Unforgivable sin and blood atonement

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"And now, behold, I speak unto the church. Thou shalt not kill; and he that kills shall not have forgiveness in this world, nor in the world to come." (D&C 42:18)

"[T]he doctrine of blood atonement posits that man can commit some sins so heinous that Christ's sacrifice is unavailing, but the offender himself may partially atone for his sin by sacrificing his life in a way which literally sheds his blood... While the most fervent sermons on blood atonement were preached during the reformation movement in the 1850s, a period of intense Mormon revivalism bordering on fanaticism, the doctrine also seems to have been defended by nineteenth century church leaders after the excessive rhetoric of the reformation had subsided."[1] The mainstream Mormon "church never incorporated them into her polity."[2]

"Man may commit certain grievous sins - according to his light and knowledge -that will place him beyond the reach of the atoning blood of Christ. If then he would be saved, he must make sacrifice of his own life to atone - so far as the power lies - for that sin, for the blood of Christ alone under certain circumstances will not avail. Joseph Smith taught that there were certain sins so grievous that man may commit, that they will place the transgressors beyond the power of the atonement of Christ. If these offenses are committed, then the blood of Christ will not cleanse them from their sins even though they repent" - Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:135, 138
"According to what is written there is but one unpardonable sin, that is the sin against the Holy Ghost and the shedding of innocent blood. All other sins may be forgiven, but only on conditions of sincere and permanent repentance. Shedding innocent blood is spoken of in the scriptures as consenting to the death of Jesus Christ and putting him to open shame. For those who have had the witness of the Holy Ghost, fighting with wicked hate against his authorized servants is the same, for if this is done to them, it is also against him." - Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 5 vols., 1:, p.67
"But under certain circumstances there are some serious sins for which the cleansing of Christ does not operate, and the law of God is that men must then have their own blood shed to atone for their sins. Murder, for instance, is one of these sins; hence we find the Lord commanding capital punishment." - Bruce McConkie[3]
"Elder Kimball observed that sometimes making complete restitution is impossible. 'There are some sins for which no adequate restitution can be made, and others for which only partial restitution is possible... Perhaps the reason murder is an unforgivable sin is that, once having taken a life whether that life be innocent or reprobate-the life-taker cannot restore it... Those who lose their possessions may be able to recover their wealth. Those defamed may still be able to prove themselves above reproach. Even the loss of chastity leaves the soul in mortality with opportunity to recover and repent and to make amends to some degree. But to take a life... cuts off the victim's experiences of mortality and thus his opportunity to repent, to keep God's commandments in this earth life.' " - LDS Church News[4]
"Suppose you found your brother in bed with your wife, and put a javelin through both of them, you would be justified, and they would atone for their sins, and be received into the kingdom of God. I would at once do so in such a case; and under such circumstances, I have no wife whom I love so well that I would not put a javelin through her heart, and I would do it with clean hands." - Brigham Young[5]

Contents

[edit] Notes

  1. Martin R. Gardner. "Mormonism and Capital Punishment: A Doctrinal Perspective, Past and Present". Dialogue, Vol. 12, No. 1. Available online here.
  2. B.H. Roberts. http://www.angelfire.com/sk2/ldsdefense/blood.html
  3. Bruce McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 92
  4. "Restitution Part of Repentance", LDS Church News, 1994, 02/26/94
  5. Brigham Young, March 16, 1856, Journal of Discourses, 3:247

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