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Question

 

Gramps,

I hear many people talk about how the Son’s of Purdition can only be men, because you can only receive so great a condemnation if you hold the priesthood. Is there any doctrine behind this?

Shad

 

Answer

 

Shad,

What an interesting, both sexist and reverse sexist, idea this is. I mean on the one hand, it’s male chauvinism that only men can be good enough to fall, and on the other hand disparaging of men in that only they can fall that far.

I’m a traditionalist. By the standards of the world I am a male chauvinist. I still believe that gentlemen should open doors for ladies. I believe in the roles of men as fathers and breadwinners and women as mothers and homemakers. I’m old-fashioned. But the idea of only men being eligible as sons of perdition is offensive even to me.

Let’s look at the scriptural qualifications to become a son of perdition:

D&C 75:34-35

“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.”

and Verse 43

“Who glorifies the Father, and saves all the works of his hands, except those sons of perdition who deny the Son after the Father has revealed him.”

D&C 132:27

“The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven in the world nor out of the world, is in that ye commit murder wherein ye shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after ye have received my new and everlasting covenant, saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this law can in nowise enter into my glory, but shall be damned, saith the Lord.”

As you can see, the criteria is plain. Those who deny the Holy Ghost. Now would anyone reasonably argue that women are incapable of doing so? Are women incapable of recieving witnesses? Can they not have visions? Are they not candidates for having the the Savior revealed to them?

Hardly.

Now here’s where the thinking probably comes from. D&C 84:39-41:

“And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood.

 

Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved.

 

But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come.”

But please note, nowhere does it use the word “only” here or anything like unto it. The idea that the priesthood is required to become a son of perdition is only supposition. Certainly those who betray their priesthood are in jeopardy.

Perhaps a greater responsibility is placed on those holding the priesthood. Perhaps. But as we know, as taught by Dallin H. Oaks in the recent Apr 2014 Conference:

“…priesthood ordinances and priesthood authority pertain to women as well as men.”

Women do not hold the priesthood. That means that they do not hold offices in the priesthood, are not ordained to those offices or keys, and as Elder Oaks explains further in his talk, “With the exception of the sacred work that sisters do in the temple under the keys held by the temple president…only one who holds a priesthood office can officiate in a priesthood ordinance.”  But anyone who has gone to the temple can hardly debate that women have no connection to the oath and the covenant of the priesthood, and are not bound, just as men, by solemn covenants that if they do not hold true to will bring them every bit as much destruction as men. If you have not been to the temple yet, I advise you to prepare yourself, and when able, attend frequently that you may learn these things in greater measure.

Just FYI, I have answered similar questions a few other times. Check out:

Are there daughters as well as sons of perdition?

and

Are there daughters of perdition?

Gramps

 

 

 

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