Most Christians think that Jesus suffered our punishments for us so we could be forgiven of sins. They think that the innocent can suffer for the guilty and thereby appease or satisfy the demands of justice. As if I could commit a crime and my brother could go to jail for me and justice will have been fulfilled.
The scriptures don't teach this.
The innocent cannot suffer for the guilty to fulfill justice or offer mercy. Jesus taking the role of the wicked who committed sin and suffering like, a whipping boy for the guilty, (as if he were wicked or guilty, when he was not), does not place him in the position to forgive them of their sins.Alma 34
11 Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another. Now, if a man murdereth, behold will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay.
12 But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered; therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world
In any interaction where one person has committed a crime or sin against another person, there is only one person who can forgive the criminal or the sinner without robbing justice. It isn't the judge and it certainly isn't the criminal or sinner. Only the victim of crime or sin has the authority to forgive the criminal or the sinner. Jesus had to take the role of the victim of our sins in order to gain the right to forgive them. He had to suffer, (not the punishment of law we are owed for our sins), but he had to suffer the hurt and pain we inflict on others by our sins. He had to become the victim of our sins to be able to forgive us of them.
This message is taught repeatedly through out the scriptures, but never more clear and certain as by Jesus himself when he said,
As you do unto others, you have done to him, because he had to experience the effects of our actions to become our Savior. To gain the right to forgive us for our sins, he had to suffer from or as a result of or for our sins.Matt. 25
31 ¶ When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
As long as you are willing to allow others to suffer for your sins, the atonement remains unfulfilled in your life. As long as you are willing to allow anyone else to suffer so that you can get ahead or avoid the problems you have created or are experiencing, the atonement has not been fulfilled in you.
Celestial people must fulfill the atonement to the point that they are no longer willing to allow the innocent to suffer for them. They are no longer willing to assent to the death of Christ.
The word assent means to agree with, condone, support, or accept a thing.
Those who have fulfilled the atonement see Christ in everyone and treat everyone as if they were Christ. They even love their enemies and treat the with the same love and respect they have for their friends.D&C 132
26 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.
I call all who will receive this message to begin to apply it in their lives so that we can prepare for the millennium and return of the Savior or Prince of Peace.
In the name of my friend, Jesus Christ, Amen.