List of Doctrines on "Sin: Murder"
768. We are not to commit murder.
769. We are not to commit suicide.
770. The useless killing of animals is displeasing to the Lord.
768. We are not to commit murder.
Jacob, brother of Nephi
Recorded in Exodus
Russell M. Nelson
Alma, the younger
Joseph Smith
President Spencer W. Kimball
Jesus
Dallin H. Oaks
Nephi, son of Lehi
Amulek
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
Elder Harold B. Lee
Joseph Smith
Russell M. Nelson
Recorded in Deuteronomy
Jacob, brother of Nephi,
quoted by Nephi
quoted by Nephi
Wo unto the murderer who deliberately killeth, for he shall die. (Jacob to the people of Nephi, 559-545 B.C.) 2 Nephi 9:35
Recorded in Exodus
Thou shalt not kill. (The Lord reveals the sixth of the Ten Commandments to Moses ) Exodus 20:13
Russell M. Nelson,
also quoting Alma, the younger,
quoted by Mormon
Of those who shed innocent blood, a prophet declared: "The judgments which [God] shall exercise . . . in his wrath [shall] be just and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day." (Alma 14:11) CR1985Apr:15-16
Alma, the younger,
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
For behold, if ye deny the Holy Ghost when it once has had place in you, and ye know that ye deny it, behold, this is a sin which is unpardonable; yea, and whosoever murdereth against the light and knowledge of God, it is not easy for him to obtain forgiveness; yea, I say unto you, my son, that it is not easy for him to obtain a forgiveness. (Alma to his son Corianton, about 73 B.C.) Alma 39:6
Joseph Smith,
receiving the Word of the Lord
receiving the Word of the Lord
And now, behold, I speak unto the church. Thou shalt not kill; and he that kills shall not have forgiveness in this world, nor in the world to come.
19. And again, I say, thou shalt not kill; but he that killeth shall die. (Revelation "embracing the law of the Church," Feb. 9, 1831) D&C 42:18-19
President Spencer W. Kimball
The leaders of the Church continually cry out against that which is intolerable in the sight of the Lord; against pollution of mind and body and our surroundings; against vulgarity, stealing, lying, cheating, false pride, blasphemy, and drunkenness; against fornication, adultery, homosexuality, abortion, and all other abuses of the sacred power to create; against murder and all that is like unto it; against all manner of degradation and sin. CR1982Oct:4
Jesus,
recorded in Matthew
recorded in Matthew
And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17. And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, (Jesus instructs the young man who had great possessions) Matthew 19:16-18
Dallin H. Oaks
The Savior's Golden Rule says we are [our brother's keeper]. Satan says we are not.
. . . . The sin may be murder, robbery, or theft. It may be fraud or deception. . . . Always the excuse is the same: "Am I my brother's keeper?" CR1986Oct:25
Nephi, son of Lehi
And again, the Lord God hath commanded that men should not murder; that they should not lie; that they should not steal; that they should not take the name of the Lord their God in vain; that they should not envy; that they should not have malice; that they should not contend one with another; that they should not commit whoredoms; and that they should do none of these things; for whoso doeth them shall perish. (Nephi gives commandments of God to the Nephites, 559-545 B.C.) 2 Nephi 26:32
Related Witnesses:
Amulek,
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma : How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames. 11. But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day. (Believers in the word of God are burned, about 82 B.C.) Alma 14:10-11
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
The laws of both of the land and of God recognize a great difference between murder and wilful slaughter and manslaughter which is not premeditated. Likewise men unfortunately must take others' lives in war. Some of our conscientious young men have been disturbed and concerned as they have been compelled to kill. There are mitigating circumstances but certainly the blame and responsibility rest heavily upon the heads of those who brought about the war, making necessary the taking of life. It is conceivable that even in war there may be many times when there is legitimate choice and enemy combatants could be taken prisoner rather than be killed. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 129) TLDP:714
Elder Harold B. Lee
There are many who are troubled and their souls harrowed by the haunting question of the position of the soldier who in combat kills the enemy. Again, the First Presidency has commented:
"When, therefore, constitutional law, obedient to those principles, calls the Manhood of the Church into the armed service of any country to which they owe allegiance, their highest civic duty requires that they meet that call. If, hearkening to that call and obeying those in command over them, they shall take the lives of those who fight against them, that will not make of them murderers, nor subject them to the penalty that God has prescribed for those who kill, beyond the principles to be mentioned shortly; for it would be a cruel God that would punish his children as moral sinners for acts done by them as the innocent instrumentalities of a sovereign whom he has told them to obey and whose will they were powerless to resist." (Ye Are the Light of the World, pp. 252-53) TLDP:713-14
Joseph Smith
Abraham was commanded to offer his son Isaac; nevertheless, it was written: Thou shalt not kill. Abraham, however, did not refuse, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness. (Revelation recorded July 12, 1843) D&C 132:36
Russell M. Nelson
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has consistently opposed the practice of abortion. . . .
Now is there hope for those who have so sinned without full understanding, who now suffer heartbreak? Yes. So far as is known, the Lord does not regard this transgression as murder. And "as far as has been revealed, a person may repent and be forgiven for the sin of abortion." CR1985Apr:16
Recorded in Deuteronomy
And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;
5. As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: (Commandments to Israel through Moses ) Deuteronomy 19:4-5
769. We are not to commit suicide.
George Q. Cannon
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
President John Taylor
and George Q. Cannon
George Q. Cannon
[Suicide] seems to be one of the results of Satan's increased influence over the children of men. Having no tabernacle himself, he would like to prompt every child of God to destroy his body. When a human being becomes possessed of the devil, the tabernacle is soon wrecked; for neither he nor his companion spirits know to what use to put a fleshly tabernacle except to destroy it.
