The Seventy's Course in Theology, Fourth Year: The AtonementRoberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Religion
The Seventy's Course in Theology, Fourth Year: The Atonement
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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