If you were to outline the moments that constitute what members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognize as the atonement of Jesus Christ, what would be on your list? While most Latter-day Saints would include and focus on the Savior’s suffering in the garden, his death on the cross, and his resurrection from the tomb, few would think to mention Christ’s ascension into heaven as part of God’s marvelous gift to humanity.[1] However, several prophets do include the Savior’s ascension in their overview of Christ’s redemptive work, indicating that this final act may have more importance than our current culture realizes. Several of these references are found in the Book of Mormon, emphasizing the Lord’s ascension into heaven as a crucial part of its messianic message. As “Another Testament of Jesus Christ,” how does the Book of Mormon contribute to our understanding of his ascension? Additionally, how does this understanding foster new insight into interrelated principles found throughout the text? By analyzing both the explicit and implicit references to Christ’s ascension found in the Book of Mormon, this chapter presents a framework for understanding the ascension’s salvific role and appreciating its implications for Jesus’s followers. As a result, readers are invited to consider the “essential ascension”[2] as an important aspect of the Savior’s atonement.[3]

The meaning of “ascension” as discussed here is twofold. First, ascension refers to the literal entrance of Christ “into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24). This occurred after his resurrection from the dead but before his general appearances to the apostles, the Nephites, and others (see John 20:17; 3 Nephi 10:18). This ascension was a symbolic and literal victory over spiritual death as Jesus, in the flesh, vicariously reintroduced humanity into the presence of the Father. After this initial return to the Father, others were privileged to witness subsequent instances where Jesus was “carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:51) as a testimony of his atoning work and as a reminder that “when [Christ] ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men” (Ephesians 4:8). Secondly, ascension refers to the moment when disciples of Christ will be caught up “to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17) at his second coming (see Doctrine and Covenants 88:96–98). This ascension is preceded by internal and symbolic moments of descent and ascent scattered throughout a lifetime of discipleship.[4] To lose sight of the literal and symbolic significance of Christ’s ascension is to risk narrowing our insights into his complete atonement and into our personal trajectories along his covenant path.

Patrick Henry Reardon, a Christian leader and author, proclaimed, “The Lord’s ascension . . . is essential to the work of atonement. . . . In Christ’s ascension, God eradicates every vestige of our alienation from Him.”[5] Despite its prominence in Latter-day Saint scripture and theology,[6] the ascension is often inappropriately relegated to a chronological event in the New Testament rather than celebrated as an indispensable part of Christ’s atonement. The fact that Book of Mormon prophets such as Abinadi, Alma, and Mormon specifically mention Christ’s ascension suggests that it merits deeper consideration within the modern-day gospel paradigm. The ascension was also emphasized in the early days of the Restoration when the Prophet Joseph Smith included ascension in a list of Christ’s atoning acts. He taught, “The fundamental principles of our religion is the testimony of the apostles and prophets concerning Jesus Christ, ‘that he died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended up into heaven;’ and all other things are only appendages to these, which pertain to our religion.”[7] Over one hundred years after Joseph Smith’s declaration, President Hugh B. Brown stated, “We believe that the greatest story ever told in all the annals of history, is the story of the atonement of Christ. The record of his resurrection and ascension, without which the atonement would not have been complete, is the climax to that story, and now, two thousand years after the event, it is still central and pivotal in all true Christian thought.”[8] The writers of the New Testament Student Manual described “the Ascension as the culmination of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”[9]

Such mentions of the ascension within the context of Christ’s atonement, emphasize its importance.[10] With this encouragement we can better investigate instances throughout scripture that directly mention or allude to the Savior’s ascension. This chapter explores the direct and indirect principles connected to the Lord’s ascension that are illuminated throughout the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon provides readers with straightforward references to the ascension of Jesus Christ as well as a foundation from which to draw additional connections to it. Sometimes the Book of Mormon distinctly uses the words ascension or ascended, such as when Alma the Younger taught, “The souls and the bodies are reunited, of the righteous, at the resurrection of Christ, and his ascension into heaven” (Alma 40:20; emphasis added). Other times, ascension is implicit, underscored by the foregrounding of complementary concepts such as condescension or being raised unto exaltation. We turn first to verses in the Book of Mormon that directly describe the ascension of Jesus Christ. We will then review how the truths found in these prophetic pronouncements shed light on other major themes in the Book of Mormon: namely, Jesus Christ’s descent below all things, his promise of exaltation for his followers, and his ascending to prepare a place for them. Lastly, we will explore how an understanding of the Book of Mormon’s stated and implied teachings relating to Christ’s ascension empower believers in accessing “the lifting power of the Lord.”[11]

