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. 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". How unfair is this scenario? This is what was taught by several important church leaders, including founder Joseph Smith. Mormonism. 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 Outer Darkness Dilemma - Official Website of the ex-Mormon Apologist Why practically nobody-including you, former Mormon-will ever end up in This is a Son of perdition. Latter Day Saint beliefs on hell are connected with the movement's doctrines of the plan of salvation, the degrees of glory and the telestial kingdom. 2:4). 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. In this context, outer darkness is the spirit prison, or that part of the spirit world that the wicked inhabit prior to their resurrection. 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).
Can you explain what Outer Darkness is and who will spend eternity there? They will not have access to the Holy Ghost or Heavenly Father or Jesus. 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). 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. Your generous support makes the work of MRM possible. What is Outer Darkness? . Add an RSC shortcut to this device's Homescreen, In the menu, scroll past any icons and tap. It even warns its readers to beware of the devils temptation to disbelieve the doctrine of a personal devil and that there is an actual place and/or state called hell. ", 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 "authority" to marry a man to one wife is not the same as the "authority" to marry a man to more than one wife. (You are not one of those spirits since you have a mortal body.).
Outer darkness - MormonWiki.org ). 22:13).
Hell - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord.
The Concept of Hell | Book of Mormon Central Both Luther, who taught soul sleep till the resurrection of the dead, and Calvin, who taught the immortal soul, considered the "outer darkness" references in Matthew to refer to the last judgment. One of the messages of the Book of Mormon is that people sometimes lose the desire to repent. 20:14), or the outer darkness (Matt. Even the regular Wikipedia seems confused: Sons of Perdition are: The pre-mortal spirit followers of Satan. But what is light? 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. 2:8-10) Jesus' atonement provided immortality for all people. Doctrine and Covenants / Pearl of Great Price, Mormon Objections to Christian Evangelism, Teachings of the Presidents of the Church. 6:8). 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. That it is the most severe punishment that can be meted out to man is apparent. 18:8), hell fire (Matt. They are the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, the telestial kingdom, and outer darkness. In the Book of Mormon the phrase lake of fire and brimstone is used as a metaphor for the suffering that awaits the wicked. What is the Mormon plan of salvation? They once held membership in the church (through baptism/confirmation); They had full knowledge of their apostasy from the true and restored church of Jesus Christ; They continue to fight against the LDS Church despite their knowledge. Twenty-nine times the word hell is used with descriptive modifiers, for example, depths of hell (1 Ne. 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 ). By EntropyJustKillUsNow, March 29, 2017 in Social Hall. D&C 76 does say telestial people are the ones thrust down to hell and not redeemed until the last resurrection. 22:13) if it is also a place of perpetual fire (Matt. 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.
Outer darkness - Wikipedia Women or not. 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.
Outer Darkness Definition - Mormonism Research Ministry Thank you! Following this introduction will be a discussion of the usage of these termsfirst in the New Testament, then in the Book of Mormon. 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. Just because Hitler, Mao, and Stalin along with Judas Iscariot (as mentioned above) never became Latter-day Saints apparently provides them with a much higher privilegea life in the telestial kingdom over those who once believed but left the true fold, kicking and screaming in their continued fight against the restored church of Jesus Christ. 18:8)? Alma the Younger contributed even more insight on the second death when he gave the wicked people of Ammonihah a detailed description of the fate of those who harden their hearts against the word of God: Then if our hearts have been hardened, yea, if we have hardened our hearts against the word, insomuch that it has not been found in us, then will our state be awful, for then we shall be condemned. (See Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Jesus declared that this exalted city would be brought down to hell (Matt.
Hell - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 16:18). Italics in original). Learn how your comment data is processed. . Bad as they may suffer, and awful as their punishment may be, they are not among that group which is to suffer the eternal death and banishment from all influence concerning the power of God (Conference Reports, October 1958, 21). Continuous suffering, however, is reserved only for sons of perditionthose who are still unclean after the final judgment. Just one rebellion. In Outer Darkness, there is endless lamentation and no divine presence. . Mormon doctrines are often contradictory and inconsistent.
