What is Heaven and Hell?

An Alternate View

MARK CALKINS
Why does it seem incongruous that a loving God would only allow a few of his children go
to Heaven, while the rest are destined to Hell?

2
WHAT IS HEAVEN AND HELL?

M
any Christians have been confused by the black and white theology that only a
few will go to heaven and the rest of humanity will be damned to hell. This
doctrine does not seem consistent with a loving God1 who, being no respecter of
persons,2 would be concerned for the eternal welfare of all of His children.

This raises a number of interesting questions: How is it that only a relatively few mortals
have the opportunity to hear of Christ, accept Him and be baptized in order to gain eternal
salvation, while the rest of mankind will be damned? What about little children who died
before they could be baptized? What of those individuals who grew up without ever hearing
of the true word? What of those who were “blinded” by tradition and did not “see?” What of
those who accept a non-Christian religion even though they live it to the best of their ability?
Does it make sense that any of these should be denied a fair opportunity to gain happiness in
the life hereafter?

This seems especially incongruent when we read that God “hath made of one blood all
nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before
appointed, and the bounds of their habitation” (Acts 17:26). If God determines one’s time
and place when he or she experiences mortality (life on earth), how can he or she then be
fairly judged when his or her time and place of habitation existed when the truth or word
was not available?

In addition to those stated above, we could cite many more scenarios of good, honest people
who for whatever reason were denied an adequate opportunity to learn of truth in a non-
judgmental environment sufficient for them to openly accept the Savior. What is the future
of these individuals? Are they doomed to hell? And for that matter, what is hell? And how
does hell differ from heaven? What is heaven?

3
 AN ALTERNATE VIEW

ASSUMPTIONS

A n underlying assumption in this discussion of heaven and hell and the purpose of life is
the following basic beliefs of God:

1. That God is all knowing, all wise and all powerful.3

2. That God is the embodiment of perfect love and loves all of His children
unconditionally.4
3. That God created a merciful plan to allow His children to gain a higher status of
happiness in the eternities.

THE GRAND PLAN

M ost Christians believe that God devised a plan of salvation through His Son Jesus
Christ to provide an opportunity for mankind to gain eternal salvation. Christianity is
founded on the belief that God set up a system or plan whereby individuals are born into
“mortality” and can gain a higher status in the hereafter by following a set of guidelines,
beliefs and actions in this life that qualify one for such as gift. The central theme of this plan
lies in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which makes the entire plan possible.5 The Savior
enables us to be reconciled to God even with all our weaknesses, mistakes and mortal
frailties. Without the Savior and his Atonement, the realization of such a higher status in the
eternities would be impossible. This higher status is generally called heaven.

The goal here is to outline an alternative to the common Christian view of heaven and hell,
and the teaching that affords a relative few opportunity to gain any sort of higher status in
the life beyond. God not only set up a plan, but provided an equal opportunity for all of His
children to accept His plan and gain eternal salvation. The burden of obtaining eternal life is
thereby placed on the individual—as the plan will essentially be available to all.

AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION

I n order for a plan to be developed before its implementation, there had to be a time that
existed before mortality. It would make sense that when individuals are given an
opportunity to gain a higher status through such a plan, that the plan would be presented to
them before their “determined and appointed time and bounds of their habitation” was to
begin. The logical conclusion to this is that we all lived before this life, and that we learned
of this plan before we started our journey here on earth.

We read in Hebrews that in addition to having a father of our “flesh,” we also have a father
of our spirits.6 This literal father of our spirits is our Heavenly Father.7 We were the
“spiritual offspring of God”8 and lived as literal spirits with our Heavenly Father before our

4
WHAT IS HEAVEN AND HELL?

mortal journey began. We gained a spirit body that resembled our physical body, only that it
is composed of a completely different material (spirit matter).9

During this pre-earth life, Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation was presented to all His spirit
children. In it, we learned that in order to gain a higher status of happiness in the eternities,
similar to the happiness that God enjoys, we would need to experience mortality and obtain
a body. We were taught that Heavenly Father would provide a Redeemer for us, and that we
would need to accept Him and adhere to certain conditions in order to gain this higher
status of happiness in the life after mortality. While the plan was presented, Jesus Christ
accepted the divine commission to be the Savior of all mankind.10

