The word atonement signifies deliverance, through the offering of a ransom, from the penalty of a broken law. The sense is expressed in Job 33. 24: "Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom."

As effected by Jesus Christ, it signifies the deliverance, through his death and resurrection, of the earth and everything pertaining to it, from the power which death has obtained over them through the transgression of Adam.

The following passage is very comprehensive on the atonement of Christ: "And the end shall come, and the heaven and the earth shall be consumed and pass away, and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth, for all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new, even the heaven and the earth, and all the fulness thereof, both men and beasts, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea; and not one hair, neither mote, shall be lost, for it is the workmanship of mine hand;" Doc. & Cov. 29. 23-25. In the revelations of St. John we read, "And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new;" 21. 5.

The righteous could not inherit all things in their immortal, exalted condition, if all things were not resurrected to immortality as well as themselves.

The Apostle Paul quite comprehensively sums up the results of Christ's death and resurrection: "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. 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;" I Cor. 15. 21, 22. That is, death having come on all men through the disobedience of Adam, so must all be raised to immortality and eternal life through the death and resurrection of Christ.

Paul also asserted that "the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death;" Verse 26. John the Revelator declares that he saw death and hell cast into the lake of fire; Rev. 20. 14.

The atonement, as wrought out by Jesus Christ, further signifies that he has opened up the way for man's redemption from his own sins, through faith in Christ's sufferings, death and resurrection. The Apostle Paul well expresses this, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus;" Rom. 3. 23-26.

These passages evidence that redemption from death, through the sufferings of Christ, is for all men, both the righteous and the wicked; for this earth, and for all things created upon it. The whole tenor of the Scriptures assure us, that while they may be sure of resurrection from death, regardless of their personal acts, yet they will be rewarded for their works, whether they be good or evil, and that redemption from personal sins can only be obtained through obedience to the requirements of the Gospel, and a life of good works.

The transgression of Adam being infinite in its consequences, those consequences cannot be averted, except through an infinite atonement. The Prophet Nephi makes this very plain: "Wherefore it must needs be an infinite atonement; save it should be an infinite atonement, this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man, must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more. O the wisdom of God! his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more, our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.

O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit;" 2. Nephi 7, 8, 10. "There is one thing, however, which the atonement does for us, immediately upon our entrance into this mortal life; it sets us free from the first spiritual death."

"As in Adam all died spiritually, even so in Christ all, in their infancy, are made alive spiritually. Christ, by the atonement, became the life and the light of men; he is the true light by which all are lighted who come into the world. Without this light all would have suffered in the eternal night of darkness, from which there would have been no return. But little children, by the atonement, are made alive, and are all subjects of salvation, being redeemed by the blood of Christ from the fall, being pure, and spotless, and innocent, and thus are made heirs of the kingdom of heaven. This redemption from the spiritual death upon all mankind in their infant state, is brought about without any conditions on the part of the creature; it is wrought out by the free grace of Christ alone, without works;" O. Pratt.

"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;" Doc. & Cov. 29. 46, 47.

"Wherefore, it came to pass that the devil tempted Adam, and he partook the forbidden fruit and transgressed the commandment, wherein he became subject to the will of the devil, because he yielded unto temptation. Wherefore I the Lord God caused that he should be cast out from the Garden of Eden, from my presence, because of his transgression, wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death, which is the last death, which is spiritual, which shall be pronounced upon the wicked when I shall say—Depart, ye cursed. But, behold, I say unto you, that I the Lord God gave unto Adam and unto his seed that they should not die as to the temporal death, until I the Lord God should send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and redemption, through faith on the name of mine Only Begotten Son. And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his probation that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe; and they that believe not unto eternal damnation, for they cannot be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not; for they will love darkness rather than light, and their deeds are evil, and they receive their wages of whom they list to obey;" Doc. & Cov. 29. 40-45.

Bible.

Isa. 45. 22 look unto me and be ye saved.

53. 10 when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin.

63. 9 he, redeemed them and carried them all the days of old.

Matt. 1. 21 Jesus shall save his people from their sins.

18. 11 the Son of Man hath come to save that which was lost.

John 1. 29 the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.

3. 14, 15 even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. 16.

4. 42 this is Christ the Savior of the world.

12. 32 if I be lifted up I will draw all men to me.

Acts 5. 31 him hath God exalted to be a Prince and Savior.

