Because Christians believe God created everything, they sometimes ask, “Did God create evil?”

A Latter-day Saint woman shares her thoughts on this question of good and evil.

God did not create evil; everything He created was good. However, God believes in agency, considering it essential to our eternal salvation. Agency is the right to choose for ourselves. Some people choose to be evil and so evil was created through the choices of men, not by God. How we choose to use the great gift of agency tells God, the world, and ourselves what sort of people we are.

Mormons believe that we were created as spirits before we came to earth. We lived in that form for a while, and even there we had agency. We had our own personalities and began the process of deciding who we wanted to be. When it was time for us to come to earth to live, God explained the program to us. Since justice required us to be perfect in order to return, and that, of course, wasn’t possible, He planned for us to have a Savior. Jesus Christ volunteered for this position. The atonement had to be a voluntary act. He was willing to live a sinless life, suffer extraordinary pain in the Garden of Gethsemane, and die on the cross for us, to be risen three days later. All this He would do out of pure love for us, and He wanted nothing in return. He asked that we give the honor and glory to God.

Satan, however, hated that plan. He tried to overturn it and to convince us to refuse God’s plan for us. He suggested instead that we come to earth completely controlled by him, making no choices for ourselves. In that way, we would never sin—he would make all the choices for us. This, he assured us, would guarantee we could return to God, and do so in a way that let him suffer no pain. He was willing to work hard, but not to suffer for us, because love had nothing to do with his plan. He explained that in return, we had to promise to worship only him. This idea was all about him, not us and our eternal well-being. His way would have rendered life on earth meaningless and would have overthrown essential eternal truths and requirements. He would have tried to replace God.

Did God create evil? No, He gave us agency and then we choose to create it ourselves with Satan as our cheerleader. When evil is in the world, mortals have only themselves to blame, since even Satan can’t make us do evil. We choose to do so.

In response to this reflection, another Latter-day Saint Christian (“Mormon“) wrote:

I have a friend that has suffered a lot because of questions like this one.  Particularly because we often hear that God uses others’ bad choices to teach us.  I have often wondered, “Why would the Lord help me find my keys after I pray to Him, but things like the Holocaust happened?”  After much prayer, this is what I found:

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (errantly called The Mormon Church by the media from time to time), we believe in a God who wants us to use our individual agency.  The logical problem with associating my keys and big disasters, like the Holocaust, is that we put the choice back on God.  By connecting the two ideas as parallel, we are pinning God’s desire for us to use individual agency against our perception of how we think He should use His agency, or free will.

The fact of the matter is that God will help each individual, no matter the circumstances, to make correct choices within our sphere of influence.  If someone is in wonderful, awful, or unlivable circumstances, they still have a range of choices, and God will help them make the right choice, but only if they want to and ask Him to help them.  God did not create evil, nor does he use it as a teaching tool.  However, if we want to use our agency, or free will, to learn from an negative experience, He will guide us in our choice to move forward.

For my friend, this view of God that I presented to him may have made sense—or maybe not.  However, I know that God is interested in my personal development enough that he will not prevent me from making good choices—or sometimes, bad choices.  I can learn if I want to.  I can find God if I want to.  He will not interfere with my life with a miraculous display of power, but rather touch me softly after I’ve sought for His love.

A third Latter-day Saint (“Mormon” woman) affirmed this regard for individual agency, as follows:

Thank you for this thoughtful response, Alex. So true. I think when we remove the divine law of agency–as you said well– and the beauty of God’s constancy in respecting that law so we can grow, we would come to the conclusion that He is missing or AWOL when He could have been there. Instead, the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are very much there, as the Savior was on the shores of Galilee during the storms, in the moment for Saul on the Road to Damascus, and eternally for each of us in the garden and on the cross.

If we miss the need for agency–however raw the use or abuse of it is–we can then draw wrong conclusions and think God the Father or Jesus Christ, have betrayed our trust in Them or that They have abandoned us. This is far from true and if we remember Gethsemane, we are reminded that the notion that God doesn’t care or has turned away is not true. His Son, the Savior, suffered for our every hurt personally, so that distorted view of God absent in suffering or disregarding it, can not hold water. He does work the agonies of life into glories over time (as mentioned by CS Lewis & in the Holy Bible: Book of Revelation)–not that the misery and consequences of others’ choices won’t be felt and dealt with by him, but that our suffering for others’ wrong choices as well as for own foibles, will work to ends that are ultimately positive, and only love’s pure joys will remain eternally (as the hymn records).

Additional Resources:

Did God create evil? He does not force us to make decisions. We all have the gift of choice.

Request a free copy of the Book of Mormon.

Attend a local meetinghouse.

Why is Jesus Christ called the Son of Man?  While others in the Scriptures (particularly the Old Testament) who are called “son[s] of man” (Jeremiah 49:18, Ezekiel 4:16, Psalms 8:4), the word “son” is uncapitalized.  Elder James E. Talmage, a Biblical scholar, sheds light on the answer in his renown work, Jesus the Christ.  He says,

“In applying the designation to Himself, the Lord invariably uses the definite article. ‘The Son of Man’ was and is, specifically and exclusively, Jesus Christ. While as a matter of solemn certainty He was the only male human being from Adam down who was not the son of a mortal man, He used the title in a way to conclusively demonstrate that it was peculiarly and solely His own. It is plainly evident that the expression is fraught with a meaning beyond that conveyed by the words in common usage. The distinguishing appellation has been construed by many to indicate our Lord’s humble station as a mortal, and to connote that He stood as the type of humanity, holding a particular and unique relationship to the entire human family.”