The Redemption of the People: Scriptural Mentions of Ascension

The ascension of Jesus Christ was on Book of Mormon prophets’ minds at least one hundred years before it occurred and certainly for centuries thereafter. Specific references to this monumental moment are first found in the teachings of the prophet Abinadi and bookended in a sermon by Mormon, the narrative’s primary compiler. In addition, a group of Nephites was privileged to experience the Lord’s ascension firsthand during his personal ministry among them. All these accounts taken together set the stage for extended reflection on the importance of the ascension as a redeeming event with ongoing effects. These conscious prophetic insertions reveal a unique element of why Book of Mormon authors talked of Christ, rejoiced in Christ, preached of Christ, and prophesied of Christ (see 2 Nephi 25:26).

Mosiah 15:8–9

While testifying that “salvation doth not come by the law alone” but by the literal sacrifice of “God himself” (see Mosiah 13:28), Abinadi detailed how Christ’s ascension was to be part of humankind’s redemption. After a miraculous ministry that would culminate in his being crucified and slain, Abinadi declared that the Son’s will would be completely “swallowed up in the will of the father” (Mosiah 15:7). Through this infinite offering, “God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death; giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men” (Mosiah 15:8). Abinadi then highlighted this endowment of power through his subsequent description of the process: “Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; . . . having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice” (Mosiah 15:9; emphasis added). In this explanation, the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven is positioned as a link between—or at least a part of—breaking the bands of death and receiving power to make intercession for God’s children.

Mosiah 18:1–2

Abinadi’s description of Christ’s atonement was later adopted and streamlined by his convert, Alma. Their inclusion of Christ’s ascension as a key component became standard enough that the prophet-historian Mormon cemented it in his summary of Alma’s teachings. He wrote that Alma “went about privately among the people, and began to teach the words of Abinadi—yea, concerning that which was to come, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the redemption of the people, which was to be brought to pass through the power, and sufferings, and death of Christ, and his resurrection and ascension into heaven” (Mosiah 18:1–2; emphasis added). Once again, the ascension is listed as a unique factor in redeeming the human family. Abinadi and Alma both stressed that the Savior would undergo agony and death as part of redeeming all people from “their lost and fallen state” (Mosiah 16:4). However, their synopsis also makes clear that just as Christ’s suffering and humiliation were necessary for redemption, his resurrection and subsequent ascension into heaven finalized his victory on our behalf. Furthermore, all aspects of the Lord’s atoning work as described by these prophets would be attested during his ministry in the Americas.

3 Nephi

Christ’s ascension into heaven was recorded by his followers on both continents as a noteworthy landmark in the unfolding events of his postmortal ministry. Following a period of destruction and darkness, the Nephites were gathered at the temple when Jesus descended into their midst. As they recognized him, “they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven” (3 Nephi 11:12). Inviting them to come unto him, Jesus commenced a personal ministry among the people. At the conclusion of his initial visit, and paralleling New Testament authors who described how Jesus “was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9), the Nephite record then reads: “It came to pass that . . . there came a cloud and overshadowed the multitude that they could not see Jesus. And while they were overshadowed he departed from them, and ascended into heaven. And the disciples saw and did bear record that he ascended again into heaven” (3 Nephi 18:38–39). Just like the Savior’s disciples in the Holy Land (see Luke 24:50–53; Acts 2:32–35), his flock in the New World also affirmed the resurrected Lord’s ascension into heaven.

