Second Death

A condition of someone who is spiritually cut off from the presence of God. By virtue of Adam’s fall, all mankind was first subjected to a spiritual death — the first death. Those who refuse to repent in this life will suffer again a spiritual death — a second death. The second spiritual death will take place at judgment. [The Savior’s] death precedes His resurrection and will redeem everyone from the first death, that spiritual death. Because all mankind was cut off from the Lord’s presence when Adam fell, they’re effectively dead both physically and spiritually. But Christ’s resurrection redeems all mankind and returns them to the Lord’s presence. And it establishes the conditions for repentance, so whoever repents isn’t cut down and thrown into the fire. But whoever doesn’t repent is cut down and thrown into the fire. Then asecond, spiritual death happens to them, because they’re cut off again from all righteousness. Therefore repent, repent, or else by knowing these things and failing to do them, you’ll come under condemnation and bring thissecond death down upon you(Helaman 5:12 CE, see also T&C 50:4). Joseph Smith taught that “all the proud and all that do wickedly will have to return to the earth and suffer his vengeance which he will take upon them this is the second death &c &c.”¹ As for the sons of Perdition, they are the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power (T&C 69:7). I, the Lord, forgive sins unto those who confess their sins before me and ask forgiveness, who have not sinned unto death (T&C 51:3).

And may the Lord acknowledge your repentance, so you don’t experience His wrath upon you, and you avoid the chains of hell, so you don’t suffer the second death (Alma 10:4 CE). “Alma’s closing remark here is a prayer. He is asking that the Lord ‘grant unto you [or acknowledge your] repentance.’ This is an interesting cause-and-effect way to state the proposition. We cause it by our desire and willingness to become humble and repent. The Lord causes it because without His atoning sacrifice it could not be done. We receive the effect because we are cleansed by our acts, humility, and willingness to accept what is offered. The Lord receives the effect because He has allowed us to join Him in being pure and holy.… Alma’s petition goes further to ask that the wrath of God not be poured out upon these people to whom he is preaching. There are, of course, two levels of wrath. One is temporal — here and now. The wicked are often punished here by letting them pursue their own evil course until it destroys them. Repentance in that sense relieves them of the physical, emotional, social, military, economic, and interpersonal disasters they bring upon themselves by their ruinous pursuit of destructive behavior. The other is eternal — meaning coming after this life. That second ‘wrath’ is a result of leaving this life with accountability for what happened here, and the lack of preparation for the moment when ‘judgment’ is rendered. That ‘judgment’ consists of you finally facing reality. When you are in His presence you can accurately measure the difference between what you are and what He wanted you to become — i.e., like Him. The gulf is so great that you would rather be in hell than in the presence of a just and holy being when you are stained with the blood and sins of your generation. Alma’s pain at the thought of these people perishing was real. He was powerless to bring them to Christ. That power consists only in the authorized and truthful declaration of an invitation to come to Him. But the choice remained in those who, having heard, must decide for themselves whether they will repent. They were free to choose iniquity and abominations. Alma was only able to invite. The invitation, if rejected, will cause those who die to die yet again.”²