The kingdom that is not a kingdom of glory is called outer darkness. Their theology was turned upside down! The extent of this punishment none will ever know except those who partake of it. Source: https://www.fairmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/What_is_Mormon_Doctrine.pdf. But to pass it off as a belief of an entire Church, organization and people is wrong. The New Testament contains four references to the second death, all located in the Revelation of John. Who of the following is NOT eligible for Outer Darkness. This extreme punishment will not be given to any but the sons of perdition (Doctrines of Salvation 2:220). 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. Historic Christianity. An in depth look at the Mormon doctrine of hell. Italics in original). In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the tormented rich man in hell . 22:13) that awaits the wicked? Becoming a son of Perdition is hard therefore going to outer darkness is hard. Matt. (p. 273). Articles 1 - 7 will help your candle last longer and perform its best. Think along the lines of a religious leader serving God but the opposite. The Book of Mormon clarifies that the lake of fire and brimstone is a metaphor for the suffering of the wicked. 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. This extreme punishment will not be given to any but the sons of perdition ( Doctrines of Salvation 2:220 ). (Selections of Doctrines of Salvation, p. 462. This objection is inconsistent since Mormonism teaches that Lucifer's demon forces, which are clearly destined for "outer darkness," make up one-third of God's "children" (Bruce R. McConkie,Mormon Doctrine, p. 195). Following this introduction will be a discussion of the usage of these termsfirst in the New Testament, then in the Book of Mormon. 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.). 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. Mormon theology ultimately portrays Outer Darkness as heaven, and Satan as the God of that realm. Dennis L. Largey was an associate professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University when this was published. You have to be pretty bad to go to the Teresita's kingdom, and horrendous to go to outer darkness. 2:8-10) Jesus' atonement provided immortality for all people. The New Testament testifies that there is an actual place identified as hell into which people can be cast, as in the case of the wicked, and from which they can lift up their eyes, as in the case of the rich man, and from which they can be delivered, as in the case of King David. Your email address will not be published. This is the final destination of Satan himself. When I was Mormon, I was taught that in order to be sent to Outer Darkness (I'm a woman, that will be relevant in a second) you had to have an UNMISTAKABLE KnOwLeDgE of Christ, and then turn your back on God and deny him. 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. 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. 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. But unofficial prophets speaking at BYU or in their own books say no, except Brigham in the Journal of Discourses which is unofficial. Cain is a Son of Perdition. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The. Mormonism. [DS 2:225.] One of these guests, however, appeared without the proper wedding attire. He wrote: 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. 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 ). But wait! Divine Love in the Fathers Plan (Dallin H. Oaks, April 2022). https://www.fairmormon.org/answers/Plan_of_salvation/Sons_of_Perdition/Can_women_be_%22Sons_of_Perdition%22. Jesus warned that those who mocked their brothers by saying Thou fool were in danger of hell fire (Matt. If Lucifer had not known the effects of his rebellion, how would he ever become perdition? Samuel also confirms the relationship John spoke of between the second death and the wicked being cast into fire, but he adds this explanatory clause: For they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness.. The Book of Mormon text confirms the truth of New Testament teachings on hell, second death, lake of fire and brimstone, and outer darkness. One fire certainly shall be the lot of both. [4]. With the exception of those who left the church and later rejoined, every other former Mormon left the church because they believed it is not true. It occurs in a doctrinal discussion Alma conducted with his son Corianton. . The Book of Mormon speaks of only two groups who inhabit the postmortal spirit world: the righteous, who exist in a state of happiness called paradise; and the wicked, who are consigned to outer darknessthe wicked being those who have been captivated by the devil and who will be resurrected to an endless hell. For example, John saw the judgment in vision and wrote that death and hell delivered up the dead . 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. J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Church Leaders and the Scriptures, [original title When Are the Writings or Sermons of Church Leaders Entitled to the Claim of Scripture?] Immortality and Eternal Life: Reflections from the Writings and Messages of President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Vol, 2, (1969-70): 221; address to Seminary and Institute Teachers, BYU (7 July 1954); reproduced in Church News (31 July 1954); also reprinted in Dialogue 12/2 (Summer 1979): 6881. In the Book of Mormon the phrase lake of fire and brimstone is used as a metaphor for the suffering that awaits the wicked. (To see his baptism for the dead record and other temple work done for him, click here.). lift[ed] up his eyes and saw Abraham and Lazarus across an impassable gulf (Luke 16:23). Johns references to the second death testify of its existence but do not offer any explanatory information that instructs those readers who do not already understand the doctrine. For those who once were baptized and confirmed into Mormonism, what is your status? (2) We believe in allowing our candles to burn for a maximum of four hours at a time. 12:22; Morm. FAIRMormon says on this page even: When any man, except the President of the Church, undertakes to proclaim one unsettled doctrine, as among two or more doctrines in dispute, as the settled doctrine of the Church, we may know that he is not moved upon by the Holy Ghost, unless he is acting under the direction and by the authority of the President. . 