By Rick Brunson
We
know that our Heavenly Father has created an innumerable amount of worlds, for
as the Prophet Enoch said, “were it possible that man could number the
particles of the earth yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a
beginning to the number of thy creations; and thy curtains are stretched out
still” (Moses 7:30). We also know that the inhabitants of each of these worlds
are “begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:24). The question that
this article addresses is this: Is Jesus Christ the Savior for each of these
worlds? Or did Christ’s atonement cover our world only (i.e., is there a
different Savior for each of our Heavenly Fathers earths)?
Because
both sides of this argument are somewhat speculative, this article will simply
present the arguments for both sides and let the reader form his or her own hypothesis
if he or she feels so inclined.
In
the Book of Mormon, the Prophet Amulek said that “there can be nothing which is
short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world”
(Alma 34:12). Commenting on this
scripture, Elder Bruce R. McConkie said:
When the prophets speak of an infinite atonement, they mean just that…the atonement of Christ,
being literally and truly infinite, applies to an infinite number of earths.[1]
Before
we go any further, we must point out that this statement made by Elder McConkie
(that Christ atonement applies to an infinite number of earths) is in all
likelihood, his expressed opinion. We come to this conclusion because Elder
McConkie is not the only General Authority to have spoken out on this
subject. As we shall soon see, there
have been others who believed just the opposite—namely, that Christ’s atonement was
meant for our earth only. Ultimately, since the answer to this question has yet
been revealed by the Lord, we must assume that comments such as this (on both
sides of the issue) are somewhat speculative in nature, and should therefore be
considered opinions. With that said, let
us examine Elder McConkie's statement of Christ’s atonement applying to “an
infinite number of earths.”
There
are two schools of thought when it comes to this term infinite. The first definition would include all the earths that
have ever been, and ever will be created by any
celestial being. The second definition of the term infinite, would include only
the earths that our Heavenly Father has (and will) create. Because our Heavenly Father will continue to
be a creator of earths for all eternity, this second definition also falls
under the category of infinite
because it too includes worlds without end.
Having said this, I would suggest
that Elder McConkie was, in all likelihood, referencing this second
category. That is, I believe that Elder
McConkie was telling us that he believed that Christ’s atonement applies to the
endless earths that our Father in Heaven has, and will yet, create. Had Elder McConkie been referring to the
first category (i.e. had he meant that Christ’s atonement applies to all the
earths that have ever been created by any
celestial being), then this would mean that Christ would be the Savior of every
person who has ever reached Godhood before him, which would include his very own Father! This is highly unlikely considering that
Christ—the literal Son of our Heavenly Father— is a creation of our Heavenly
Father, and as LDS scholar Rodney Turner stated:
[If Jesus were] his own Father’s savior, as well as the savior of those fathers
who preceded him [he] would be superior to all of them, even as he is superior
to all of those he saves from this earth. Yet Jesus repeatedly declared himself
the instrument of his Father’s will and said: “my Father is greater than I”
(John 14:28).[2]
For
this reason, we can only assume that Elder McConkie, when he said that the
atonement of Christ “applies to an infinite number of earths,” simply meant
that Christ’s atonement applies to the endless earths that our Father in Heaven
has and will create.
With
that said, let us hear from the other side of this debate. Rodney Turner argued
the opposite position:
The
Atonement of Jesus Christ is described in the Book of Mormon as being “infinite
for all mankind” (2 Nephi 25:16; Alma 34:10, 12, 14). However, “all mankind”
probably refers only to the inhabitants of this earth. (The doctrine of
a plurality of other earths or worlds being inhabited by the human race is not
found in the Book of Mormon.) Nephi
quoted his brother Jacob as teaching, “our God . . . suffereth the pains of all
men . . . who belong to the family of Adam” (2 Nephi 9:20–21; emphasis added).
That
which is infinite by nature need not be unlimited in scope.
