What Is Spiritual Death?

What is Spiritual Death?

By Joseph F. Smith, Jr., of the Council of the Twelve

What is spiritual death? This question has disturbed the

peace of mind of many good people, and has been a subject for

discussion in religious bodies where the testimony of the Spirit

of the Lord does not control. Yet, the answer to this question

is not a difficult one, and should be readily found by any mem-

ber of the Church who is familiar with the scriptures.

Death, according to the accepted definition of the word,

when applied to mortal man is a state of total and permanent

cessation of all the vital functions, and is followed by the dis-

solution of the body which returns to the various elements of

which it is composed. "For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt

thou return," was the decree of the Lord to Adam after his fall.

When death takes place the spirit which is released finds its way

into the realm prepared for departed spirits, there to await the

resurrection when again spirit and body will be united to con-

tinue inseparably in the state of immortality throughout eternity.

The fact that after death the body decays and crumbles into

dust has led many to reason falsely that the second, or spiritual,

death will be the dissolution of the spirit as well as of the body,

and that this death will be pronounced upon all the wicked.

This, however, is an error. The physical death, or the death of

the mortal man, is not a permanent separation of the spirit and

the tabernacle of flesh, notwithstanding the fact that the body

returns again to the elements, but is only a temporary separation

which shall cease at the resurrection day when the body shall be

called forth from the dust to live again animated by spirit. This

blessing comes to all men through the atonement of Christ, irre-

spective of their goodness or wickedness while in mortality. Paul

said there should be a resurrection of both the just and the

unjust (Acts 24:15), and the Savior said that all who were in

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their graves should hear his voice and should come forth "they

that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they

that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John

5:29).

Spiritual death is denned as "a state of spiritual alienation

from God — the eternal separation from the Supreme Being, and

condemnation to everlasting punishment which is also called the

second death." In other words, the second, or spiritual, death,

which is the final judgment passed upon the wicked, is the same

as the first death, banishment from the presence of the Lord.

We read in the Doctrine and Covenants as follows:

"Wherefore I the Lord God caused that he [Adam] should be cast out

from the garden of Eden, from my presence, because of his transgression,

wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same

death, which is the last death, which is spiritual, which shall be pronounced

upon the wicked when I shall say, Depart, ye cursed.

"But, behold, I say unto you, that I the Lord God gave unto Adam and

unto his seed that they should not die as to the temporal death, until I the

Lord God should send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and

redemption, through faith on the name of mine Only Begotten Son.

"And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his pro-

bation; that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto

eternal life, even as many as would believe.

"And they that believe not unto eternal damnation, for they cannot be

redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not."

From this we learn that because of Adam's transgression, a

spiritual death, — banishment from the presence of the Lord —

as well as the temporal death, was pronounced upon him. The

spiritual death came at the time of the fall and banishment, and

the seeds of the temporal death were also sown at that same

time; that is, a physical change came over Adam and Eve who

became mortal and were thus subject to the ills of the flesh

which resulted in their gradual decline to old age and finally

the separation of the spirit from the body.

Before this change took place the Lord by his own voice

and the visitation and ministration of angels taught Adam the

principles of the gospel and administered unto him the saving

ordinances through which he was again restored to the favor of

the Lord and to his presence, through the promised atonement

of the Son of God. Moreover, through that atonement, not only

Adam, but all his posterity were redeemed from the effects of

the fall, and shall come forth in the resurrection to receive im-

mortality.

The following scripture is very clear on this point:

"But, behold, it was appointed unto man to die; therefore as they were

cut off from the tree of life they should be cut off from the face of the

earth, and man became lost forever; yea, they became fallen man.

"And now we see by this, that our first parents were cut off both tern-

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL DEATH? 193

porally and spiritually, from the presence of the Lord; and thus we see

they became subject to follow after their own will.

"Now behold it was not expedient that man should be reclaimed from

this temporal death, for that would destroy the great plan of happiness;

"Therefore, as the soul could never die, and the fall had brought upon

all mankind a spiritual death as well as a temporal; that is they were cut

off from the presence of the Lord; it was expedient that mankind should be

reclaimed from this spiritual death;

"Therefore as they had become carnal, sensual, and devilish, by nature,

this probationary state became a state for them to prepare; it became a

preparatory state" (Alma 42:8-10).

