Isaiah, and Alma speaks of the Redeemer's intimate knowledge of pain. These witnesses prepare readers to recognize Jesus Christ.

1 Nephi 11:13–33 · Mosiah 3:5–11 · Mosiah 14 · Alma 7:10–13

One by one

The risen Jesus invited the people to come forward and know that He was the God of Israel who had been slain for the sins of the world. They came one by one. Later He healed their sick, prayed for them, and blessed their children. His ministry gives the doctrine a personal setting: people heard Him, approached Him, and received His compassion.

3 Nephi 11:10–17 · 3 Nephi 17:5–9, 11–24 · 3 Nephi 18:1–11

An invitation that remains open

Moroni ends with an invitation to come to Christ and be perfected in Him. The book's testimony leads to a relationship with the Savior and a life changed through His grace.

Moroni 10:32–33 · 2 Nephi 26:23–28, 33

Hear the Savior speak

In modern revelation Jesus Christ speaks of His suffering, calls us to repent, and describes Himself as our Advocate with the Father. These passages invite careful, personal reading. Notice who is speaking and what He asks us to trust.

Doctrine and Covenants 19:15–20 · Doctrine and Covenants 45:3–5 · Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–13

Mercy reaches beyond the grave

Joseph F. Smith's vision describes the Savior's work among the righteous dead and the organization of messengers to carry the gospel to those who had not received it. The vision expands our view of His redeeming work while honoring the need for repentance and the ordinances of His gospel.

Doctrine and Covenants 138:11–19, 29–35, 57–59 · 1 Peter 3:18–20 · 1 Peter 4:6

Look unto Him

Christ's invitation to look to Him belongs in ordinary days as well as moments of crisis. Read His words about His wounds, fear, and faith together. Return to the same passage when your circumstances change; there may be more to hear.

Doctrine and Covenants 6:32–37 · Doctrine and Covenants 50:40–42

Come honestly

Repentance begins with turning toward God. We recognize wrong, feel sorrow for it, confess, seek forgiveness, and forsake the sin. Where possible, we repair the harm. Serious sins require help from the appropriate priesthood leader. The process is personal and sincere; a checklist cannot measure a changed heart.

Official guide: Repentance. Scripture: Doctrine and Covenants 58:42–43.

A heart can turn

Alma remembered Jesus Christ and cried for mercy. His account moves from anguish to joy. We need not expect everyone's experience to follow the same emotional timetable to trust the same Redeemer.

Alma 36:17–21 · Luke 15:11–24 · Enos 1:2–8

Making amends calls for sensitivity and respect for the other person's wishes. Seek trusted guidance when direct contact could cause further harm. Read the Church's recovery guide on making amends.

Grace is God's gift through Jesus Christ. We do not purchase it by accumulating good deeds. His grace also helps us grow as we exercise faith and follow Him. Obedience can become a grateful response to His love, and weakness can become a place where we learn to rely on Him.

Official reading: Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Gift of Grace.

Ephesians 2:8–10 · Ether 12:27 · Moroni 10:32–33 · Mosiah 5:2–7

Alma teaches that the Savior took upon Himself pain, sickness, and infirmities and knows how to help His people. We may seek His help with grief, loneliness, illness, disappointment, and the wounds caused by others. These burdens are not all evidence of personal sin.

Relief does not always arrive as the immediate removal of a burden. The people of Alma were strengthened while they were still in bondage. Their story invites patient hope without promising a particular timetable for someone else's healing.

Alma 7:11–13 · Mosiah 24:13–15 · Matthew 11:28–30

Official reading: Dallin H. Oaks, Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Forgiveness does not require allowing further harm or immediately restoring trust. Healing can include clear boundaries and help from trusted people. Read the Church's guidance, Is It Possible to Forgive?. The invitation to forgive must never be used to pressure someone into an unsafe relationship.

If you have been abused, it is not your fault. Faith and qualified professional help can accompany one another as you seek safety and healing. Read What if I think the abuse is my fault? and Should I get professional help?.

Following Jesus continues beyond a moment of inspiration. Faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring in discipleship belong together. In the sacrament prayers we hear about taking His name upon us, remembering Him, keeping His commandments, and the promise of His Spirit. Serving another person gives that remembrance a place in ordinary life.

2 Nephi 31:17–21 · Moroni 4 · Moroni 5 · Mosiah 18:8–10 · John 13:12–17

Try a week of remembrance: read His invitation; pray honestly; repair one wrong where safe; receive needed help; remember His Resurrection; serve quietly; prepare for the sacrament. These are invitations for reflection, not requirements for earning His love.

The third and fourth Articles of Faith bring these invitations together: through Christ’s Atonement, faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost belong to the way of salvation. Articles of Faith 1:3–4.