Why Mormonism Denies the Sufficiency of Christ’s Blood — And Why That’s a Dangerous Lie

One of the most sacred truths of the Christian faith is that the blood of Jesus Christ is entirely sufficient to cleanse us from all sin. The Bible declares it without ambiguity: “The blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7, NLT). But not all religions that claim to follow Christ believe that.

Mormonism, officially known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, does not affirm that the blood of Jesus alone is sufficient. In fact, its doctrine says quite the opposite. Historically, and even doctrinally today, Mormon teaching claims that there are certain sins the blood of Christ cannot cover unless other conditions are met—including, at one time, the shedding of the sinner’s own blood.

Brigham Young, the second president of the LDS Church and its most influential early prophet, publicly taught the doctrine known as blood atonement:

"There are sins that men commit for which they cannot receive forgiveness in this world, or in that which is to come... and if they had their eyes open to see their true condition, they would be perfectly willing to have their blood spilt upon the ground, that the smoke thereof might ascend to heaven as an offering for their sins” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, p. 53).

This teaching openly contradicts the message of the New Testament. The Bible says, “For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood” (Romans 3:25, NLT). There’s no caveat about spilling our own blood. Christ’s death was once for all—sufficient, final, and complete (Hebrews 10:10).

Mormons today may claim that blood atonement is no longer taught, but their core doctrine still undermines Christ’s sacrifice by insisting that works and temple ordinances are required to access eternal life. In 2 Nephi 25:23 of the Book of Mormon, we find this troubling line:

"It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”

That single verse empties the cross of its power. If we are saved only after all we can do, then grace is no longer a gift—it’s a reward. But Paul makes it clear: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done...” (Ephesians 2:8–9, NLT).

This is not a semantic or theological nitpick. It is the very heart of the gospel. Mormonism preaches another gospel, one that is not good news at all. It’s a gospel of human effort and religious performance. It’s a gospel where Jesus opens the door, but you must work your way in and possibly bleed to make up for your failures.

Paul issued a strong warning against exactly this kind of distortion:

“Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you” (Galatians 1:8, NLT).

Mormonism is that different gospel. It may use the name of Jesus, but it denies His finished work. It may quote the Bible, but it adds to it with the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price—texts riddled with historical errors, contradictions, and plagiarisms of the King James Bible.

For those caught in Mormonism: the blood of Jesus is enough. You don’t need temple ordinances. You don’t need the “Melchizedek priesthood.” You don’t need your own blood. You need only to repent, believe, and trust the true Jesus—the eternal Son of God, second person of the Trinity, whose cross is enough to save to the uttermost all who come to Him by faith.

Bibliography

The Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Tyndale House, 2015.
The Book of Mormon. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, Brigham Young, 1857.
MacArthur, John. The Gospel According to Jesus. Zondervan, 2008.
White, James R. Is the Mormon My Brother? Bethany House, 2005.
Bowman, Robert M. Understanding Mormonism. Zondervan, 2008.


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