Commenting
on whether there will be few or many Sons (and Daughters!) of Perdition, Owen
K. Peterson wrote:
It is said that there will be few who become
sons of perdition and who will therefore suffer the second death. However, a
careful reading of the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, suggests that
there may actually be more than a few who ultimately suffer that fate.
The view that only a very few will die the
second death seems to be based on the idea that few had had the opportunity to
receive the knowledge and enlightenment in this life necessary to qualify for
such a condemnation. While it is true that there have been long periods in
human history when the gospel in its fullness was not found among the known
nations of the earth, there have been some significant periods when the gospel
was on the earth and widely disseminated. During the dispensation of Adam the
gospel was known among a population that must have grown very large because of the
long lifespan of Adam’s descendants. In the days of Enoch the gospel resulted
in a while city being translated. In the days of Noah the gospel was taught to
all the people prior to the flood and as a result many were caught up to Zion
thereby escaping the flood (see Moses 7:27) . . . It is true that the fullness
of the gospel among the Gentiles of the old world in the era of the apostles
had a fairly short duration, still there must have been many hundreds of
thousands who heard its message during perhaps a 150-200 year period when some
measure of priesthood authority must have been present. After a long period of
darkness the gospel is now spreading throughout the world with upwards of 15
million members as of 2014. Besides these we have reason to believe that among
the lost ten tribes the gospel has been present and that millions must have
embraced it over the millennia. And then there is the millennium during which
the gospel will fill the earth and many billions will be blessed by it.
Thus it seems reasonable to conclude that in
the history of the world up to the present many multiple billions of people have
had the opportunity to receive the fullness of the gospel and mong them there
must be many who could have become sons of perdition through willful rebellion.
In each dispensation there must have been many like the people in the Book of
Mormon who, after nearly 200 years of righteousness, “did not dwindle in
unbelief, but [who] did wilfully rebel against the gospel of Christ” (4 Nephi
1:38). Referring to such souls, Joseph Fielding Smith said: “I have no idea in
my mind that every soul that has lived upon the face of the earth, who has died
and gone to the spirit world, is going to repent and receive the gospel. There
will be many that will not do that.
Our scriptures point to that act. They are not going to receive the gospel in
the spirit world, when their souls are full of bitterness and hate towards the
truth, but they have a right to have it taught to them” (CR, April 1959, p. 23, emphasis added). Since Elder Smith has made
it clear that those who inherit the telestial kingdom must accept the gospel
and repent . . .it follows that any who ultimately cannot or will not repent
must inherit a kingdom without glory—that is, they must suffer the second
death. This agrees with Helaman 14:18 and D&C 29:44. See also Joseph
Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel
Questions, Vol. 3, 194.
This statement by President Smith even allows
that one could become a son of perdition without ever actually embracing the
gospel. President Joseph F. Smith seemed to have suggested this also when he
said: “the sons of perdition, men who once were in possession of the light and
truth, but who turned away from them and denied the Lord, putting him to an
open shame, as did the Jews when they crucified
him”, will have it said to them “’Depart from me, ye cursed.’ (Matt.
25:41). I never knew you; depart into the second death, even banishment from
the presence of God for ever and ever . . . from whence there is no redemption,
neither in time nor in eternity” (Gospel Doctrine, 451, emphasis added). For
this to be the case these must necessarily have received an absolute witness
from the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ and then to have wilfully turned
from it and consented to his crucifixion.
Concerning those who live during the
Millennium, Bruce R. McConkie said: “(Isa. 65:20.) Isaiah’s description of life
and death during the Millennium seems to preserve the concept that even then—even
in that blessed day when Satan is bound and righteousness overflows—even then
men are free to come out in open rebellion and, as sinners, suffer the fate
reserve for the sons of perdition. Manifestly they, being accursed, would die
the death with which we are familiar, for their resurrection is destined to be
in that final day when those shall come forth ‘who shall remain filthy still.’
(D&C 88:102.)” (The Millennial
Messiah, 646). Such a fate must also await those who come out in open
rebellion at the end of the Millennium, causing Satan to be loosed, and who
join with him in the final battle against Michael and his angels for the souls
of men . . . thorough study of the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon,
with its strong emphasis on the fate of the wicked and the possibility of many suffering
the second death, makes this conclusion seem likely. According to Samuel the
Lamanite, the main requirement for avoiding the second death is repentance.
D&C 76 clearly states that the sons of perdition are the only ones on whom
the second death will have any power. (For some examples of the warnings
against such a fate, see 1 Nephi 10:20, 1 Nephi 15:32-35, 2 Nephi 9:46, Jacob
3:11, Mosiah 2:36-39, Mosiah 16:10-12, Mosiah 26:25-27, Alma 12;14-18, 32, Alma
13:30, Alma 41:3-4, Helaman 14:17-19, D&CC 63:17, Revelations 21:8.) (Owen
K. Peterson, The Joy of our Redemption:
An LDS Scriptural Journey [4th rev.; 2017], 100, 101-2, 103)