Others are called by the title “son of man,” but only the Lord Jesus Christ is called The Son of Man.  Said the Spirit of the Lord to the prophet Nephi, “Knowest thou the condescension of God?” (Book of Mormon: 1 Nephi 11:16; emphasis added).  But, as Talmage says,

There is, however, a more profound significance attaching to the Lord’s use of the title ‘The Son of Man’; and this lies in the fact that Jesus Christ knew His Father to be the one and only supremely exalted Man, whose Son Jesus Christ was both in spirit and in body—the Firstborn among all the spirit-children of the Father, the Only Begotten in the flesh—and therefore in sense applicable to Himself alone, He was and is the Son of the ‘Man of Holiness,’ Elohim, the Eternal Father.

Moses wrote,
Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time” (Moses 6:57).

In other words, “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22).

Joseph Smith, a prophet God raised up to re-establish Jesus Christ’s Church on earth in our day, said,

The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 121). Since ‘all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to [Jesus Christ],’ and since the Old Testament is something ‘which pertains to our religion,’then the Old Testament must somehow testify of Jesus Christ.1

Yet, the somewhat gruesome nature of blood sacrifice [in the Old Testament] has led some to ask, “How could such an activity have anything to do with the gospel of love?” We can better understand the answer to that question when we understand the two major purposes for the law of sacrifice. These purposes applied to Adam, Abraham, Moses, and the New Testament Apostles, and they apply to us today as we accept and live the law of sacrifice in a different way: through exemplifying a broken heart and contrite spirit. Its two major purposes are to test and prove us and to assist us in coming unto Christ” (M. Russell Ballard, “The Law of Sacrifice,” Ensign, Oct 1998, 7).

Mormons (a nickname for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) often use the term “fulness of the gospel.” Mormons refer to modern times as the dispensation of the fulness of times, referring to the fact that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in full.

Mormon beliefs; Jesus Christ's gospel restored

Mormon beliefs teach that Adam and Eve, the first people to live on the earth, were given the full gospel. They shared it with their children. However, people often found it difficult to live the full gospel, and so, periodically, the fulness of the gospel was replaced with preparatory laws, such as the Law of Moses, to help people progress to a point where they could live the full gospel. In addition, truths were sometimes lost. There have almost always been those who wanted God to change truth to something more pleasing to them, and periodically, those false beliefs became widespread among the people. During these times, God often took away the prophets, which also removed access to God’s word. This was known as apostasy, since the people had chosen to apostatize by ignoring or changing God’s word. However, God never allows apostasy to last forever. Each time, He eventually returns the prophets to the earth, as we see while studying the Bible.

His gospel was first established on the earth beginning with Adam and has been taught in every dispensation through such prophets as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and others. Each of these prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ to atone for the sins of the world. Those prophecies have been fulfilled. The Savior did establish His Church. He called His Apostles and established His priesthood. Most importantly, He laid down His life and took it up that all will rise again, thus carrying out the atoning sacrifice. But that was not the end.

After the Savior’s Resurrection, He commissioned His Apostles to lead the Church and administer gospel ordinances. Faithful to this charge, they were persecuted, and some were eventually martyred. As a result, the Lord’s priesthood authority was no longer on earth, and the world fell into spiritual darkness. In the centuries that followed, God’s children had the Light of Christ, could pray, and could feel the influence of the Holy Ghost. But the fulness of the gospel had been lost. There was no one left on earth with the power and authority to lead the Church or perform sacred ordinances such as baptism, conferral of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the saving ordinances of the temple. Almost everyone was denied access to the scriptures, and most people were illiterate (Robert D. Hales, “Preparations for the Restoration and the Second Coming: ‘My Hand Shall Be over Thee’,” Liahona, Nov 2005, 88–92)

The Mormons call this the Great Apostasy. It was very long and very thorough. We can see the impact of this time as we look around us on earth. Even while the apostles were on the earth, apostasy was beginning, and the apostles grieved at losing people and even entire nations through apostasy. Today, as we observe the landscape of our nation, we see hundreds of churches, all teaching different things and most claiming to have the truth. This happened because the truth was lost and people had to try to decide on their own what was true and what wasn’t. Often these choices led to the formation of new Christian churches with new beliefs not found in the Bible or the church as it existed when Christ was on the earth and even directly contradict those teachings. Because God is not a God of confusion, and because truth matters to Him, as we see by the many references to it in the Bible, we know it matters to God what we believe and how we act based on the truth Jesus Christ taught while on the earth.

However, God began to prepare His people for a restoration of prophecy and the fullness of the gospel. Literacy increased and the printing press made it possible for people to read the Bible on their own. Reformations began which challenged the traditions of some long-standing religions.

In the 1700s, a nation was formed which guaranteed freedom of religion. This made it possible for a restoration to occur. Finally, in the 1800s, the world was ready for the restoration to occur. Joseph Smith, a teenager in upstate New York, lived in a time of great excitement over religion. People were anxious to align themselves with a church and many opportunities were given to them to choose one that suited their beliefs. Joseph, his mother, and his siblings attended many of these revivals and churches, but this exploration only confused Joseph. He couldn’t figure out how to tell which of the churches was true.

