LDS: What is the Redemption of Christ?

[lax16]

How does it differ from Catholic and Protestant teaching -or- what about the teaching makes it unique to Mormonism?

I’ve heard it mentioned by a few different Mormons and I have been wondering about it.

Thanks!

 

[lax16]

bump

 

[jane_doe]

I’m a little confused as to what your OP is asking Lax. Would you care to elaborate?

 

[Tarquin]

I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be saved; for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins. Alma 5:21

This excludes self-salvation. “cleansed from all stain through the blood of -[Christ]”

…, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world.
…the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins.
And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; … Helaman 5:9-11

He comes to “redeem them from their sins,” and to do so because of their repentance. If they have “personal purity” they have no sins, thus do not need repentance, hence do not need Christ. Christ does not save the righteous of personal purity, but sinners. According to Alma 22:14 and other passages in Mormon scriptures, man cannot “merit anything of himself” - there is no “self-purification.” The Book of Mormon teaches that “only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ” are your sins atoned. The Atonement does not just allow one to rise in the resurrection, but to be cleansed of sin and thus dwell together with God in the Hereafter, all together, not in separate heavens. That’s what the Book of Mormon teaches, but whether the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches it, is another question.

And 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 … Alma 22:14

But behold, and fear, and tremble before God, for ye ought to tremble; for the Lord redeemeth none such that rebel against him and die in their sins; yea, even all those that have perished in their sins ever since the world began, that have wilfully rebelled against God, that have known the commandments of God, and would not keep them; these are they that have no part in the first resurrection.
Therefore ought ye not to tremble? For salvation cometh to none such; for the Lord hath redeemed none such; yea, neither can the Lord redeem such; for he cannot deny himself; for he cannot deny justice when it has its claim. Mosiah 15:26-27

Those who “rebel against [Christ] and die in their sins” cannot be redeemed. This would seem to include even those for whom baptism is performed by proxy (baptism for the dead). Redemption is offered only to the living.

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 34:16

Therefore the wicked remain as though there had been no redemption made, except it be the loosing of the bands of death … Alma 11:41

Rightly or wrongly, “little children” are an exception. Apparently also those who do not know the law are an exception.

For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them 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— Moroni 8:22

 

[Tarquin]

I think my previous post didn’t really answer your question directly, lax16. Hopefully a Mormon up to date on current teachings can give a more direct answer. The difference, as I see it, from the discussions I have had with many Mormons and the reading I have done, is that for Mormons redemption is most like salvation, but sometimes has a second meaning. Basically, though, redemption and salvation means that when we die we don’t stay dead, we get our bodies restored at or after the resurrection. Sometimes redemption is used (salvation, too, unfortunately), at least in discussions, to mean we not only have our bodies returned to us, but we are in the better half of the division into those in heaven (3 kingdoms) and those in hell. When redemption or salvation means to be with God the Father, then the better word that has been used is “exaltation”. As several have expressed it to me, “Salvation means death does not have power over us; exaltation means eternal life.” As expressed on lds.org:

**Immortality **is to live forever as a resurrected being. Through the **Atonement **of Jesus Christ, everyone will receive this gift. Eternal life, or exaltation, is to live in God’s presence and to continue as families (see D&C 131:1–4). Like immortality, this gift is made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. However, to inherit eternal life requires our “obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel” (Articles of Faith 1:3).

This is a change for me. Previously, I had not been told, as far as I can recall that is, that the Atonement provides exaltation, except indirectly as it allows for life, and we need life in order to be exalted. Not as clear as I would have liked it to be. Apologies for that.

 

[RebeccaJ]

How does it differ from Catholic and Protestant teaching -or- what about the teaching makes it unique to Mormonism?

I’ve heard it mentioned by a few different Mormons and I have been wondering about it.

Thanks!

The differences come down to the very different Mormon teaching, compared to Christianity, of the fall.

For Mormons:

• Adam and Eve before the fall didn’t know misery and for Mormons knowing joy requires knowing misery first.
• The fall was necessary then for Mormons to know joy.
• Adam and Eve did everyone a great deed by their defiance against God. According to Mormons, God wanted Adam and Eve to sin.
• This is so Jeus could redeem them, but not only them as the fall affected all of creation. “Worlds without number”.
• This is a cog in the plan of salvation, which the gods came up with in a council before the earth was created. Pre-mortal Mormons, in spirit form, agreed to have their spirits incarnated. The deal being, this required accepting life-as-a-test where the winners become gods/goddesses. However, remembering this pre-mortal life would be a form of cheating on the test, so in this pre-mortal agreement was a clause that pre-mortality would not be remembered by anyone.
• Cue the Mormon church that was restored so everyone can be informed and get up to speed on a pre-mortal life, and get a clue that there is an actual testing in progress. (Otherwise, who knew?)
• The requirement to pass the test of the incarnated Mormon spirits, is to get redeemed. Part of redemption is unconditional. Such as, all incarnated Spirits will be resurrected (reincarnated to their own bodies? Mormon spirits are not created and transform into other things, like angels.)
• Part of redemption is conditional on works. “After all we can do.” So do good things for your family and those in need (particularly Mormons) so those good works will go towards getting a good score on the test.
• If you pass you became a god/goddess in a next life.
• None of the above applies to any incarnated Spirit that hasn’t been incarnated for more than 8 years. Automatic god/goddesses for anyone who dies before their 8th birthday. Eight years and 1 day? All the above applies.

 

[Janderich]

Here is the basic plan of redemption. I can explain more detail as needed.

• Before this earth life we progressed to a certain stage. But in some essential ways we were limited because vital truths could only be learned when we were separated from God’s presence.
• A plan had been set forth for our further progression. We were to come to this earth where our weaknesses would be exposed. Here we would be able to learn for ourselves to prize the good and reject the evil
• Adam and Eve led the way by entering this mortal realm with it’s perils but great promise of advancement in eternity.
• As part of the plan, fallen man would return to their former state. Jesus Christ himself would come down and through the resurrection redeem all man from the fall.
• We will then stand before God to be judged. He that has learned and improved himself while on this earth will increase in glory and intelligence, while he that has allowed himself to be led by the adversary will subsequently decrease.

 

[Tarquin]

How does it differ from Catholic and Protestant teaching -or- what about the teaching makes it unique to Mormonism?

I’ve heard it mentioned by a few different Mormons and I have been wondering about it.

Thanks!

Jesus Christ himself would come down and through the resurrection redeem all man from the fall.

Thank you. But how does that differ from Catholic and Protestant teaching, or does it?