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. So, in the Mormon view, none of these so-called polygamist marriages are valid, religiously or legally. Horror Short Film "Outer Darkness" | ALTER | Online Premiere 31,262 views Mar 31, 2022 Subscribe to ALTER on YouTube: https://goo.gl/LnXRC3 .more .more 1K Dislike Share Save Description. The sinner must deal with the self-created gulf on his own, with the help of the Savior and his Atonement. 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). Hell is a place prepared for the devil and his angels, D&C 29:37-38. 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. Are the devils before the world created sons of perdition? 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 is not a kingdom of glory. How many people. The city of Capernaum was upbraided for its lack of faith in view of the miracles Jesus performed there. 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. Christians have debated for centuries the nature of the hell fire of which Jesus spoke (Matt. In Mormonism, it depends. This is the second death. 21:8). 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. And their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever (Mosiah 3:2427; emphasis added). Hell is outer darkness; it is the lake of fire; and it is the second death. 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). The word hell is mentioned twenty-three times in the New Testament: fifteen times in the Gospels, twice in the book of Acts, once each in James and 2 Peter, and four times in the book of Revelation. 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). Articles 1 - 7 will help your candle last longer and perform its best. This page was last edited on 17 September 2010, at 20:26. So there you go, the souls who end up in Outer Darkness are clearly apostates, or not. and they were judged every man according to their works (Rev.
Bruce M. Metzger and Michael D. Coogan (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993), s.v. Also, the whole thing about Daughters of Perdition. . In the D&C, the definition of those who go to Outer Darkness is stated as: the end thereof, neither the place thereof, nor their torment, no man knows; Neither was it revealed, neither is, neither will be revealed unto man, except to them who are made partakers thereof;Nevertheless, I, the Lord, show it by vision unto many, but straightway shut it up again; Wherefore, the end, the width, the height, the depth, and the misery thereof, they understand not, neither any man except those who are ordained unto this condemnation (D&C 76:45-48). At the same time, prophets and apostles have taught that you can be sent to outer darkness for simply disbelieving or for apostasy or for being a part of a religion that doesn't have apostles. As explained in D&C 88:11-13: 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). Here is one more thing to think about: I work full time with a Christian ministry aimed at converting Mormons. 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. 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 . However, sons of perdition cannot achieve forgiveness and will be completely cast outside of the light of God. Even the wicked of the earth who never knew the power of God, after they have paid the price of their sinningfor they must suffer the excruciating torment which sins will bringshall at last come forth from the prison house. What qualifies a person to be a Son of Perdition? 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). 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. (-Joseph Smith in the King Follett Discourse), There is my definition I used in my previous post. The Book of Mormon teaches that after death, the spirits of those who "chose evil works rather than good" in mortality will be "cast out . However, not once have I ever suspected such a person to be a closet believer in Mormonism. 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. 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. 23:15). In this state of torment Alma remembered his fathers teachings about Jesus Christ and his redemptive mission. 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. 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. Banishment from the presence of God. 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. ABCs of Science and Mormonism now available in Print from Amazon! 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). [1], Other views include those of Zane C. Hodges who controversially suggested that it represents a place for those who make it to heaven based on their faith, but have failed to perform good works during their time on the earth.[2]. Conclusion
Mormons believe we existed before coming to Earth. Your email address will not be published. What do Mormons believe happened in the pre-existence? 5:22), and the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone of which the apostle John wrote (Rev. 5:22), burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matt.
