What Mormons Really think of Christ
Bruce R. McConkie arguably was modern Mormonism's most respected theologian. He authored the famous Mormon Doctrine and spoke with a powerful voice to Latter-day Saints throughout his life.
In his work What the Mormons Think of Christ, published in 1982 by the Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he states (pp. 17-20) the following about the Grace of Christ and the Blood of Christ. Pay particular attention to his low view of the power of Christ's blood to cleanse sin.
McConkie's text is in blue. My comments are in green and set off by square brackets [ ].
Grace is simply the mercy, the love and the condescension of God has for his children, as a result of which he has ordained the plan of salvation so that they may have power to progress and become like him. . . All men are saved by grace alone without any act on their part, meaning that they are resurrected and become immortal because of the atoning sacrifice of Christ... In addition to this redemption from death, all men, by the grace of God, have the power to gain eternal life. This is called salvation by grace coupled with obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. [Here McConkie is saying that salvation by grace only means that man is resurrected and that true salvation (meaning living eternally in the presence of God) is earned by obedience to laws.] Hence Nephi was led to write "We labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."...
Christians speak often of the blood of Christ and its cleansing power. Much that is believed and taught on this subject, however, is such utter nonsense and so palpably false that to believe it is to lose one's salvation. For instance, many believe or pretend to believe that if we confess Christ with our lips and avow that we accept him as our personal Savior, we are thereby saved. They say that his blood, without any other act than mere belief, makes us clean....
[McConkie says that the blood of Christ is of no effect if we do not obey the Mormon laws in the Mormon gospel.]Salvation in the kingdom of God is available because of the atoning blood of Christ. But it is received only on condition of faith, repentance, baptism, and enduring to the end by keeping the commandments of God.
Mcconkie could also have quoted Brigham Young regarding the failure of Christ's blood to cleanse from sin: