The most serious sins in the sight of the Lord are: (1) denying the Holy Ghost, (2) shedding of innocent blood, and (3) immorality, as stated by Alma to Corianton. This is the Doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We will discuss these three sins in the order of their seriousness.
Denying the Holy Ghost, as the most serious sin, is qualified by Alma with, “when once it has had place in you, and you know that you deny it” (v. 6). To once have “place in you” suggests that you have been given the Holy Ghost as a gift. The Prophet Joseph Smith declared: “A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may descend upon him and not tarry with him” (D&C 130:23). Therefore, he may have been given it and not received it. Therefore, to have place in you, a person must have received the Holy Ghost and retained it with him for a measurable length of time.
A question that is often asked is: Can a person who is not a member of the Church become a son of perdition? Apparently a body is needed for a person to be given the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “I know the scriptures and understand them. I said, no man can commit the unpardonable sin after the dissolution of the body, nor in this life, until he receives the Holy Ghost; but they must do it in this world” (TPJS, 357). However, a man may receive a rich outpouring of the Spirit without hands being laid on him, as Peter declared when the Holy Ghost was poured out upon the gentiles. “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?” (Acts 10:47). They had not received it as a gift, but it had place in them for that time period. Nevertheless there are differing opinions about the question, and the Church has not given an official answer on the subject. Therefore, we will say no more on the subject.
To know that you deny the Holy Ghost is another question that cannot be definitely answered. The Lamanites experienced the baptism of the Holy Ghost and did not know it. “And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not” (3 Nephi 9:20; italics added). However, they undoubtedly knew they had a spiritual experience, but did not know what it was. How assuredly one must know before denying it, and thus become a son of perdition, has been qualified by the Prophet Joseph Smith as follows:
All sins shall be forgiven, except the sin against the Holy Ghost; for Jesus will save all except the sons of perdition. What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin? He must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against Him. After a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no repentance for him. He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened to him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it; and from that time he begins to be an enemy. This is the case with many of the apostates of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
When a man begins to be an enemy to this work, he hunts me, he seeks to kill me, and never ceases to thirst for my blood. He gets the spirit of the devil—the same spirit that they had who crucified the Lord of Life—the same spirit that sins against the Holy Ghost. You cannot save such persons; you cannot bring them to repentance; they make open war, like the devil, and awful is the consequence. [TPJS, 358]
The Apostle Paul taught the same doctrine:
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. [Hebrews 6:4–6]
In what is called “the Vision,” given to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, the Lord showed them the sons of perdition and stated some significant things on the subject:
30 And we saw a vision of the sufferings of those with whom he made war and overcame, for thus came the voice of the Lord unto us:
31 Thus saith the Lord concerning all those who know my power, and have been made partakers thereof, and suffered themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome, and to deny the truth and defy my power—
32 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; [D&C 76:30–32]
To know the Lord’s power (v. 31) is also rendered as Alma did, “it once has had place in you,” and to defy my power (v. 31) is certainly to “know ye deny [the Holy Ghost]” (Alma 39:6). The sin being unpardonable will be discussed later.
The second most serious sin is the shedding of innocent blood (v. 5). Some may argue that Christ is the only innocent blood that was shed, but Alma adds that it refers to him that murders (v. 6). Ammon told the king of all the lands of the Lamanites, the father of King Lamoni:
17 But Ammon stood forth and said unto him: Behold, thou shalt not slay thy son; nevertheless, it were better that he should fall than thee, for behold, he has repented of his sins; but if thou shouldst fall at this time, in thine anger, thy soul could not be saved.
18 And again, it is expedient that thou shouldst forbear; for if thou shouldst slay thy son, he being an innocent man, his blood would cry from the ground to the Lord his God, for vengeance to come upon thee; and perhaps thou wouldst lose thy soul.
19 Now when Ammon had said these words unto him, he answered him, saying: I know that if I should slay my son, that I should shed innocent blood; for it is thou that hast sought to destroy him. [Alma 20:17–19; italics added]
The Old Testament prophet Joel warned Egypt and Edom that violence against the children of Judah would be the shedding of innocent blood (see Joel 3:19). The murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith at Carthage jail in Illinois was innocent blood (see D&C 135:7).