Although not directly referenced, the Nephite account is reminiscent of the description given in Mosiah 18:2 of redemption being brought about through Christ’s power, sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension. It is significant that throughout this experience the Nephites received the opportunity to bear record of each facet of the Savior’s atonement. Jesus descended among the Nephites in power. He invited the multitude one by one to experience his sufferings and death by allowing them to thrust their hands into his side and to feel the nail prints in his hands, “that ye may know that I . . . have been slain for the sins of the world” (3 Nephi 11:14). He later healed and made whole all who were present. In addition to meeting the resurrected Lord himself and witnessing the miracles that accompanied his resurrection (see 3 Nephi 23:9–10), the Nephite disciples ultimately bore record that he had ascended (see 3 Nephi 18:38–39). This account of the resurrected Lord personally appearing to the Nephites, sharing with them the marks of his sacrifice and death, powerfully healing them, and then being lifted up out of their sight agrees with Abinadi and Alma’s summary of how redemption was to be realized.

Moroni 7

Toward the end of the Nephite record, Moroni included an address given by his father, Mormon, that encouraged “the peaceable followers of Christ” (Moroni 7:3) to exercise faith in their ascended Lord. Urging them to believe Christ’s words and hope for miracles, Mormon asked his audience this question: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?” (Moroni 7:27). Mormon rhetorically described the Savior’s ascension into heaven as the culmination of Christ’s atoning work and dealings with humanity, underscoring its significance as a redemptive event. However, the true purpose of his question is to convince his listeners that the ascension does not merely represent a conclusion, but a continuation of Christ’s redemptive work.

Just as Abinadi paired Jesus’s ascension with his ability to intercede on our behalf (see Mosiah 15:8–9), Mormon makes clear that Christ’s ascension was a precursor to his making a full claim on the ability to extend the Father’s mercy and serve as an advocate for his children.[12] After the initial question, Mormon declared: “For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens” (Moroni 7:28). Having ascended to the right hand of God, Jesus takes an active role in the affairs of his kingdom and makes possible our own return into the Father’s presence.

Ascended Above All Things: Implicit Connections to Ascension

The Book of Mormon’s rich doctrinal commentary goes beyond simply asserting that Jesus Christ’s ascension played a part in bringing about “the redemption of the people” (Mosiah 18:2). From the vantage points it provides regarding this miraculous occurrence, we can further flesh out the significance of analogous truths found across its pages. Such principles include the Savior’s condescension—which encompasses his descending below all things—and the subtle but significant ways in which the text differentiates between resurrection and exaltation. Although the following examples do not contain exact references to the Savior’s post-resurrection ascension, examining them as working in harmony with what the Book of Mormon does say about the ascension of Jesus Christ can help us better connect the dots in a gospel plan described as being “one eternal round” (1 Nephi 10:19; Doctrine and Covenants 3:2).

The condescension of God

Because of an important connection between descending and ascending, the Book of Mormon’s emphasis on Christ’s descent is one of the major ways it testifies of his ascent. Just as certain as is the text’s indictment that “all are fallen and are lost” (Alma 34:9) is its declaration that “the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall” (2 Nephi 2:26). Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, in speaking of the Savior’s power to end Adam and Eve’s “spiritual banishment,” recognized that “fortunately, there was going to be a way out and a way up.”[13] In order to provide a way up, the Savior was willing to come down. While the Book of Mormon describes Christ’s bodily descent on several occasions (see 1 Nephi 1:9; Mosiah 3:5; 3 Nephi 11:8), it more often speaks to a broader theme of descent embodied in the concept of condescension—a word defined by President Ezra Taft Benson as meaning “to descend or come down from an exalted position to a place of inferior status.”[14]

In the Book of Mormon, Nephi became a witness of the Savior’s condescension[15] as manifested through Jesus’s mortal birth, baptism, and crucifixion (see 1 Nephi 11:14–33; 2 Nephi 31:4–7). These acts of humility and alignment with the Father’s will served as symbols of descent and as necessary precursors to Christ’s ascension. Of the Savior’s baptism in the lowest body of fresh water on the planet, President Russell M. Nelson asked, “Could [Jesus] have selected a better place to symbolize the humble depths to which He went and from which He rose?”[16] In what Elder Neal A. Maxwell described as the “grand and glad irony of Christ’s great mission,”[17] Nephi saw the Lamb of God “lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world” (1 Nephi 11:33) so that, as Jesus himself would later explain, the Savior would have power to lift all men up to stand before him (see 3 Nephi 27:13–15). Christ’s condescension can be read as a paradoxical foreshadowing of his ascension, which materialized his ability to “succor his people according to their infirmities” and secured “the power of his deliverance” (Alma 7:12–13). The latter could not have happened without the former. Nephi came to understand that through this process, the Savior brought about redemption for all of God’s children.

