It Is Not Written

One of the most unique teachings of the Doctrine and Covenants is that the punishment of the sinner will not last forever. The Lord declared, “Nevertheless, it is not written that there shall be no end to this torment, but it is written endless torment. Again, it is written eternal damnation; wherefore it is more express than other scriptures, that it might work upon the hearts of the children of men, altogether for my name’s glory. Wherefore, I will explain unto you this mystery, for it is meet unto you to know even as mine apostles. I speak unto you that are chosen in this thing, even as one, that you may enter into my rest. For, behold, the mystery of godliness, how great is it! For, behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, for Endless is my name. Wherefore—Eternal punishment is God’s punishment. Endless punishment is God’s punishment” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:6-12). The message seems to be that punishment from God won’t last forever, even if it is called endless. He said that “it is written endless torment” which suggests to me that He was referring to other written scriptures. That specific phrase is only found elsewhere in scripture in the Book of Mormon. For example, Nephi wrote of those deceived by the devil, “Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment” (2 Nephi 28:23). Jacob also wrote, “And according to the power of justice, for justice cannot be denied, ye must go away into that lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever, which lake of fire and brimstone is endless torment” (Jacob 6:10). Similarly, the angel said to King Benjamin, “And if they be evil they are consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them to shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment, from whence they can no more return; therefore they have drunk damnation to their own souls” (Mosiah 3:25). The sons of Mosiah suffered at the thought of others enduring this “endless torment” as Mormon described, “Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble” (Mosiah 28:3). Mormon also warned of those who denied the mercy of Christ, saying, “Wo unto such, for they are in danger of death, hell, and an endless torment” (Moroni 8:21). All of these passages use the phrase “endless torment,” which according to Doctrine and Covenants 19 does not mean torment that will actually endure forever but rather which is punishment from Him who is Endless. So it seems to me that the Lord was quoting the Book of Mormon and expounding its teaching on endless torment.  

            That passage also says, “it is written eternal damnation.” So where is that written? I was surprised to find that this exact phrase is much less common. Doctrine and Covenants 29:44 uses it, but since that was written after this revelation, we can assume that the Lord was not talking about that. The only other place in scripture is this passage in the New Testament: “Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation” (Mark 3:28-29). If this is the only passage where this is written, was the Lord referencing these words? What is interesting about this is that here in Mark the Savior was talking about those who are sons of perdition, who reject completely all light, even the telestial kingdom. Of this group, the Lord said this in our dispensation, “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” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:32-38). From this we know that they don’t have forgiveness, but perhaps the message of Doctrine and Covenants 19 is that even their “eternal damnation” will end. Of these sons of perdition the Prophet Joseph continued in his revelation, “Wherefore, he saves all except them—they shall go away into everlasting punishment, which is endless punishment, which is eternal punishment, to reign with the devil and his angels in eternity, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, which is their torment—And the end thereof, neither the place thereof, nor their torment, no man knows; Neither was it revealed, neither is, neither will be revealed unto man, except to them who are made partakers thereof” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:44-46). If no many knows “the end thereof” except for those who “are made partakers thereof” that to me suggests that indeed there is still an end even to their punishment. They may still be stopped forever in their progression, but perhaps even for them too who commit the unpardonable sin their torment will end. Surely the Father of us all will exact the minimum amount of punishment possible for His children, even the very worst of sinners, suggesting that at some point it will indeed end.