It is, therefore, important to examine carefully the context of each reference. 2:4). 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. 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. Mormon doctrines are often contradictory and inconsistent. When the king asked, "Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?" As explained in D&C 88:11-13: Hell - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints There are three references to outer darkness in the New Testament, all contained in the Gospel of Matthew. Which means that really, no one knows anything about this. . Doctrine and Covenants / Pearl of Great Price, Mormon Objections to Christian Evangelism, Teachings of the Presidents of the Church. 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. They are the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, the telestial kingdom, and outer darkness. So, in the Mormon view, none of these so-called polygamist marriages are valid, religiously or legally. (p. 273). Serve Satan. Each differing in Glory but all great places to go. Additionally it provides helpful commentary on New Testament passages concerning hell. Unless someone has rejected love, like the Nephites, I believe there is still hope that they will repent. For example, Alma the Younger was delivered from the intensity of his hellish pain when he cried to the Lord for mercy. 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. 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. Source: https://www.fairmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/What_is_Mormon_Doctrine.pdf. The question is, what exactly does full knowledge entail? lift[ed] up his eyes and saw Abraham and Lazarus across an impassable gulf (Luke 16:23). Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The. And, if you havent come into relationship with the Jesus of the Bible, I encourage you to do some homework and meet Him. And since we know that prophets speaking define it, this is the definition we should use. 22:13) that awaits the wicked? What is it? 67, LDS Church Archives. What qualifies a person to be a Son of Perdition? What do Mormons believe happened in the pre-existence? Dennis L. Largey, Hell Second Death, Lake of Fire and Brimstone, and Outer Darkness, inThe Book of Mormon and the Message of the Four Gospels, ed. 801-422-6975. Smith described these spirits who were the first to display rebellious ways: Lucifer became perdition by rebellion. 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. 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. By taking 2 Nephi 2:25 to its logical conclusion, we learn that Satan also fell that men might be, and that they might have joy! Outer Darkness Definition - Mormonism Research Ministry 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. As a young boy, I attended a two-week Christian camp. D&C 76 does say telestial people are the ones thrust down to hell and not redeemed until the last resurrection. Are the Three Degrees of Glory Mentioned in the Book of Mormon? Yes and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell (James 3:6). The Book of Mormon provides another testament of the reality of a designated place called hell, where the wicked are consigned. I did cite sources spoken from the pulpit by a prophet. Hell is a place prepared for the devil and his angels, D&C 29:37-38. The Seeker: 'Big Love' in big trouble with Mormons - Chicago Tribune To look closer at this possibility, lets break humans into two categories: 1) Those who have never been Mormon; 2) Those who are or once were Mormon. Mormonism. One of the messages of the Book of Mormon is that people sometimes lose the desire to repent. You dont believe it is true, which is the reason why you left. Return to the Crash Course Mormonism Index. 10:28). He called the Pharisees and scribes vipers and questioned, How can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Matt. This is full on rejection of God. That there will also be daughters of Perdition there is no doubt in the minds of the brethren. 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. (See D&C 76:2835, 4448.) The manual Gospel Principles sheds additional light: There is no forgiveness for them, for they denied the Holy Spirit after having received it. Whether Christians have believed hell to be literal or figurative, the New Testament metaphor of an unquenchable lake of fire has conjured up for believers in the Bible harsh images of souls consigned to never-ending punishment as recompense for their evil deeds done while on earth. Thank you! Your email address will not be published. 1. This is a place very close in nature to the biblical hell. Do Mormons Believe in Hell? - Truth in Love Ministry Thank you! The Lord said no man knoweth So, theres probably a good reason that there is some debate and confusion on it. 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. [4] Augustine, The City of God, trans. Cannot be saved at the last day; except W.W. Phelps who was classified as such by Joseph and then redeemed, and we should only trust prophets on the matter because they dont conflict, unless they do. 18:8)? You are taking quotes that are not Mormon Doctrine. Circumcision. Nephis commentary to his brothers concerning his fathers dream of the tree of life adds interesting insight into the possible meaning of the great gulf Jesus referred to: And I said unto them that it was an awful gulf, which separated the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the saints of God. 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). One must be on a high eminence to fall so low; and few in worlds history have attained such a height. 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. Outer darkness is a place reserved for the Devil, his angels, and the sons of perdition. It is an eternal destination, a place where very few (if any) human beings will ever be sent. . The punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, D&C 19:10-12. Italics in original). 13:40), cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 6:8). Outer Darkness - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 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. The righteousness of some (Abraham or Lazarus) cannot erase the consequences of anothers sins (the rich man). the man was silent (Matt 22:12); therefore, the king said: "Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. In each of the New Testament references to outer darkness, Christ declared the punishment that awaits faithless and wicked people. He had a sure witness of the Lord and willfully chose to follow Satan instead. 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. From its beginnings, it taught that very few people would go to "outer darkness" the Mormon concept of hell. He wrote. If he were ignorant, he could not have become perdition. This page was last edited on 17 September 2010, at 20:26. And as such I would qualify. It must be emphasized that the witness described means that the person has had the heavens opened unto him and has personally seen, and even spoken with, the Savior, and then has turned against Him, bringing him to open shame. In the Bible, the phrases lake of fire and lake of fire and brimstone, describing the fate of the wicked, are unique to the book of Revelation. They will not have access to the Holy Ghost or Heavenly Father or Jesus. This is in contrast to the VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE, who will receive a kingdom of glory after the Final Judgment, and enter into one of three degrees of glory after the resurrection: celestial, terrestrial, or telestial kingdoms. They believe that they are mortal men capable of mistakes just like the rest of us. But what is light? In the rest of the article, were going to have to assume that Mormonism is true (of course, I dont think it is!) 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. However, I think the breakdown I have above is accurate because outer darkest is a place of permanence for the filthy. Each person must reap the harvest of the seeds sown in this life. Source. Mormon Doctrine Lecture, #2, Brigham Young University, 1967.). Brigham Young University https://www.fairmormon.org/answers/Plan_of_salvation/Sons_of_Perdition/Can_women_be_%22Sons_of_Perdition%22. They must have had a fullness of knowledge; a testimony which cannot be destroyed. To the Church in Smyrna the Apostle John wrote: He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death (Rev.