The Book of Mormon’s recounting of Christ’s condescension complements the teachings of early and modern-day church leaders who have also noted the link between the glory of Jesus’s ascension and the necessity of his descent below all things. Irenaeus, a second-century church leader, described how after descending to “those things which are of the earth beneath” in search of lost sheep, Jesus “ascend[ed] to the height above, offering and commending to His Father that human nature (hominem) which had been found.”[18] The Doctrine and Covenants describes the Savior as “he that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:6). President Nelson has reiterated that Christ “literally descended beneath all things to rise above all things.”[19] Lastly, Elder D. Todd Christofferson offered this assurance: “The atoning power of Jesus Christ—who descended below all things and then ascended on high and who possesses all power in heaven and in earth—ensures that God can and will fulfill His promises.”[20] Understanding Christ’s complete descent allows us to better comprehend the magnitude of his overcoming all things and ascending to “[sit] on the right hand of [the Father’s] power” (Moroni 9:26).

Counterfeit ascension

The Book of Mormon also helps us appreciate the value of Christ’s condescension and ascension by illustrating a series of contrasting counterfeit ascensions. In the iconic vision of the tree of life, the symbol opposite to God’s love and condescension is the great and spacious building. This building “stood as it were in the air, high above the earth” (1 Nephi 8:26). Its ascension was fueled by the pride of the world, its inhabitants having chosen loftiness over lowliness of heart. Ultimately, the structure fell, “and the fall thereof was exceedingly great” (1 Nephi 11:36). In like manner, in Nephi’s inclusion of Isaiah’s writings, we learn of Lucifer’s corrupt desires: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; . . . I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High” (2 Nephi 24:13–14). However, because Lucifer seeks to force his own ascension without humbly condescending, he is ultimately forced to descend: “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit” (2 Nephi 24:15). Only the Savior Jesus Christ could merit for himself and for those who lay hold on him an ascent into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus promises that the righteous who endure and humbly fall and partake of his love (see 1 Nephi 8:30) “shall be lifted up at the last day” (1 Nephi 13:37), while those who elevate themselves[21] and fight against him will fall into the pit (see 1 Nephi 22:14).

Lifted up at the last day

Acknowledging the efficacy of Christ’s ascension allows us to expand our reading of Book of Mormon passages that discuss promised blessings to the faithful. In a powerful explanation of his gospel, the Savior explained that because he was lifted upon the cross, “even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works” (3 Nephi 27:14). In this sense, Christ’s death and resurrection unlock a resurrection and judgment for all the Father’s children in which they, at least momentarily, are brought back into his presence. The Savior continued his discourse by reiterating invitations to repent, pursue a covenant path, and be washed in his blood (see 3 Nephi 27:16, 19–20). He concluded with a promise: “Therefore, if ye do these things blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the last day” (3 Nephi 27:22). While resurrection and judgment bring an end to our estrangement from God to a limited extent, it is Christ’s gospel, covenant path, atoning blood,[22]and his ascension[23] that yield a permanent lifting up into the presence of God, a complete defeat of spiritual death.[24]

In the same vein, the prophet Jacob taught that after being reconciled unto Christ, “ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God” (Jacob 4:11; emphasis added). Two blessings of reconciliation to Christ are at play here: one is obtaining a resurrection and the other is to be presented as the first fruits of Christ unto God. Both can be viewed as distinct blessings made possible by the totality of the Savior’s atonement. In light of additional scripture stating that the “first fruits” are those who ascend, or are “caught up to meet [Christ]” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:96–98) and inherit his kingdom (see Doctrine and Covenants 76:62–65), Jacob’s wording reminds readers that each aspect of Christ’s atonement, including his ascension, has direct implications on what is possible for those who avail themselves of the Savior’s power. Such a reading of passages like Jacob 4:11 are often hindered by a tendency to fuse resurrection and ascension.

