List of Doctrines on "Spiritual Death"
796. Because of the Fall of Adam all people were cut off from the presence of the Lord and are considered spiritually dead.
797. There is a second spiritual death wherein the sons of perdition will be banished from the presence of God and from His light forever.
796. Because of the Fall of Adam all people were cut off from the presence of the Lord and are considered spiritually dead.
Samuel, the Lamanite
Bruce R. McConkie
Alma, the younger
Marion G. Romney
Elder Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Smith
Samuel, the Lamanite,
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
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. (Samuel preaches to the Nephites that Christ, through his death and resurrection, redeems men from temporal and spiritual death, about 6 B.C.) Helaman 14:16
Bruce R. McConkie
The first death, in point of time, was spiritual. Spiritual death is to die as pertaining to the things of righteousness; it is to be cast out of the presence of the Lord, in which presence spirituality and righteousness abound. Adam died this death when he left Eden, and he remained dead until he was born again by the power of the Spirit following his baptism.
Temporal death is the natural death. It consists of the separation of the body and the spirit, the one going to the grave, the other to a world of waiting spirits to await the day of resurrection. Adam died temporally within a thousand years, which is a day unto the Lord.
Thus the temporal fall is to die and lose the house prepared as an habitation for the eternal spirit, and the spiritual fall is to be denied the presence of God and the righteousness which there abounds.
"To atone is to ransom, reconcile, expiate, redeem, reclaim, absolve, propitiate, make amends, pay the penalty." (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed., p. 62) Our Lord's atoning sacrifice was one in which he conquered both temporal and spiritual death. (The Promised Messiah, p. 224) TLDP:647
Alma, the younger,
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
And now, ye see by this that our first parents were cut off both temporally and spiritually from the presence of the Lord; and thus we see they became subjects to follow after their own will.
8. Now behold, it was not expedient that man should be reclaimed from this temporal death, for that would destroy the great plan of happiness.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. And now remember, my son, if it were not for the plan of redemption, (laying it aside) as soon as they were dead their souls were miserable, being cut off from the presence of the Lord. (Alma speaks to his son Corianton, concerning the resurrection of the dead, about 73 B.C.) Alma 42:7-11
Marion G. Romney
Spiritual death means banishment from God. It was the first death which passed upon Adam. It will be the last death to pass upon the still unrepentant at the days of final judgment. It is infinitely more far-reaching and terrible than physical death. . . .
Man, being within the grasp of the demands of justice, could not make the required atonement. So far as he was concerned, he was forever bound. By the exercise of his own will, he had incurred the penalty of the broken law, and he could not, by himself alone, remove the penalty. He had to be rescued by someone other than himself or remain forever spiritually dead.
The required atonement had to be made by someone upon whom spiritual death had not passed, someone over whom the demands of justice had no claim. Such a one could be none other than a god—a god who, endowed with free agency, would in mortality submit himself to the temptations of Satan without once yielding thereto in any particular. . . .
It is clear that our ability to repent, as well as the efficacy of our repentance, comes as a gift from the Redeemer. It is one of the fruits of his atonement. This gift men reject at their peril. Unless they exercise it, they remain spiritually dead. . . . For it takes repentance to bring one within reach of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ . . . while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice. (Look to God and Live, pp. 90-92, 99-100) TLDP:646-47
Elder Joseph F. Smith
. . .I want to speak a word or two in relation to another death, which is a more terrible death than that of the body. When Adam our first parent, partook of the forbidden fruit, transgressed the law of God, and became subject unto Satan, he was banished from the presence of God, and was thrust out into outer spiritual darkness. This was the first death. Yet living, he was dead—dead to God, dead to light and truth, dead spiritually; cast out from the presence of God; communication between the Father and the Son was cut off. He was as absolutely thrust out from the presence of God as was Satan and the hosts that followed him. That was spiritual death. But the Lord said that he would not suffer Adam nor his posterity to come to the temporal death until they should have the means by which they might be redeemed from the first death, which is spiritual. Therefore angels were sent unto Adam, who taught him the gospel, and revealed to him the principle by which he could be redeemed from the first death, and be brought back from banishment and outer darkness into the marvelous light of the gospel. He was taught faith, repentance and baptism for the remission of sins, in the name of Jesus Christ, who should come in the meridian of time and take away the sins of the world, and was thus given a chance to be redeemed from the spiritual death before he should die the temporal death.
