The Apostle Paul quite comprehensively sums up the results of Christ's death and resurrection: "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive;" I Cor. 15. 21, 22. That is, death having come on all men through the disobedience of Adam, so must all be raised to immortality and eternal life through the death and resurrection of Christ.
Paul also asserted that "the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death;" Verse 26. John the Revelator declares that he saw death and hell cast into the lake of fire; Rev. 20. 14.
The atonement, as wrought out by Jesus Christ, further signifies that he has opened up the way for man's redemption from his own sins, through faith in Christ's sufferings, death and resurrection. The Apostle Paul well expresses this, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus;" Rom. 3. 23-26.
These passages evidence that redemption from death, through the sufferings of Christ, is for all men, both the righteous and the wicked; for this earth, and for all things created upon it. The whole tenor of the Scriptures assure us, that while they may be sure of resurrection from death, regardless of their personal acts, yet they will be rewarded for their works, whether they be good or evil, and that redemption from personal sins can only be obtained through obedience to the requirements of the Gospel, and a life of good works.
The transgression of Adam being infinite in its consequences, those consequences cannot be averted, except through an infinite atonement. The Prophet Nephi makes this very plain: "Wherefore it must needs be an infinite atonement; save it should be an infinite atonement, this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man, must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more. O the wisdom of God! his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more, our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.
O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit;" 2. Nephi 7, 8, 10. "There is one thing, however, which the atonement does for us, immediately upon our entrance into this mortal life; it sets us free from the first spiritual death."
"As in Adam all died spiritually, even so in Christ all, in their infancy, are made alive spiritually. Christ, by the atonement, became the life and the light of men; he is the true light by which all are lighted who come into the world. Without this light all would have suffered in the eternal night of darkness, from which there would have been no return. But little children, by the atonement, are made alive, and are all subjects of salvation, being redeemed by the blood of Christ from the fall, being pure, and spotless, and innocent, and thus are made heirs of the kingdom of heaven. This redemption from the spiritual death upon all mankind in their infant state, is brought about without any conditions on the part of the creature; it is wrought out by the free grace of Christ alone, without works;" O. Pratt.
"I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten: wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me;" Doc. & Cov. 29. 46, 47.
"Wherefore, it came to pass that the devil tempted Adam, and he partook the forbidden fruit and transgressed the commandment, wherein he became subject to the will of the devil, because he yielded unto temptation. Wherefore I the Lord God caused that he should be cast out from the Garden of Eden, from my presence, because of his transgression, wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death, which is the last death, which is spiritual, which shall be pronounced upon the wicked when I shall say—Depart, ye cursed. But, behold, I say unto you, that I the Lord God gave unto Adam and unto his seed that they should not die as to the temporal death, until I the Lord God should send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and redemption, through faith on the name of mine Only Begotten Son. And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his probation that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe; and they that believe not unto eternal damnation, for they cannot be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not; for they will love darkness rather than light, and their deeds are evil, and they receive their wages of whom they list to obey;" Doc. & Cov. 29. 40-45.
Bible.