When this plan was presented, not everyone accepted it. One spirit who did not was named
Lucifer. He, being one of the more influential spirits, chose instead to propose an alternate
method of salvation, one that “guarantee” that all would gain salvation. His proposal sought
to take away our free agency and force us to obey during our trial period in mortality while
at the same time giving him greater status and glory.11 This alternative was contrary to
Heavenly Father’s plan. Many of the spirits followed Lucifer. Because they rejected God’s
plan and rebelled against Him, Lucifer and his followers were cast out of God’s presence.12
Lucifer then became Satan or the devil. His goal was to get individuals to ignore God and
not accept Christ.13 All of his followers are under his command and assist him in his work.
Fortunately, the majority of spirits in the pre-mortal world did accept God’s plan, and have
been given the opportunity to come to earth to participate in it.

One concept that supports life before our earth life is foreordination. Jesus was foreordained
to become the Savior of all mankind before the foundation of the world. Peter wrote: “But
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who
verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last
times for you” (1 Peter 1:19-20). This means Jesus was called by God the Father to bring
about the great Atonement that would enable all to gain eternal salvation. The phrase “before
the foundation of the world” means that this happened during the pre-mortal life, before
mortal life began.

Likewise, Jeremiah was foreordained to be a prophet of God during a certain time and place
for a certain group of people: “Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I
formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I
sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:4-5). We might
conclude that many were “called” before the foundation of the world to perform certain
callings during mortality.14 It would make sense that this foreordination would take place
during this spirit existence before men began their earth life.

It is important to note that foreordination is not the same as predestination. Predestination

implies we have no choice, no agency; that the result will happen independent of any action

5
 AN ALTERNATE VIEW

of our own. It is well understood that when parents make all of the choices for a child, the
child will not grow and develop. Growth only comes through being taught, making choices
and learning from the consequences of those choices. The same is true with us. One of the
most important parts of this plan is the gift of freedom of choice, or free agency.15 Earth life
is not only a test, but also an opportunity for growth through wise use of our agency.16
Foreordination, then, still requires the individual to make wise choices while in mortality, to
fulfill the earlier calling he or she was given. The fulfillment of the calling is not guaranteed.

Part of the test of mortality is that we do not remember anything about our pre-mortal
existence. If we remembered it, then mortality really wouldn’t be much of a test.

The important concepts we learn about the pre-mortal existence are:

1. We were born as literal spirit children to our Heavenly Father and had a body of
spirit.
2. Heavenly Father created a plan that would enable us to ultimately gain eternal life, a
higher level of happiness similar to the one He enjoys.
3. Jesus Christ accepted the divine commission to be the Savior of all mankind to
enable the plan to be in effect.
4. We had free agency to follow God’s plan or reject it and follow Lucifer during the
pre-mortal life.
5. All those who accepted God’s plan are given the opportunity to participate in this
plan, come to mortality and obtain a body.
6. All those who rejected God’s plan were cast out with Satan and did not get the
opportunity of mortality or a physical body.
7. All memory of our pre-mortal existence has been taken from us to enable mortality
to be a test and an opportunity for personal growth.

6
WHAT IS HEAVEN AND HELL?

T
he pre-mortal world is sometimes called the first estate (in the scriptures). For
example, in one scripture, we read: “And they who keep their first estate shall be
added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same
kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall
have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever” (Abraham 3:26). Keeping the first
estate meant following God the Father and Jesus Christ during the pre-mortal existence.
Those who didn’t keep it were those who followed Lucifer and were cast out.17 The blessing
of keeping the first estate meant three things: getting an opportunity to grow and be tested in
the next phase, called the second estate, obtaining a physical body, and having the potential
of a future blessing “to be added upon” (explained later).

Most Christianity accepts mortal life as the complete “second estate.” That is, all of the
growth and testing of one’s acceptance of God’s plan needs to occur here. There are no other
opportunities. However, this notion does not allow for God to be fair to all of His children,
for many did not/do not have an opportunity to accept and follow the plan in mortality.
There is a broader view that shows how God will provide everyone who “kept their first
estate” a fair opportunity to accept the plan of salvation during their second estate.