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). In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), a son of perdition is a person who will not take part in the glory of God in the afterlife. In this context, outer darkness is the spirit prison, or that part of the spirit world that the wicked inhabit prior to their resurrection. It doesnt matter because I never joined. Ah yes, well with clarity like that, why would Jeremy ever doubt them and ask for official sources! In Mormonism, it depends. When the king asked, "Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?" Just one rebellion. 10 reasons why a person ought to consider becoming a Christian. It's not as simple as you make it out to be. Each person must reap the harvest of the seeds sown in this life. Twelfth President Spencer W. Kimball wrote. Okay so clearly we have billions of souls who qualify as perdition and go to outer darkness according to one prophet in his personal books and not officially speaking as a prophet. For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord. Clearly you dont know what is and is not doctrine, and are trying to throw shade. They are the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, the telestial kingdom, and outer darkness. Those who have never received the light are not to become Sons of Perdition (Conference Reports, October 1958, p. 21). This is a Son of perdition. What is Outer Darkness? A Vision, Times and Seasons 4 (1 Feb 1843) 6:82-5. Those who have never received the light are not to become Sons of Perdition. For many are called, but few are chosen." 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. 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. D&C 133:73 says, These shall go away into outer darkness, where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Humans who never heard about Mormonism will not go there, as tenth President Joseph Fielding Smith said, That is a punishment that will not come to those who have never known the truth. How unfair is this scenario? 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). Also, Mormons believe in three Heavens. What qualifies a person to be a Son of Perdition? Thank you! Unfortunately, Apple's iOS doesn't support home screen shortcuts in the Chrome browser. 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. Banishment from the power of God. Finally, John saw that death and hell delivered up the dead to be judged according to their works, and death and hell were cast into [a] lake of fire (Rev. 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). . Yet I an certainly exempt from outer darkness, no questions asked. That ought to bring a sigh of relief to many who are reading this article! 2. In my last post, I claimed that I might be a candidate for outer darkness. 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. Did I really have full knowledge? This is not an easy thing to do unless you are choosing to do so while being fully aware that you are doing so. Required fields are marked *. The Book of Mormon contains six references to the second death: one reference by Jacob (Jacob 3:11), three by Alma (Alma 12:16, 32; 13:30), and two by Samuel the Lamanite (Hel. The third use occurs in the parable of the talents: "And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 25:30). Therefore the Lord used Satans evil acts to accomplish his own purposes. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire [i.e., overcome or defeated by Christs Atonement]. When the lights were out and we were on the verge of sleep, our camp counselor took advantage of the moment and endeavored to imprint his teachings upon the minds of his captive audience. Jesus proclaimed to Peter that the gates of hell would not prevail against the rock upon which He would build the Church (Matt. They will live in eternal darkness, torment, and misery with Satan and his angels forever. Those mortals who did join the LDS Church in this lifetime must fit the following criteria to be classified as a son of perdition, with a destiny to outer darkness. After inspecting the intruder, the king instructed his servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. I said: I dont know and he said, How can I find outI just called Spencer Kimball and he told me he didnt know either. These spirits never received a mortal body necessary to progress to a kingdom of glory. They will not have access to the Holy Ghost or Heavenly Father or Jesus. Yes, they were said by Prophets of their church. Generally, the outer darkness is thought to be hell; however, many Christians associate the outer darkness more generally as a place of separation from God or from the metaphorical "wedding banquet" that Jesus is expected to have upon his Second Coming. And now I say unto you, that mercy hath no claim on that man; therefore his final doom is to endure a never-ending torment (Mosiah 2:3839). But Mormons do not believe that just because a Prophet said it, that it makes it true. So lets turn to that bastion of all wisdom that Jeremy Runnells was blamed for not believing and turning to with questions: FAIRMormon: The church has no official position on this issue. This page was last edited on 17 September 2010, at 20:26. Mormon Wiki, for example has a pretty specific definition of who doesnt go there but lacks any citations: Sons of Perdition as those few souls who have been born on this earth who have been made