During the October 12, 1883 meeting of the Salt Lake School of the Prophets, the following, relating to the nature of Christ’s atonement, was discussed by John Taylor:
Prest. Taylor said: There is a great deal of carelessness regarding the taking of the Lords supper. People should always remember Him and his atonement then they do so. It was instituted that He might be brought to the remembrance of His Saints. The tokens, sacrifices, etc., of the ancient church were emblematical of the atonement; it is the one thing running through the whole of the Scriptures. Men offered up the blood of animals, doves, etc. God offered up his own son. (Salt Lake School of the Prophets, 1867-1883 [ed. Devery S. Anderson; Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2018], 526, emphasis added)
What is important about this statement is that this serves as a refutation of the common (though false) concept of penal substitution, wherein God the Father has to get his pound of flesh and imputes the guilt and sin (at least of the elect) to the body of Christ and Jesus acts as their penal substitute. Instead, God offered up Christ as a selfish act, giving up His beloved Son to be our advocate, similar to how the worshippers in Old Testament times gave up something that, for them personally (not necessarily “in the eyes of the law”), had great value (namely, animals such as sheep and doves).
For a refutation of the Protestant (mis)understandings of the nature of the atonement, see, for e.g.:
This should not be seen as a denial that God has wrath against sin or that Christ appeases such as a result of his sacrifice, resurrection, and on-going intercessory. For more, see:
