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ARTHUR - Can women go to outer darkness? People who go to Outer Darkness are called Sons of Perdition. No mention of any daughters of perdition. And women can't hold the priesthood, so don't only priesthood holders become candidates for Outer Darkness?

JOEL - Many times in scripture when masculine words like "son" are used it includes women, like the word "mankind". Both of the following scriptures includes women.

"But to as many as received me, gave I power to become my sons; and even so will I give unto as many as will receive me, power to become my sons." (D&C 39:4)

"The Father because he gave me of his fulness, and the Son because I was in the world and made flesh my tabernacle, and dwelt among the sons of men." (D&C 93:4)

Therefore, it is just as likely that women were included in the one third who were cast out of heaven or who could become "sons" of perdition, whether they hold the priesthood or not. There is no evidence in the scriptures or what past prophets have said that would exclude women from this term.

"Sons of perdition" include all those spirits who followed Satan in the pre-earth life and were cast out to earth without receiving bodies. They are also the few mortals who have committed the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost.

We know that our spirits look like our physical bodies do now (Moses 6:8-9, Ether 3:15-16), which means there were male and female spirits who were there in the pre-mortal life who made the choice to follow Satan or the Father's plan.

If there were both male and female spirits there, it's hard to believe that the one third of the spirits who followed Satan were all male. Just as both men and women mortals on earth have the ability to choose good or evil in this life, so it was in the pre-mortal life.

According to Joseph Smith the only people living on this earth who will end up as sons of perdition are those who have "received the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against him. After a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no repentance for him. He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it;" (Joseph Smith, King Follett Discourse)



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