November 9, 2010

I read in D&C 132:24-25. It's interesting in verse 24, that it says, "this is eternal lives - to know the only wise, and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent." I've always thought that means that with eternal life one has the capability to have spirit children, creating new "lives." But perhaps it is plural because it's talking about a plural amount of people attaining eternal life. Because in the next verse it says, "broad is the gate, and wide the way that leadeth to the deaths;" which is also plural. I guess "the deaths" could be referring to more than one type of spiritual death, father than referring to "the deaths" of a plural amount of people. As I wrote that, I almost stopped, thinking it silly that there could be more than one type of spiritual death, but I glanced over at the footnotes and sure enough, it says to look under the topical guide for "spiritual death, first & second death, second." I guess I never realized there are two kinds of spiritual deaths. Now I'm curious. Okay, from reading over the topical guide, it appears to me that the first spiritual death refers to being cut off from the presence of the Lord's spirit as a result of sin. The second spiritual death refers to the "everlasting death" of perdition, which there is no redemption from.