Could Satan ever be forgiven?

Question

Dear Gramps,

I am Senior Sister serving a mission in Germany. Last week we had a discussion about progression, and forgiveness. In Seminary class we were taught about Satan even having the opportunity to be forgiven at the end of the millennium. This has always made sense to me as I think God is merciful, I do not understand how it would work but I think there are scriptures to back it up. Is this correct– and if so would it lead to Satan being able to some time in some eternity to get a body? The conversation began with the concept that no one can progress out of the Kingdom which they earn in this life. Can the Kingdoms progress when everyone in them has reached the  maximum level? Celestialized people will continue to progress with no limits. Is the limit in the other Kingdoms permanent? Hope I have made myself clear. I also know the answers will not get me into the celestial kingdom. Can you help me? Thank you.

Sister Birchenough

Answer

Dear Sister Birchenough,

First, your question with respect to the forgiveness of Satan; we read in the Doctrine and Covenants that there is no forgiveness for the sons of perdition.

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;

 

Yea, verily, the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath (D&C 76:32-38).

So we understand that the sons of perdition will never be forgiven, but will be remanded to be with Satan for eternity. It is obvious, therefore, that Satan will never be extracted from the damnation that he is doomed to suffer. Cain was called perdition, and we understand that since he will be resurrected and will live in eternity with a physical body, he will eventually have power over Satan himself, who, not being permitted to be born into mortality, will forever be an unembodied spirit. In Moses 5:23-24 we read concerning Cain-

If thou doest well, thou shalt be accepted. And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door, and Satan desireth to have thee; and except thou shalt hearken unto my commandments, I will deliver thee up, and it shall be unto thee according to his desire. And thou shalt rule over him;

 

For from this time forth thou shalt be the father of his lies; thou shalt be called Perdition; for thou wast also before the world.

Now with respect to your second question- all those who are not condemned to be forever damned as sons of perdition, will eventually inherit a kingdom of glory-either a telestial kingdom, a terrestrial kingdom or a celestial kingdom. In these three classes of kingdoms certain laws and conditions apply, vastly distinct from one another. We live now in a telestial kingdom-a planet revolving around a sun, where briars, thorns and noxious weeds grow naturally, and where beneficial plants must be cultivated; where there is enmity between different species in the animal world, etc. These natural and physical laws, I assume, will always obtain in telestial kingdoms. However, progress within each kingdom will be unlimited-there is no finite maximum. The progress we have achieved on earth in many areas could never have been imagined just 100 years ago. This progress will continue forever, but within the telestial sphere. Again, from D&C 76:89, we read,

And thus we saw, in the heavenly vision, the glory of the telestial, which surpasses all understanding.

Gramps