He turned to the Bible for help. While studying, he found James 1:5-6: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.” This verse, believed by many scholars to be the work of the half-brother of Jesus Christ, was, Joseph realized, the key to solving his dilemma. He went into the woods near his home and prayed with faith. God and Jesus appeared to Him and instructed Him not to join any of the churches currently on the earth, since none were entirely correct. Later, when he had grown and matured, an angel named Moroni came to begin tutoring him in preparation for the restoration. Joseph eventually translated a set of ancient records we call the Book of Mormon, which is a companion to the Bible and testifies of its truthfulness. When this was complete, the restoration of the Savior’s gospel could begin.

Today, we live in a time that again has the blessings of prophets to share with us God’s word. While some think God has turned His back on His children forever, Mormons know that just as prophets were needed to prepare God’s people for the first coming of Christ, prophets are just as necessary to prepare us for the second coming. Perhaps the need is even greater, since this return will be made known to all the world.

Our message is unique. We declare to the world that the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth. We declare with boldness that the keys of the priesthood have been restored to man, with the power to seal on earth and in the heavens. The saving ordinances pronounced by the Lord as requirements for entering into eternal life with Him can now be performed with binding authority by those who worthily exercise the power of His holy priesthood. We declare to the world that this is the day referred to by biblical prophets as the latter days. It is the final time, before the coming of Jesus Christ to rule and reign over the earth.

We invite all to listen to the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ from us. Then you can compare the glorious message with what you may hear from others, and you can determine which is from God and which is from man (L. Tom Perry, “The Message of the Restoration,” Ensign, May 2007, 85–88.)

The fullness of the gospel, then, means that God’s prophets are on the earth, allowing us to sort truth from the teachings of men, and helping us to prepare for the triumphant return of the Savior, and for our own return to God’s presence. We can know for ourselves if this is true, because God has promised us that we can pray to find out, rather than simply trusting man’s word. Just as the brother of Jesus said, if we lack wisdom, God promises to give it to us if we ask in faith, with a sincere desire to know the truth.

Mormons teach that they have the fullness of the gospel found in their own faith. However, James E. Faust, a previous apostle of the Lord, teaches what this means in relationship to other faiths:

We believe The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a restoration of the original Church established by Jesus Christ, which was built “upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.” 24 It is not a breakoff from any other church.

We believe that the fulness of the gospel of Christ has been restored, but this is no reason for anyone to feel superior in any way toward others of God’s children. Rather, it requires a greater obligation to invoke the essence of the gospel of Christ in our lives—to love, serve, and bless others. Indeed, as the First Presidency stated in 1978, we believe that “the great religious leaders of the world such as Mohammed, Confucius, and the Reformers, as well as philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and others, received a portion of God’s light. Moral truths were given to them by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals.” 25 Thus, we have respect for the sincere religious beliefs of others and appreciate others extending the same courtesy and respect for the tenets we hold dear (James E. Faust, “The Restoration of All Things,” Liahona, May 2006, 61–62, 67–68.”)

Jesus

went to the temple during the feast of the Tabernacles. The temple was lit by four very large candelabra and their light could be seen for a great distance. Here, he rescued the woman about to be stoned for adultery and then  proclaimed to those who watched the event, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Darkness, in a spiritual sense, frequently refers to sin or to confusion about truth. Just as in life, the darkness can hide evil or distort what is real, in the spiritual world, it can distort truth and make it difficult to see or understand truth. However, God created both day and night, and He does not expect us to live our lives in darkness. He wants us to live out our lives in the light, and that light comes from the Savior.

Jesus Christ came to earth to fulfill prophecy and to fulfill a promise He made to us before we were born; He promised to come and redeem us from our sins. Prior to this, He taught the gospel, helping those who listened see beyond the Law of Moses to the new higher laws of love.

He taught His followers to follow His example and to live a law that would bring them closer to God. Those who did no more than to watch Him would be enlightened as to the kind of Being God Himself was and the kind of person each of us should strive to be. In the aforementioned incident involving the woman who was to be stoned, He responded to questions designed to trap Him concerning the woman’s fate under the law. Rather than telling the men the law was not right, as they hoped, He simply said that the first stone should be thrown by the person in the group who had no sin. Of course, only Jesus Himself met that criteria, but when the men faded away, He too refused to judge her. He only instructed her to abandon her sin.

In His brief ministry, He healed the sick, treated with respect those who were treated by the world as nothing, refused to turn away children when He was tired, and gave up everything to devote His life to teaching the gospel. When His mission came to a close, He took on Himself the sins of the world and then voluntarily allowed Himself to be killed. He overcame that death and rose again.

Today, even though He isn’t with us on earth, we can still be guided by His light. His light is one of love, and staying in its path will keep us safe. In the Book of Mormon, there is a vision given to a prophet who saw a path that led to a beautiful tree. The tree was filled with magnificent, sweet fruit. A mist of darkness overcame the path, making it difficult for those on the path to know how to reach the tree. However, alongside the path was an iron rod. The tree and its fruit, representing God’s love, could be safely obtained only by holding onto the iron rod, which represented God’s word. Those who let go, who wandered off to explore side paths, lost the opportunity to receive the rewards.