One of the reasons why the ascension of Jesus Christ is often overshadowed by his resurrection is that at first glance, many scriptural promises seem to point us to resurrection as the ultimate gift and goal. A careful reading, however, reveals otherwise.[25] For example, during Nephi’s visionary experience, the Savior blesses those who seek to build his kingdom with the power of the Holy Ghost. He then states, “If they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb” (1 Nephi 13:37; emphasis added). Although being “lifted up” or “raised up” at the last day is sometimes viewed as synonymous with resurrection, the if in this statement makes being lifted up a conditional promise, even a metaphor for ascension unto exaltation. The conditionality of the passage indicates that it cannot be referring merely to the promise of resurrection because, as Elder Dale G. Renlund and Sister Ruth Lybbert Renlund have reiterated, “Resurrection is universally and unconditionally given.”[26]

Because resurrection is unconditional, it becomes clear that the many scriptural instances of conditionally being raised up refer to a literal or symbolic ascent into the kingdom of God.[27] In a written First Presidency message, President Gordon B. Hinckley expressed gratitude for the gift of resurrection and then added, “But there is a goal beyond Resurrection. That is exaltation in our Father’s kingdom.”[28] Factoring in the redemptive power of Jesus Christ’s ascension within the plan of salvation allows readers to notice these important distinctions that are repeated throughout the Book of Mormon—preventing a shortsighted conflation[29]—and keep the ultimate goal of ascension unto exaltation in mind.

Raised unto exaltation

A powerful image for the exaltation of the righteous is found in the Book of Mormon’s interweaving of ascending and sitting down. As part of being assured a seat in the Father’s kingdom, three Nephites in the Book of Mormon temporarily ascended in a foretaste of the day when “they were to receive a greater change, and to be received into the kingdom of the Father to go no more out, but to dwell with God eternally in the heavens” (3 Nephi 28:40). In her article “Sitting Enthroned: A Scriptural Perspective,” Jennifer C. Lane establishes that the imagery of “sitting down” found throughout scripture is a metaphor for exaltation in God’s kingdom. Her analysis includes a reference to the three Nephites who were “caught up into heaven, and saw and heard unspeakable things” (3 Nephi 28:13). Lane points out that these men were promised by Jesus that “ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; . . . and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father” (3 Nephi 28:10; emphasis added). She writes that the promise of becoming as the Father and Son—given to amplify the promise of their eventual sitting down in God’s kingdom—“is the fullest possible sense of being exalted, or lifted up, to a new status.”[30] It was the Savior who first “ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God” (Moroni 7:27). By laying hold upon him, all of creation can be “raised to dwell at the right hand of God” (Alma 28:12) and “to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out” (Helaman 3:30; emphasis added). To be “lifted up” and allowed to “sit down” is to follow in the footsteps of the ascended Lord who prepared the way for all humanity.

Preparing a place

Jesus Christ’s ascent into heaven is a necessary part of his preparing heaven for those who will follow. The Book of Mormon’s vivid descriptions of the Redeemer’s ascension help us better understand not only what he has done for his followers through his sufferings, death, and resurrection, but also what he is preparing for them through his ascension. Just as Jesus ascended “and hath sat down on the right hand of God” (Moroni 7:27), the Book of Mormon assures that “whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God” (Ether 12:4). Having ascended into heaven, Christ is engaged in readying the kingdom for those who will yet inherit it. In the Book of Mormon, he himself promises an eventual ascent to this prepared abode: “And blessed is he that is found faithful unto my name at the last day, for he shall be lifted up to dwell in the kingdom prepared for him from the foundation of the world” (Ether 4:19). This promise is also consistent with a latter-day revelation in which Christ reminded the saints that he is “prepar[ing] all things before he taketh you; for ye are the church of the Firstborn, and he will take you up in a cloud, and appoint every man his portion” (Doctrine and Covenants 78:20–21).[31] Keeping the Lord’s promised provisions in mind, Moroni beautifully encapsulated Christ’s atoning work when he testified that “thou [Jesus Christ] hast loved the world, even unto the laying down of thy life for the world [sufferings and death], that thou mightest take it again [resurrection] to prepare a place for the children of men [ascension]” (Ether 12:33).

