Do Mormons have a hell?

Question

I'm currently studing different religions and I'm on Mormonism and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I'm confused as to whether Mormons believe there is a Hell or not. Please explain your answer(s). Thanks in advance! (please, no bashing of religion)

Answer 1

Yes Mormons believe in "hell", although the traditional Christian concept of hell as well as the fiery furnace idea shown in many cartoons is quite different from the Mormon concept of hell.

According to Mormons, the term "hell" is primarily used to refer to two different places - 1) SPIRIT PRISON- a probationary state for unjust spirits awaiting final judgement and their promised resurrection and 2) OUTER DARKNESS- a location or state of being reserved for satan and his followers following the resurrection and final judgement.

Here is some background on each:

SPIRIT PRISON
Mormons believe that before this mortal life we lived as spirit children of our Heavenly Father (God the Father) and we anticipated mortal life in which we would receive our physical bodies (Abraham 3). Following death, or the separation of our spirit from our body, and before the resurrection, or reunion of the body and the spirit, our physical bodies remain on earth while our spirits go to what has been referred to as "the spirit world". Here dwell the spirits of all the just and unjust who are awaiting resurrection . Those who are just dwell in "spiritual paradise" while those who were unjust dwell in "spiritual prison" or "hell". This is the first hell mentioned above; this hell is temporary, and all will escape this hell (Alma 40).

OUTER DARKNESS
Following the final judgement, Mormons believe that all individuals will inherit a degree of glory, save the "sons of perdition". These are those who "loved lucifer more than God" and willingly and knowingly rejected Jesus and his atoning sacrifice. These individuals will not inherit any degree of glory and will be banished from those who have. This "outer darkness" is also known as hell.

These are brief summaries of each of the two topics, if you have more questions or would like citations/sources feel free to email me. I hope this helps and good luck.

Answer 2

There could be many types of hell...let me share what the bible dictionary states:
An English translation of the Hebrew word Shoel, hell signifies an abode of departed spirits and corresponds to the Greek Hades. In common speech it generally denotes the place of torment for the wicked, although it has been often held, both in the Jewish and the Christian churches, that Hades (meaning broadly the place of all departed spirits) consists of two parts, paradise and Gehenna, one the abode of the righteous and the other of the disobedient. “Gehenna,” or “Gehenna of fire,” is the Greek equivalent of the “valley of Hinnom,” a deep glen of Jerusalem where the idolatrous Jews offered their children to Moloch (2 Chr. 28: 3; 2 Chr. 33: 6; Jer. 7: 31; Jer. 19: 2-6). It was afterwards used as a place for burning the refuse of the city (2 Kgs. 23: 10), and in that way became symbolical of the place of torment (Matt. 5: 22, 29-30; Matt. 10: 28; Matt. 18: 9; Matt. 23: 15, 33; Mark 9: 43, 45, 47; Luke 12: 5; James 3: 6). Expressions about “hell-fire” are probably due to the impression produced on men’s minds by the sight of this ceaseless burning, and are figurative of the torment of those who willfully disobey God.
In latter-day revelation hell is spoken of in at least two senses. One is the temporary abode in the spirit world of those who were disobedient in this mortal life. It is between death and the resurrection, and persons who receive the telestial glory will abide there until the last resurrection (D&C 76: 84-85, 106), at which time they will go to the telestial glory. In this sense the Book of Mormon speaks of spiritual death as hell (2 Ne. 9: 10-12). Hell, as thus defined, will have an end, when all the captive spirits have paid the price of their sins and enter into a degree of glory after their resurrection. Statements about an everlasting hell (Hel. 6: 28; Moro. 8: 13) must be interpreted in their proper context in the light of D&C 19: 4-12, which defines eternal and endless punishment.
On the other hand, the devil and his angels, including the sons of perdition, are assigned to a place spoken of as a lake of fire - a figure of eternal anguish. This condition is sometimes called hell in the scriptures (2 Pet. 2: 4; D&C 29: 38; D&C 88: 113). This kind of hell, which is after the resurrection and judgment, is exclusively for the devil and his angels, and is not the same as that consisting only of the period between death and resurrection. The one group are redeemed from hell and inherit some degree of glory. The other receive no glory. They continue in spiritual darkness. For them the conditions of hell remain.

So basically, "hell" is referred to as spirit prison - where those who have not accepted the gospel await the judgement, and "hell" can also be referred to as outer darkness - where Satan and his followers will dwell eternally.

My own personal definition of "hell" would be spending eternity without my husband, family, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Answer 3

They do have three heavens the Celestial, the telestial and terestial kingdoms with the Celestial being the best, for the best and I think that the lady that said outer darkness was hell. Mormon for 36 years. The three heavens are found in their other books of scripture and not their version of the KJV Bible.

Answer 4

From what was explained to me not really. I was told that Hell is basically being reborn and having to start all over without any previous knowledge.

Hopefully a Mormon here can explain it better than I can.

Answer 5

Yes. Being around other Mormons and free beer at the same time.

Answer 6

Kind of. It's called Outer Darkness.

Answer 7

Yes. Jews.

Answer 8

Yes. It is more commonly known as Provo ;)