They Shall Be Cast Out

I have been thinking about a surprising phrase that is repeated multiple times in Doctrine and Covenants 42, the law of the Lord. We read, “Thou shalt not steal; and he that stealeth and will not repent shall be cast out. Thou shalt not lie; he that lieth and will not repent shall be cast out…. 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. Thou shalt not commit adultery; and he that committeth adultery, and repenteth not, shall be cast out. But he that has committed adultery and repents with all his heart, and forsaketh it, and doeth it no more, thou shalt forgive; But if he doeth it again, he shall not be forgiven, but shall be cast out. Thou shalt not speak evil of thy neighbor, nor do him any harm. Thou knowest my laws concerning these things are given in my scriptures; he that sinneth and repenteth not shall be cast out” (v20-28). Those who steal, are immoral, or do harm to others, and who do not repent, are to be “cast out.” Later in the section the Lord said this generally, “And it shall come to pass, that he that sinneth and repenteth not shall be cast out of the church” (v37). One more verse uses the phrase again, emphasizing the seriousness of adultery: “But if ye shall find that any persons have left their companions for the sake of adultery, and they themselves are the offenders, and their companions are living, they shall be cast out from among you” (v75). So that makes eight times the Lord said that sinners who didn’t repent would be cast out, with four of those related to adultery. The language certainly sounds harsh, and the Lord is clearly serious about His commandments being kept. So what does it mean for these people who will not repent to be cast out?

I believe that these instructions of the Lord are meant to protect His covenant people, and what He said to the Nephites clarifies the law in our dispensation. He taught them this about one who has committed serious sin: “But if he repent not he shall not be numbered among my people, that he may not destroy my people, for behold I know my sheep, and they are numbered. Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them” (3 Nephi 18:31-32). For serious sins, when we do not repent, we are cast out from the Church, which means that we are no longer numbered among the Saints; i.e., our membership is removed. The motivation is not to punish the sinner but to protect those who are sincerely seeking the Lord. These words from the Savior to the Nephites suggest that He doesn’t want the unrepentant sinner cast out from His Church physically but rather spiritually through the loss of the blessings of membership in His Church. The current handbook is consistent with this. After stating that Church membership must be withdrawn for specific serious sins such as murder, it reads, “As directed by the Spirit, withdrawing a person’s membership may also be necessary as follows: 

·        For those whose conduct makes them a serious threat to others.

·        For those who have committed especially severe sins.

·        For those who do not demonstrate repentance of serious sins (see considerations in 32.7).

·        For those who commit serious sins that harm the Church. 

Those whose Church membership has been withdrawn may not enjoy any privileges of membership…. They are encouraged to attend Church meetings and activities if their conduct is orderly.” I believe that this is what the Lord meant by “cast out” in section 42—they are cast out from official membership in the Church, but they can still attend Church meetings (if they are orderly). This is done so that the Lord can protect His sheep who do keep their covenants with Him. Those who refuse repentance and who may be a spiritual or physical threat to others can no longer be numbered among His people, but the Savior still reaches out to them in hope that they will one day choose to repent and receive His mercy.