Forgiveness and the Atonement of Christ

President Boyd K. Packer declared, “I am so grateful for the blessings of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the power of procreation, for the power of redemption, for the Atonement—the Atonement which can wash clean every stain no matter how difficult or how long or how many times repeated. The Atonement can put you free again to move forward, cleanly and worthily, to pursue that path that you have chosen in life.”  Bishop Waddell similarly spoke of the Savior’s power to cleanse us from all sin: “However, we must remember that it is never too late and no one has ever wandered so far from the path that he or she is beyond the reach of the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ, which is limitless in its duration and scope.”  Elder Renlund likewise declared, “No matter how long we have been off the path or how far away we have wandered, the moment we decide to change, God helps us return. From God’s perspective, through sincere repentance and pressing forward with a steadfastness in Christ, once back on the path, it will be as if we were never off.”  These and many other conference messages have declared the universal efficacy of the Savior’s atonement in cleansing us from all sin. 

               And yet, I’ve wondered at some scriptures which seem to suggest an exception to this general principle.  For example, we read this of the Lord’s willingness to forgive: “I, the Lord, forgive sins unto those who confess their sins before me and ask forgiveness, who have not sinned unto death” (Doctrine and Covenants 64:7).  Here He alluded to some kind of activity, sinning unto death, that will not receive forgiveness.  Another revelation perhaps tells us what that is: “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. And again, I say, thou shalt not kill; but he that killeth shall die” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:18-19).  The Savior also stated, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men” (Matt. 12:31).  Elder Scott recognized these two exceptions when he stated, “Satan would have you believe that serious transgression cannot be entirely overcome. I testify that the Savior gave His life so that through repentance the effects of all sin can be put behind you, save the shedding of innocent blood and the denial of the Holy Ghost.”  Joseph Smith also taught, “A murderer, for instance, one that sheds innocent blood, cannot have forgiveness. David sought repentance at the hand of God carefully with tears, for the murder of Uriah; but he could only get it through hell: he got a promise that his soul should not be left in hell.”  The Book of Mormon says this about these types of sins: “If ye deny the Holy Ghost when it once has had place in you, and ye know that ye deny it, behold, this is a sin which is unpardonable; yea, and whosoever murdereth against the light and knowledge of God, it is not easy for him to obtain forgiveness; yea, I say unto you, my son, that it is not easy for him to obtain a forgiveness” (Alma 39:6).

               Clearly from the scriptures the sins of murder and denying of the Holy Ghost are in a class of their own, and for these we must leave judgment to the Lord.  It may be that, as Joseph Smith suggested about David, a certain amount of suffering must be endured as a consequence of these most serious of sins, before the Savior’s cleansing power can be felt.  Leaving these two aside, though, we should focus on those sins that we actually commit and turn to the Savior knowing that through the atonement of the Savior we can repent and be cleansed from all our sins and imperfections.  As President Packer promised, “There are so many of us who are thrashing around, as it were, with feelings of guilt, not knowing quite how to escape. You escape by accepting the Atonement of Christ, and all that was heartache can turn to beauty and love and eternity.”