“Lucifer Sinned against Light”
Isaiah 14:12–17
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?
President Joseph Fielding Smith said:
“Satan was denied the privilege of receiving a body of flesh and bones, the blessing of mortality and the resurrection, because of his rebellion. There must have been a time in the eternity past when he was considered faithful and great honors had been bestowed upon him, for he was known as Lucifer, which is interpreted as ‘light-bearer.’ It is written of him in Isaiah:
“‘How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
“‘For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
“‘Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
“‘They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
“‘That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?’ [Isaiah 14:12–17.]
“Lucifer sought to dethrone our Eternal Father and rebelled against the plan for our redemption from the grave. For this rebellion he was cast out with those who followed him, and from that time henceforth he has been the enemy of every mortal man.”
(Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 2:170.)