Man did not create himself. He did not furnish his spirit with a human dwelling place. It is God who created man, both body and spirit. Man has no right, therefore, to destroy that which he had no agency in creating. They who do so are guilty of murder, self-murder it is true; but they are no more justified in killing themselves than they are in killing others. What difference of punishment there is for the two crimes, I do not know; but it is clear that no one can destroy so precious a gift as that of life without incurring a severe penalty. ("Topics of the Times," Juvenile Instructor, Sept. 1886, pp. 274-75) TLDP:126
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
It is not sufficient that we do not kill or commit murder, but we should protect others from such crimes. Not only is suicide a crime, but one is obligated to protect and save and prolong his own life. Not only shall we not take life, but it is obligatory upon us to give life, both by bearing children into mortality and by leading people toward eternal life by teaching, proselyting and influencing them strongly toward that end. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 98-99) TLDP:126
President John Taylor
and George Q. Cannon
(First Presidency)
There is another evil that is growing amongst the peoples of the world that is not unfelt amidst the Latter-day Saints. It is the crime of self-murder. Suicide should be made odious among the people of God, it should be emphasized as a deadly sin, and no undue feelings of tenderness toward the unfortunate dead, or of sympathy towards the living bereaved, should prevent us denouncing it as a crime against God and humanity, against the Creator and the creature. It is true that the exact enormity of the act is not defined with minute detail in the Holy Scriptures, or the limits of its punishment given; but to believers in the God whom we worship it has always been regarded as a sin of great magnitude; and in many countries especial pains have been taken to discourage it, by refusal to bury in consecrated ground, by indignities offered to the lifeless remains, or by such lack of funereal observances as would produce a peculiar and horrifying effect upon the survivors. Now, while not advocating measures of this description, we do not think that the same laudations and panegyrics should be pronounced over the self-murderer as are so freely uttered over the faithful Saint who has gone to his eternal rest. There is a difference in their death, and that difference should be impressed upon the living, unless the deceased, at the time of the rash act, was in such a mental condition as not to be wholly responsible for his actions; but again, if this condition be the result of sin, of departure from God's laws, then the unfortunate one, like the inebriate, is not altogether free from the responsibility of acts committed while in this state of mental derangement; if he is not censurable for the act itself, he is for the causes that induced it. In such cases the mantle of charity must not be stretched so widely, in our desire to protect our erring friends, as to reflect dishonor on the work of God, or contempt for the principles of the everlasting Gospel. There is an unfortunate tendency in the natures of many to palliate sins by which they are not personally injured, but we must not forget that such palliation frequently increases the original wrong, and brings discredit on the Church and dishonor to the name and work of our blessed Redeemer; in other words, to save the feelings of our friends we are willing to crucify afresh the Lord of life and glory. (Epistle read at general conference, Coalville, Utah, Oct. 1886) MOFP3:88-89
Author's Note: M. Russell Ballard wrote a helpful article on suicide, saying, in part: " 'Persons subject to great stress may lose control of themselves and become mentally clouded to the point that they are no longer accountable for their acts' (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 771).
When [the Lord] does judge us, I feel he will take all things into consideration: our genetic and chemical makeup, our mental state, . . . our health, and so forth." (EN1987Oct:7-8)
770. The useless killing of animals is displeasing to the Lord.
Joseph Smith
Hyrum Mack Smith
President Joseph F. Smith
President Spencer W. Kimball
Elder Ezra Taft Benson
Joseph Smith
And wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need. (Revelation, March 1831) D&C 49:21
Hyrum Mack Smith
But although God has ordained animals for the use of man, He has not sanctioned the order of things under which some have an abundance of food and clothing, while others are destitute; for that very reason "the world lieth in sin" [D&C 49:20]. Nor must man waste animal life. To kill, when not necessary, is a sin akin to murder. "A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast" (Proverbs 12:10). Man has been entrusted with sovereignty over the animal kingdom (Genesis 1:21), that he may learn to govern, as God rules, by the power of love and justice, and become fit for his eternal destiny as a ruler of worlds. A tyrant who has learned nothing but selfishness and cruelty can hope for no position of trust hereafter in the kingdom of the Father. (Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, Hyrum M. Smith and Janne M. Sjodahl, p. 286) TLDP:28
President Joseph F. Smith
I do not believe any man should kill animals or birds unless he needs them for food, and then he should not kill innocent little birds that are not intended for food for man. I think it is wicked for men to thirst in their souls to kill almost everything which possesses animal life. It is wrong, and I have been surprised at prominent men whom I have seen whose very souls seemed to be athirst for the shedding of animal blood. (Gospel Doctrine, p. 266) TLDP:28
President Spencer W. Kimball
Now, I also would like to add some of my feelings concerning the unnecessary shedding of blood and destruction of life. . . .
And not less with reference to the killing of innocent birds is the wildlife of our country that live upon the vermin that are indeed enemies to the farmer and to mankind. It is not only wicked to destroy them, it is a shame, in my opinion. I think that this principle should extend not only to the bird life but to the life of all animals. . . . The Lord gave us all the animals. Seemingly, he thought it was important that all these animals be on the earth for our use and encouragement. CR1978Oct:64
Elder Ezra Taft Benson,
also quoting Joseph Smith
In this revelation the Lord counsels us to use meat sparingly [see D&C 89]. I have often felt that the Lord is further counseling us in this revelation against indiscriminately killing animals, for He has said elsewhere in scripture, "Wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need." [D&C 49:21] CR1983Apr:71