May Christ Lift Thee Up

The Book of Mormon showcases that the Savior’s covenant path leads us through a paradoxical descending discipleship[32] that progressively ascends into our receiving his image in our countenances (see Alma 5:14) and “see[ing Christ] as he is” (Moroni 7:48). This descent—requiring a broken heart and a contrite spirit (see 3 Nephi 9:19–20)—occurs as we humbly take Jesus’s name upon us and pursue a lifetime of service and worship (see Mosiah 18:8–10). President Russell M. Nelson observed that following Christ into the depths of a baptismal font symbolizes how “we, too, can come from the depths to ascend to lofty heights of our own destiny.”[33] For Latter-day Saints, this process of descending and ascending includes receiving the ordinances and covenants of the temple, which represent “a step-by-step ascent into the Eternal Presence.”[34] Overtime, consecrated efforts propel us upwards towards Christ until we too “may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest” (Alma 13:29).

Despite difficulties throughout the disciple’s journey, the Savior’s ascension can serve as a source of strength that lifts weary spirits from “sin’s dark prison” into “a holier state.”[35] In this manner, scattered moments of spiritual ascent provide comfort in this life and hope for the next. During a time of trial, Moroni’s faith was strengthened by his father directing him toward the ascended Savior. Mormon’s counsel to his son is just as relevant for the lives of modern disciples. He writes:

My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever. And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever. (Moroni 9:25–26)

Like Mormon, President Nelson has testified that because Christ overcame the world and has risen—or ascended—above it, as we descend with him, “the Savior lifts us above the pull of this fallen world by blessing us with greater charity, humility, generosity, kindness, self-discipline, peace, and rest.”[36]

A Fundamental Principle

Both overtly and between the lines, the Book of Mormon points us upward, toward an ascended Christ who has made heaven accessible to his people. President Nelson declared, “The Book of Mormon provides the fullest and most authoritative understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to be found anywhere.”[37] A key part of this understanding includes an acknowledgment of the Savior’s ascension as part of his redemptive work. The Book of Mormon testifies of the ascension as an indispensable part of the Savior’s postmortal ministry, as a complementary conclusion to Christ’s condescension, and as a promised possibility for all of humanity. These principles provide a powerful perspective that affords hope in this life and optimism for the life to come. To ignore the ascension is to reduce the totality of Christ’s salvific journey and to dull the landscape of the covenant path and its accompanying rewards.

As we contemplate the moments that constitute what members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognize as the atonement of Jesus Christ, may we remember the Book of Mormon’s testimony of a Redeemer who took upon himself infirmity, suffering, and death (see Alma 7:11–12); a Savior who “bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead (Mosiah 15:20); and a Risen Lord who has “ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God” (Moroni 7:27). The testimony of holy prophets makes clear that “the redemption of the people . . . was to be brought to pass through the power, and sufferings, and death of Christ, and his resurrection and ascension into heaven” (Mosiah 18:2; emphasis added). President Joseph Fielding Smith’s hymn “Does the Journey Seem Long?” captures the pinnacle of this redemption as taught throughout the Book of Mormon:

Let your heart be not faint

Now the journey’s begun;

There is One who still beckons to you.

So look upward in joy

And take hold of his hand;

He will lead you to heights that are new—

A land holy and pure,

Where all trouble doth end,

And your life shall be free from all sin,

Where no tears shall be shed,

For no sorrows remain.

Take his hand and with him enter in.[38]

Truly, “the ascension of Christ is our elevation”[39] as much as it is one of “the fundamental principles of our religion.”[40]

Notes

[1] In the April 2019 general conference, Tad R. Callister described the atonement of Jesus Christ as “a series of events that commenced in the Garden of Gethsemane, continued on the cross, and culminated with the Savior’s Resurrection from the tomb.” That same year, Brigham Young University professor John Hilton summarized an informal survey in which students answered the question “Where did the atonement take place?” All student answers indicated that the atonement either took place in Gethsemane or in Gethsemane and on the cross. See Tad R. Callister, “The Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Liahona, May 2019, 85, and John Hilton, “Teaching the Scriptural Emphasis on the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ,” Religious Educator 20, no. 3 (2019): 134.

[2] Patrick Henry Reardon, “The Essential Ascension,” Touchstone, May/June 2014, 48.