Chap. 13. 23.

Rom. 3. 24 being justified through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

25 whom God hath sent forth to be a propitiation. 26

5. 6 in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 8-11.

15 if through the offence of one many be dead, the gift of grace by one man, Christ Jesus, hath abounded to many. 18.

6. 23 the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.

8. 32 spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all.

11. 26 there shall come out of Zion a deliverer.

1 Cor. 1. 30 Christ Jesus who is made to us sanctification and redemption.

5. 7 for even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

2 Cor. 5. 18 who hath reconciled us to himself, by Jesus Christ.

Gal. 3. 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.

4. 4, 5 God sent his Son to redeem them that were under the law. 7.

Eph. 1. 7 in whom we have redemption through his blood. Col. 1. 14.

5. 2 as Christ also hath loved us, and given himself for us.

1 Tim. 1. 15 faithful saying, that Christ came into the world to save sinners.

2. 5 one God, one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.

4. 10 we trust in the living God who is the Savior of all men.

Titus 2. 14 who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us.

Heb. 5. 9 being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation.

7. 25 able to save them that come to God by him.

9. 26, 28 so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of the world.

1 Peter 1. 19 with the blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish.

3. 18 Christ hath once suffered for our sins, the just for the unjust.

1 John 1. 7 the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin.

2. 2 he is the propitiation for the sins of the world.

4. 9 God sent his son into the world that we might live through him. 14.

Rev. 5. 9 and hath redeemed us by his blood, out of every nation.

Book of Mormon.

1 Nephi 11. 27 I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world 33.

12. 11 made white in the blood of the Lamb.

15. 14 the very points of his doctrine, that they may come to him and be saved.

2 Nephi 1. 10 if the day come, they reject the Messiah. 15.

2. 3 thou art redeemed, for thou hast beheld, that, in the fulness of time he cometh to bring salvation to men.

9. 21, 22 he suffereth the pains of all men.

25, 26 the atonement satisfies the demands of justice, on those without law.

10. 25 may God raise you from everlasting death by the power of the atonement.

26. 24 layeth down his own life, that he may draw all men to him.

31. 21 no other name given whereby men can be saved.

Jacob 4. 15-17 Jews will reject the only foundation on which they can build.

Omni 1. 26 come to Christ and partake of the power of his redemption.

Mos. 4. 6-9 the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world for all who have been, or will be.

27. 25 becoming his sons and daughters. 30.

Alma 7. 12 take upon him death that he may loose the bands of death.

11. 39, 40 the eternal Father shall come into the world to redeem his people.

34. 11-16 the law of Moses fulfilled in the infinite atonement of Christ.

39. 18 as necessary that the plan of salvation should be made known to this people, as to their children?

Hel. 5. 9-12 will not redeem his people in their sins, but from their sins.

3 Nephi 12. 17 in Christ is the law of Moses fulfilled. 21, 22.

Ether 3. 14 was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people.

12. 33 to the laying down of thy life, that thou mightest take it again.

Moroni 8 he that says little children need baptism setteth at naught the atonement of Christ.

Doctrine & Covenants.

Sec. 18. 11 Lord suffered the pain of all men that they might come to him.

23. 25 Jesus Christ, the only name given under heaven whereby men can be saved.

19. 16 I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer.

20. 26, 27 not only those who believed after he came in the meridian of time.

29. 42 Lord gave to Adam and his seed that they should not die until the plan of redemption was declared to them.

46 little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world. Sec. 74. 6, 7. Sec. 93. 38.

76. 41-44 Jesus was crucified that all might be saved, except the sons of Perdition.

Pearl of Great Price.

Page 1. My Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior.

3. For this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

9. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son evermore.

16. Jesus Christ the only name given whereby salvation shall come.

17. Plan of salvation to all men through the blood of mine Only Begotten.

See An examination and elucidation of the mediation and atonement of Jesus Christ; by Prest. J. Taylor.

Articles on the fall and atonement, by O. Pratt, Mil. Star, Vol. 28, pages 577, 593 and 609.

Sermon by O. Pratt, J. of D., Vol. 1, page 280.

" " " " 2, Page 328.

" " " " 2, page 368.

" B. Young, J. of D. Vol. 3, page 80.

Article by W. Woodruff, Mil. Star, Vol. 6, page 113.

Article by C. W. Penrose, Contributor, Vol. 2, page 362.