Son of Perdition

A Son of Perdition is a term used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes referred to as Mormons) to describe a person who will not take part in the glory of God in the afterlife. This is in contrast to most people, who will receive a "kingdom of glory" after the Final Judgment, and enter into either the Celestial, Terrestrial, or Telestial kingdoms.

There are three classes of persons who will become sons of perdition. The first are the hosts of Satan. It is taught that, in the pre-mortal life[?], they chose to follow a plan proposed by Satan, rather than the one proposed by Jesus. The second group are those who earn the punishment by the shedding of innocent blood. The third are those who become sons of perdition by "denying the Holy Ghost," which is generally interpreted as fighting against the LDS Church after believing its teachings. It is frequently--though not universally--added that a son of perdition must have a "perfect knowledge" of the truth of the Church (mere belief is not enough). Generally, the requirement of perfect knowledge is only fulfilled by a visitation from Jesus Christ or an angel of the Lord.

In Doctrine and Covenants 88:24, they 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.