Those who murder against the light and knowledge of God (Alma 39:6) include, but are not limited to, members of the Church. The law of the Church declared that “he that kills shall not have forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come”(D&C 42:18). Those in the Christian world, or other cultures, who have been given the light and knowledge of God will be held accountable as well. However, Alma told Corianton twice that it was not easy to obtain forgiveness (Alma 39:6). This leaves the possibility of forgiveness open to some of those who have been given light and knowledge. Their forgiveness must be based on various situations where they were limited in their knowledge, or other extenuating circumstances existed. We must remember that God knows all things and will be the final judge of all cases.
The third most serious sin is immorality or sexual sins. We note the words of two recent presidents of the Church. President Spencer W. Kimball identified immorality as “the sins of this day.” President Ezra Taft Benson called immorality “the plaguing sin of this generation.” There are many sexual sins under the label of immorality: adultery, extra-marital sexual relations; fornication, pre-marital sexual relations; homosexuality, sex pervasion; petting; masturbation, sex self-gratification; pornography, and other variations. Corianton’s sin that Alma talked to him about was fornication. We will comment mainly on this sin except for some comparisons with the other sex sins.
The world looks upon adultery as more serious than fornication, and it is insofar as covenants have been made in marriage to be faithful to each other. Other societies look upon fornication being more serious for the female than for the male. President David O. McKay gives an answer to both of these questions:
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there is but one standard of morality. No young man has any more right to sow his wild oats in youth than has a young girl. He who is unchaste in young manhood is untrue to the trust given to him by the parents of the girl, and she who is unchaste in maidenhood is untrue to her future husband and lays the foundation for unhappiness in the home, suspicion, and discord. Do not worry about these teachers who encourage promiscuity and self-gratification. Just keep in mind this eternal truth, that chastity is a virtue to be prized as one of life’s noblest achievements.
In this day when modesty is thrust into the background, and chastity is considered an outmoded virtue, I appeal to parents especially, and to my fellow teachers, both in and out of the Church, to teach youth to keep their souls unmarred and unsullied from this and other debasing sins, the consequences of which will smite and haunt them intimately until their conscience is seared and their character becomes sordid. A chaste, not a profligate, life is the source of virile manhood. The test of true womanhood comes when the woman stands innocent at the court of chastity. All qualities are crowned by this most precious virtue of beautiful womanhood. It is the most vital part of the foundation of a happy married life and is the source of strength and perpetuity of the race. [CR, April 1967, 7–8]
Why is fornication such a serious sin? The main reason is because of the sacredness of the power of procreation that God has given to mankind. This great opportunity and responsibility was to be used only within the bounds the Lord has set. Those bounds were set in order for every child to be born into a loving and nurturing family, and to have an honorable name. To be born otherwise puts that child at a disadvantage with other children. While many children rise above those disadvantages, many others are severally damaged throughout life, and especially in their youth.
A second reason for fornication being such a serious sin is that it is impossible to make direct restitution for the loss of virtue and chastity. The more times and the more partners with whom the sin is committed, the more damaging it is to the marriage. It is difficult to have trust and respect after marriage, and to have happiness as President McKay noted above. However, President Spencer W. Kimball has counseled: … “it is quite clear that the repentant sinner is required to make restitution insofar as it is possible. I say insofar as possible because there are some sins for which no adequate restitution is possible.” He later qualified: “The principle of restitution is brought into focus where two unmarried young people have entered into sin by which both lives are damaged, and especially if virtue is taken. In such circumstances serious consideration should be given to a marriage that will hold the sin in one family. Why should they not marry when by their iniquitous act they have plunged themselves into an adult role.” The decision to marry or not to marry should be made under the advice and counsel of the righteous parents, and/or the bishop of the girl. The young man has the responsibility to marry the girl unless the parents and bishop feel otherwise because of the pending circumstances. This writer bases this premise upon the advice of higher priesthood leaders with whom he has counseled on confidential situations.
A second way to make restitution indirectly is to help others avoid similar mistakes. In President Kimball’s words: “… General good works and devotion accompanied by constructive attitudes are what is needed. In addition, a sound way to neutralize the effects of sin in one’s life is to bring the light of the gospel to others who do not now enjoy it. This can mean working with inactive members of the Church and nonmembers—usually the latter.” In helping others, the mistakes of one’s own past sins should not be confessed to them. Such confessions may lead to those being warned against sin to rationalize, that since the confessor repented, I can sin and repent later. Prevention is much easier than repentance.
