King Benjamin also taught that the fiery suffering was a state of misery one encounters when viewing ones sinfulness: They shall be judged, every man according to his works, whether they be good, or whether they be evil. The apostle John saw the final judgment and wrote of the destiny of the wicked: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. That being said, I don't think it really matters at the end of the day, because if it is all real, I want to stay clear away from anyone who the Church says deserves the Celestial Kingdom. [2] For a discussion of the New Testament words that translate hell, see The Oxford Companion to the Bible, ed. Source: https://www.fairmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/What_is_Mormon_Doctrine.pdf. He is damned by mortification and is his own condemner and tormenter. Jesus also referred to outer darkness in two parables he gave during the last week of his life. 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. And the definition contains all of the pre-mortal spirits who followed Lucifer, which would imply that God created a lot more male spirits than women spirits and maybe thats why there was a war in Heaven. 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. has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 358). Chapter 40. Hell - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 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. 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. Mormonism and popular media/"Big Love" and the temple - FAIR 40 talks in 40 days for General Conference, Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 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. Which would be a sure-fire way to know that a spirit is headed to Outer Darkness? He once said that a person. 21:8). Source. Note the Book of Mormons addition of the words is as. Therefore the Lord used Satans evil acts to accomplish his own purposes. 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. The Book of Mormon clarifies that the lake of fire and brimstone is a metaphor for the suffering of the wicked. 67, LDS Church Archives. 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. 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. and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell (James 3:6). Okay, so Cain, we have one guaranteed person according to no citation whatsoever. Mormon doctrines are often contradictory and inconsistent. Utterly turn against god. Meanwhile, sixth President Joseph F. Smith, also taught that a full knowledge of the truth is necessary, adding that not even Judas Iscariotthe betrayer of Jesuswill be destined for Outer Darkness: It is probable that only personages who have acquired similar full knowledge, who willfully and deliberately deny the truth, when they know it to be the truth, can commit the unpardonable sin and become sons of perdition. Sons of Perdition are to be cast out with the devil and his angels into outer darkness. In each of the New Testament references to outer darkness, Christ declared the punishment that awaits faithless and wicked people. The city of Capernaum was upbraided for its lack of faith in view of the miracles Jesus performed there. That it is the most severe punishment that can be meted out to man is apparent. Is Jesus the Only Redeemer? 25:30). Source: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/gs/sons-of-perdition. Serve Satan. [4] Augustine, The City of God, trans. 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). Becoming a son of Perdition is hard therefore going to outer darkness is hard. The punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, D&C 19:10-12. 6:28), hell fire (3 Ne. 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). 5:30). 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). ", 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. The phrases depths of hell, awful hell, sleep of hell, pains of hell, chains of hell, everlasting hell, and endless hell are all unique to the Book of Mormon. 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. 21:8; see also 19:20). 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. Hell is a place prepared for the devil and his angels, D&C 29:37-38. T F It is practically impossible for those who were human to ever be sent to Outer Darkness. This extreme punishment will not be given to any but the sons of perdition. ; Mormon Temple Worship. If he were ignorant, he could not have become perdition. Thus, the only mortals who can possibly become sons of perdition must be Latter-day Saints who fall/fell away. Did I really have full knowledge? And, if you havent come into relationship with the Jesus of the Bible, I encourage you to do some homework and meet Him. . Even if a person had once been a Latter-day Saint, Kimball said it still was practically impossible for a human to become a son of perdition: The sin against the Holy Ghost requires such knowledge that it is manifestly impossible for the rank and file to commit such a sin (Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 123) (Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual Religion 324 and 325, p. 161). But suppose, deep down, I do believe the church is true. Mormons also believe that those on Earth with bodies can become a Son of Perdition, tho this is difficult to do. Christians have debated for centuries the nature of the hell fire of which Jesus spoke (Matt. When I bring this issue up with some Latter-day Saints, I sometimes get defensive arguments. These men and women cannot be redeemed, and will be the only ones who will suffer the second death. Mormon Doctrine Lecture, #2, Brigham Young University, 1967.). 