That is how I understand that topic, and yes it has always been stated "son of perdition". Once again the morg is sexist.
What it means is that if you are righteous enough to have a personal witness from the HG to the truthfulness of the church, such as a visitation from some angel or some other such supernatural event, and you KNOW or have a perfect knowledge rather than simple faith, and then you deny that knowledge by leaving the church or whatever the case may be, then you are considered a "son of perdition" and you will be cast into outer darkness for all eternity.
There is another term used in conjunction with this one and that is to "have your calling and election made sure". It is basically the same thing, or having a perfect knowledge of the truthfulness of the church. Obviously this will NEVER happen because the church is simply NOT TRUE and you will never have this supernatural experience, but if you did, and then you left the church and became one of us non-believers, you would be put into this category.
While I heard Mormons use the term "son of perdition", I was never certain what it was exactly except that it was someone very bad.
My understanding of denying the HG included anyone who claimed to have a testimony since the only way to get a testimony of the Gospel was by a witness of the HG. That was what that "warm feeling in your bosum" was supposed to be - confirmation from the HG. So, my understanding os it is that any of us who once claimed to have a testimony and later changed ourt minds - after finding out the suppressed nature of Smith, Young, et al - have in effect denied the HG.
The story I remember hearing that Joseph Smith told was that there were 3 kinds of people in the world. First, are those people who have never heard the Gospel and they are kind of like neutral as to good or evil. They haven't yet heard "The Truth" and are therefore ready for conversion. Then there are those who are taught the Mormon Gospel (or "The Gospel" according to Mormons) are accept it. These people are saved so long as they remain faithful. Then the third group are those who are taught the Gospel and reject it. These include those people whose heart are too hardened to accept it from the start or those who first accept it then later reject it. This last group - according to Smith - are given over to the devil and become those supporting his cause. Of course, this last group would include all those who were offended by Smith's secret practice of polygamy, those whose wives he married and bedded while they were conveniently called away on church missions, those whose daughters Smith took to his bed, or whose property to took in the name of the church while preserving his own property, etc, etc ,etc. The 3 witnesses would also fall into this category since they all fell away from the main body of the church.
One has to have had the Second Anointing. A simple temple patron does not fit the requirement. You're simply not good enough yet to have a "sure witness" of God, i.e., the 2nd anointing.
To annointed one: God would tell you if you were in perdition... Would you destroy christ..? the craftiness of man are explanations of why it isn't true in witch category you seem to be under according to doctrine... Compulsion will lose and the proper use of agency will prosper... I feel as if people are compulsively focused on how it isnt true when they should weigh out the means of what they know is true and epeacially what matters most... Being a child of Christ.
The book "Mormon Doctrine" (BRM) defines denying the holy ghost as someone who has a special witness (God and Jesus appearing to them) and then you FIGHT against the church and kingdom. Basically it is like having a Top Secret Umbra whatever clearance and being let in on all the top secret cool stuff that the US has, having authority within the government, then selling out to the communists and becoming a spy for them.
Nobody on this website has had a witness like the one described. You are all going to hell, but not to outer darkness. Telestial kingdom for all of us!
But I hear in hell (Telestial kingdom) they have alcohol day on Monday, drink as much as you want, Tuesday is cigar day, smoke the best cigars all day, Wednesday is sports day, hang out and watch any sport all day, no hassle from the wife, Thursday is babe day, hang out with beautiful babes in string bikinis all day, and Friday is gay day....
Well, OK, if you are straight maybe hell (Telestial kingdom) is not completely perfect!
But then again, as it's all bollocks anyway, we have nothing to fear either way!
Indeed, as it's all bollocks anyway, there isn't even a "right" answer to the question. Any Mormon with a publishing deal is able to share their views and pass them off as "doctrine". Afterall, there is nobody qualified to disagree!
Hmmm. I was scared that I was one of these when I left the church, since I had been to the temple and all. But that was presumptuous. I never had a sure witness from the HG, so I'm safe. Whew.
The concept is that you receive a special witness that would place you in a small class of people that have a sure knowledge of Jesus Christ. Supposedly this also occurs when you have your calling and election made sure, but someone here spilled the beans (a couple who had this ordinance performed), and said it was nothing more than a simple temple ritual without visitations or manefestations - they were greatly disappointed. Nonetheless, once you have joined the ranks of this elite group, you deny, rebel, fall from your special witness - you become as Satan so to speak - and, therefore, become a "son of perdition." No one on this board is in the ranks, so we, inspite of our rebelious nature, can't be a son of perdition. So, party hardy cause you'll at least get telestial glory (except for that couple, supposedly).
Please let me correct something if I have misled you in my account of my second anointing. I was not greatly disappointed. It was a "life changing experience" as promised. If anything, I was even more committed to the church after it.
My journey which led to apostasy started 18 months after the second anointing and came out of a serious study in preparation for full time missionary service. I studied certain topics such as carbon dating with the intention of being able to explain to scientists the problems with their methodology when there appeared to be conflict with established church doctrine/scripture. I knew absolutely that the church was true therefore any errors must be in the scientific methodology or conclusions. To my great surprise I found that the science stood up and it was the doctrines that were questionable. I also looked at the Lamanite DNA issue and the Book of Abraham amongst other concerns. I discussed these matters with 2 GAs and the conflicting answers/excuses/justification proved to me the church was false, man made, a deception from the start.
Sorry to be verbose, I only wanted to point out I was not disappointed with the second anointing. I had received a sure witness which I later (2 years later) found out to be false.
So, according to Joseph Smith and Bruce R. McConkie I am a son of perdition. It terrified me at the time (8 years ago), gave me nightmares. But, no longer. As the church is not true, their promise of eternal damnation does not apply. I am free of the nonsense and rejoice in having 'real' knowledge not delusion.
here is an interesting perspective you can include in your lesson for critical thinking.
If a person murders, commits adultry, steals, cheats, lies, and takes the lord's name in vain, can they be forgiven if they truely repent?
The answer is yes they can. If you don't believe me, read about Moses or King David and you will find out.
If a person denies feeling the Holy Ghost after feeling it, can they be forgiven? I was trained on my mission that it is the inpardonable sin. Moreover, my other denominational friends claim that those who do not have faith in Christ will be damned.
My question is....How come God can forgive a murdering, rapist, pedafile (if repented), but not someone who was very charitable, loving, and respectful of other life forces, based on the grounds that they felt religion was a scam or they weren't sure what they felt was the spirit of the Lord and or they didn't believe Christ existed without valid evidence? Why can't they repent at that time of judgement and be forgiven?
Its simple. Its B.S. That is how the con man takes your money. Con men will take anyones money so long as they believe.
A few LDS Church leaders have speculated whether or not there would be daughters of perdition, as well as sons of perdition. In 1860, LDS Church President Brigham Young stated, "I doubt whether it can be found, from the revelations that are given and the facts as they exist, that there is a female in all the regions of hell."The next year he was even more emphatic: "Woman must atone for sins committed by the volition of her own choice, but she will never become an angel to the devil, and sin so far as to place herself beyond the reach of mercy." In the same discourse he explained his reasoning: "She is not accountable for the sins that are in the world. God requires obedience from man, he is lord of creation, and at his hands the sins of the world will be required."In 1903 another Church President, Joseph F. Smith, also affirmed "that there would be no daughters of perdition."