One way we can stay on the path and protect our grasp on the iron rod is by learning to recognize and obey the Light of Christ, and when we receive it, the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Through the Light of Christ, which is available to all of us, we can learn to recognize the truth when it is presented to us. Often, as a great truth is imparted, something deep inside of us stirs, leaving us with a warm safe feeling. This is the Light of Christ, testifying to us of this truth. Through this truth some of the great questions of the ages can be answered: Who Am I? Why am I here on Earth? Where am I going when I die? When every religion teaches something different, how can I know which one is teaching what the Savior Himself taught?

There are some who try to convince people they must not ask God these great questions, must not turn to Him in prayer for advice. However, Jesus Himself prayed, and James, believed to be the Savior’s own half-brother, taught, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.” (James 1:5-6, King James translation of the Bible.)

The reason some give for advising people against praying to know the truth is often that the person praying will not know who is answering the prayer. However, Mormons believe that God never makes a promise He can’t keep, and that He promised, as we read in the James 1:5, that God has promised to give us the wisdom we ask for. Is it possible God could answer our prayers in a way that leaves no doubt as to who is communicating with us? “For with God nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37.) Mormons believe in a God who can do anything He says He will do. They know that as they continue to pray and to develop their relationship with God, that He will help them learn to recognize how He communicates with them, and improve their ability to recognize answers to prayer.

As Mormons—and all who have faith in God and in Jesus Christ—improve the quality of their prayers and their ability to receive answers, the light within them grows, so that no matter how dark the day or the situation of life, they are surrounded by peace, joy, and truth. This is why Jesus is called the light of the world: His light is the only source of the joy God has promised can be ours.

Jesus taught, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2.)

Heaven, in the most correct sense, is the place Jesus and God live, and it is where we may also go if we are worthy to enter into His presence. However, Mormons do not believe there are only two places a person can be sent after death. People live their lives with varying degrees of commitment to God and so there are several homes, or mansions, depending on the choices each person makes in life.

It is important to first understand that through grace and the atonement of Christ, all people who live on earth can be resurrected and live forever, without any action on their own part. Grace does not come with a price for those who made the choice to be born. Through grace, each person may be forgiven for his sins if he repents. Mormons are among the few religions that teach that grace is ours without works, not even the work of accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior. Of course, for those who do accept the Savior, there are even greater rewards.

Each person who lives on earth is given the gift of agency. We used our agency to choose life on earth and throughout our lives, we continue to use our agency to decide many eternally significant things. We decide whether or not to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior if we’re fortunate enough to learn of Him in this lifetime. We also decide how much we love Him and how many of His commandments we’re willing to live. Obedience requires sacrifice, but also comes with great blessings and each person decides for himself whether or not he is willing to give up some temporal pleasures in order to gain eternal ones.

Mormon beliefs teach that each person is accountable only for his or her own sins and not for the choices made by Adam and Eve. Accountability means we are held responsible for the choices we make and will be judged accordingly. The Bible tells us no unclean thing can enter into Heaven, meaning into God’s presence, and so there has to be a judgment. This does not mean a person must be perfect. As mentioned earlier, the atonement allows us to repent and to be forgiven if we do so.

Mormons teach that those who accept Jesus as their Savior, take His name on themselves, and honor that name through righteous living will be allowed to return to God’s presence to live forever. This is the Celestial Kingdom, God’s own home. Naturally, every faithful Mormon has this as his goal, as does every other faithful Christian. It cannot be won by simply accepting Jesus once and then going on about your lives unchanged. The process of exaltation into God’s kingdom is a lifelong and even eternal pursuit, requiring the faithful to strive each day to draw closer to God and to bring his life more in accord with the teachings of God.

Jesus taught: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven,” (Matthew 7:21).

Naturally, those who can dwell in God’s kingdom will be good and valiant people.

Mormon beliefs include the promise that those who never heard the gospel but who would have accepted it if they had will have the opportunity to accept it after their death. This is not a second chance, but a first chance. A fair and just God would never punish someone for something entirely out of his control.

The second level of heaven is known as the terrestrial kingdom. While they may not live with God, they will be visited by the Savior. This kingdom is for people who were good people, but who allowed themselves to be misled by Satan and by other people. It will also include those who accepted the gospel but who didn’t live it to a celestial level. This demonstrates a reduced commitment to God and His teachings. Those who reject the gospel when they’re taught it on earth may dwell here if they accept it after they die. While this is a place for those who did not earn the highest reward, it will be a peaceful and happy place, even though tinged with grief over losing the presence of the father.

The third kingdom is the telestial kingdom. This kingdom will be a temporary place for those who did not receive the gospel or a testimony of the Savior during their lifetime. For these people, it will be a happy place if they lived their lives to the best of their knowledge and accept the gospel when it is presented. They will receive a greater glory in time.

There are, of course, some who will not dwell in any of these three kingdoms, known as kingdoms of glory. Those who have a sure testimony of Christ and then deny it and others who have forfeited their right to redemption will live in Perdition.

Generally, Mormons do not live lives of fear about their eternal state. They know what they need to do to be where they want to be, and they know that most people will live happy lives for eternity, even if there is some sorrow for missed blessings present.

Because Mormons believe in the gift of repentance, which comes through the Atonement of Christ, they do not live lives of fear. While they are accountable for their choices, and sin is serious, they understand they can repent. If that repentance is complete and sincere, they are forgiven.

