AboutRay McIntyre Expertise All but homework questions. I will answer questions about the Early Church of the Restoration, the LDS and RLDS / Community of Christ as well as differences between them.
Experience Former LDS Elder; former Community of Christ Elder
Question My question is where did the doctrine of atonement at Gethsemane come from? Almost all Christian sects subscribe to the belief that atonement was made by Jesus through his death on the cross. As a Christian studies major who is mormon, this has perplexed me for a while, and I've been unable to make any headway of where this comes from. It certainly isn't biblical, as the only verse that mentions bleeding from every pore is Luke 22:44 which isn't found in the earliest manuscripts of Luke, and doesn't mention anything about atonement. I assume that such a radical departure from traditional Christian doctrine comes from the teachings of one of the prophets (since I also can't find any direct references of Gethsemane in the Book of Mormon). Can you tell me which prophet originally changed this and where I can find some history of the distinctly mormon doctrine of atonement in Gethsemane.
Thanks!
Answer Kenny,
I think the earliest reference to this is found in the Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19 (LDS); D & C 18:2h-2j (RLDS) and referenced specifically in Talmage's "Jesus the Christ."
From Jesus the Christ.
". . . In some manner, actual and terribly real though to man incomprehensible, the Savior took upon Himself the burden of the sins of mankind from Adam to the end of the world. Modern revelation assists us to a partial understanding of the awful experience. In March 1830, the glorified Lord, Jesus Christ, thus spake: "For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they
might not suffer if they would repent, but if they would not repent, they must suffer even as I, which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer
both body and spirit: and would that I might not drink the bitter cup and shrink -- nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men. . ."
