The Atonement of Jesus Christ (first edition)

By Kevan Kingsley Clawson

Reviewed by Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury
On 9/18/2008

Walking the Line Publications, 2001 Softcover:
83 pages
ISBN: assigned to second edition

(NOTE FROM THE REVIEWER: When this review was posted on the AML List and a copy sent to the publisher, the publisher responded by saying that the wrong edition had been sent in error and by requesting that the review copy be returned. The review copy which had a 2001 publication date and was only 83 pages, was returned, but no copy of the correct edition has been sent. The book available through Amazon is the newer edition, and may not be the same as the book reviewed here.)

As I understand it, the purpose of a book review is to help readers decide whether or not they want to purchase a book. It is not necessarily to give away the whole contents of the book, nor is it to argue with them.

So I will say first of all that I am glad I read this book.

Second, I want to say that the author, in his introduction, anticipated a negative reception to the book's content:

"In order to fully understand the difficult concepts that will be discussed, a person must begin with an open mind and heart. All of us are raised with a certain framework or set of beliefs. These beliefs are received from our parents, and we rely upon them for every problem we encounter and every solution we try-even if our beliefs are wrong.

"When we encounter new ideas or experiences that do not fit into our set of beliefs, our first response is to either change the experience in some way so that it will fit into our belief system or try and discredit the experience. Very seldom do we risk changing our belief system itself. This natural tendency prevents our seeing new ideas or experiences for what they really are and receiving important insights from them. One well known example of this problem is the doctrine of polygamy or plural marriage. There is no question that this sacred doctrine has been sanctioned by God. Many of the earth's greatest Prophets and Apostles have lived this Law, and it is clear that we will live this Law during the Millennial era and in the Celestial Kingdom; yet, for many members of the Church this doctrine just will not fit into their existing belief system, so they resist it. I have found this same resistance to new ideas when studying the Atonement. People have such strong beliefs about what the Atonement is and how the Atonement works that they are unable to see the Atonement in a new light..

"In your study of the Atonement, you must be willing to set aside your long held beliefs-at least long enough to understand the new concepts being discussed in this book." (page ix)

So, would readers want to read a book that starts out with such a caveat?

Well, it's a short book, only 83 pages including one page for the bibliography. It only has five chapters: "The Garden Experience," "Eternal Law," "The Problems," "The Real Atonement," and "The Judgment;" a "Conclusion;" and an Appendix.

Its statements are supported by scriptures and quotes from presidents of the Church and other general authorities.

All the author appears to be doing is offering an explanation for what the Atonement involves and what it does. However, this alternate explanation of the Atonement would replace what President Boyd K. Packer teaches about the Atonement in his analogy (or parable) as portrayed in the short Church film, The Mediator ("A young man who fails to pay his debt is saved from the grasp of justice through the mediation of a friend.").

The author shows through scriptures and quotes that "it is unjust to punish one man for another man's sins." He supports his arguments against the idea that Christ suffered in Gethsemane for our sins with the assertion that in order for Him to do that, God would have had to know exactly how many sins each and every one of us would commit, before those who lived after Christ's death and resurrection could actually commit them.

"But because of our agency, God cannot know everything that will befall us, or whether or not we will commit specific sins or actions at specific moments in time." For God to know such things, the author points out, pre-destination would have to be true.

Well, I have a mathematical background, and I would like to point out a word in a scripture that the author quoted a few pages later: "Therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world." (Alma 34:12) The thing about "infinite" is that you can add all the specific items you want to it, and it will still be infinite. Infinity plus one or one million still equals infinity.

Anyway, the author presents several very good scriptural arguments that by our choices for good or evil, we determine how we will be judged in the Final Judgment, and therefore there would be no point for Christ to suffer for our sins, since we suffer the only consequence that really matters, spiritual death, whenever we commit a sin. Also, when we repent, we experience the only blessing that really matters, a return of the Spirit and the peace and joy associated. So our choices turn us into the people we will be in the end.

The new insight this book presents is an explanation of what Christ did in Gethsemane if he did not suffer for our sins. (I am not going to give that away in this review because I think readers should read the author's ideas and arguments for themselves.)

I, for one, am not willing to give up what President Packer teaches about the Atonement for what Kevan Clawson has suggested, but I am willing to add his suggestion to my understanding of what went on in Gethsemane--what he suggests could have happened along with what our leaders (and not just our parents) have taught us. For that reason, I am glad I read this book, and for that reason, I submit that others may want to read it as well. The author's idea is actually quite cool and gives insight into how the Resurrection may have been achieved. So I recommend this book for that.

In the end, the author's suggestion does not really change what we are taught we must do for our part. If we want to be exalted, we have to repent and strive to be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost, which, by the way, counts as being in the presence of God, by definition. If we don't repent, but choose to willfully disobey the commandments, we will remain spiritually dead and separate from the presence of God. Whether we believe that Christ suffered for our sins or that He did something else in Gethsemane, we still need to repent and stand steadfast and immovable till the end if we want to return to live with Him.

I just think replacing The Mediator with what the author of this book suggests would tend to distance our hearts from a Savior who "will take upon Him [our] infirmities, that His bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that He may know according to the flesh how to succor His people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:12) So I submit that He could very well have done both.


Copyright 2008