Sons of Perdition and the Resurrection

Improvement era Vol. XXV JUNE, 1922 No. 8 Sons of Perdition and the Resurrection' By President Charles W Penrose There are some little things that people get jangling about, I am sorry to say, in some of our classes. For instance: In section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants there is one of the grandest revelations that I ever saw in my life in any book; there is nothing in the Bible that compares with it; there is nothing in any book that I ever read that compares with it, for glory, for perfection, for detail, for a revelation of the plans of the Father for the salvation of his children. Now, in that revelation, we are told what the gospel is, and we are told for what it was designed, and that the name of Jesus Christ was given to the Savior of the world, and that the time will come when he will save all except certain ones that are named there. The three different degrees of glory are made very plain and clear, I think, to all people who will read with a prayerful heart. The celestial glory is likened to the sun, be- cause the sun is the biggest luminary that we know much about; the sun in our firmament is to us the brightest orb that re- volves, and the glory of the celestial kingdom is, therefore, lik- ened to the sun. The glory of the terrestrial kingdom is likened to the moon, because the moon is second in our sight in glory ; and the third degree, telestial, is called the glory of the stars, and as one star differs from another star in its magnitude and glory, according to what we know of astronomy, so it is called the telestial kingdom. Now, Jesus Christ will bring forth all these in the resurrection from the dead, even the malefactors and the extortioners and those who love and make a lie — the wickedest kind of people, after they have suffered the penalty of the wrath of God, so that justice is satisfied, will be brought *From a sermon delivered at the April, 1922, General Conference of the Church.

672 IMPROVEMENT ERA forth into some degree of glory. Those who get into the ce- lestial kingdom have to attend to certain ordinances that are explained, and those who get into the terrestrial kingdom are to have certain qualities that are explained; there are several degrees in that one glory; and so in the telestial world, the worst kind of humanity, all except those few that are called "Sons of Perdition." The meaning of that is made very plain. There was an angel in the presence of God, of great authority and power, and he was called a Son of the Morning, a bright luminary among the spirits in the celestial world, and he rebelled against the Father and tried to get the glory that belonged to the Son, and he was turned away and cast down with those who followed him, and he was called Perdition, and the heavens wept over him when he was cast out. Then those, who by his power, while they are in the flesh, after receiving the testimony of Jesus Christ, the spirit of prophecy; after receiving the Holy Ghost, turn away from its light altogether and deny the Holy Ghost and deny the Father and the Son; when they thus turn away, they come under Satan's power and his dominion and are called Sons of Perdition, and these are the exceptions to the rule spoken of in that revelation. All the rest are brought forth by the resurrection of the dead into some degree of glory, as explained, not in that single verse, as some people think it ought to have been, but throughout the whole revelation, and we learn clearly that those who are eventually saved, redeemed, brought out of darkness, brought out of punishment, they are brought forth by the resurrection of the dead, into one of these degrees of glory, all but these exceptions. He says he saves all except them; they shall go away with the devil and his angels into everlasting punishment. All Mankind, Good and Evil, will be Resurrected Now then, some of our brethren have taken a notion in their heads that when he says all except them, it means they will not be resurrected. I would like briefly to refer you to the 88th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, in which this subject is elaborated; that is, the things revealed in the 76th section in regard to these three different degrees of glory into which all these persons are brought forth to salvation, are congregated and arranged and organized with these exceptions. Now, in the 88th section, you will find that the Lord goes into further de- tails, and he shows that when the resurrection comes, those who are of a celestial spirit, having obeyed the celestial law, will be quickened by the celestial glory. Then comes the next de- gree, those who receive the terrestrial principles, and they come

SONS OF PERDITION AND THE RESURRECTION 673 forth and are quickened by the terrestrial glory. Then comes the third group. These are they who come forth in the te- lestial glory, and their glory differs as one star differs from another, and they shall each be judged according to their works, as all will be. So there are various degrees of these peo- ple, who are brought forth according to their crimes and their punishments and their redemption; they come forth into the glory of the stars, and it says: "They who remain" — who are they that remain? It tells us these are the exceptions, these who go away with the devil and his angels and are called Sons of Perdition, and they who remain shall also be quickened; but they shall return to their own place, because they would not re- ceive that which they might have had, but frittered away their time and season for repentance, and they go away into everlasting punishment with the devil and his angels. Read section 29 of the Doctrine and Covenants, particularly verses 26-30; also 88: 32, 33. "Well, now," say some persons, "won't they be redeemed some time? How do you know?" Why the Lord does not tell you and he says he will not do it. He says it is not revealed; the height and the depth and the extent and the end thereof is not revealed; so do not try to find out for yourselves, with- out the Lord reveals something about it; and if he does, he will not reveal it to you or me for the Church, but will reveal it to us, if at all, for our own enlightenment. I know that the Lord reveals things to men for their enlightenment and bless- ing and comfort and qualification in times of stress and pain and deliverance; he reveals things to them by the power of the Spirit which searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God, but when the Lord is going to reveal anything for the Church, he will reveal it to the one man appointed for the purpose of revealing something new to the Church. Our Struggle is to Obtain Celestial Glory Now, brethren, won't it be just as well to leave that alone? Some of our brethren are so anxious regarding Lucifer: "Shall not Lucifer be redeemed some time? Won't the time come when he will repent?" If that time does come probably he would be restored to something; but repentance does not come to everybody. People sin away the time when they can repent — they cannot be saved without it. Repentance is a principle of the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ. Why are some folks so anxious about that? Do any of our brothers and sisters ever expect to struggle to get into the telestial kingdom? You need not bother about that query. Do you expect to get into the terrestrial? You need not bother about that. You are

674 IMPROVEMENT ERA after the celestial kingdom; are we not all on the road, striving to overcome our little infirmities and weaknesses of nature inherited from our ancestors, and to overcome the world and the devil, as well as the flesh? Are we not candidates for the celestial glory? Certainly we are, and what we should be anxious about is to perform our duty today, to be Latter-day Saints in very deed; to serve the Lord, to keep his command- ments and to remember the commandment of the Father: "There is the Son hear Him." Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ. That is the word of the Lord to us in these latter days, for he is the revealer to us. Now then, suppose these people sometime could repent, what have you got to do with it? You take the New Testament and read the last chapter in the gospel according to St. John, and you will find a little account there of a colloquy between Jesus and Peter. He told Peter to feed his sheep; then he told him to feed his lambs, and then Peter turned around and said, concerning John, "What shall this man do?" He said, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" You feed my sheep. That, I think, is a very good lesson for all of us. What does it matter to us about Lucifer? What does it matter to us whether the Sons of Perdition ever get redemption? The Lord has not revealed it. and he says he does not reveal it except to them who are made partakers thereof. Don't pre- tend to know any more than your brethren on these matters. I say unto you, whether Lucifer shall be redeemed, or these Sons of Perdition be redeemed, what mattereth it to you? You do your duty; you candidates for celestial glory, go on, con- tinuing to serve the Lord, keep his commandments; do your duty; if you are called upon to preach abroad — go out into the world and preach — you cannot have a better occupation. Sunset When the day is ended and the calm of eventide Falls o'er the earth, as we sit side by side; Let us together see its glory full — The sunset hour in vestments beautiful. When the song is finished and the echoes die away, Somewhere out yonder where the hills are gray ; Let us together search the realms afar, For angel harmonies beyond the evening star. When Life's day closes; when the task is done; When mine eyes are curtained from the setting sun, Hold, love, my hand in the waning light. While I whisper once more: "Goodnight!" — Goodnight!" 'Herald*' Lethbridge, Canada Frank C. Steele