Hell, Teachings of Joseph Smith

Hell


What is the damnation of hell? To go with that society who have not obeyed His commands. (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 Vols. 4:555)

There has been much said about the word hell, and the sectarian world have preached much about it, describing it to be a burning lake of fire and brimstone. But what is hell? It is another modern term, and is taken from hades. I'll hunt after hades as Pat did for the woodchuck.

Hades, the Greek, or Shaole, the Hebrew: these two significations mean a world of spirits. Hades, Shaole, paradise, spirits in prison, are all one; it is a world of spirits.

The righteous and the wicked all go to the same world of spirits until the resurrection. "I do not think so," says one. If you will go to my house any time, I will take my lexicon and prove it to you.

The great misery of departed spirits in the world of spirits, where they go after death, is to know that they come short of the glory that others enjoy and that they might have enjoyed themselves, and they are their own accusers. (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 Vols. 5:425)

3 I see no faults in the Church, and therefore let me be resurrected with the Saints, whether I ascend to heaven or descend to hell, or go to any other place. And if we go to hell, we will turn the devils out of doors and make a heaven of it. Where this people are, there is good society. What do we care where we are, if the society be good? (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 Vols. 5:517)