The Vitality of Mormonism: Brief Essays on Distinctive Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsTalmage, James E. (James Edward)
Religion
The Vitality of Mormonism: Brief Essays on Distinctive Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Talmage, James E. (James Edward)
Latter Day Saint churches; Latter Day Saints
As eternal life consists in knowing God and His Son Jesus Christ (John
17:3; D&C 132:24), so eternal condemnation or spiritual death is
essentially banishment from the Divine presence, with corresponding
forfeiture of glory and power appertaining to exaltation. The word of
latter-day revelation, relating to Adam's spiritual death, and to the
final or as we call it, the second death, which is reserved for the
ungodly, runs as follows: "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." (D&C 29:41.)
The Lamanite prophet, Samuel, had a clear understanding of the matter,
as thus expressed: "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, the same is not hewn and cast
into the fire; but 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." (Book of Mormon, Helaman 14:17-18.)
We are assured that all who win place and part in the first
resurrection--distinctively the resurrection of the just--shall
be exempt from the second death, and shall find their way open to
exaltation in the presence of God.
There is a place or condition of punishment even deeper than hell.
This is prepared for those who have sinned most grievously, who have
received the testimony of Christ and afterward wilfully and with
consciousness of what they were doing, have surrendered themselves to
the power and service of Satan. "They are they who are the sons of
perdition, of whom I say that it had been better for them never to have
been born. . . . These are they who shall go away into the lake of fire
and brimstone, with the devil and his angels, and the only ones on whom
the second death shall have any power." (D&C 76:32-37.)
-- 87 --
ANTIQUITY OF THE GOSPEL
As Old as Adam
THE old Anglo-Saxon words "god" and "spel," from which our Anglicized
term Gospel is a lineal descendant, signified in combination "the good
news of God." In a theological sense, and indeed according to common
usage, "The Gospel" is thus defined: "Good news or tidings, especially
the announcement of the salvation of men through the atoning death of
Jesus Christ." (Stand. Dict.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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