Who goes to Hell?

[curtishouse]

I'm trying to learn as much as I can about the LDS church and their beliefs so forgive the bluntness of my question but, according to the LDS church, who goes to Hell? Also, on the other side of the coin, how does one receive salvation?

[Misshalfway]

First of all, we don't know who will go to hell as only God can decide. But it might be important to understand that we don't define hell in the same way as traditional christian churches. We believe eternal rewards and punishments or "wages" are by degree, meaning they will match perfectly the degree of righteousness or wickedness within a person.

We believe that the Heavens are made of up different degrees of glory (or kingdoms) and that each person will be judged according to their hearts, spiritual knowledge, circumstances, etc etc and then God will reward such with a perfect inheritance according to their spiritual readiness.

They are Celestial kingdom (for the most righteous), Terrestrial kingdom (middle righteous), and Telestial kingdom (least righteous).

Hell is part of the paradigm and will be for those who sinned but who did not repent. But the punishment will not be forever. The most basic way to say it is that if they don't repent and use the atonement of Jesus, then they will have to suffer and pay the debt themselves. They will pay until the debt is paid. Hell is the place/or state of being where ultimate debt paying takes place. It is not a permanent residence or condition. After that, they will be assigned to an appropriate kingdom or glory.

Those who are the most righteous will live with God and be blessed with all the Father has in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom. The worst including Satan and all his angels and others who are sons of perdition will eventually be sent to a place called outter darkness where there is no glory or blessing in any degree. This would be considered a "hell" in the sense that it is a permanent destination of those who have lost all blessings. You would have to be very deliberate in your choices and desires to obtain this eternal inheritance.

[curtishouse]

First of all, we don't know who will go to hell as only God can decide. But it might be important to understand that we don't define hell in the same way as traditional christian churches. We believe eternal rewards and punishments or "wages" are by degree, meaning they will match perfectly the degree of righteousness or wickedness within a person.

We believe that the Heavens are made of up different degrees of glory (or kingdoms) and that each person will be judged according to their hearts, spiritual knowledge, circumstances, etc etc and then God will reward such with a perfect inheritance according to their spiritual readiness.

So non-Christians could be saved then?

They are Celestial kingdom (for the most righteous), Terrestrial kingdom (middle righteous), and Telestial kingdom (least righteous).

Hell is part of the paradigm and will be for those who sinned but who did not repent. But the punishment will not be forever. The most basic way to say it is that if they don't repent and use the atonement of Jesus, then they will have to suffer and pay the debt themselves. They will pay until the debt is paid. Hell is the place/or state of being where ultimate debt paying takes place. It is not a permanent residence or condition. After that, they will be assigned to an appropriate kingdom or glory.

Is this mentioned in the Bible of the Book of Mormon? If so, do you know the passage?

Those who are the most righteous will live with God and be blessed with all the Father has in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom. The worst including Satan and all his angels and others who are sons of perdition will eventually be sent to a place called outter darkness where there is no glory or blessing in any degree. This would be considered a "hell" in the sense that it is a permanent destination of those who have lost all blessings. You would have to be very deliberate in your choices and desires to obtain this eternal inheritance.

To be sent to this place, would you have to have full knowledge and then still do things against God intentionally?

[bytebear]

Everyone will have an opportunity accept or reject Christ, whether in this life or the next. Those who reject Christ will be in the Telestial Kingdom, those who accept him in the Terrestrial. Only those who covenant through Baptism and live according to that covenant (which includes repentance and renewal through the Sacrament or communion) will receive Celestial glory.

It should be noted that this glory only comes after the resurrection. Between death and the resurrection we are in the spirit world, separated into two parts, prison and paradise. This is similar to the heaven and hell of traditional thought, although it is only temporary and resurrection and final judgment comes later.

The LDS Topical guide has lots of scriptures on the subject.

Topical Guide: Spirits in Prison

Edited November 4, 2009 by bytebear

[Misshalfway]

So non-Christians could be saved then?

Yes. Saved meaning overcoming sin and death. Everyone, in our doctrine, will be resurrected and saved from physical death no matter how we lived here on the earth. After every person leaves this life, they will go to a place called the spirit world. In that place, everyone who didn't hear the truth about the gospel will get a chance to learn about it and either accept or reject it. No one can be saved in ignorance. So making sure everyone gets a chance to accept the gospel is crucial. Much of the work mormons do in earthly temples is all about the salvation of the dead. We believe baptism is essential to salvation for example. So we do proxy baptisms for the dead.

s this mentioned in the Bible of the Book of Mormon? If so, do you know the passage?

One place you could read would be in the Doctrine and Covenants section 76 or page 136. This is the revelation JSmith received concerning heaven.

There are two references in the Bible that might help. 1 Corinthians 15:40 and 2 Corinthians 12 :2. They talk about bodies celestial, terrestrial, telestial etc. And then the next one talks about a third heaven.

If you read the BofM you will find lots of references to heaven and hell but none so specific as the D&C as JS had lots of questions about the scriptures and he published his answers from God in this book of modern revelation.

You can also see Alma 40 in the BofM to learn more about the Spirit world.

If you get a copy of LDS Bible, there is a Bible Dictionary. You can look up Hell too. It talks about the difference between Hell as a punishment and Hell as a place = outter darkness.

To be sent to this place, would you have to have full knowledge and then still do things against God intentionally?