partakers of Gods power, yet suffered themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome, and to deny the truth and defy God by denying the Holy Spirit after having received it, denying the Only Begotten Son and put him to an open shame. They openly and knowingly fight against God and Christ, having sided with Satan even though they had once tasted of full gospel knowledge by the power of the Holy Ghost.There are those who fear that they have committed the unpardonable sin, because they have not been faithful members of the Church. Because of their disobedience, these spirits ended up not receiving bodies, a necessary ingredient to progress to mortality and be qualified for one of the three kingdoms of glory. Brigham Young University Professor Larry E. Dahl reported: The word hell appears sixty-two times in the text of the Book of Mormon. So get what they deserve. Yet how many sins and wrong choices has every humanincluding me and youmade? 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. Your email address will not be published. I was taught that to be condemned to outer darkness you would have to deny Christ to his very face and that could occur . Your generous support makes the work of MRM possible. This is what was taught by several important church leaders, including founder Joseph Smith. He wrote. Everyone but the Sons of Perdition and the devil and his devils, will overcome spiritual death through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Everyone is already going to the terrestrial kingdom by default. 13:40), cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 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. 11:3940; 18:13), pains of hell (Jacob 3:1112; Alma 14:6; 26:13; 36:13), chains of hell (Alma 5:7, 910; 12:11; 13:30; 26:14), child of hell (Alma 11:23; 54:11), powers of hell (Alma 48:17), everlasting hell (Hel. The first example would be spirits from the preexistence who sided with Lucifer rather than Jesus at the Council in Heavenwhere it was decided who would become the Savior of the World. Therefore repent ye, repent ye, lest by knowing these things and not doing them ye shall suffer yourselves to come under condemnation, and ye are brought down unto this second death (Hel. As a young boy, I attended a two-week Christian camp. Through his Atonement, Resurrection, and ministry in the spirit world, Christ provided a bridge by which repentant souls could cross the gulf from hell to spiritual freedom. They are sons of perdition because, Having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to open shame (D. & C. 76:35). 20:1315). Consistently, hell is associated with fire. No Mormon since the 1890 change has had the authority to marry any man to more than one woman. 14:1519). The Book of Mormon teaches that only through the Atonement of Christ can one escape the damnation of hell. Jacob testified that without the infinite atonement all mankind would be forever subject to the awful monster, death and hell, and thus would become like the devil and his angels (2 Ne. Because of the resurrection, the body and spirit of the wicked are restoredthe body from the grave and the spirit from hell to be judged. One memorable night, he instructed us about the pains of hell. He asked us to imagine being stabbed and having that initial intense pain of the insertion of the knife last for twenty years. Into the telestial kingdom will go, according to that which is written here in this revelation, the vicious, the unclean, the ungodly (Conference Reports, April 1942, p. 27). . By EntropyJustKillUsNow, March 29, 2017 in Social Hall. Add an RSC shortcut to this device's Homescreen, In the menu, scroll past any icons and tap. 9:1012, 1516). Lets go to modern revelation: that there would be no daughters of perdition. Joseph F. Smith Stan Larsen, ed., A Ministry of Meetings: The Diaries of Rudger Clawson, (Salt Lake City, Utah: Smith Associates and Signature Books, 1993) p. 560, Somebody called me up on the telephone and asked if there were daughters of perdition. ( Miracle of Forgiveness 129-30) The Lord Will Judge For persons not to receive forgiveness neither in this world nor in the world to come does not mean that they will be cast into outer darkness, for the sin of murder can be pardoned even though it is unforgivable. Alma 40. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In revealing Satans tactics, Nephi wrote: And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is noneand thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance. As soon as you define doctrine in a way that includes wikipedia, get back to me. 22:13-14, D-R.). 14:1819). In short, Outer Darkness is eternal torture. it could be a reference for the resurrected who gain inheritance on other worlds but without the fulness of While some apparently have taught that these spirits could be restored to a kingdom of glory, 12th President Spencer W. Kimball said this wasnt true: In the days of the restoration there apparently were those who taught that the devil and his angels and the sons of perdition should sometime be restored. The second possible sons of perdition are mortals. According to Smith: It is very clear in the Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:30-37, that the only persons who will be completely overcome by this dreadful fate are the sons of perdition who go with the devil and his angels into outer darkness. (Answers to Gospel Questions 5:107-108). 4. 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. Is Jesus the Only Redeemer? Thus the Book of Mormon does seem to contain a reference to the degrees of glory and outer darkness. 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. 