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). kingdoms of glory. Here, like John and Samuel, Alma equated the second death with the lake of fire and brimstone. As a young boy, I attended a two-week Christian camp. Please read, the source above, What is Official LDS Doctrine. Grant Building (-Joseph Smith in the King Follett Discourse), There is my definition I used in my previous post. As Joseph Fielding Smith put it, those mortals who fit into this nebulous category of sons of perdition will suffer permanently while the worst of the worst sinners will suffer only temporarily before receiving a kingdom of glory. 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. . The Book of Mormon discusses with great clarity the ultimate punishment reserved exclusively for the sons of perdition, or those who are filthy still (2 Ne. This is a place very close in nature to the biblical hell. 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. Women or not. Outer Darkness. 4:32; 3 Ne. This is serving Satan. Outer darkness is something which cannot be described, except that it is to be placed beyond the benign and comforting influence of the Spirit of Godbanished entirely from his presence. Sorry ladies, you cant actually apostatize from the church, I guess (Someone tell Kate Kelly her excommunication is not valid!). (Elder Bruce R. McConkie Mormon Doctrine Lecture, #2, Brigham Young University, 1967.). [DS 2:225.] New Testament [ edit] Jesus declared that this exalted city would be brought down to hell (Matt. A representation of the tree degrees of glory and outer darkness. Nephis words can thus be applied to Jesus parable: the reason the rich man could not cross the great gulf to Abrahams bosom, or the reason the wicked could not join the Saints of God at the tree of life, is because the justice of God does not permit it. 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. (See Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Followers 0. Jesus warned that those who mocked their brothers by saying Thou fool were in danger of hell fire (Matt. And if they be evil they are consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them to shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment, from whence they can no more return; therefore they have drunk damnation to their own souls. Outer Darkness Definition - Mormonism Research Ministry Your email address will not be published. 13:40), cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matt. That it is the most severe punishment that can be meted out to man is apparent. 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.). 21:8; cf. D&C 76 does say telestial people are the ones thrust down to hell and not redeemed until the last resurrection. Therefore, they have drunk out of the cup of the wrath of God, which justice could no more deny unto them than it could deny that Adam should fall because of his partaking of the forbidden fruit; therefore, mercy could have claim on them no more forever. Everyone but the Sons of Perdition and the devil and his devils, will overcome spiritual death through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Nephites became so wicked, that contemplating murder was a source of happiness. 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. 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). Who goes to Outer Darkness, a handy guide - Exploring Mormonism 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. And thats why men alone get, I mean need the priesthood. Tenth President Joseph Fielding Smitha general authority who spoke more about this issue than any other leaderstated. Alma 40 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 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. Some Christians have believed the lake of fire John spoke of to be a literal lake. (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.). 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. I have no fear of hell fire, that doesnt exist, but the torment and disappointment of the mind of man is as exquisite as a lake burning with fire and brimstoneso is the torment of man. A lot of people wanted a source on that. In the rest of the article, were going to have to assume that Mormonism is true (of course, I dont think it is!) In Christianity, the "exterior darkness" or outer darkness is a place referred to three times in the Gospel of Matthew (8:12, 22:13, and 25:30) into which a person may be "cast out", and where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth". 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 (Doctrines of Salvation2:220). 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. outer darkness | Some Mormon Stuff 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). By EntropyJustKillUsNow, March 29, 2017 in Social Hall. This is the final destination of Satan himself. 23:15). Thank you! (1) We believe in trimming our wicks to 1/4 between each burn. Now go take a nap and rest well! T F According to a church manual, those who never were Mormon could never be sent to Outer Darkness. After the millennium, after the last great battle between the forces of God and the forces of Satan, Satan and his followers will be cast into Outer Darkness. 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. Hence, the very worse lot in their lives will be the telestial kingdom. Add an RSC shortcut to this device's Homescreen, In the menu, scroll past any icons and tap. . However, I think the breakdown I have above is accurate because outer darkest is a place of permanence for the filthy. Outer darkness - MormonWiki.org He had a sure witness of the Lord and willfully chose to follow Satan instead. 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 wonder if the language is tripping people up here. 