Son of perdition

The notion of the Son of Perdition or the Man of Sin can be found in ), the Lawless One (Dan. 7 and 8), and the Beast of Revelation (] or Cain [Book of Moses [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/moses/5/24#24 5:24] ] both of whom are symbols of ultimate evil.

According to LDS theology, there are two classes of persons who will become sons of perdition:
#The pre-mortal spirit followers of Satan. It is taught that, in the pre-mortal life, they chose to follow a plan proposed by Satan, rather than that presented by God the Father and Jesus. Thus ensued the War in Heaven, which resulted in Satan and his followers being cast out of heaven and denied the opportunity of receiving a physical body.
#Those in mortal life who "deny the Holy Ghost," which is generally interpreted as rejecting and denying Christ after receiving a personal witness of him from the Holy Ghost. It is frequently—though not universally—added that a son of perdition must have a "perfect knowledge" of Jesus and that mere faith or belief in him is not enough. Joseph Smith, Jr. taught:

::All sins shall be forgiven, except the sin against the Holy Ghost; for Jesus will save all except the sons of perdition. What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin? He must receive 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, Jr., 1844-04-07, reprinted as [http://lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=8b9a945bd384b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 “The King Follett Sermon,”] "Ensign", May 1971, 13.]

In the Doctrine and Covenants, sourcetext|source=The Doctrine and Covenants|book=Section 88|verse=24, sons of perdition are described as inhabiting "a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory." The most comprehensive exposition of the phrase can be found in Section 76 in the Doctrine and Covenants. [Doctrine and Covenants, sourcetext|source=The Doctrine and Covenants|book=Section 76.]

Others

Some connect the description with Caligula, Nero [St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on II Thess., Nicene-Post Nicene Fathers] [ [http://www.preteristcentral.com/pgt-man-of-sin.htm Man of Sin] , Kurt Simmons] , or John of Giscala [ [http://www.preteristarchive.com/Modern/2002_noe_man-of-sin.html What about Paul's "Man of Sin"?] , John Noē ] .

There is the view, favored by "moderns," that the passage contains no genuine prediction (Paul "could not know" the future), but represents a speculation of the apostle's own, based on Dan 8:23 ff; 11:36 ff, and on current ideas of Antichrist (compare Bousset, Der Antichrist, 93 ff, etc.). [http://net.bible.org/dictionary.php?word=MAN%20OF%20SIN Net Bible: Man of sin] ]

Others see this as a reference to a literal end times antichrist.

ee also

* Antichrist
* Katechon
* Second Epistle to the Thessalonians#Authorship - Many scholars today believe 2 Thessolonians was not written by Paul

References