21:8; cf. There are three references to outer darkness in the New Testament, all contained in the Gospel of Matthew. Alma 40. So why dont we get outer darkness too? Your generous support makes the work of MRM possible. The second death is spiritual and is separation from God. It is simply his opinion. The filthy would be more miserable to dwell with God than to dwell in hell, Morm. Each differing in Glory but all great places to go. Outer darkness is not a kingdom of glory. Smith taught: The sons of perdition are those who have had a knowledge of the truth, have known that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, have had the testimony of the Spirit of the Lord, the Holy Ghost, and these things have all been revealed so that they know they are true; and then they turn against them and fight them knowingly. A lot of people wanted a source on that. The Book of Mormon does not teach the doctrinal truth that hell will end for the majority of those who suffer in the spirit prison prior to being resurrected and entering the telestial kingdom; however, this truth is clearly taught in the Doctrine and Covenants (see D&C 76:3638, 106). 34:3435; note Almas repetitive use of the word state in Alma 40:1112; see also D&C 101:9091; 133:7073). It also teaches that the Atonement ransoms humankind from physical death through the resurrection and from spiritual death, or hell, through repentance. Marcus Dods (New York: Random House, 1950), 781. hell.. 3. For example, Alma the Younger was delivered from the intensity of his hellish pain when he cried to the Lord for mercy. But the children of the kingdom [i.e., covenant breakers] shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 2. . It is doubtful if even Judas, who betrayed Jesus, was sufficiently enlightened to become a son of perdition (Gospel Doctrine,p. 545). Utterly turn against god. Ray L. Huntington and Terry B. Those consigned to hell or outer darkness are partakers of the second death, and their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone. Those in this second group will be resurrected from the dead but will not be redeemed from the second (spiritual) death and cannot dwell in a kingdom of glory (D&C 88:32, 35). Joseph Fielding Smith who said that this class is composed of all who have known the power of God in this mortal life and then, having full knowledge of the power and purposes of God,rebel against him, putting Jesus Christ to open shame (Doctrines of Salvation 2:219-220. And since we know that prophets speaking define it, this is the definition we should use. For example: everlasting fire (Matt. Jesus of Mormonism but the Jesus of the Bible. 11:23). 8:17), and endless hell (Moro. 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. The first death is physical death, and everyone but the devil and his angels will overcome physical death through Resurrection. So I found one, by Joseph F. Smith, Thus we see that the first death which came into the world is also the last death which shall be pronounced upon the sons of perdition. Sons of Perdition are to be cast out with the devil and his angels into outer darkness. Rev. (To see the differences between the three kingdoms of glory, click here.) 67, LDS Church Archives. The prophet Alma described the disposition of those in outer darkness: And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evilfor behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their houseand these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil (Alma 40:13; cf. The opposition gospel twists the title of Adversary into a positive thing. Making the LDS Church Slightly Better: A Members Wish List. It is the closest Mormon analogy to the concept of hell in most other Christian traditions. Outer Darkness. 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. Thus, by the definition given by the leaders cited above, these people cannot be considered sons of perdition. ", Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Outer_darkness&oldid=1136269337, This page was last edited on 29 January 2023, at 15:14. In addition, Alma defined the second death as dying as to things pertaining unto righteousness. These individuals are chained down to an everlasting destruction and are subject to the will of Satan. 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. (Conference Reports, October 1958, p. 21. But what is light? We found these portrayals to be highly inaccurate. (You are not one of those spirits since you have a mortal body.). For many years, those who have forfeited their membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may have been told by other Mormons that they were Sons of Perdition destined for Outer Darkness. When I bring this issue up with some Latter-day Saints, I sometimes get defensive arguments. In Outer Darkness, there is endless lamentation and no divine presence. Any person who inherits one of the . 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. GOSH. While Christianity affirms that many people who were created by God will perish in hell, Mormonism also espouses this . And I said unto them that it was a representation of that awful hell, which the angel said unto me was prepared for the wicked. But as with anything, that doesnt stop prophets from talking about it like they knew. Over the 30 years in Christian ministry, I have met many former Mormons who once believed in Mormonism, but none has ever confessed that they still believe Mormonism to be true. The followers of Satan who will suffer with him in eternity. 5:22), and the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone of which the apostle John wrote (Rev. He also saw a pale horse with a rider whose name was Death, and Hell followed with him (Rev. They go too far, and the Spirit leaves themYou cant renew them to repentancyou cannot save them. (Joseph Smith Jr., King Follett Discourse). So, in conclusion, I would have a hard time believing that you or billions of souls as you put will qualify for perdition even while taking Mormon beliefs into account. . Clear as mud. 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. and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell (James 3:6).

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