For Mormons being saved is a lifelong process. Accepting Jesus as our Savior is only the first step in a life lived out of love for the Savior over any worldly concerns.

The evening before the Lamb of God was to be crucified for the sins of the world and hours before He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus was sitting with his Apostles in a “large upper room” (Mark 14:15). It was here that He first instituted the sacrament: “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples,” (Matthew 26:26). Then He said, “Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me” 1 Corinthians 11:24). Then, “After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:25). Thus, the purpose of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is to look back and remember Jesus the Christ and what He has done for each of us. Everything points “to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice [is] the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal” (Alma 34:14). Blood sacrifices looked forward; the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper looks backward, and the central act—the atonement of Jesus Christ—is right in the middle—the meridian of time.

In the previous two articles about the law of sacrifice, we have discussed how the law was used anciently to teach God’s children to look forward to this “great and last sacrifice.” With the Savior’s ultimate sacrifice, the law of Moses was done away. The law of Moses, however, “is not the same thing as the law of sacrifice” (M. Russell Ballard, “The Law of Sacrifice,” Ensign, Oct 1998, 7). The Savior said after His resurrection from the dead, “And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood . . . [but] ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit” (3 Nephi 9:19-20). Hence, what we sacrifice has changed; that we sacrifice, and the reasons why we sacrifice have remained the same.

The word sacrifice means to make holy. It also means “To surrender or give up (something) for the attainment of some higher advantage or dearer object” (Oxford English Dictionary, “Sacrifice”). Or, as Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Bruce R. McConkie put it, “Sacrifice involves giving up the things of this world because of the promises of blessings to be gained in a better world” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. “Sacrifice,” Bookcraft: 1966).

But what is a broken heart and a contrite spirit? A broken heart is the opposite of a hard heart. The image of a hard heart is used in the scriptures to denote pride. Hence, a person with a broken heart is one who is humble. The word contrite means repentant. A person with a contrite spirit is one who has an awareness of his or her guilt. This person remembers the things he or she has done wrong, but because the person is repentant, he or she strives to change and be better than before. This person knows that through the atonement of Jesus Christ, he or she can overcome all obstacles.

To have a broken heart and a contrite spirit therefore means we are willing to submit to God. We are willing to submit to God as Christ was willing to submit to His father. The Savior said, “And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men, even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil” (3 Nephi 27:14).

God loves us. He wants us to come unto Him. The law of sacrifice tests us and assists us in coming unto Christ (M. Russell Ballard, “The Law of Sacrifice,” Ensign, Oct 1998, 7). Another Apostle of the Church, Russell M. Nelson, has taught: “Our highest sense of sacrifice is achieved as we make ourselves more sacred or holy. This we do by our obedience to the commandments of God” (“Lessons from Eve,” Ensign, Nov. 1987, 88). Hence, “the sacrifice changed from the offering to the offerer” (M. Russell Ballard, “The Law of Sacrifice,” Ensign, Oct 1998, 7).

Sacrifice is therefore a wonderful blessing. Joseph Smith said, “A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation” (Lectures on Faith 6:7). In other words, sacrifice gives us faith, and with faith we can receive salvation. It is not always easy to give up something we want, especially when we can’t actually see the end results. But I testify that it is worth it in the end. Sometimes we must take a few steps into the darkness in order for the light to turn on and go before us. That’s faith. And sacrifice takes faith.

I end with one of my favorite quotes on the law of sacrifice: “Real, personal sacrifice never was placing an animal on the altar. Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal in us upon the altar and letting it be consumed!” (Neal A. Maxwell “ ‘Deny Yourselves of All Ungodliness,’ ” Ensign, May 1995, 68).

The atonement of Jesus Christ is the central doctrine of Christianity, and all other Christian doctrines come out of and are appendages to it.1 Not only can these other doctrines be connected back to the Savior and His Atoning Sacrifice, but if they are not, “there will be no life nor substance nor redemption in them,” to use a phrase by President Boyd K. Packer, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.2 It is therefore not only important, but necessary, when studying any doctrine or teaching or appendage of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to connect it back to Jesus Christ and His eternal sacrifice.

When Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden, they were commanded “that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord” (Moses 5:5).  Yet M. Russell Ballard, another apostle of the Church, has said that some have wondered, “How could the slaughtering of an animal upon an altar have anything to do with the gospel of love?”3

He continues,

We can better understand the answer to [this] question when we understand the two major purposes for the law of sacrifice. These purposes applied to Adam, Abraham, Moses, and the New Testament Apostles, and they apply to us today as we accept and live the law of sacrifice. [The] two major purposes [of the law of sacrifice] are to test and prove us and to assist us in coming unto Christ.4

As we read more of Adam and Eve’s obedience to the law of sacrifice, take note of how these two major purposes—to test or prove, and “to assist us in coming unto Christ.”

“Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord” (Moses 5:5).  He offered up the firstlings of his flocks.  This was not easy, especially in an era when one lived off of their land and flocks.  A firstling was a very valuable possession.  And if that weren’t enough, Adam and Eve did not even know why they were offering sacrifices.  The record says that “after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord?  And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me (Moses 5:6).

Adam and Eve passed the test.

