An Examination into and an Elucidation of the Great Principle of the Mediation and Atonement of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

In Short

John Taylor presents a comprehensive defense of the mediation and atonement of Jesus Christ by weaving together passages from the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. He demonstrates that Christ's sacrifice was no afterthought, but the central pillar of an eternal plan established before the creation of the earth. By examining how ancient patriarchs, Nephite prophets, and biblical apostles all testified of the same gospel, Taylor aims to reconcile scriptural records, refute heathen mythologies, and outline the precise requirements for human exaltation.

The Story

The argument begins by establishing Jesus Christ's central role as the obedient Son who came solely to fulfill the will of the Father. Drawing heavily from ancient prophetic voices—including Moses, Job, David, Isaiah, Zechariah, Micah, and Hosea—the text illustrates how the life, suffering, betrayal for thirty pieces of silver, and sacrificial death of the Messiah were clearly foretold centuries before His birth. Moving into the New Testament and Book of Mormon records, the text details Christ's personal ministry, His victory over Satan's temptations in the wilderness, His crucifixion, and His resurrection as the first fruits of them that slept.

From this historical foundation, the narrative shifts to the primordial council in heaven, where the eternal plan of salvation was framed. Here, the creation of the earth by the Gods is detailed alongside Satan's rebellion, which sought to strip humanity of moral agency. The text argues that the Fall of Adam was an indispensable part of the divine design: without a broken law, death, and human struggle, there could be no need for a Redeemer, nor could humanity achieve eternal increase and exaltation. Christ willingly subjected Himself to mortality and death to satisfy the demands of justice, break the bands of death, and redeem all mankind from the initial spiritual and temporal fallout of the Fall.

The treatise then traces how the covenant of sacrifice was preserved across dispensations through symbolic rites, such as the Passover lamb in Egypt and the burnt offerings under the law of Moses practiced by both the Israelites and the Nephites. Taylor addresses the ancient apostasies in Chaldea and Egypt, asserting that heathen mythologies containing faint echoes of a dying and rising savior were not the origins of Christianity, but corrupted imitations of the true priesthood handed down from Adam, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham.

Finally, the work outlines the universal reach of the Atonement across time and space. It explains how those who died without law or gospel light will receive their opportunity in the spirit realm, and how the resurrected Christ unites the operations of the priesthood in heaven and on earth. The argument concludes with an invitation to all people to accept faith, repentance, and baptism, promising that through Christ's grace, faithful believers can overcome spiritual death, inherit celestial glory, and achieve eternal progression as joint-heirs with God.

How It Unfolds

The prophetic foundation Old Testament prophets from Job to Isaiah foretell the Redeemer's coming, describing His griefs, His quiet submission like a sheep led to the slaughter, and His ultimate victory over sin.

The Nephite witness Book of Mormon prophets confirm these ancient prophecies, testifying that the Messiah must suffer in the flesh to satisfy the law and bring about a universal resurrection for all mankind.

The Council in Heaven Prior to the creation, the Gods organize the earth while Satan rebels against the Father's plan, attempting to destroy human agency and forcing a divine mediation to rescue fallen man.

Sacrifice under the law From Moses instituting the Passover in Egypt to King Benjamin gathering his people at the Nephite temple, the ancient faithful observe strict burnt offerings as similitudes of Christ's future sacrifice.

Apostasies and imitations Unauthorized priesthoods in Chaldea and Egypt corrupt the original truths given to Adam, producing pagan mythologies that mimic but fail to equal the genuine plan of redemption.

Exaltation through grace Through faith, repentance, baptism, and the priesthood, redeemed believers are cleansed from sin, overcome physical and spiritual death, and enter the presence of God to receive eternal progression.

The People

Jesus Christ The central figure of the treatise, who acts as the Mediator, Creator, and Redeemer. He willingly submits to mortality, resists Satan's temptations, suffers on the cross to pay the penalty of the law, and rises from the dead to offer salvation and resurrection to all mankind.

Satan The great opposer who rebels in the heavenly council before the world is made. He attempts to strip humanity of free agency, offers worldly power to Christ in the wilderness, and spreads wrath across the earth until he is ultimately bound.

Enoch An ancient patriarch who beholds the entire panorama of human history. He sees the crucifixion of the Messiah, covenants with God that a remnant of his seed will remain, and leads the city of Zion until it is taken up into heaven.

Moses The prophet and lawgiver who leads Israel out of Egyptian bondage, institutes the Passover ordinance, and establishes the system of animal sacrifices that foreshadows the ultimate atonement of the Savior.

Mosiah and King Benjamin Nephite rulers who maintain the pure worship of God. Benjamin gathers his vast population to the temple to offer sacrifices according to the law of Moses and preach the coming of the Messiah shortly before his death.

In Its Own Voice

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

This passage from Isaiah sets the tone for the text's examination of the Savior's mortal suffering and quiet submission to the cross.

"Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth."

Nephi’s ancient testimony emphasizes that legal compliance alone cannot justify humanity, making divine mercy indispensable for salvation.

"He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Fountain of all life, of all light, of all truth, of all intelligence, of all existence."

Taylor summarizes the cosmic scope of Christ, framing Him as both the creator of natural law and the personal quickener of human understanding.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book explores the fundamental tension between justice, law, and human agency. It addresses why a merciful God would permit the Fall, arguing that trial, temptation, and physical mortality are necessary conditions for humanity to grow beyond contracted human limits. The text asserts that free will inevitably leads to the violation of divine law, making an infinite, external sacrifice the only mechanism capable of balancing justice with mercy. Furthermore, it argues for the unity of all true revelation, insisting that disparate ancient records from Jerusalem to the Americas form a single, harmonious witness of Christ's cosmic role.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers a clear, highly structured look into nineteenth-century Latter-day Saint theology directly from one of its primary leaders. Readers interested in comparative theology, scriptural commentary, or the historical development of Restoration doctrine will appreciate how methodically the author synthesizes canonical texts. The prose is dignified, direct, and unpretentious, relying on extensive block quotations rather than florid rhetoric to make its case.

The reading experience demands patience. Because the book functions as a theological treatise, it moves at a measured pace, frequently pausing to quote long chapters from the Old and New Testaments alongside Restoration scriptures. Readers unused to dense, nineteen-century religious polemics or extensive cross-referencing may find the structural repetition challenging. However, for those seeking to understand how early church leaders harmonized ancient prophecy with modern revelation, this work remains an illuminating, landmark text that clearly defines the foundational doctrines of Latter-day Saint Christology.