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. Return to the Crash Course Mormonism Index. Clearly you dont know what is and is not doctrine, and are trying to throw shade. You dont believe it is true, which is the reason why you left. They have said things much stranger and I am sure you know of them. 10:28). For example, John saw the judgment in vision and wrote that death and hell delivered up the dead . In this context, outer darkness is the spirit prison, or that part of the spirit world that the wicked inhabit prior to their resurrection. However, sons of perdition cannot achieve forgiveness and will be completely cast outside of the light of God. Severe punishment for eternity, reserved for Satan and his demons as well as the sons of perdition, those humans who once embraced Mormonism and left to fight against the faith, even though they knew Mormonism was true. 20:1315). The sinner must deal with the self-created gulf on his own, with the help of the Savior and his Atonement. Publishing, 19871989), 4:227228. Following this introduction will be a discussion of the usage of these termsfirst in the New Testament, then in the Book of Mormon. Banishment into outer darkness. Latter-day Saints understand hell to be a literal place and/or stateeither the temporary hell in the spirit world where the unjust suffer in a state of torment until they are resurrected to a telestial glory (D&C 76:8185, 98112), or the permanent hell where the wicked (the sons of perdition) continue to suffer eternally after the resurrection (D&C 76:37, 4548). 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. 15:29, 35; Alma 19:29; 54:7), sleep of hell (2 Ne. 9:16), unquenchable fire (Mosiah 2:38), and hell fire (3 Ne. Outer Darkness - Social Hall - Mormon Dialogue & Discussion Board. Outer Darkness - Mormonism, The Mormon Church, Beliefs, & Religion 8:1112). 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. Outer darkness is not a kingdom of glory. 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. Italics in original). [1] See also Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. Thank you! Many of the apostates of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The ex-mortal sons of perdition will be resurrected, as will everyone else; but they will finally suffer the second death, the spiritual death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness. (Hel. Because reasons. 3:20; 10:9- 10; Eph. In my last post, I claimed that I might be a candidate for outer darkness. True, some former Mormons have expressed doubts and wondered if the church might possibly be true, which is a completely natural response after having left the one true church. If they decided they made a mistake because they still believed the church were true, they would be more apt to rejoin it rather than stay excommunicated and fight against it. Although this is an obvious scare tactic, this accusation is not true according to important LDS leaders. Can you explain what Outer Darkness is and who will spend eternity there? The second death is a second separation from God, not because of Adams transgression (the first death) but because of ones own failure to repent of personal sin. There was a movement a few years ago to have people deny the holy spirit on Youtube, where many a youtuber claimed they would now go to Outer Darkness. In Jesus parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus contrasted the afterlife state of the lowly Lazarus with that of the self-absorbed rich man. 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. Mormonism. In Mormonism, it depends. It also adds insight that, when blended with other essential doctrines, offers a more complete understanding of the plan of salvation. But to pass it off as a belief of an entire Church, organization and people is wrong. 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. The wicked are cast into outer darkness until the time of their resurrection, Alma 40:13-14. it could be a reference for the resurrected who gain inheritance on other worlds but without the fulness of No Mormon since the 1890 change has had the authority to marry any man to more than one woman. The conclusion: You (former Mormon), despite being baptized into this church, are not a son of perdition! Mormon Hell, Sons of Perdition and Outer Darkness - YouTube 9:16; emphasis added). Everyone is already going to the terrestrial kingdom by default. https://www.fairmormon.org/answers/Plan_of_salvation/Sons_of_Perdition/Can_women_be_%22Sons_of_Perdition%22. One fire certainly shall be the lot of both. [4]. 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. 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. This page was last edited on 17 September 2010, at 20:26. . 22:13) if it is also a place of perpetual fire (Matt. The Book of Mormon text confirms the truth of New Testament teachings on hell, second death, lake of fire and brimstone, and outer darkness. Please note that FAIRMormon states it is not doctrine on the website. 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. 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. 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. Another name for Outer Darkness is hell. Heaven and Hell - Mormonism Research Ministry Clearly fire is used as a metaphor for sufferingnot a literal fire but a state of misery. The opposition gospel twists the title of Adversary into a positive thing. Each differing in Glory but all great places to go. They did what they did with their eyes open, and were in rebellion against God. 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. He also saw a pale horse with a rider whose name was Death, and Hell followed with him (Rev. What is it? Outer Darkness, I always heard, was reserved for a handful of suckers like Cain and Judas who saw God and/or Jesus and were still rebellious. 1. Salvation is release from the guilt and power of sin through God's gift of grace.