Like Adam and Eve, we are also asked to sacrifice.  Most of us don’t have any firstlings or firstfruits to give up (though even if we did, the law was changed after Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice anyway).  We are, however, being tried and proved, and sometimes a person “must learn to walk a few steps ahead into the darkness, and then the light will turn on and go before [them],” as Boyd K. Packer has written.5 Adam and Eve took a few steps into the darkness.  They did not know why they were asked to give sacrifices, but they did it anyway.  Yet, notice, as the record continues, how Adam and Eve received a witness after the trial of their faith (see Ether 12:6) and were taught concerning the second of the two main purposes of the law of sacrifice—“to assist [God’s children] in coming unto Christ.”

The record reads,

And then the angel spake saying: This [sacrifice] is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.
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 forevermore. (Moses 5:7-8)

As Bruce R. McConkie, yet another apostle, has written, “For a pastoral people whose lives depended on their flocks and herds, there could have been no better similitude than this.”6

The righteous posterity of Adam continued to offer sacrifices, down to the children of Israel.  However,

[b]ecause of the rebellious nature of the children of Israel in the days of Moses, the practice of the law of sacrifice was changed; it became a strict law requiring daily observance of performances and ordinances. During the time of Moses there was an expansion in the number and variety of offerings under the law of sacrifice. The Mosaic sacrifices consisted of five major offerings that fell into two primary categories—obligatory and voluntary. . .7

Yet,

[o]ne thing remained the same in all of these offerings: everything about Mosaic sacrifice focused on Christ. Like Christ, the priest acted as the mediator between the people and their God. Like Christ, the priest had to have the right parentage to officiate in his office. Like Christ, the offerer through obedience willingly sacrificed what was required by the law.8

Hence, the purpose of the law of Moses was to persuade God’s children “to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was” (Jarom 1:11).
Alma, about 74 years before Christ, wrote that after the Savior’s ultimate sacrifice the law of Moses (not the law of sacrifice, for these two are not exactly the same thing) would be done away.  He said,

It is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away.
And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.
And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.” (Alma 34:13-15)

God loves us.  He “doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world” (2 Nephi 26:24).  He gives His children laws and commandments that point them to Christ.  Giving up what we want for the sake of something better isn’t easy.  Sacrifice never was easy.  It tries our faith and, like all other doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, connects back and brings us closer to the Savior.

While the law of Moses was done away, the law of sacrifice was not.  Those who lived before Christ looked forward to Him as though He had already come.  Today, we look back with a “broken heart and a contrite spirit” (3 Nephi 9:20).

Indeed, as Neal A. Maxwell, an apostle of the Church, has said, “Real, personal sacrifice never was placing an animal on the altar. Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal in us upon the altar and letting it be consumed!”9

Notes
1 See Bruce R. McConkie. Mormon Doctrine 2nd ed. “Atonement of Christ.” Bookcraft: 1966. 60.; Joseph Smith.  Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Selected by Joseph Fielding Smith.   Salt Lake City: Deseret Book.  1938. 121.
2 Boyd K. Packer, in Conference Report, Apr. 1977, 80; or Ensign, May 1977, 55-56.
3 M. Russell Ballard. “The Law of Sacrifice,” Ensign, Oct 1998, 7.
4 Ibid.
5 Boyd K. Packer. “The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ—Plain and Precious Things,” Liahona, May 2005, 6–9.
6 Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985, 114–15.
7 M. Russell Ballard, “The Law of Sacrifice,” Ensign, Oct 1998, 7.
8 Ibid.
9 Neal A. Maxwell, “‘Deny Yourselves of All Ungodliness,’” Ensign, May 1995, 68, emphasis added.

Before I say anything else, I want to make it clear that the real answer to this question is beyond the scope of this article; indeed, it is beyond the scope of mortality and all things temporal: for “this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). Furthermore, “it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned [all the principles of exaltation]. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 6:306-7).

I am now able to attempt a basic answer to the above question.

One of the most profound statements that will act as a beginning to our answer was made by the Prophet Joseph Smith. He said, “It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book. 1938. 345). Because “character” means both “attributes” and “nature” (Cf. Gordon B. Hinckley. Faith: The Essence of True Religion. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book. 1989. 20-27.), in order to know God and thereby receive eternal life, we must learn of both his divine attributes and his divine nature. For “Knowledge of divine and spiritual things is absolutely essential for one’s salvation” (Bible Dictionary, “Knowledge,” see also Romans 10:14). There has been much written regarding God’s divine attributes, so in this article I will attempt a short explanation of the other meaning of character, one that is seldom spoken of—the divine nature of God.

I have already stated that it is “the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God.” In addition, “If men [and women] do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1938], p. 343). This is because “All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny” (The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1995.).

The reason men and women are created “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27) is because “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit” (Doctrine and Covenants 130: 22). This is the basic, corporeal nature of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ the premortal Jehovah, and the Holy Ghost are three separate and distinct personages (Cf. Jeffery Holland. The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent. Broken Things to Mend. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book. 2008. 208-214.).

For some, it may be a strange thing to say that God has a body as tangible (or “able to touch and feel”) as man’s.  Jeffery R. Holland eloquently stated,

“If the idea of an embodied God is repugnant, why are the central doctrines and singularly most distinguishing characteristics of all Christianity the Incarnation, the Atonement, and the physical Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? If having a body is not only not needed but not desirable by Deity, why did the Redeemer of mankind redeem His body, redeeming it from the grasp of death and the grave, guaranteeing it would never again be separated from His spirit in time or eternity? Any who dismiss the concept of an embodied God dismiss both the mortal and the resurrected Christ. No one claiming to be a true Christian will want to do that” (Ibid.).