[3] In doing so, I want to be clear that I am not dismissing Gethsemane, the cross, or the resurrection as essential elements of Christ’s atonement. My focus on the ascension in this chapter should not diminish our study or emphasis of any aspect of the atonement but enrich our overall appreciation for Christ’s salvific gift. As a precedent for this caveat, see Gaye Strathearn, “Christ’s Crucifixion: Reclamation of the Cross,” in With Healing in His Wings, ed. Camille Fronk Olson and Thomas A. Wayment (Provo, UT: BYU Religious Studies Center, 2013), 56.

[4] See William Perez, “The Principle of Ascension in the Revelations of the Restoration,” Religious Educator 22, no. 1 (2021): 59–77.

[5] Reardon, “Essential Ascension,” 48.

[6] For a more complete examination of a Latter-day Saint theology of ascension, see William Perez, “The Ascension of Jesus Christ: Its Role in Redemption from a Latter-day Saint Theological Perspective” (master’s thesis, Brigham Young University, 2019).

[7] “Elders’ Journal, July 1838,” 44, emphasis added, The Joseph Smith Papers.

[8] Hugh B. Brown, Continuing the Quest (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1961), 74.

[9] New Testament Student Manual, Religion 211–212 (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2018), chapter 14.

[10] Similarly, at a worldwide Face to Face event for youth in 2017, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland talked about the gift of the Holy Ghost being an extension of the Savior’s atonement: “You remember in the New Testament when [Christ] said, ‘Unless I go away, the Holy Ghost can’t come.’ I wondered about that for thirty years. Well, I think what he means is ‘Unless I fulfill my Atonement—that requires my death and resurrection, and absence, my ascension—the Holy Ghost can’t come, and that’s what you’re really going to need to get through, once I’ve provided my Atonement.’” See “Face to Face with President and Elder Holland,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, March 4, 2017.

[11] Russell M. Nelson, “Endure and Be Lifted Up,” Ensign, May 1997, 70.

[12] When our best efforts feel insufficient, we can find encouragement in a Savior who, having ascended, advocates for us. Elder Bruce C. Hafen and Sister Marie K. Hafen wrote, “And when the merits of our case are not strong enough by themselves to return us to the highest place of all, he, having arrived there ahead of us, will plead our case before God.” Bruce C. Hafen and Marie K. Hafen, The Belonging Heart: The Atonement and Relationships with God and Family (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994), 60.

[13] Jeffrey R. Holland, “Behold the Lamb of God,” Ensign, April 2019, 44; emphasis added.

[14] Ezra Taft Benson, “Five Marks of the Divinity of Jesus Christ,” Ensign, December 2001, 10.

[15] Bishop Richard C. Edgley noted that the angel who was teaching Nephi “may have been speaking of two condescensions—one of God the Father and one of the Son Jesus Christ.” Bishop Edgley wrote that “While God the Father’s condescension reflects His great love for all mankind by permitting His Only Begotten to be sacrificed for even the humblest and lowliest of His children, Christ’s condescension was more personal and visible—for He was the sacrifice. His condescension was manifest by who He was and the way He lived. His condescension can be seen in almost every recorded act of His 33 years of mortality.” Richard C. Edgley, “The Condescension of God,” Ensign, December 2001, 18.

[16] Russell M. Nelson, “Why This Holy Land?,” Ensign, December 1989, 15.

[17] Neal A. Maxwell, “Irony: The Crust on the Bread of Adversity,” Ensign, May 1989, 64.

[18] The Writings of Irenaeus: Volume 1, trans. Alexander Roberts and W. H. Rambaut (Edinburgh: T&T Clark: 1868), 346.

[19] Nelson, “Why This Holy Land?,” 15.

[20] D. Todd Christofferson, “Our Relationship with God,” Liahona, May 2022, 78.

[21] Consider the apostate Zoramites whose place of prayer was “high above the head; and the top thereof would only admit one person” (Alma 31:13). We read that “their hearts were lifted up unto great boasting, in their pride” (Alma 31:25; emphasis added).