Christ’s atonement was infinite in that it was an act of God, rather than an
act of finite man (2 Nephi 9:7; Alma 34:10; 42:15; D&C 20:17–18). While the
Atonement was unquestionably “infinite” or all-encompassing pertaining to
everything that fell in consequence of Adam’s transgression, it is doubtful if
its efficacy was literally boundless. Scripture indicates that the Fall and the
Atonement, like the two sides of a coin, are inextricably linked together and
co-extensive in their effects (1 Cor. 15:22; 2 Nephi 2:22–26). If so, Jesus’
atonement was not infinite in an absolute sense anymore than Adam’s fall was
infinite in an absolute sense…. The Atonement is always
defined in terms of Adam’s fall on this earth.[3]
Why
our Earth?
There
are other aspects of this topic we need to consider as well. For example, if it
is true that Christ’s atonement covers each of our Heavenly Fathers earths, why
was our particular earth chosen to house the Redeemer, rather than any one of
the countless millions of earths that have already been, and will yet be,
created by our Father in Heaven? There
is one school of thought on this. The prophet Jacob said,
Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient
that Christ…should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the
world; and they shall crucify him—for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none
other nation on earth that would crucify their God (2 Ne. 10:3).
If
Jerusalem was the only place on earth wicked enough to crucify their God, could
it be possible that this earth was the only earth
wicked enough to crucify our God? After
all, Brigham Young said,
I
This
idea seems to have originated from the book of Moses, where God said to Enoch:
Wherefore, I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all
the creations which I have made; and mine eye
can pierce them also, and among all the
workmanship of mine hands there has not been so great wickedness as among thy brethren (Moses 7:36;
emphasis added).
What
exactly was God referring to when he said “all the workmanship of mine
hands”? Was he referring to all of his
creations in the entire universe? Along
with Brigham Young, President Joseph Fielding Smith also believed this to be
the case, for he said of this scripture:
This is a terrible arraignment against the inhabitants
of the earth. Perhaps this is the reason
Jesus Christ was sent here instead of to some other world, for in some other
world they would not have crucified Him, and His presence was needed here because
of the extreme wickedness of the inhabitants of this earth.[5]
While
much of this is speculation, it does answer the question as to why this earth
would have been chosen to house the Redeemer (as opposed to another earth in
God’s universe), if Jesus is in fact the Savior for more than just our earth. However,
this scripture in Moses is not enough evidence alone to come to any sort of
conclusion either way on the infinite boundaries of Christ’s atonement. We
therefore turn to a few of the more popular scriptures that have been used in
this debate. We begin with the Apostle Paul, who said:
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds (Heb. 1:1-2)
.
And
again, the Lord said to Moses:
And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by
the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten (Moses 1:33).
A
A
What if, after each
created earth had come and gone, God started this process all over again? In other words, before each earth is created,
our Heavenly Father creates a host of spirit children to populate a particular
earth, and among these spirit children there is a Firstborn spirit who is given
the birthright and responsibility of redeeming that particular earth. Once this earth has been redeemed, our
Heavenly Father begins anew, with another round of spirit children and a new
Firstborn. If the Firstborn in each instance was also given the responsibility
of creating the earth for that particular round of creation, then we could
truly state that “the worlds [plural] are
and were created” by “the Only Begotten of the Father” (D&C 76:23-24).
Every Earth Has Its Redeemer
Consequently every earth has its redeemer, and every earth has its
tempter.[6]
It
might be argued that [Brigham Young’s] remarks only mean that every earth has
to be redeemed by the Savior. However, “its redeemer” is in
juxtaposition with “its tempter.” If there is but one Savior for all worlds, is
there but one devil for all worlds as well? A single, cosmic Satan is highly
unlikely…. [Satan] is doomed to suffer the fulness of the
second death (D&C 29:28–30; 76:33, 44–48). Consequently, he will be unable
to fill the role of adversary in future worlds.[7]
Because we know that there is a different tempter for each earth, can we assume that each earth has a different redeemer?
It is admitted that much of this is speculation. However, regardless of which side one falls on in this debate, one thing is certain: Jesus Christ performed an infinite atonement which has the power to exalt all of us if we rely upon him.
Notes:
[1] McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 64-65.
[2] Turner,
“The Doctrine of the Firstborn and Only Begotten,” The Pearl of Great Price: Revelations from God.”
[3]
[4] Journal of Discourses, 10:175.
[5] Smith, The Signs of the Times, p. 10.
[6] Journal of Discourses. 14:71.
[7]