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==Question== | ==Question== | ||
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:''I think I am safe in saying that no man can become a Son of Perdition until he has known the light. Those who have never received the light are not to become Sons of Perdition. They will be punished if they rebel against God They will have to pay the price of their sinning, but it is only those who have the light through the priesthood and through the power of God and through their membership in the Church who will be banished forever from his influence into outer darkness to dwell with the devil and his angels. That is a punishment that will not come to those who have never known the truth. 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.'' {{ref|smith1}} | :''I think I am safe in saying that no man can become a Son of Perdition until he has known the light. Those who have never received the light are not to become Sons of Perdition. They will be punished if they rebel against God They will have to pay the price of their sinning, but it is only those who have the light through the priesthood and through the power of God and through their membership in the Church who will be banished forever from his influence into outer darkness to dwell with the devil and his angels. That is a punishment that will not come to those who have never known the truth. 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.'' {{ref|smith1}} | ||
− | + | The next day, during Priesthood Session, President Stephen L <!--Editors note that L is his full middle name, not an initial, so no period!-->Richards said: | |
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+ | : It is a tremendous responsibility to bear the Holy Priesthood. I wish all of you -- perhaps all did not -- had heard what President Joseph Fielding Smith told us yesterday, something I have long believed, and I was glad to have sanction for my belief. He said in substance that there will be ''no Sons of Perdition who do not hold the Priesthood''. I have believed that for years because I do not think that the Lord in his mercy would ever condemn a man to that indescribable penalty of being put out entirely from the Kingdom and from all grace unless that man knew that Jesus was the Christ, unless he knew the power of the Christ, and he could only know that, I think by holding the Priesthood. I believe that in the main that can be said to be true -- that only men who hold the Priesthood of God stand in danger of that terrible penalty of being classed as outcasts {{ea}} .{{ref|richards.86}} | ||
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+ | Some have conclude that President Smith's citation means that only priesthood holders risk perdition. In fact,W. John Walsh, in the ''Encyclopedia of Mormonism'', uses this very statement to declare that "Church leaders have authoritatively taught that one must hold the priesthood in order to be a son of perdition."{{nc}} | ||
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+ | It should be noted, however, that the quote seems to only be referring to men to begin with, and President Richards was speaking to a congregation of men, and went on to emphasize the necessity of being worthy of the priesthood. | ||
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+ | ===Is "sons" generic?=== | ||
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+ | Interestingly, the father of the above author (Joseph F. Smith) endorsed the idea of there being males and females in perdition, but labeled them all as "sons of perdition," suggesting that he saw "sons" as generic (like "man must repent"), and not as a matter of gender: | ||
:Hence I warn you, ''my brethren and sisters'', especially my brethren, against trifling with your Bishopric, because if you do, as God lives He will withdraw His Spirit from you, and the time will come when you will be found kicking against the light and knowledge which you have received, and you may become ''sons of perdition'' {{ea}}.{{ref|jfs.1}} | :Hence I warn you, ''my brethren and sisters'', especially my brethren, against trifling with your Bishopric, because if you do, as God lives He will withdraw His Spirit from you, and the time will come when you will be found kicking against the light and knowledge which you have received, and you may become ''sons of perdition'' {{ea}}.{{ref|jfs.1}} | ||
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+ | Brigham Young used a similar expression when he said: | ||
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+ | :The names of ''every son and daughter'' of Adam are already written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Is there ever a time when they will be taken out of it? Yes, when ''they become sons of perdition'', and not till then. Every person has the privilege of retaining it there for ever and ever. If they neglect that privilege, then theft names will be erased, and not till then. All the names of the human family are written there, and the Lord will hold them there until they come to the knowledge of the truth, that they can rebel against him, and can sin against the Holy Ghost; then they will be thrust down to hell, and their names be blotted out from the Lamb's Book of Life {{ea}}.{{ref|by.1}} | ||
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+ | Here again, both sons and daughters are mentioned as being potential "sons of perdition." Brigham would later say that "All the sons and daughters of men will be saved, except the sons of perdition."{{ref|by.2}} | ||
Women do receive the light through the priesthood. The Church is built up on the power of the priesthood, but it seems inconsistent with other gospel teachings to suggest that women are not equal participants. | Women do receive the light through the priesthood. The Church is built up on the power of the priesthood, but it seems inconsistent with other gospel teachings to suggest that women are not equal participants. | ||
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#{{note|smith1}}{{CR1|author=Joseph Fielding Smith|date=October 1958|start=21}} | #{{note|smith1}}{{CR1|author=Joseph Fielding Smith|date=October 1958|start=21}} | ||
+ | #{{note|richards.86}} {{CR1|author=Stephen L Richards|date=October 1958|start=86}} | ||
#{{note|jfs.1}} {{CD1|author=Joseph F. Smith|vol=4|start=230|date=20 January 1895|article=The Second Death}} | #{{note|jfs.1}} {{CD1|author=Joseph F. Smith|vol=4|start=230|date=20 January 1895|article=The Second Death}} | ||
+ | #{{note|by.1}} {{JD6_1|start=297|author=Brigham Young|date=15 August 1852|article=Extensive Character of the Gospel—Comprehensiveness of Divine Revelation, Etc.}} | ||
+ | #{{note|by.2}} {{JD7_1|author=Brigham Young|start=281|date=7 October 1859|article=Union, etc.}} | ||
#{{note|patriarch.1}} H. Michael Marquardt, comp., ''Early Patriarchal Blessings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'' [Salt Lake City: The Smith-Pettit Foundation, 2007), 106. | #{{note|patriarch.1}} H. Michael Marquardt, comp., ''Early Patriarchal Blessings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'' [Salt Lake City: The Smith-Pettit Foundation, 2007), 106. | ||
This article is a draft. FairMormon editors are currently editing it. We welcome your suggestions on improving the content.
