Doctrine and Covenants 76

<p>The theology of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is comprehensive, universal, merciful, and true. Following the necessary experience of mortal life, all sons and daughters of God will ultimately be resurrected and go to a kingdom of glory. The righteous&mdash;regardless of current religious denomination or belief&mdash;will ultimately go to a kingdom of glory more wonderful than any of us can comprehend. Even the wicked, or almost all of them, will ultimately go to a marvelous&mdash;though lesser&mdash;kingdom of glory. All of that will occur because of God&rsquo;s love for his children and because of the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ, &ldquo;who glorifies the Father, and saves all the works of his hands&rdquo; (D&amp;C 76:43).</p>

<p>Just as chalk can be removed from a blackboard, with sincere repentance the effects of our transgression can be erased through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. That promise applies in every case.</p> <p>The gospel teaches us to be happy, to have faith rather than fear, to find hope and overcome despair, to leave darkness and turn toward the light of the everlasting gospel.</p> <p>Paul and others warned about the trials of our time and the days yet to come. But peace can be settled in the heart of each who turns to the scriptures and unlocks the promises of protection and redemption that are taught therein. We invite all to turn to the Savior Jesus Christ, to His teachings as found in the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.</p> <p>I bear certain witness of the scriptures as a key to our spiritual protection. I also bear witness of the healing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, &ldquo;that through him all might be saved&rdquo; (D&amp;C 76:42) who will be saved. The Lord&rsquo;s Church has been established on the earth once again. Of the truthfulness of the gospel I bear witness. Of Him I am a witness. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.</p>

<p>[Christ] was the Divine Redeemer, the Savior of all mankind, the Firstborn in the spirit and the Only Begotten in the flesh. He was the Prince of Peace. He &ldquo;came into the world &hellip; to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness; That through him all might be saved. &hellip;&rdquo; (D&amp;C 76:41&ndash;42)</p> <p>What he did for us we could never do for ourselves, and his example of love and service and sacrifice and seeking first the kingdom of God is our guidestar and our path.</p>

<p>The Lord has explained to us very clearly in the revelations what salvation means. He has pointed out in one of these revelations &mdash; section 76, which is known to us as The Vision &mdash; very clearly who shall enter the celestial kingdom. He has pointed out who shall enter the terrestrial kingdom, and who shall enter the telestial kingdom. These are three great kingdoms into which mankind will go; there will be some few exceptions. 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. Sons of Perdition are to be cast out with the devil and his angels into outer darkness (D&amp;C 76:31-38). Into the telestial kingdom will go, according to that which is written here in this revelation, the vicious, the unclean, the ungodly.</p>

<p>Following a vision of the original son of perdition, another vision opens to reveal the fate of those who kept their first estate, but after coming to earth become sons of perdition. The sin against the Holy Ghost, which Alma speaks of as an “unpardonable” sin (Alma 39:6), is explained in greatest detail here. The text explains that these individuals deny not only the witness of the Holy Ghost but also the witness of the Son, “having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame” (D&C 76:35). The terrible fate of the sons of perdition rests upon the great knowledge that has been bestowed upon them and upon the responsibility that comes from having a sure witness of the truth, and then denying it.</p> <p>Joseph Smith explained in greater detail why the penalties placed upon the sons of perdition are so severe: </p> <blockquote> <p>All sins shall be forgiven except the sin against the Holy Ghost; for Jesus will save all except the sons of perdition. What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin? he must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against him: after a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost there is no repentance for him; he 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; and from that time he begins to be an enemy. This is the case with many apostates of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When a man begins to be an enemy to this work, he hunts me—he seeks to kill me, and never ceases to thirst for my blood. He gets the spirit of the Devil—the same spirit that they had who crucified the Lord of life—the same spirit that sins against the Holy Ghost. You cannot save such persons—you cannot bring them to repentance; they make open war like the Devil and awful is the consequence.”<a href="#_ftn1" id="_ftnref1" title="" class="see-footnote">[1]</a></p> </blockquote> <div class="footnotes"> <p class="footnote"><a href="#_ftnref1" id="_ftn1" title="" class="footnote-label">[1]</a> JS History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844], p. 1976, JSP. </p> </div>

<p>What is the ultimate fate of the sons of perdition? This passage of the vision confirms that they are “the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power; Yea, verily, the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord” (D&C 76:37–39). However, even sons of perdition receive blessings because of the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Paul and Alma both teach that the Resurrection is universal for all of God’s children who kept their first estate and came to earth (1 Corinthians 15:22; Alma 11:41–45). A later revelation to Joseph Smith also confirmed that the sons of perdition will be resurrected (D&C 88:102). The poetic version of these verses of Doctrine and Covenants 76 reads,</p> <blockquote> <p>They are they, who must groan through the great second death,</p> <p>And are not redeemed in the time of the Lord;</p> <p>While all the rest are, through the triumph of Christ,</p> <p>Made partakers of grace, by the power of his word.<a href="#_ftn1" id="_ftnref1" title="" class="see-footnote">[1]</a></p> </blockquote> <p>“All the rest” described in the poem consist of the celestial, terrestrial, or telestial beings who are redeemed from the second death, or spiritual death. All except the sons of perdition will return to the presence of God, even if it is only a temporary return. Samuel the Lamanite proclaimed, </p> <p>For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord. Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual. But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord. (Helaman 14:15–17)</p> <div class="footnotes"> <p class="footnote"><a href="#_ftnref1" id="_ftn1" title="" class="footnote-label">[1]</a> Poem to William W. Phelps, between circa 1 and circa 15 February 1843, p. 83, stanza 31, JSP.</p> </div>