The law of the Church states:
22 Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else.
23 And he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her shall deny the faith, and shall not have the Spirit; and if he repents not he shall be cast out.
24 Thou shalt not commit adultery; and he that committeth adultery, and repenteth not, shall be cast out.
25 But he that has committed adultery and repents with all his heart, and forsaketh it, and doeth it no more, thou shalt forgive;
26 But if he doeth it again, he shall not be forgiven, but shall be cast out. [D&C 42:22–26]
As indicated by President McKay above, the Church considers fornication the same sin as adultery. According to the law of the Church quoted above, the sinner who joins the Church may be forgiven after he or she has met the conditions of repentance. The same policy has been followed for members of the Church under most conditions. To be forgiven once, as the writer understands it, is not for one act but for past sins from the time the sin is acknowledged and repentance is completed. Thus the sin is forgivable, but if it is repeated it becomes an unforgivable sin. To be cast out, the sinner may be disfellowshipped or excommunicated. If excommunicated, that person may be admitted back into the Church through baptism as determined by the leaders of the Church under whose jurisdiction the church action was taken. However, the sin is unforgivable and the Atonement benefits will be withdrawn. The person will have to pay for the demands of justice for those sins.
16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;
18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—
19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.
20 Wherefore, I command you again to repent, lest I humble you with my almighty power; and that you confess your sins, lest you suffer these punishments of which I have spoken, of which in the smallest, yea, even in the least degree you have tasted at the time I withdrew my Spirit. [D&C 19:16–20]
The above revelation was addressing Martin Harris concerning his loss of the 116 pages of the Book of Mormon manuscript. An account of his suffering was in the smallest degree just a taste of the agony that a person must suffer for an unforgivable sin. The demands of justice must be fully met whether in this life or in the world to come.
Another condition must be noted. The law of the Church was given before the temple endowment was given. Therefore, for those endowed, forgiveness for the sins of adultery or fornication does not apply. President Joseph Fielding Smith explains:
The deadly nature of this sin [adultery] is too apparent to be pointed out. However, the Lord looks upon it as a sin second only to the shedding of innocent blood. This revelation [The law of the Church; D&C 42:24–26] was given long before the endowment in the temple was given. For those who violate sacred covenants, the penalty is, and should be, far more severe. The Lord has pointed out in the revelations given to Israel anciently and to the Church in our day that such a sin is not easily forgiven. While it is required of us to forgive all men, the Lord has not said that he is under such necessity. He will forgive whomsoever he will according to the nature of their crime and their true repentance, and after the punishment, if such punishment is necessary, is meted out and justice fully satisfied. The statement of the Prophet in the History of the Church [“If a man commit adultery, he cannot receive the celestial kingdom of God”] (Documentary History 6:81) is evidently true wherein there has been no repentance or penalty inflicted for such an offense, but if all the requirements are met according to the divine law, there may be forgiveness.
The sin against the Holy Ghost is an unpardonable sin. Those who shed innocent blood commit an unforgivable sin. Those who are immoral can be forgiven of their sins through repentance (except after receiving the temple endowment). What is the difference in these three punishments? Dr. Daniel H. Ludlow has written:
The Lord indicates the seriousness of all these sins in his revelations to Joseph Smith as recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. The most serious of these sins is to deny the Holy Ghost and become a son of perdition. The Lord has defined this sin in these words:
Thus saith the Lord concerning all those who know my power, and have been made partakers thereof, and suffered themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome, and to deny the truth and defy my power—
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;
For they are vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the devil and his angels in eternity;
Concerning whom I have said there is no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come—
Having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame.
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 76:31–37]
This is an unpardonable sin because it cannot be paid for (or pardoned) either by the sinner himself or the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
The second most serious sin is to commit murder—that is, to willfully shed innocent blood. Concerning this sin, the Lord has said: “Thou shalt not kill; and he that kills shall not have forgiveness in this world, nor in the world to come” (D&C 42:18). Thus this is an unforgivable sin, which means that Jesus Christ cannot pay for (or “atone for” or “forgive”) the penalty demanded by the broken law. This sin is a pardonable sin, however; that is, the sinner can eventually make full payment himself, and be received into a state of pardon. Apparently one reason this sin is unforgivable is that forgiveness is based on repentance, and a murderer cannot fully repent of his sin for he cannot make restitution of the life he has taken.
