(Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966), 758. However, based on the teaching of church leaders, I believe it is utterly impossible for any mortal to become this despised son of perdition. The use of the term exterior darkness is in Jesus' parable of the wedding feast (also known as the parable of the marriage of the king's son). to become a son of perdition? 5:30). Plagiarism and The Globe a comparative analysis, The Shunning Key by bwv549 - Mormon Bandwagon, https://www.lds.org/scriptures/gs/sons-of-perdition, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_perdition_(Mormonism), https://www.fairmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/What_is_Mormon_Doctrine.pdf, https://www.fairmormon.org/answers/Plan_of_salvation/Sons_of_Perdition/Can_women_be_%22Sons_of_Perdition%22, LDS Church and Same Sex Marriage Timeline, The Pump LDS film and the original source, Ethan Smith, Hyrum Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Solomon Spaulding connections. Meanwhile, I have known many who could be considered fighters against the church, including those who became involved in what could be considered anti-Mormon activities. This extreme punishment will not be given to any but the sons of perdition (Doctrines of Salvation 2:220). Italics in original). Jesus marvelled at the faith of a centurion he met in Capernaum and proclaimed that many would come from the east and west, and [would] sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But as with anything, that doesnt stop prophets from talking about it like they knew. Through baptism and confirmation by priesthood authority, you became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference, 2004, p. 21, So, even if you attended LDS Church services, sang the hymns, and even partook of the weekly sacrament, yet you were never baptized and confirmed into the faith, you can never become a son of perdition. The manual Gospel Principles sheds additional light: There is no forgiveness for them, for they denied the Holy Spirit after having received it. lucifer. Ray L. Huntington and Terry B. Those who followed Lucifer in his rebellion in the premortal life and those who in mortality sin against the Holy Ghost are sons of perdition. 15:2830). Thus, the second death is taught in conjunction with the first death, which came as a consequence of the Fall of Adam and Eve, and also with the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which redeems all of humankind from the first death through resurrection and the second death through repentance. How unfair is this scenario? 13:42), the fire that never shall be quenched (Mark 9:45), where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:48), and cast into the fire (Luke 3:9). Banishment from the joys of heaven. He was not ignorant, and therefore he became perdition, and they who followed him were sons of perdition, because he and they sinned knowingly. Christians have debated for centuries the nature of the hell fire of which Jesus spoke (Matt. Satan and his followers are beings of spirit who were denied bodies and cast out of heaven during pre-mortal existence (see Plan of Salvation ). The first death is physical death, and everyone but the devil and his angels will overcome physical death through Resurrection. Smith told a general conference audience: I think I am safe in saying that no man can become a Son of Perdition until he has known the light. See Michael Hicks, Joseph Smith, W.W. Phelps, and the Poetic Paraphrase of The Vision, Journal of Mormon History 20 (Fall 1994) 2: 63-84 for discussion of authorship of this poem.). It's not as simple as you make it out to be. In Christianity, it is understood that anyone who denies the holy spirit goes to outer darkness, but they see it as a synonym for Hell. But Mormons do not believe that just because a Prophet said it, that it makes it true. 12:22). It is simply his opinion. You dont believe it is true, which is the reason why you left. Death brought a reversal of their conditions wherein the rich man in hell became a beggar, longing for a drop of water from the finger of Lazarus, who was now in heaven, or Abrahams bosom. In the parable Abraham explained the impossibility of receiving his request, because between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence (Luke 16:1926). Concerning the first resurrection John observed: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years (Rev. How many people. 9:16; emphasis added). Followers 0. The Prophet Joseph Smith would not countenance the teaching of this doctrine, and sanctioned the decision of the bishop that any who taught it should be barred from communion (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 125). Their theology was turned upside down! 21:8; see also 19:20). 801-422-6975. While many Latter-day Saints bristle at the doctrine of hell (i.e., How could a loving God send His children to such a place?), they may have not considered the fact that these spirits were never given the chance to have a physical body because of the wrong choice they made in the preexistence. A person would have to be very wicked to know the church was true yet still fight against it! Alma 40. 12:16), hell which hath no end (1 Ne. It is true that the only mortals who had once been members are eligible to become sons of perdition, a fact that may worry some former Mormons who wonder if they might be destined for outer darkness. To become a church member, baptism and confirmation are required. (You are not one of those spirits since you have a mortal body.). [2]. The filthy would be more miserable to dwell with God than to dwell in hell, Morm. 67, LDS Church Archives. Circumcision. - Wilford Woodruff in a meeting with the apostles, 1893 D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power (Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books, 1997) p. 795. . Sons of Perdition are to be cast out with the devil and his angels into outer darkness. Making the LDS Church Slightly Better: A Members Wish List, You continue to fight against the true church, Those spirits who rebelled against God in the preexistence are the original sons of perdition. Following this introduction will be a discussion of the usage of these termsfirst in the New Testament, then in the Book of Mormon. Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment (2 Ne. We probably do not want to know how horrible it is just like in this life, some things that are so horrible that happen (especially to children) wed rather not know about it, if possible. The first three are referred to as the three degrees of glory, often compared to the sun, the moon, and the stars (D&C 76:70 . Woman must atone for sins committed by the volition of her own choice, but she will never become an angel to the devil, and sin so far as to place herself beyond the reach of mercy. Brigham Young Discourse delivered October 8, 1861, pp. 22:13). Oh yes they did: after a man has sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost, there is no repentance for himlike many of the apostates of Christof the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Johns announcement of death and hell releasing their dead for judgment is augmented by the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob, who taught the same doctrine but provided significantly more detail. In the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), "outer darkness" has two separate meanings.. . Even Nazi dictator Adolph Hitler will get nothing less than the telestial kingdom since he was never baptized/confirmed into the church; work was done in proxy for him in the London, England temple several decades ago. He also said,I think I am safe in saying that no man can become a Son of Perdition until he has known the light. Doctrine and Covenants / Pearl of Great Price, Mormon Objections to Christian Evangelism, Teachings of the Presidents of the Church, Divine Love in the Fathers Plan (Dallin H. Oaks, April 2022). Outer darkness is a eternal place of torment reserved for those who are sons of perdition. According to LDS scripture, this will be a place that where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth (Doctrine and Covenants 101:91; also see 133:73). As a young boy, I attended a two-week Christian camp. Hmmm.. I doubt whether it can be found, from the revelations that are given and the facts as they exist, that there is a female in all the regions of hell. Brigham Young Journal of Discourses 8:222. . Chapter 40. What is it? Even the most evil of people, including Adolph Hitler and those of his ilk, appear to have a place reserved for them in nothing less than the telestial kingdom. John identified specific sins that would lead to the lake of fire and brimstone: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death (Rev. Jesus proclaimed to Peter that the gates of hell would not prevail against the rock upon which He would build the Church (Matt. . In Peters second general epistle to the Church, he taught concerning the angels who had sinned, saying that God cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness (2 Pet. Then, I say unto you, they shall be as though there had been no redemption made; for they cannot be redeemed according to Gods justice; and they cannot die, seeing there is no more corruption (Alma 12:13,1618). Tenth President Joseph Fielding Smitha general authority who spoke more about this issue than any other leaderstated. Outer darkness is something which cannot be described, except that we know that it is to be placed beyond the benign and comforting influence of the Spirit of God banished entirely from his presence (Ibid.). A) Most humans B) Satan C) His angels D) Sons of Perdition. 5:22), burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matt. 20:14), or the outer darkness (Matt. Jesus declared that this exalted city would be brought down to hell (Matt. They place themselves beyond the power of repentance and beyond the mercies of God. Yet I never was baptized and confirmed into this church. (Elder Bruce R. McConkie Mormon Doctrine Lecture, #2, Brigham Young University, 1967.). 18:8)? If this is the case, the worst fate any former Latter-day Saint can anticipate is the telestial kingdom. A church manual reports, To become a son of perdition one must sin against the Holy Ghost, but before that is possible, one must receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual Religion 324 and 325, 2001, p. 161). However, sons of perdition cannot achieve forgiveness and will be completely cast outside of the light of God. Clear as mud. Even if I did, I still am not eligible for outer darkness. 23:15). John did not define the second death other than to make it synonymous with the lake of fire and brimstone that awaits the wicked. And I said unto them that our father also saw that the justice of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous; and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no end (1 Ne. Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first deaththat spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual. They go too far, and the Spirit leaves themYou cant renew them to repentancyou cannot save them. (Joseph Smith Jr., King Follett Discourse). He stated that converts made by the Pharisees became twofold more the child of hell than their teachers (Matt. Also, Joseph confuses things further by combining words typically used with Hell to describe outer darkness: A sinner has his own mind and his own mind damns him. So a heads up, this does not include you or any one who has ever been or will be born on Earth. Thank you! They must have had a fullness of knowledge; a testimony which cannot be destroyed. Whats interesting is that there are many former Mormons who still believe Jesus Christ was the Son of God and have a testimony of the Spirit of the Lord. However, their faith no longer is in the Jesus of Mormonism but the Jesus of the Bible. But wait! And now behold, I say unto you then cometh a death, even a second death, which is a spiritual death; then is a time that whosoever dieth in his sins, as to a temporal death, shall also die a spiritual death; yea, he shall die as to things pertaining unto righteousness. 