Third Article of Faith

3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

First of all, I think I need to explain the Atonement.  We use this term a lot in the Church but I think it may be somewhat foreign to others.

The prophet Alma explained the Atonement of Christ very well in the Book of Mormon.

Alma 7: 11-13

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their 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.

13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

The Atonement of Christ encompasses all of His sufferings in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Calvary.  Also because Christ overcame death through His resurrection, we will all be resurrected and receive perfect immortal bodies someday.

The Savior himself said this about His Atonement:

Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19

16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.

LDS.org explains the Atonement this way:

"As used in the scriptures, to atone is to suffer the penalty for sins, thereby removing the effects of sin from the repentant sinner and allowing him or her to be reconciled to God. Jesus Christ was the only one capable of carrying out the Atonement for all mankind. Because of His Atonement, all people will be resurrected, and those who obey His gospel will receive the gift of eternal life with God."

Joseph Smith states in the third Article of Faith that through the Atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved. But then he clarifies it with "by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel."

We know that all of us, regardless of how we live our lives, will be resurrected through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  But to be saved in terms of living with God for eternity we know we must obey the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

What are the laws and ordinances of the Gospel?  The laws of the Gospel are the Commandments.  To obey the laws of the Gospel we must keep the commandments.  That's fairly straightforward.  But what about the ordinances of the Gospel?  Ordinances are things like baptism, sacrament, and temple ordinances such as sealings of families together for eternity.

How do we obey the ordinances of the Gospel?  First of all we must do them.  We must be baptized, we must take the sacrament every week, we must do temple ordinances.  Then we must keep the covenants associated with those ordinances.

It is only through the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ that we may be saved.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to live in the presence of God for eternity if we are obedient to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.  Without the Atonement of Jesus Christ we would all be doomed.