The third most serious sin is unchastity (D&C 42:24–26). Adultery is both pardonable and forgivable, but if committed again after the person understands the law it is unforgivable.
The word pardon as used in the scriptures means to be sanctified, to be clean, to reach a point where a broken law has no further claim upon a sinner. Thus, the most serious sin is unpardonable because the law will always have a claim upon the sinner, and the sinner will always remain unclean; he cannot ever regain the presence of God, for “no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom” (3 Nephi 27:19). All unpardonable sins are of necessity also unforgivable.
The word forgiveness as used in the scriptures, indicates one is “given something before.” Thus, when a person repents of a sin, Jesus Christ, through his Atonement, pays for (or atones for) part of the broken law before the person makes full payment. He is “fore-given” that part of the penalty paid for by Jesus Christ. Forgiveness is possible only upon repentance; those who refuse to repent “remain as though there had been no redemption made, except it be the loosing of the bands of death.” [Alma 11:41; read also D&C 19:15–20]
In summary:
The bible teaches the same doctrine:
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. [Matthew 5:25–26]
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. [Hebrews 4:4–6]
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, [Hebrews 10:26]
1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. [1 Corinthians 5:1–5]
The following parable is presented to illustrate the three types of sins in a hypothetical situation:
A man was arrested for a certain crime. He appears before the judge and the judge states: “This is the first time you have been arrested for any crime. Therefore, I am only warning you at this time, but caution you to never violate this law again.” On this occasion the judge, representing society, has forgiven him of his crime.
Some time later, the man is brought before the same judge for the same or even another crime. This time the judge pronounces a sentence saying: “Since you were warned before, I now require you to serve 30 days in the local jail.” At the end of the 30 days, the man is allowed to go free. The judge, representing society, did not forgive him, but the man is pardoned after serving his sentence. The man had committed an unforgivable sin, but had been pardoned.
Still later, the man is again arrested for a very serious crime and brought before the judge. The judge’s sentence is life imprisonment. He instructs the man that it is not safe for the people to allow this man to remain among them. Therefore, he is taken out of their society. The judge has determined his sin to be unforgivable and unpardonable.
Alma reminded Corianton of his crimes for his own good (Alma 39:7). Those who understand the full law of the Church are less prone to commit sin than those who don’t understand, especially unforgivable or unpardonable sins. Wherefore, it is good to teach the whole law. Even those who have committed unforgivable sins can be pardoned and have place in the Celestial Kingdom of heaven if they are willing to pay the price. Therefore, for their own good they should understand the law. If they don’t repent, as Alma says, they will eventually have the testimony of their immoral acts stand against them.
President Spencer W. Kimball confirms Alma’s statement:
All unchastity will someday be disclosed. There comes a time when the fornicator, like the murderer, wishes he could hide—hide from all the world, from all the ghosts, and especially his own, but there is no place to hide. There are dark corners and hidden spots and closed cars in which the transgression can be committed, but to totally conceal it is impossible. There is no night so dark, no room so tightly locked, no canyon so closed in, no desert so totally uninhabited that one can find a place to hide from his sins, from himself or from the Lord. Eventually, one must face the great maker.
Therefore we must always teach repentance and forgiveness.
Corianton was told to cross himself in all these things (Alma 39:9). Again we turn to Dr. Daniel H. Ludlow:
The meaning of the expression “cross yourself” is clarified in other scriptures. For example, 3 Nephi 12:30 says: “For it is better that ye should deny yourselves of these things, wherein ye will take up your cross, than that ye be cast into hell.” In Matthew 16:24 the Savior says, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Both of these scriptures indicate that to “cross yourselves” means to deny yourself. In the Inspired Version of the New Testament the Savior makes it absolutely clear that this is the meaning of the term: “And now for a man to take up his cross, is to deny himself all ungodliness, and worldly lust, and keep my commandments.” [Matthew 16:26]
Corianton did repent, as evidenced from his future missionary work (see Alma 42:31; 49:30); and the fact that he would have been given the sacred records, but he went northward (Alma 63:10).