Assenting to the Death of Christ

If we agree with and intentionally benefit from the taking of life, then we, with our hearts and actions, confirm our participation and support of taking that life. We spiritually become a party to and spiritually accountable for the act whether it was moral or not. It is therefore our responsibility to ensure that the taking of life was moral before we support it.    

This is where we find ourselves now debating the morality of killing Christ and benefiting from his death. Few would believe that his death was moral when he was found innocent.

There comes a point in our spiritual progression when we can no longer assent to the death of Christ.

“The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven in the world nor out of the world, is in that ye commit murder wherein ye shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after ye have received my new and everlasting covenant, saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this law can in nowise enter into my glory, but shall be damned, saith the Lord.” – D&C 132:27

The word “assent” is defined as:

“to agree to or approve of something (such as an idea or suggestion) especially after thoughtful consideration” – Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Synonyms of “Assent” include:

Accept, Support, Condone, Agree to, Approve, Sanction, Concur, Consent, Affirm, Authorize, Comply with, Permit

Antonyms of “Assent” include:

Disagree with, deny, disapprove, dissent, oppose, refuse, veto, reject

If we support, condone, agree to, approve, sanction, consent, authorize, comply with or permit the death of Christ, then we are assenting to his death.

The unpardonable sin is to “assent to the death of Christ” after receiving the new and everlasting covenant, (making your calling and election sure).

When we come to the end of our progression in the atonement, we realize that it is immoral to benefit from Christ’s death. Our love for Christ becomes perfect and we refuse to allow Christ to suffer and die for our benefit, the innocent for the guilty. The very idea of even allowing it becomes repulsive to us. 

We refuse to participate in his death even if it means that we will lose our eternal soul. Christ taught us directly saying,

The revelation to us was clear. We had believed that Christ suffered and died by being punished on our behalf to fulfill justice, (as if he took the place of the guilty or criminal). Until now, we accepted what we were taught in church and agreed to this arrangement and supported the idea that the innocent could suffer for the guilty and that this was the only way to save our souls. We had assented to the death of Christ. 

In doing so, we were walking the path to committing the unpardonable sin by trying to save our souls in assenting to the death of Christ. We didn’t realize that by trying to save our souls we were actually losing them.

The power and message of Christ’s words was so great that we understood that we had participated in his suffering and death when we supported it and hoped to benefit from it. We became active participants in his crucifixion just like the Poor Preacher who was willing to kill Christ himself. This was the message of animal sacrifices and what Abraham was being shown when he was told to offer his own son as a sacrifice. We are the ones holding the knife killing Christ to save ourselves.

The only way to save our souls is to become a “just person” by submitting ourselves to justice in order to protect and save the innocent. We must give up our own souls, and lose our spiritual lives. But we receive the promise that by doing so we will actually gain them. This is what it means to take up our own cross and follow Christ.

Jesus knew by prophecy that people would attempt to save their souls by supporting his suffering and death and that if he taught about this evil openly, his words would have been removed or changed. So, in his wisdom he spoke clearly in what sounds like symbolism but was not.  He said,

“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” – Mark 8:34-37, see also Luke 9:23-25, Matt. 16:25-26

Many years after the revelation, while writing this book, one of the Elliaison contributors looked up the english word “life” in these verses and found that it comes from the Greek word “psychē” which means:

“The (human) soul in so far as it is constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end and secure eternal blessedness, the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life.

The soul as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death.” – Strong’s Concordance – Blue Letter Bible

It is the same word used for “soul” in the following verse:

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” – Matt. 10:28

This means that the scripture should actually read as follows:

“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

35 For whosoever will save his soul shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his soul for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” – Mark 8:34-37, see also Luke 9:23-25, Matt. 16:25-26

This confirmed the revelation we were given and shows that this is what Christ had actually taught as is recorded in several places in the Bible.

We are being told to take up our own cross or suffer for our own problems and sins rather than allow someone else to bear our cross for us. What we are being asked to do is become a “just person”. Being a “just person” means that you seek justice, even when it’s against you. Rather than trying to avoid the law and it’s punishments, you submit yourself to it.

D&C 76 tells us that the wicked go to the Telestial kingdom (v103),  “honorable men” inherit Terrestrial kingdom (v75), but only “just men” will inherit the Celestial World.

“These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and Christ are the judge of all.

69 These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood.

70 These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical.” – D&C 76:68-70

 To a just man/woman, having the innocent suffer on your behalf for your mistakes becomes a repulsive and unbearable thought. You don’t want anyone to suffer as a result of your actions, not because you fear punishment, but because you love your neighbor and you love responsibility and want to be accountable for your own actions. The thought of Christ suffering for you as your victim becomes unbearable and unacceptable. You are willing to do anything to prevent harm to him or others. You are now willing to lose your own soul for his sake. This is what it takes to gain eternal life.