It is easy to come to the conclusion that Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, has “a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s,” for He said so Himself (Cf. Luke 24:39). Jesus the Christ was resurrected, and to be resurrected means “the uniting of a spirit body with a body of flesh and bones, never again to be divided” (Bible Dictionary, “Resurrection”). There were many who touched the palms of His hands, felt the nail prints in his feet, and thrust their hands into His side (Cf. John 20:27, 3 Nephi 11:14-15).

It is also easy to come to the conclusion that the Holy Ghost “has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, [He] could not dwell in us” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22). Hence His name is the Holy Spirit.

However, to say that God the Father has “a body of flesh and bones” is a bold statement, especially when considering some seemingly contradictory statements found in the New Testament. One of the most perplexing of these statements is given by the Savior Himself: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

This passage is often taken out of context. In John chapter four, the Savior was teaching the woman of Samaria how to worship. He was not giving her a discourse on His Father’s corporeal nature—or lack of it. But out of context or not, just because God is a Spirit does not mean that he is only a spirit and not anything else. Indeed, “man is spirit” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:33), and God is, therefore, a Spirit in the same sense that we are spirits—namely a spirit body clothed with a physical body (Cf. Ether 3:9). Finally, the common translation of this passage (John 4:24) is in error. A more complete version of it was given to the prophet Joseph Smith by revelation and confirms that the Savior is teaching how to worship, “For unto such hath God promised his Spirit. And they who worship him, must worship in spirit and in truth” (JST John 4:26).

God’s body is, of course, different from ours. It is immortal, perfected, glorified, and resurrected. And because Jesus the Christ was resurrected and has broken the bands of death, all who have ever lived and will ever live on the earth will also be resurrected and receive their bodies after they die–bodies that are immortal, perfected, and glorified.  The the most faithful will receive celestial bodies (Cf. 1 Corinthians 15:22, 40-42).

Hence, “if men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves.”

Finally, something must be said about the “oneness” of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.  The biblical passage in John 10:30, “I and my Father are one,” is often misunderstood.  The word “one” means completely unified, one in accord, and in perfect harmony.  A husband and wife are counseled to be “one” (Ephesians 5:31), as are all those who abide in Christ (see Galatians 3:28).  Hence, God the Father and Jesus Christ are not the same personage, but separate and distinct personages who are one, or work in perfect harmony, in bringing to pass “the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).

Joseph Smith said that “the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.” Jesus the Christ is central to everything. He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). It is “by him, and through him, and of him the worlds are and were created and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:24). He was resurrected from the dead and He and His Father did not only show themselves in vision to Stephen during his martyrdom (Acts 7:56), but They also appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, early in the Spring of the year 1820. Of Them, the Prophet declared that he “saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description . . . One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!’ (Joseph Smith History 1:17).

Sometimes some of the simplest questions are also some of the most profound.  These types of questions are therefore some of the most difficult to answer.  “Why is Jesus called the Son of God?” is one of these questions, simple, profound, and difficult to answer.  But as one of my English Professors told me the other day, “The hard questions are really the only questions worth asking.”  In that case, Why is Jesus called the Son of God?

In a basic sense, the question is closely related to the question the Spirit of the Lord asked Nephi: “Knowest thou the condescension of God?” (1 Nephi 11:16).  Note a definition of “condescend” that the Oxford English Dictionary gives the word, “To depart from the privileges of superiority by a voluntary submission; to sink willingly to equal terms with inferiours.”  I feel like I can use Nephi’s response to the Spirit’s question as my own response, “I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things” (1 Nephi 11:16-17).

What the record says next is a basic answer to the question.

“And he [the Spirit] said unto me [Nephi]: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!
And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!”  (1 Nephi 11:18-21).

James E. Talmage, a biblical scholar, wrote about the Savior’s birth and what it means that Jesus is the Son of God:

“That Child to be born of Mary was begotten of Elohim, the Eternal Father, not in violation of natural law but in accordance with a higher manifestation thereof; and, the offspring from that association of supreme sanctity, celestial Sireship, and pure though mortal maternity, was of right to be called the “Son of the Highest.” In His nature would be combined the powers of Godhood with the capacity and possibilities of mortality; and this through the ordinary operation of the fundamental law of heredity, declared of God, demonstrated by science, and admitted by philosophy, that living beings shall propagate—after their kind. The Child Jesus was to inherit the physical, mental, and spiritual traits, tendencies, and powers that characterized His parents—one immortal and glorified—God, the other human—woman. (Jesus the Christ. Deseret Book: Salt Lake City, 1990. 77.)

When speaking of a son, we mean a male child of a father and a mother.  Calling Jesus Christ the Son of God is closely related to calling Jesus the Firstborn.  Also, to be called a firstborn son implies being an heir and inheriting “the leadership of the family. . . This is often spoken of in the scriptures as birthright” (Bible Dictionary: Firstborn).  Because Jesus is the Son of God and the Firstborn, He is therefore heir to “all . . . that the Father hath” (John 16:15).  Furthermore, He “is the firstborn of the spirit children of our Heavenly Father, [and] the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh” (Bible Dictionary: Firstborn).