Crash Course Mormonism: Outer Darkness - Mormonism Research Ministry They have said things much stranger and I am sure you know of them. Everyone is already going to the terrestrial kingdom by default. 15:29, 35; Alma 19:29; 54:7), sleep of hell (2 Ne. 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. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966), 758. This is not an easy thing to do unless you are choosing to do so while being fully aware that you are doing so. 14:18.) About 74 B.C. Does this description of God make it sound as if he is just (at least according to an LDS context)? Mormon theology ultimately portrays Outer Darkness as heaven, and Satan as the God of that realm. 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. 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. 22:13-14, D-R.). You quoted a website (Wikipedia) which is not doctrine and another website (FAIRMormon) which directly says it is not doctrine. 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. lift[ed] up his eyes and saw Abraham and Lazarus across an impassable gulf (Luke 16:23). Usually, when one is going to hell, the unspoken caveat is unless they repent. . 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.
Outer Darkness - Social Hall - Mormon Dialogue & Discussion Board 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. 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. 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. 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. So a heads up, this does not include you or any one who has ever been or will be born on Earth. 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).
Apostacy Outer darkness : r/mormon - Reddit 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. hell.. Thus, the only mortals who can possibly become sons of perdition must be Latter-day Saints who fall/fell away. In short, Outer Darkness is eternal torture. 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. So we can clearly state no women are Sons of Perdition in outer darkness. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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 with anything in Mormon doctrine, theres a lot of confusion, contradictory information and just all around ignoring a topic that should be as simple as asking a question and getting an answer. One of these guests, however, appeared without the proper wedding attire. In each of the New Testament references to outer darkness, Christ declared the punishment that awaits faithless and wicked people. It's not as simple as you make it out to be. We will, however, address some of the portrayals of other LDS beliefs and practices that were depicted in this episode. (See D&C 76:2835, 4448.) This is the choice of an individual to reject God. Publishing, 19871989), 4:227228. (Elder Bruce R. McConkie Mormon Doctrine Lecture, #2, Brigham Young University, 1967.). 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. However, I think the breakdown I have above is accurate because outer darkest is a place of permanence for the filthy. The punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, D&C 19:10-12. King Benjamin defined the cause of this great torment: Therefore if that man repenteth not, and remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his own guilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever.
The Plan of Salvation kind of negates the reason for missionary work 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. One example would not be human since they were cast out of heaven with Satan before they could receive a body. These are they who do two very specific things. If you want to make the point that Mormon Prophets have said some weird stuff, I am all for it. Gregory A. Boyd, Paul R. Eddy Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology pp285 2009 "For example, how can hell be a place of outer darkness (Matt. Unless someone has rejected love, like the Nephites, I believe there is still hope that they will repent. Your generous support makes the work of MRM possible. 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. 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. It is impossible for those who never joined Mormonism to become sons of perdition. 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. 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. 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. So apostates from the church are clearly included in this list. I can give you more than plenty of examples of that. 12:16), hell which hath no end (1 Ne. They will not have a kingdom of glory. Cain is a Son of Perdition. 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). However, based on the teaching of church leaders, I believe it is utterly impossible for any mortal to become this despised son of perdition. There are ten references to the lake of fire and brimstone in the Book of Mormon. [4] Augustine, The City of God, trans. 3:20; 10:9- 10; Eph. To the Church in Smyrna the Apostle John wrote: He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death (Rev. Doctrine and Covenants / Pearl of Great Price, Mormon Objections to Christian Evangelism, Teachings of the Presidents of the Church, Why Practically NobodyIncluding You, Former MormonWill Ever End up In Outer Darkness, Divine Love in the Fathers Plan (Dallin H. Oaks, April 2022). 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. Ellipsis mine). so we will be able to realistically discuss the likelihood that a person who left the church could ever end up in Outer Darkness. 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. It is, therefore, important to examine carefully the context of each reference. 8:1112).
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. T F It is practically impossible for those who were human to ever be sent to Outer Darkness. But Mormons do not believe that just because a Prophet said it, that it makes it true. 9:16) after the final judgment. Yea, Alma wrote, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell (Alma 36:13). Banishment from the power of God. If Lucifer had not known the effects of his rebellion, how would he ever become perdition? 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. 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.