Spiritual Death

In Mormon theology, spiritual death is an alienation from the things of God (Alma 12:16, 32; 40:26), a separation from righteousness, and an alienation and separation from God himself. There are two types of spiritual death: temporary and permanent. Sin, or rebellion against the laws of God, is the cause of spiritual death, as Paul pointed out in Romans 6:23 ( "The wages of sin is death," specifically spiritual death). Further clarification comes from Jacob's reference in the Book of Mormon to spiritual death being what is known as Hell, so Hell, in essence, is a place or state where a person is alienated and separated from God.

Introduction of Spiritual Death to Earth

Spiritual death, like physical death, was introduced by the Fall of Adam through his disobedience to the commandment not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The consequences of Adam and Eve's actions were that they not only became subject to dying physically, but they were expelled from the Garden of Eden, where God the Father and Jesus Christ spoke to them face-to-face. After their expulsion, Adam and Eve no longer spoke face-to-face with God but spoke to him through prayer. By this change in relationship with God, they experienced a temporary spiritual separation.

Mankind's Temporary Spiritual Death

While all mankind has inherited the effects of Adam's Fall in that they must also converse with God through prayer, Mormons believe that an individual experiences personal spiritual death, temporary and permanent, only as a consequence of personal sin—through his or her own works, thoughts, and actions, not through any transgression of Adam and Eve or of any other person.

Overcoming Spiritual Death

The only way to overcome spiritual death is by obedience to the commandments of Christ. Each person must live up to the light he or she has been given and seek after more, with all his or her "heart, might, mind, and strength." In addition to a deliberately disobedient person, a slothful or complacent person is not in compliance with the commandments because he or she does not obey the commandment to spiritually thirst and seek after righteousness.

Permanent Spiritual Death or Eternal Life

On the Judgment Day all mankind will return to the presence of God for judgment, so that means a temporary suspension of the separation part of spiritual death. However, the purpose of Judgment Day is to decide whether a person will endure permanent separation. A person who has chosen to not separate him or herself from righteousness or the things of God during life has already to some degree temporarily overcome spiritual death and has proven worthy, through Christ's Atonement, to permanently remain in God's presence. Conversely, an individual who has willfully rebelled against Christ's teachings has already alienated and separated him or herself from God and has suffered during his life a voluntary temporary spiritual death. This individual has exercised his agency, exhibited his desire and choice, and will be given a permanent spiritual death, also called the second death (Rev. 20:14; Alma 12: 16-18; Hel. 14:16-19; D&C 76:36-37). Both judgments will be just because both individuals will have chosen what they truly desire: to be with God and to love and obey him, or not.