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. Twenty-nine times the word hell is used with descriptive modifiers, for example, depths of hell (1 Ne. 18:8)? 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. Additional doctrinal truth concerning the great gulf can be found in the Doctrine and Covenants (see D&C 138:1837). Banishment from all progress. Who of the following is NOT eligible for Outer Darkness. 67, LDS Church Archives. You quoted a website (Wikipedia) which is not doctrine and another website (FAIRMormon) which directly says it is not doctrine. Becoming a son of Perdition is hard therefore going to outer darkness is hard. 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. The sinner must deal with the self-created gulf on his own, with the help of the Savior and his Atonement. A Vision, Times and Seasons 4 (1 Feb 1843) 6:82-5. Jesus also referred to outer darkness in two parables he gave during the last week of his life. Pingback: The Shunning Key by bwv549 - Mormon Bandwagon, A Son of Perdition is: Banishment from the power of God. That it is the most severe punishment that can be meted out to man is apparent. One fire certainly shall be the lot of both. [4]. Christ brings to pass the resurrection of all menThe righteous dead go to paradise and the wicked to outer darkness to await the day of their resurrectionAll things will be restored to their proper and perfect frame in the Resurrection. (See D&C 76:2835, 4448.) Ellipsis mine). Banishment from the presence of God. Jesus disciples were told not to fear those who could kill the body but to fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt. The Book of Mormon clarifies that the lake of fire and brimstone is a metaphor for the suffering of the wicked. It occurs in a doctrinal discussion Alma conducted with his son Corianton. In Mormonism, Outer darkness is described as "those who are unfaithful, those who will listen to Satan, who will lend a willing ear to his blandishments and to his allurements, when they go from this state of existence, they go into a condition where they are subject to his power. To become a church member, baptism and confirmation are required. Italics in original). They have wilfully (sic) made themselves servants of Satan and servants to him shall they remain forever. 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). 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. No Mormon since the 1890 change has had the authority to marry any man to more than one woman. 23:33). (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 125). And, if you havent come into relationship with the Jesus of the Bible, I encourage you to do some homework and meet Him. In this context, outer darkness is the spirit prison, or that part of the spirit world that the wicked inhabit prior to their resurrection. Many of the apostates of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. First, LDS Church scripture uses the term outer darkness to refer to a condition in the spirit world. 28:2223). Your generous support makes the work of MRM possible. Those consigned to hell or outer darkness are partakers of the second death, and their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone. As a young boy, I attended a two-week Christian camp. Everyone is already going to the terrestrial kingdom by default. 8:1112). It's not as simple as you make it out to be. A lot of people wanted a source on that. If this is the case, the worst fate any former Latter-day Saint can anticipate is the telestial kingdom. In the rest of the article, were going to have to assume that Mormonism is true (of course, I dont think it is!) [2]. So only a prophet can put the matter to rest well, thats nice that Brigham said there were no women, Joseph F. said there were no women, but Wilford Woodruff said there was no debate and there must be women. Provo, UT 84602 The phrase first occurs in Jesus' comment concerning the faith of the Centurion of Capernaum: And I say to thee that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven: But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The conclusion: You (former Mormon), despite being baptized into this church, are not a son of perdition! One example would not be human since they were cast out of heaven with Satan before they could receive a body. However, not once have I ever suspected such a person to be a closet believer in Mormonism. There are three references that connect the judgment with a lake of fire and brimstone, and two references to a lake of fire. However, the use of the word fire in connection with judgment and the torment of the wicked is widespread throughout the Gospels. D&C 76 does say telestial people are the ones thrust down to hell and not redeemed until the last resurrection. On the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter spoke of the promise David had received that his soul would not be left in hell (Acts 2:27). 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. Possibly but there is no citation there either. Although this is an obvious scare tactic, this accusation is not true according to important LDS leaders. We believe that after the final judgment there are four places to which a person may be sent. It honors and glorifies Satan. Marcus Dods (New York: Random House, 1950), 781. 2:4). In the parable of the talents, the returning lord instructed that the wicked and slothful servant who hid his talent in the earth be cast into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. lift[ed] up his eyes and saw Abraham and Lazarus across an impassable gulf (Luke 16:23). T F It is practically impossible for those who were human to ever be sent to Outer Darkness. Jacob taught that the lake of fire is not a literal fire but a figurative representation of torment: And assuredly, as the Lord liveth, for the Lord God hath spoken it, and it is his eternal word, which cannot pass away, that they who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still; wherefore, they who are filthy are the devil and his angels; and they shall go away into everlasting fire, prepared for them; and their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever and has no end (2 Ne. As soon as you define doctrine in a way that includes wikipedia, get back to me. So, if you are directly listing to Satan, like Cain, and actively turning away from God, like Cain, then you can become a Son of Perdition. 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. 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. But wait! 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. 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). 20:1315). A) Never had a body B) Did evil things in this world C) Never joined the LDS Church D) All of the above are true. There are three references to outer darkness in the New Testament, all contained in the Gospel of Matthew. 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. How impossible would it be for a former Mormon (with full knowledge, even!) 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. 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, 78, 98 ). 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 (Conference Reports, April 1942, p. 27. So get what they deserve. Yet how many sins and wrong choices has every humanincluding me and youmade? 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 the Church in Smyrna the Apostle John wrote: He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death (Rev. Rev. Jesus proclaimed to Peter that the gates of hell would not prevail against the rock upon which He would build the Church (Matt. 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. 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 New Testament contains four references to the second death, all located in the Revelation of John. 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. Ray L. Huntington and Terry B. Also God says no one knows in scripture, so stop asking; but He also said in scripture that He upbraideth not those who have questions and if you ask it shall be opened unto you. Thank you! 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). 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.. That there will also be daughters of Perdition there is no doubt in the minds of the brethren. Even if I did, I still am not eligible for outer darkness. Temporary abode of the wicked. 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). (Doctrines of Salvation 2:220-221). This extreme punishment will not be given to any but the sons of perdition ( Doctrines of Salvation 2:220 ). 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). In the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), "outer darkness" has two separate meanings.. Source: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/gs/sons-of-perdition. Mormons believe that a majority of people on this Earth will go to one of these three heavens.
March 14, 2023