[22] The Book of Mormon makes clear that there could be no redemption without the atonement of Christ’s blood (see Mosiah 3:11, 15-16; Alma 21:9). It also reminds us that “all things . . . are the typifying of [Christ]” (2 Nephi 11:4; see also Alma 13:2). Literature dealing with ancient sacrifice, such as instructions and commentary pertaining to the observance of the Day of Atonement, indicate that a valid sacrifice included the proper presentation of blood unto God (see Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9–10). A comprehensive atonement required the high priest to ascend into the holy of holies and therefore took place beyond the initial shedding of blood. The Savior’s ascension can thus be imagined as a final presentation of his sacrifice before God the Father himself. Jesus Christ, the “high priest of good things to come” (Hebrews 9:11), ascended into the heavenly holy of holies, or the presence of God, “once for all” (Hebrews 10:10) to complete an atonement for humanity. Through his “great and last sacrifice” (Alma 34:10), we too can “enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19).

[23] Theologians outside of the Latter-day Saint tradition have often commented on the implications of Christ’s ascension for his followers. Saint Bede, an English monk during the Middle Ages, wrote about the significance of Christ ascending in the flesh: “[Jesus] was now returning to the throne of his Father’s glory with the conquered mortal nature that he had taken. How sweet were the tears that they [his apostles] poured out when they were burning with lively hope and gladness over the prospect of their own entry into the heavenly fatherland! They knew that their God and Lord was now bringing there part of their own nature! Such a sight rightly restored them!” Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament III (Luke), ed. Arthur A. Just Jr, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press: 2003), 393.

[24] In his classic work The Infinite Atonement, Tad R. Callister describes two types of spiritual death. The first is the universal consequence of Adam’s transgression in which “all men are born in a setting outside God’s physical presence.” The second spiritual death is “a separation from God because of our individual sins.” The atonement of Jesus Christ corrects both conditions. See Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book: 2000), 45.

[25] For example, Doctrine and Covenants 14:7 clearly states that “eternal life . . . is the greatest of all the gifts of God.”

[26] Dale G. Renlund and Ruth Lybbert Renlund, The Melchizedek Priesthood: Understanding the Doctrine, Living the Principles (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book: 2018), 52.

[27] Examples in the Book of Mormon include 2 Nephi 10:25; Mosiah 23:22; Alma 26:7; 36:28; 37:37; 38:5; 3 Nephi 15:1; and Ether 4:19.

[28] Gordon B. Hinckley, “Temples and Temple Work,” Ensign, February 1982, 3.

[29] Douglas Farrow, a Christian professor and theologian, warned that “to cut short the journey of Jesus by conflating resurrection and ascension, however, is to alter the goal of salvation history.” Douglas Farrow, Ascension and Ecclesia (Edinburgh: T&T Clark: 1999), 28.

[30] Jennifer C. Lane, "Sitting Enthroned: A Scriptural Perspective,” Religious Educator 19, no. 1 (2018): 114.

[31] The first Latter-day Saint hymnal also makes several references to the ascension of Jesus Christ. One of the hymns included by Emma Smith describes a reminiscence of the Savior’s ascension as well as a joyful anticipation of what it makes possible for his followers. Verse 5 reads: “Thence he arose, ascending high, And show’d our feet the way: Up to the Lord our flesh shall fly, At the great rising day.” “Collection of Sacred Hymns, 1835,” p. 119, The Joseph Smith Papers.

[32] President Russell M. Nelson taught, “As Jesus descended below all things in order to rise above all things, He expects us to follow His example.” Russell M. Nelson, “The Peace and Joy of Knowing the Savior Lives,” Ensign, December 2011, 21.

[33] Nelson, “Why This Holy Land?,” 15.

[34] Truman G. Madsen, The Temple: Where Heaven Meets Earth (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2008), 11. This quote is attributed to President David O. McKay and was also referenced in a footnote to President Nelson’s October 2022 general conference address, “Overcome the World and Find Rest.”

[35] Cecil Frances Alexander, “He Is Risen,” Hymns (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1985), no. 199.

[36] Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” Liahona, November 2020, 97.

[37] Russell M. Nelson, “The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?,” Ensign, November 2017, 62.

[38] Joseph Fielding Smith, “Does the Journey Seem Long?,” Hymns (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1985), no. 127.

[39] Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament III (Luke), ed. Arthur A. Just Jr., (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press: 2003), 392.

[40] “Elders’ Journal, July 1838,” 44, emphasis added, The Joseph Smith Papers.