"In restoration thought and in our modern understanding of restoration doctrine, atonement is horizontal as well as vertical. It's the reintegration of us into loving relationship. It's all about disaffection and alienation from each other, from our true selves, from God. And so I do think that one of the most magnificent aspects of Latter-day Saint theology and teaching is the communal, communitarian nature of salvation.

If we think of the atonement as the process by which God wants to reintegrate the entirety of the human family into loving union, then clearly that makes us realize that if we're, according to the baptismal covenants, co-participants in that process, then instead of being focused on my salvation, we understand, oh no, this is a collective enterprise, and so it should make us more other-oriented."

Hear more from Terryl Givens this week on the Faith Matters podcast!

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