From this and the succeeding verses we discover that it was

necessary, after the expulsion from the garden, for the Lord to

place within the reach of Adam and his posterity the means of

escape from the spiritual death, and the gospel plan was pre-

sented to them for that purpose that they could again be brought

back in touch with the Lord through his Holy Spirit. But it

was not expedient for them at that time to be redeemed from the

mortal death, for the probationary state was given for them to

prepare for their eternal reward. For this preparatory state

was a proving time for all mankind that they, through their

agency, might work out their salvation through obedience, or

their condemnation through disobedience, to the laws of the

gospel. The second chapter and the ninth chapter of II Nephi

treat this subject at considerable length.

Helaman in the fourteenth chapter and seventeenth and

eighteenth verses of that book adds the following:

"But, behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even

all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord;

"Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that whoso-

ever repenteth, the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire; but who-

soever repenteth not, is hewn down and cast into the fire, and there cometh

upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off

again as to things pertaining to righteousness."

Alma testifies as follows :

"Now, behold, I have spoken unto you, concerning the death of the

mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body, I say

unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body; that is from

death; even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their

spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole be-

coming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption"

(Alma 11:45).

From the Doctrine and Covenants we receive this testimony :

"But, behold, verily I say unto you, before the earth shall pass away,

Michael, mine archangel, shall sound his trump, and then shall all the dead

awake, for their graves shall be opened, and they shall come forth; yea,

even all.

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"And the righteous shall be gathered on my right hand unto eternal

life; and the wicked on my left hand will I be ashamed to own before the

Father" (Sec. 29:26-27).

So we learn from the revealed word of God that all mankind

will be redeemed from mortal death, both the just and the un-

just, and shall stand before the bar of God to be judged accord-

ing to their deeds while living in this life. Banishment from

the presence of the Lord, which is the second death, shall be

pronounced upon all those who remain, unredeemed from their

sins. They shall go away to partake of their punishment and

to pay the penalty of their evil deeds. However, in the mercies

of the Lord, all those who have not sinned away all their rights

to redemption shall eventually be redeemed from death and

hell, and shall find a place somewhere in the kingdom of God

which is suited to their condition of salvation (See the Doctrine

and Covenants, sections 76:81-106; 88:17-32).

All those who have sinned away their claims to redemption,

having placed themselves beyond the power of repentance and

the forgiveness of sins, are sons of perdition. These are they,

the scriptures inform us, who have known the power of the Lord,

been partakers thereof, but denied the Holy Spirit after receiv-

ing it, and crucified the Savior again unto themselves and put

him to an open shame, who cannot be redeemed. Therefore the

Father "saves all the works of his hands, except those sons of

perdition, who deny the Son after the Father has revealed him"

(D. and C. 76:31-44).

Their punishment is the spiritual death which in another

place is clearly defined by Alma as follows:

"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 the temporal death, shall also die a spiritual death; yea, he shall

die as to things pertaining unto righteousness. * * *

"Then I say unto you, they shall be as though there had been no re-

demption made; for they cannot be redeemed according to God's justice;

and they cannot die, seeing there is no more corruption" (12:16-18).

One more quotation from the Lamanite prophet, Samuel,

will suffice:

"But, behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even

all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord;

"Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that whosoever

repenteth not, is hewn down and cast into the fire, and there cometh upon

them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again

as to things pertaining to righteousness" (Helaman 14:17-18).

From these passages, and there are many more that could

be given, we learn that the second death is not the destruction

of the body and the spirit, but a banishment into outer -darkness

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away from the presence of the Lord, where they who partake of

it are without the light, and dead as to all things pertaining to

righteousness. They cannot be led by the Spirit of the Lord,

their advancement is shut off, for they become followers of, and

subject to, the will of Lucifer, once Son of the Morning, but now

Perdition, the father of lies, because he rebelled against the

Father and sought to destroy his work.

Let us be thankful, indeed, that the number who shall thus

be punished are very, very few, and only those who wilfully

place themselves beyond the power of redemption will partake

thereof. "All the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection

of the dead, through the triumph and the glory of the Lamb,

who was slain, who was in the bosom of the Father, before the

worlds were made."