In light of the killing of Charlie Kirk, I asked a group of Latter-day Saints a straightforward question: “If Charlie Kirk’s murderer repents while in prison, can he achieve exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom?”
The responses were telling:
- Yes – 20% · 25 Votes
- No – 23% · 29 Votes
- “I’m Glad I’m not the Eternal Judge” (an option someone added) – 40% · 53 Votes
- Most of the remaining people chose to critique me for asking the question rather than answering – 13% · 18 Votes
There were two additional write-in votes that equate to “yes” and two that equate to “no.”
Ignoring those who chose to critique me and moving the four write-ins into the appropriate category, we get:
- Yes – 26.12%
- No – 27.92%
- Let God judge – 47.75%
Three things stand out from this data. First, it is inconsistent with what most Christians would say. Second, it contradicts what LDS leaders have taught. And third, it is inconclusive, reflecting that many Latter-day Saints are uncomfortable with their own doctrine.
1. The Christian Response
For most Christians, this question is straightforward. The answer is an unequivocal yes.
Even murderers can be forgiven when they repent. Consider a few examples from Scripture:
- David repented after arranging Uriah’s death, and God forgave him (2 Sam. 12:13).
- Paul persecuted and killed Christians before his conversion, yet he became an apostle and was fully forgiven (Acts 9:1–19; 1 Tim. 1:15).
- King Manasseh led Israel into idolatry and shed innocent blood, yet God accepted his repentance (2 Chr. 33:10–13).
These examples show that no sin, however grievous, is beyond the reach of Christ’s blood. Paul emphasizes this truth in 1 Corinthians 6:
“Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
Ultimately, whatever sins we have committed, Christ’s blood is sufficient to wash them away. And thank God for that!
It is telling that this answer—so plainly supported by Scripture—was in last place among the Latter-day Saints responding to my question.
2. Latter-day Saint Doctrine
The LDS position is equally clear in their scriptures and the teachings of their leaders.
- Doctrine and Covenants 42:18: “He that kills shall not have forgiveness in this world, nor in the world to come.”
- D&C 132:27: Murder is singled out as unpardonable, and David is said to have fallen from his exaltation because of his murder of Uriah.
Prophets from Joseph Smith to Harold B. Lee and Spencer W. Kimball consistently taught that murder is not forgivable, and that the most a murderer can hope for is the Telestial Kingdom. Joseph Smith wrote, “A murderer, one that sheds innocent blood, cannot have forgiveness” (TPJS 339). Meanwhile, Harold B. Lee declared that “the fulness of the atonement of Jesus Christ is not effective in murderers’ lives.”
So it is striking that only around 28% of respondents chose the answer consistent with Church teaching: according to LDS doctrine, murder places a person beyond the reach of exaltation.
3. The Telling Confusion
Nearly half of respondents hedged their answers, opting for uncertainty. A few things may explain this:
First, some Latter-day Saints are uncomfortable judging the eternal standing of another human being. This is a commendable impulse—none of us can fully see the heart of another, and humility in such matters is wise.
Second, there may be skepticism about the killer’s repentance. Some respondents may have questioned whether it would be genuine. I could have perhaps emphasized that more in my question.
Third, these answers reflect a discomfort with the tension between LDS teachings and biblical grace. Latter-day Saints are told about Christ’s infinite atonement but are also told that some sins—like murder—fall outside its reach. It can feel incongruent to imagine someone repenting as David did and yet being denied exaltation and eternal life. I can attest personally that this tension was unsettling when I was a member; I likely would have hedged my answer as well.
Fourth, some of this uncertainty may stem from the LDS expectation of ongoing revelation. If the Bible’s heaven-hell binary can be reshaped into degrees of glory, members may hope for later revelation that offers a more merciful interpretation, consistent with their sense of God’s grace. This is why many Latter-day Saints continue to hope against hope for new revelation that might overturn policies they find difficult or hope for developments like gay sealings in the temple even though they plainly contradict scripture.
Taken together, these factors show that the promise of LDS leadership—that living Prophets and Apostles will produce certainty, unity, and conviction—does not always materialize. On a question as fundamental as whether God can forgive murderers, members remain divided and uncertain.
4. A Note on the “Unforgivable Sin”
Some Latter-day Saints might respond by citing Jesus’ teaching on the unforgivable sin against the Holy Ghost. For most Christians, however, this refers not to a single act like murder but to a persistent, willful, and final rejection of the Holy Spirit’s work in bringing a person to repentance (Matt. 12:31–32; Heb. 6:4–6).
The key difference is that the door closes only when a person consciously and permanently resists God—not for committing a grievous sin. Even murderers can be forgiven if they repent and trust in Christ. In other words, no human sin is beyond Christ’s blood, whereas LDS teaching places certain sins outside the reach of full atonement.
5. Why This Matters
There is a stark contrast: in LDS teaching, murder places a person beyond the reach of Christ’s atonement; in biblical Christianity, no sin we commit is beyond the Cross.
This matters deeply, because if God does not forgive repentant murderers, I cannot be certain that my own sins are fully forgiven.
Knowing that Christ redeems even murderers gives me hope and confidence that He has redeemed even me as well. When I consider my sins before God, they are just as much an affront in the eyes of God as murder. I have engaged in idolotry and built idols after my own imagination. I have gone after false Gods of my own creation. I have harbored anger and hatred in my heart, which the Savior has said is akin to murder. The list could go on and on.
When I consider my sins before God—idolatry, anger, hatred, the pursuit of false gods—I recognize that that my standing and justification depends just as much on his mercy and grace as it does for King David or for Tyler Robinson. That realization makes me cry out for mercy and for forgiveness. And if they received pardon, then I can be confident that I will as well.
By contrast, the LDS view leaves ordinary members wondering if they have committed a sin that puts them beyond mercy. Christ’s Cross, however, leaves no room for doubt: “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Rom. 5:20)
At the end of the day, whether God forgives murderers isn’t just an academic question, it cuts right to hear of the Gospel. If Christ’s blood can cleanse even the worst of sinners, then it is sufficient for me. If not, then God’s mercy is limited and my forgiveness is at jeopardy.
The gospel declares that no one is too far gone and no crime too great for the mercy of God. And that truth—the radical, unearned, unending mercy of Christ—is truly as Pastor John Piper put it, “the best news in the world for the worst people in the world, including ourselves.”