This page is based on an answer to a question submitted to the FAIR web site, or a frequently asked question.
Are there women who would be among those cast into outer darkness? Are there female 'Sons of Perdition'?
FAIR is not aware of any official Church position on this issue.
The idea that women cannot become "sons of perdition" likely comes from DC 84꞉40-41:
Some interpret this to mean that to become a "son of perdition," one must first hold the priesthood. It does, in fact, state that if one knows the priesthood and denies it, it is unforgivable. However, it does not suggest that that is the only way to become a son of perdition. DC 76꞉31-32 lays out the criteria for being a son of perdition:
There is also the following Joseph Fielding Smith quote which leads many to believe that only priesthood holders can be sons of perdition:
The next day, during Priesthood Session, President Stephen L Richards said:
Some have conclude that President Smith's citation means that only priesthood holders risk perdition. In fact,W. John Walsh, in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, uses this very statement to declare that "Church leaders have authoritatively taught that one must hold the priesthood in order to be a son of perdition."[citation needed]
It should be noted, however, that the quote seems to only be referring to men to begin with, and President Richards was speaking to a congregation of men, and went on to emphasize the necessity of being worthy of the priesthood.
Interestingly, the father of the above author (Joseph F. Smith) endorsed the idea of there being males and females in perdition, but labeled them all as "sons of perdition," suggesting that he saw "sons" as generic (like "man must repent"), and not as a matter of gender:
Brigham Young used a similar expression when he said:
Here again, both sons and daughters are mentioned as being potential "sons of perdition." Brigham would later say that "All the sons and daughters of men will be saved, except the sons of perdition."[5]
Women do receive the light through the priesthood. The Church is built up on the power of the priesthood, but it seems inconsistent with other gospel teachings to suggest that women are not equal participants.
In addition, 2 Nephi 2꞉11 states clearly that there is opposition in all things.
For every evil, there is an equal and opposite good and vice versa. It seems logical that if women are capable of exaltation, they are also capable of perdition.
Indeed, Joseph Smith's father--in his capacity as Patriarch of the Church--warned against becoming a "daughter of perdition" through apostasy.[6]
Other Church authorities and authors that have endorsed the idea of sons and daughters of perdition include.
Therefore, the criteria for becoming a "son of perdition" are:
If we argue that women are not capable of this, which of these two things are we saying that women are not capable of? Obviously they are capable of the first and if they aren't capable of the second, then that completely flies in the face of agency.
It is possible that the idea that women are not capable of perdition is part of a phenomenon of so-called "woman worship" that sometimes goes on at church. The men put themselves down, praising the sisters, saying their wives are more righteous than they are, that there are "more women in heaven," mothers are all angels, and so on. It's a nice sentiment, but it's incorrect and it does not do justice to the female mortal experience. Men who think that women are, as a whole, better simply don't know enough women or perhaps don't know the women they do know well enough. Women are social networkers and are naturally more concerned with the social consequences to their actions (i.e., hurting someone's feelings, betraying someone, being embarrassed, etc). The reality is that women are just as human and flawed as men, and capable of good and evil to the same capacity as men. They are simply different and therefore prone to different behaviors.
It seems, on balance, that one could draw the conclusion that women can become sons of perdition. Perhaps "daughters" is more accurate, but this is purely semantics, and at least one Church leader (Joseph F. Smith) used the expression "sons of perdition" to refer to both women and men.
There is a chance that daughters of perdition are fundamentally different from sons of perdition, but one could suggest that the difference is not in degree of transgression, but rather simply different as it pertains to their genders.
Most Latter-day Saints would regard this as a point of theoretical or hair-splitting interest only—surely no one aspires to be a son/daughter of perdition! This is likely the reason for which we are told so little about the matter. As the Lord told Joseph Smith about those who go to perdition,
J. Reuben Clark |
This is one of many issues about which the Church has no official position. As President J. Reuben Clark taught under assignment from the First Presidency:
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Harold B. Lee |
Harold B. Lee was emphatic that only one person can speak for the Church:
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First Presidency |
This was recently reiterated by the First Presidency (who now approves all statements published on the Church's official website):
In response to a letter "received at the office of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" in 1912, Charles W. Penrose of the First Presidency wrote:
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References |
Notes
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