5:22), as were those who failed to cast away their sins (JSM 5:34; cf. In the rest of the article, were going to have to assume that Mormonism is true (of course, I dont think it is!) Satan and his followers are beings of spirit who were denied bodies and cast out of heaven during pre-mortal existence (see Plan of Salvation). [1] See also Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. The Sons of Perdition are those who have lived as mortal men and women on the earth, have had the heavens opened to them and received a certain knowledge that Jesus is the Christ, and then have rejected the Savior, "having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame" (Doctrine and Covenants 76:34-35; see also Doctrine and Covenants 76:3133, 3637). This is a Son of perdition. Clearly, when it comes to perdition and outer darkness, I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me, and anyone who speaks on the matter has a dizzying intellect. First, it is another name for spirit prison, a temporary place in the postmortal world for those who died without a knowledge of the truth or those who were disobedient in mortality. Outer darkness is a eternal place of torment reserved for those who are "sons of perdition." According to LDS scripture, this will be a place that "where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth" (Doctrine and Covenants 101:91; also see 133:73). Other sources used in composing this topic: http://en.fairmormon.org/Plan_of_salvation/Sons_of_Perdition/Can_women_be_%22Sons_of_Perdition%22, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_darkness#Usage_in_the_Latter_Day_Saint_movement, http://en.fairmormon.org/Plan_of_salvation/Sons_of_Perdition/Eventual_fate, http://emp.byui.edu/satterfieldb/quotes/Sons%20of%20Perdition.htm. Thirty-three times it stands alone, without modifiers or explanation of what it means, as in And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell (Alma 30:60). . Conclusion The Book of Mormon text confirms the truth of New Testament teachings on hell, second death, lake of fire and brimstone, and outer darkness. In harmony with this doctrinal truth that death and hell will deliver up the spirits and bodies of their captives, King David received the promise that his soul would not be left in hell (see Ps. 5. New Testament [ edit] Later in the same discourse Alma blended the doctrines of the Fall, agency, and the second death together as an admonition to keep the commandments of God (see Alma 12:3137). Sons of perdition include (1) those who followed Satan and were cast out of heaven for rebellion during premortality and (2) those who were permitted to be born to this world with physical bodies but then served Satan and turned utterly against God. 1:13), gates of hell (2 Ne. They believe that they are mortal men capable of mistakes just like the rest of us. The apostle James taught that the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity . Again, the doctrine of the second death is woven together with other essential parts of the plan of salvation, offering the reader the big picture concerning Gods judgments. For those born in this life, the person must be a former member who knew Mormonism was true but still rebelled and went against the truth while still knowing it was true. This extreme punishment will not be given to any but the sons of perdition. 5:22), and the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone of which the apostle John wrote (Rev. 25:30). ABCs of Science and Mormonism now available in Print from Amazon! In this parable, a king arranged a wedding for his son, but the normal guests did not come; therefore, the king sent his servants to gather guests from off the street. The wicked are cast into outer darkness until the time of their resurrection, Alma 40:13-14. Conclusion Marcus Dods (New York: Random House, 1950), 781. Wilford Woodruff in a meeting with the apostles, 1893 D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power (Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books, 1997) p. 795. He called the Pharisees and scribes vipers and questioned, How can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Matt. Delving into the interesting bits about any religion to stem from Joseph Smith Jr. Joseph F. Smith,The Second Death,inBrian H. Stuy (editor). [3] Larry E. Dahl, The Concept of Hell, in Doctrines of the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1992), 4243. And remember you can be excommunicated for asking church leaders to give solid answers so trust the apologists who say to only trust the prophets on matters like this. The "authority" to marry a man to one wife is not the same as the "authority" to marry a man to more than one wife. 67, LDS Church Archives. The term second death refers to spiritual death or separation from God. The latter meaning is a place where the glory of God is completely absent, and is the place where Satan and his angels will reside. Outer Darkness. Dennis L. Largey was an associate professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University when this was published. Often in the scriptures it is difficult to discern which helltemporary or permanentis being spoken of, since many references to hell in the scriptures are used in a nonspecific manner to simply designate a place or state of suffering for the wicked. Did I really have full knowledge? One of these guests, however, appeared without the proper wedding attire. there are two answers, one is being cast out of the presence of God which would be a form of darkness and the other is complete darkness without even the spirit of God in a spiritual realm as far as the light has an end, if thats possible. (To see the differences between the three kingdoms of glory, click here.) St. Augustine wrote: Hell, which also is called a lake of fire and brimstone, will be material fire, and will torment the bodies of the damned, whether men or devilsthe solid bodies of the one, aerial bodies of the others; or if only men have bodies as well as souls, yet the evil spirits, though without bodies, shall be so connected with the bodily fires as to receive pain without imparting life.
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