Consider these scriptures:
“Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” — Galatians 5:21
“Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” — 1 Joy 3:15
“But the… abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” — Revelations 21:8
“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.” — 2 Nephi 26:32, Book of Mormon
“Whosoever murdereth against the light and knowledge of God, it is not easy for him to obtain forgiveness; yea… it is not easy for him to obtain a forgiveness.” — Alma 39:6, Book of Mormon
“Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel.” — 3 Nephi 30:2, Book of Mormon
“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.” — D&C 42:18
“And it shall come to pass, that if any persons among you shall kill they shall be delivered up and dealt with according to the laws of the land; for remember that he hath no forgiveness; and it shall be proved according to the laws of the land.” — D&C 42:79
Is there forgiveness for the abomination of murder?
“Whosoever murdereth against the light and knowledge of God, it is not easy for him to obtain forgiveness; yea… it is not easy for him to obtain a forgiveness.” — Alma 39:6, Book of Mormon
Murder is so corrosive to the soul that redemption from such an act is very difficult. There is some indication that a person who enters into a covenant relationship with God and then commits the abomination of murder they may lose their eternal reward.
The Book of Mormon contains a powerful story about the power of redemption, even for those who lived in a non-believing murderous culture, when they turn their whole hearts to God, testifying that there is redemption even from this great abomination.
“I thank my God, that… we have been convinced of our sins, and of the many murders which we have committed. And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son.” (Alma 24:9-10, Book of Mormon)
“And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain— Since God hath taken away our stains, and our swords have become bright, then let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren… for perhaps, if we should stain our swords again they can no more be washed bright through the blood of the Son of our great God, which shall be shed for the atonement of our sins.
“Oh, how merciful is our God! Since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God… that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby… If our brethren seek to destroy us, behold, we will hide away our swords, yea, even we will bury them deep in the earth, that they may be kept bright, as a testimony that we have never used them, at the last day; and if our brethren destroy us, behold, we shall go to our God and shall be saved… And this they did… covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives.”
“And thus we see that when these [people] were brought to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin.”
“There was not one soul among all the people who had been converted unto the Lord that would take up arms against their brethren; nay, they would not even make any preparations for war.”
And “When the people saw that [their enemies] were coming against them they went out to meet them, and prostrated themselves before them to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord; and thus they were in this attitude when [their enemies] began to fall upon them, and began to slay them with the sword. And thus without meeting any resistance, they did slay a thousand and five of them; and we know that they are blessed, for they have gone to dwell with their God.”
“When [their enemies] saw that they would not flee from the sword… but that they would lie down and perish, and praised God even in the very act of perishing under the sword — Now when they saw this they did forbear from slaying them; and there were many whose hearts had swollen in them for those… who had fallen under the sword, for they repented of the things which they had done.”
“And they threw down their weapons of war, and they would not take them again, for they were stung for the murders which they had committed; and they came down even as their brethren, relying upon the mercies of those whose arms were lifted to slay them. The people of God were joined that day by more than the number who had been slain; and those who had been slain were righteous people, therefore we have no reason to doubt but what they were saved.”
— Alma 24, Book of Mormon
After this incredible repentance and conversation a great believing people became a great light in their nation. Their story is a powerful witness that the atonement of Christ can reclaim even those who have lived in the most sinful of states.
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