Blood Atonement – What The LDS Church Teaches

By virtue of Christ’s’ sacrifice and atonement, all human beings are entitled to be saved from eternal separation from God, Christ and the hosts of heaven. Those who fall outside of the atonement will be cast into outer darkness also known as eternal death or eternal hell, with Satan, his angels and, according to LDS theology, those who committed the unpardonable sin of denying the Holy Ghost when one had perfect knowledge. That means they saw Christ or God the Father face-to-face and absolutely knew He existed and yet denied it.

Blood atonement was reported to have been a method of repentance for those who had received baptism and the temple ordinances and afterwards committed a serious sin that would take them outside bounds of the atonement. I have read a bit about the practice but it is still unclear on several points which I won’t get into. Suffice it to say it is not a church practice and never has been. Apparently it was a self initiated process whereby one would ask to have his blood spilled and that he be killed to atone for his sin. Some may want to put a finer point on it but that is the substance of the doctrine. The link below takes you to a more complete discussion of the practice.

Some amateur historians and anti-Mormons have used comments made by Brigham Young as evidence that the Church used Blood Atonement as an administrative tool however no legitimate historian has found evidence to support that contention. President Young made comments concerning blood atonement as a rhetorical device to impress upon members the seriousness of such offenses as committing adultery and murder but no one ever has provided proof that it was implemented. Young denied ever implementing the practice. It is not now nor has it ever been Church practice or policy.  

The reader may wonder why I would post on this topic given I am unclear on it and it is not a practice of the Church. I do so because people who think they have sufficient knowledge about the practice continue to comment about it as though The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believed in and continued it today. My intent is to participate in the process of piece by piece chipping away at the distortions told about us. Blood atonemnt is one of those distortions. Much has been addressed and the misinformation deliberately spread by our detractors continues to melt away from the public consciousness. But it is only through continually addressing these things that we can defeat them.

 

 

 

 

 http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/EoM&CISOPTR=4391&CISOSHOW=5525&REC=1