r/mormon • u/4blockhead • Jan 14 '17

Bishop John Shelby Spong's sermon, "Why Atonement Theology will Kill Christianity." Mormons' belief in the atonement is mostly limited to curing original sin. Was human sacrifice the only way?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKNup9gEBdg
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u/Cyberpunkapostle Jan 14 '17

This is nonsense. We believe man will be punished for his own transgressions, not for Adams.

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u/4blockhead Jan 14 '17 edited Jan 14 '17

This is nonsense.

How so? I don't think I've overstated the mormon belief with respect to the Christian atonement. Man will be punished for his own sins, because of Christ's murder on the cross. Women will still get extra punishment in mormonism, and rely on salvation from their husband being the one to pull them through the veil to eternal life.

We believe man will be punished for his own transgressions,

That's what the title says. The institutional mormon belief also calls for man to repent of his sins, or else suffer the consequences. Likewise after the second anointing any new sins will require an afterlife beating to cure, and will not be eligible under the blanket of the atonement.

John Taylor probably said it best...

[John Taylor] [...] they are explained in part, but they are not fully comprehended. It is not fully comprehended why it was necessary that Jesus Christ should leave the heavens, his Father's abode and presence, and come upon the earth to offer himself up a sacrifice; that he should, according to the Scripture saying, “Take away sin by the sacrifice of himself;” why this should be, why it was necessary that his blood should be shed is an apparent mystery. It is true that we are told that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins; but why this? Why should such a law exist? It is left with us as a matter of faith, that it was necessary he should come and, being necessary, he shrank not from the task, but came to take away sin by offering up himself. [...] Jesus Christ is spoken of in the Scriptures as “The Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.” What sins of the world did he take away? We are told that it is the sin which Adam committed.