Sons of perdition are worse than the vilest of sinners. Worse than murderers. They are those who like Satan himself, had a full knowledge of the truth of God and Christ and gospel truths and they not only turned their backs denying the truth but then they actively wage war against the truth. Someone who had this kind of knowledge might be someone who had actually seen Christ and was given a witness and then became an enemy. You have to have first knowledge, which most people dont' have and then you have to know you are lying and working to destroy the work of God. You have to act as Satan acts. Not necessarily in the "Satan worshipper" sense.

[curtishouse]

Yes. Saved meaning overcoming sin and death. Everyone, in our doctrine, will be resurrected and saved from physical death no matter how we lived here on the earth. After every person leaves this life, they will go to a place called the spirit world. In that place, everyone who didn't hear the truth about the gospel will get a chance to learn about it and either accept or reject it. No one can be saved in ignorance. So making sure everyone gets a chance to accept the gospel is crucial. Much of the work mormons do in earthly temples is all about the salvation of the dead. We believe baptism is essential to salvation for example. So we do proxy baptisms for the dead.

One place you could read would be in the Doctrine and Covenants section 76 or page 136. This is the revelation JSmith received concerning heaven.

There are two references in the Bible that might help. 1 Corinthians 15:40 and 2 Corinthians 12 :2. They talk about bodies celestial, terrestrial, telestial etc. And then the next one talks about a third heaven.

If you read the BofM you will find lots of references to heaven and hell but none so specific as the D&C as JS had lots of questions about the scriptures and he published his answers from God in this book of modern revelation.

You can also see Alma 40 in the BofM to learn more about the Spirit world.

If you get a copy of LDS Bible, there is a Bible Dictionary. You can look up Hell too. It talks about the difference between Hell as a punishment and Hell as a place = outter darkness.

Sons of perdition are worse than the vilest of sinners. Worse than murderers. They are those who like Satan himself, had a full knowledge of the truth of God and Christ and gospel truths and they not only turned their backs denying the truth but then they actively wage war against the truth. Someone who had this kind of knowledge might be someone who had actually seen Christ and was given a witness and then became an enemy. You have to have first knowledge, which most people dont' have and then you have to know you are lying and working to destroy the work of God. You have to act as Satan acts. Not necessarily in the "Satan worshipper" sense.

Definitely valuable information. Thanks! Looks like I'm going to have to read up on all those books to understand the Mormon faith even clearer. Are there any websites that have all those books up in one place?

[Generally_Me]

Definitely valuable information. Thanks! Looks like I'm going to have to read up on all those books to understand the Mormon faith even clearer. Are there any websites that have all those books up in one place?

lds.org is very valuable.

All the scriptures can be found here:

Scriptures

[rameumptom]

There are basically two hells in LDS belief.

After death, our bodies lie in the grave, while our spirits go to the Spirit World to await the resurrection. The Spirit World has 2 main places: paradise and spirit prison. Hell is a portion of spirit prison. It is there that the wicked will suffer for any unrepented of sins, until they fully repent and turn to Christ. Once they repent, they will be released from this hell.

The second hell is the eternal hell in which Satan and his devils will be cast. Those people, such as Cain, who choose to not only be wicked, but become a complete enemy of Christ and refuse to accept his atonement through repentance, will become Sons of Perdition. They will go into a kingdom with no glory with Satan, a place of misery - for they will not accept the happiness offered by God.

Most people will be saved from the eternal hell, because most will eventually accept Christ's atonement and repent. However, they will suffer extremely for their unrepented of sins until they make a full heart-felt confession and repentance of it. (see D&C 19 and 76).

[ryanh]

After death, our bodies lie in the grave, while our spirits go to the Spirit World to await the resurrection. The Spirit World has 2 main places: paradise and spirit prison. Hell is a portion of spirit prison. It is there that the wicked will suffer for any unrepented of sins, until they fully repent and turn to Christ.

Expanding on that a little bit, here's the way I see it. Most all Christian religions believe in the above paradise and prison in a manner that is quite similar to LDS. After we die, we immediately go to either paradise or hell. We are happy, or tormented based on how we lived and whether we accepted Christ or not.

But, where the LDS doctrine differs is an understanding that that paradise/hell is only a temporary holdover until the resurrection. It is not the final assignment for eternity. See the below image.

Rather than the Spirit World being the final eternal assignment, there is then a resurrection, judgment, and assignment to one of three degrees of glory - likened to the Sun, Moon, and Stars by Paul as Miss1/2way referenced.

What is not included in the above diagram is the "outer darkness" - the eternal hell referenced by Rameumptom. What LDS often forget (because we get so focused on the Celestial Kingdom - the highest one where we would most like to go), but which is a unique and merciful understanding of our Heavenly Father's plan, is that there are VERY few individuals that will not receive one of the three degree's of glory. And that even those that receive the least degree of Glory - the Telestial Kingdom - liked to the glory of the stars as compared to the moon and sun, is in and of itself a glory beyond understanding or description. In essence, LDS believe that the vast majority of people who came to this earth (chose to come to earth from the premortal life) will receive a paradisiacal reward.

Alma chapter 40 is the palace to start reading to find the doctrine regarding what happens when we die.

Then, Doctrine and Covenants section 76 is the revelation to Joseph Smith that details the three degrees of glory (heaven).

Non-LDS Christian doctrine actually is quite similar to what LDS believe. The difference is that LDS doctrine goes far beyond and gives us a more complete understanding of our Heavenly Father's plan for us, from beginning, to final assignment.

Edited November 5, 2009 by ryanh