The Lord teaches us that after we have received the promise of eternal life, we will be put to death in the flesh and suffer the buffetings of Satan for our own sins. Christ will no longer suffer these things for us, and we wouldn’t want him to. And even though we suffer for our own sins, we will be brought forth in the first resurrection and we will enter into our exaltation.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man marry a wife according to my word, and they are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, according to mine appointment, and he or she shall commit any sin or transgression of the new and everlasting covenant whatever, and all manner of blasphemies, and if they commit no murder wherein they shed innocent blood, yet they shall come forth in the first resurrection, and enter into their exaltation; but they shall be destroyed in the flesh, and shall be delivered unto the buffetings of Satan unto the day of redemption, saith the Lord God.

27 The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven in the world nor out of the world, is in that ye commit murder wherein ye shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after ye have received my new and everlasting covenant, saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this law can in nowise enter into my glory, but shall be damned, saith the Lord. – D&C 132:26-27

Again, being a “just person” means that you seek justice, even when it is against you. The goal of justice is to make things right. As a just person, you will seek to do good and when you err you will do all that you can to make things right and enact justice without being compelled by the law. It means that you will deal justly and fairly with others in all things. 

Becoming a just person is so important to our successful progression that we are told there will be two separate resurrections. One called “The Resurrection of the Just” which happens for the righteous at the beginning of the Millennium and one called “The Resurrection of the Unjust” which happens at the end of the Millennium.

“Speaking of the resurrection of the dead, concerning those who shall hear the voice of the Son of Man:

17 And shall come forth; they who have done good, in the resurrection of the just; and they who have done evil, in the resurrection of the unjust.

…

50 And again we bear record—for we saw and heard, and this is the testimony of the gospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just…

54 They are they who are the church of the Firstborn.

64 These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection.

65 These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just.” – D&C 76:16-17,54-65

There is an interesting paradigm shift that happens at this stage of our progression. Having the innocent suffer on our behalf or for our mistakes becomes a repulsive thought to us. We protect others from our mistakes and would never allow the innocent or undeserving to suffer, especially because of us or our actions. We begin to see everyone as if they were Christ and anything we can do to comfort them feels as if we are comforting Christ. We begin to see the Christ in others and our love for God is extended to all of His children. 

Real World Examples

EXAMPLE 1 – by an Elliaison Contributor

The atonement has changed our lives in many real and practical ways. Due to our business we enter into contracts and agreements regularly. We know that according to contract law an agreement is binding and sometimes the contract unfairly favors us. Perhaps a contractor quoted us 40 hours and due to unforeseen circumstances the job took 80 hours. While it is legal to enforce the contract at 40 hours, we believe that what we do to others we have done to Christ. We could not be unjust to Christ or anyone, so we re-evaluate the circumstances and situation and do what we feel is just and fair, regardless of what rights we have to be unfair according to the contract. 

In some situations we are unable to see that we are being unjust or unreasonable. If it goes to court and the courts side with the other party, then to ensure we are just, we give more than the court requires. This is what it means to us to take up the cross and follow him. That we “resist not evil”. We never want to make anyone our victim. 

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.” – Matt. 5:38-42

EXAMPLE 2 – by an Elliaison Contributor

We recently sold a $2000 Norwalk industrial juicer on eBay. While it was being sold, we had a number of medical issues that prevented us from handling the shipment and a family member shipped it for us.

During the shipping the cord was damaged. The buyer reported the damage and offered to fix it for $100 rather than returning the item.

Because we were dealing with medical issues, we did not see the complaint come in and the time lapsed for us to respond. Eventually when we realized what had happened, we found that the buyer kept the juicer and received a full refund. We on the other hand had no juicer and no money. After calling eBay support we were told that there was nothing that could be done except ask the seller to pay what they agreed to pay, (the agreed on price minus the $100 cost of repairing the juicer). We wrote them several letters explaining our medical issues that required our attention, asking them to please keep their agreement. eBay support also reached out to them and asked them to respond. They rejected the request, kept the Norwalk and paid nothing.

In this instance, we became the victims of injustice. While it was very upsetting at first, we “resisted not evil” knowing that it cankers the soul and prevents progress. When there is an imbalance created, we’ve learned that God rectifies it. Rather than wasting our time and effort fighting for the value of the blender, we put our time and attention on other more profitable pursuits knowing that we will be blessed by God. We trusted that God would compensate us and in a short time, the value of the blender was swallowed up in other successes such that we barely could remember the pain of the experience.

Had our roles been reversed, we’d like to think that we would not have justified ourselves by the eBay rules in stealing from others. The same thing happens when we accidentally walk out of a store with an item we didn’t purchase. (Maybe it was under the cart and we forgot about it.) By the time we are putting our items into the car, nobody will stop us from stealing it. We could get away with it without fear of punishment from the law, but our hearts won’t allow it. We can’t feel right with ourselves or our moral code unless we return and purchase the item or give it back. 

If people want to live in a Celestial environment, they must first learn to be Celestial people. If they were allowed in heaven without first becoming Celestial, then their presence will make heaven into hell.