The second of these last two statements from the Bible Dictionary, that Jesus is the “Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh,” reiterates what the Spirit said to Nephi, that Mary is “the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh” (1 Nephi 11:18).  The phrase “after the manner of the flesh” is interesting.  It specifies that Mary is Jesus’ mortal mother.  But by specifying, the phrase alludes to the existence of a life before Jesus received a physical body.  “We are not now thinking about the Virgin Birth,” said C. S. Lewis, “We are thinking about something that happened before Nature was created at all . . . ‘Before all worlds’ Christ is begotten” (Lewis, 157).  This is essentially a rewording of the first statement from the Bible Dictionary, that Jesus “is the firstborn of the spirit children of our Heavenly Father.”

But because of the definition of “son” that was defined above, that a son is a male child of a father and a mother there is another corollary.  The definition of “son” implies that during the Premortal Life, “before Nature was created at all,” Jesus, “the firstborn of the spirit children,” must have a Heavenly Mother as well as a Heavenly Father.  Eliza R. Snow once wrote,

I had learned to call thee Father,
Thru thy Spirit from on high,
But, until the key of knowledge
Was restored, I knew not why.
In the heav’ns are parents single?
No, the thought makes reason stare!
Truth is reason; truth eternal
Tells me I’ve a mother there. (Hymns 292)

For some, all this will be hard to comprehend.  But, “There is no good complaining that these statements are difficult.  Christianity claims to be telling us about another world, about something behind the world we can touch and hear and see.  You may think the claim false, but if it were true, what it tells us would be bound to be  difficult—at least as difficult as modern Physics, and for the same reason” (Lewis, Mere Christianity 156).

Yet, just because these statements are difficult does not mean they are not possible to comprehend with study and faith.  “For with God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27).

I know I have certainly not come close to describing every way (or even one way) in which Jesus is the Son of God, but I hope this basic explanation will invite the reader to study more deeply the life of the Savior, and the “great . . . plan of our God” (2 Nephi 9:13).

Because Jesus’ name-titles are symbolic, one might analyze them in order to both gain a greater appreciation of and learn who He really is.  One of the titles of Jesus Christ that has a very profound level of symbolism is when he is called “the Lamb of God.”  I will attempt a basic explanation of what this name-title means, and why of all creatures, a lamb was chosen to represent the Savior.

Long before the Lamb of God was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger, Isaiah likened the Savior of all men and women unto a lamb when he wrote, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).  The lamb is therefore a symbol of meekness, humility, and of willingness to submit to the will of the master.  It is true that Jesus is all of these (humble, willing to submit to the Father) but the level of symbolism goes much deeper than this.

But before a further explanation of why Jesus is called the Lamb of God is given, we must dwell for a moment on the Law of Sacrifice, a rite of worship that had been practiced as a part of worship since the days of Adam and Eve.  An understanding of the Law of Sacrifice will give us a starting point as to the deeper symbolism of why Jesus is called the Lamb of God.�
The Bible Dictionary states that, “Soon after Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, the Lord gave them the law of sacrifices, which included offering the firstlings of their flocks in a similitude of the sacrifice that would be made of the Only Begotten Son of God” (Bible Dictionary: Sacrifices).  The law therefore pointed men and women “to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice [would] be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal” (Alma 34:14).

In the Mosaic Law one reads that the sacrifices must be “a male without blemish,” (Leviticus 1:3), the firstling or firstborn of one’s flocks (Numbers 18:17), and having no broken bones (Exodus 12:46).  Lambs of this nature were highly valued possessions and had to be offered voluntarily.  After the paschal lamb was sacrificed it was “eaten . . . with unleavened bread and bitter herbs” (Bible Dictionary: Feasts).  Anything left over was burned.

This is what happened when lambs were sacrificed during the Passover, a feast of the Jews that was “instituted to commemorate the passing over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when God smote the firstborn of the Egyptians,” and Israel’s “redemption from Egypt” (Bible Dictionary: Feasts).  This lamb sacrifice at the feast of the Passover is known as the “paschal lamb.”

James E. Talmage said, putting the pieces of the puzzle together,

“The paschal lamb, slain for every Israelitish household at the annually recurring feast of the Passover, was a particular type of the Lamb of God who in due time would be slain for the sins of the world. The crucifixion of Christ was effected at the Passover season; and the consummation of the supreme Sacrifice, of which the paschal lambs had been but lesser prototypes, led Paul the apostle to affirm in later times: ‘For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us’” (Jesus the Christ. Salt Lake City: Deseret, 1922. 46-47).

Furthermore,

“If ‘the preparation of the passover’ (John 19:14) on Friday, the day of Christ’s crucifixion, means the slaughtering of the paschal lambs, our Lord, the real sacrifice of which all earlier altar victims had been but prototypes, died on the cross while the passover lambs were being slain at the temple” (Ibid. 620).

Abraham therefore said prophetically as he prepared to sacrifice his only son, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:8).

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God.  He is a male, sinless and without blemish.  None of his bones were broken (John 19:36).  He is the Firstborn.  He is meek, humble, and willing to submit to the will of his Father.  He is our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7).

While all sacrifices, including the Passover, helped ancient Israel look forward to the greatest event ever to occur on the earth, the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper helps us look back to that same event.  We symbolically eat His flesh and drink His blood as a token of remembrance of that transcendent event (Matthew 26:26-28).  Thus the old law was done away, and a new one had been given in its place.

“For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice” (Alma 34:10).