Now, all the world today, I am sorry to say, with the exception of a handful of people who have obeyed the new and everlasting covenant, are suffering this spiritual death. They are cast out from the presence of God. They are without God, without gospel truth, and without the power of redemption; for they know not God nor his gospel. In order that they may be redeemed and saved from the spiritual death which has spread over the world like a pall, they must repent of their sins, and be baptized by one having authority, for the remission of their sins, that they may be born of God. CR1899Oct:72
Joseph Smith,
receiving the Word of the Lord
receiving the Word of the Lord
Wherefore, it came to pass that the devil tempted Adam, and he partook of the forbidden fruit and transgressed the commandment, wherein he became subject to the will of the devil, because he yielded unto temptation.
41. Wherefore, I, the Lord God, caused that he 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.
42. 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.
43. And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his probation—that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe;
44. And they that believe not unto eternal damnation; for they cannot be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not;
45. For they love darkness rather than light, and their deeds are evil, and they receive their wages of whom they list to obey. (Revelation received in the presence of six elders, Sept. 1830) D&C 29:40-45
797. There is a second spiritual death wherein the sons of perdition will be banished from the presence of God and from His light forever.
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
Joseph Smith
Marion G. Romney
Related Witnesses
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith
George Q. Cannon
President Brigham Young
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
As all things have their opposites, there is a punishment which is the opposite to eternal life, which punishment is the "heaviest of all cursings." [See D&C 41:1.] This is the second or spiritual death, which is banishment from the presence of God and from his light and truth forever. (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:218) TLDP:647
Joseph Smith
For they are vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the devil and his angels in eternity. . . .
37. And the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power;
38. Yea, verily, the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath. (Vision to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, Feb. 16, 1832) D&C 76:33,37-38
Marion G. Romney
Spiritual death means banishment from God. It was the first death which passed upon Adam. It will be the last death to pass upon the still unrepentant at the days of final judgment. It is infinitely more far-reaching and terrible than physical death. . . . (Look to God and Live, p. 90) TLDP:646
Related Witnesses:
Joseph Smith,
quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
There have been remarks made concerning all men being redeemed from hell; but I say that those who sin against the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiven in this world or in the world to come; they shall die the second death. Those who commit the unpardonable sin are doomed to Gnolom—to dwell in hell, worlds without end. As they concoct scenes of bloodshed in this world, so they shall rise to that resurrection which is as the lake of fire and brimstone. Some shall rise to the everlasting burnings of God; for God dwells in everlasting burnings, and some shall rise to the damnation of their own filthiness, which is as exquisite a torment as the lake of fire and brimstone. (To the Church in general conference—to a congregation of 20,000—"King Follett Sermon," April 7, 1844) (See HC6:302-17, also see The Words of Joseph Smith, pp. 340-62.) TPJS:361
Joseph Smith,
receiving the Word of the Lord
receiving the Word of the Lord
Hearken and hear, O ye my people, saith the Lord and your God, ye whom I delight to bless with the greatest of all blessings, ye that hear me; and ye that hear me not will I curse, that have professed my name, with the heaviest of all cursings. (Revelation received Feb. 4, 1831) D&C 41:1
George Q. Cannon
A careful reading of these verses [D&C 76:38-39], however, and especially of the preceding paragraphs, will show that the Lord does not, in this language, exclude even the sons of perdition from the resurrection. It is plain that the intention is to refer to them explicitly as the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power: "for all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead, through the triumph and the glory of the Lamb." This excluded class are the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power, and "the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord after the sufferings of his wrath." ("The Resurrection As Affecting the Sons of Perdition," Juvenile Instructor, Feb. 15, 1900, p. 123) TLDP:635-36
President Brigham Young
What is that we call death, compared to the agonies of the second death? If people could see it, as Joseph and Sidney saw it, they would pray that the vision be closed up; for they could not endure the sight. (At Logan, Utah, Aug. 15, 1876, JD18:217) TLDP:647