The key concept that enables this broader view is this: while mortality is a prime opportunity
for accepting God’s plan, the second estate goes beyond earth life. There is a time between
death and the day of judgment wherein more opportunity is provided to those who kept
their first estate to “work out their salvation” (Philippians 2:12). Similar to living as spirits
before mortal birth, we continue on as spirits after mortal death. In Ecclesiastes we read:
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who
gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). When we die our spirit leaves our physical body, and we return
to the world of spirits. This time, the world of spirits exists here on our earth, only in a
different realm. In our physical world, we are unable to see the spirit world.

There are two major regions within this post-mortal spirit world. This first is called spirit
paradise; the second is spirit prison. Concerning spirit paradise we read:

7
 AN ALTERNATE VIEW

“Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold … the
spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all
men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life. And
then … the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is
called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles
and from all care, and sorrow” (Alma 40:11-12).

Those individuals who fully accept Christ and His gospel, and live it to the best of their
ability, are granted entrance into spirit paradise. Here they live in peace and are able to do
“post graduate work,” meaning they continue their eternal progression towards gaining a
higher status of happiness.

The other dimension of the post-mortal world, called spirit prison, is where everyone else
goes after death. In spirit prison we find:

1. Those who never had an opportunity to accept the gospel of Christ in mortality.
2. Those who desired spiritual things during mortality but were spiritually blinded by
tradition of their parents or the lies of Satan.
3. Those who didn’t want to accept the gospel of Christ and were more interested in
the things of the world.
4. The evil and wicked people of the world.

The word prison is apropos here. It means this part of the post-mortal spirit world is a place
of confinement, restriction and correction. However, the type of life one lived in mortality
does determine one’s state in this second part of their second estate. In other words, those
who lived a good life are in a much better position in spirit prison than those who actively
followed Satan and his evil practices.

Given that spirit prison is part of one’s second estate means that all will be given the
opportunity to fully accept the gospel of Christ that they may not have had in mortality.
This is especially true for those who never had the opportunity to hear the gospel. To these,
the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached—by those who have already accepted the truth and
dwell in spirit paradise.

After Christ was crucified and died on the cross, He visited the righteous saints in the post-
mortal spirit world. While there, he organized a “missionary” effort that would enable those
in the spirit prison additional opportunity to accept His gospel.18 In 1 Peter 3:18-20 we read,
“For Christ also hath once suffered for [our] sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring
us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he
went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient.” Further,
the apostle Peter wrote: “For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead,
that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the

8
WHAT IS HEAVEN AND HELL?

spirit” (1 Peter 4:6). In other words, the gospel is being preached by those who live in
paradise unto the dead in spirit prison, so that they may be given the same opportunity to
gain eternal salvation as those who accepted the gospel in mortality.

The interesting question here is “What constitutes a complete opportunity to accept the
gospel of Jesus Christ?” We really don’t know. The good news is that God is perfect and has
a perfect understanding of each individual, his or her strengths, weaknesses, and
circumstances. He, and probably only He, really knows when an individual has had a full
opportunity to accept His gospel. Hence the gospel is preached to all in the spirit world that
all may have a fair opportunity.

When Christ was on the earth, He set up His Church with apostles and prophets. The
purpose of the Church was to enable the teaching of His doctrine, performing required,
sacred ordinances, and giving individuals opportunities to put into practice His doctrine. Of
special note are the ordinances required for gaining eternal life, such as baptism and receiving
the gift of the Holy Ghost. If one of the conditions to gain a higher status is to participate in
all necessary ordinances,19 it would make sense that these ordinances are made available to
all. Another practice that happened during the New Testament time was the vicarious
participation of ordinances by the living in behalf of the dead. Paul writes the following
(primarily to show the reality of the resurrection): “Else what shall they do which are
baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?” (1
Corinthians 12:29). One of the main purposes of both ancient and modern temples was and
is to provide a place where this vicarious work can take place, such as baptisms for the dead.
This enables those who accept Christ in the post-mortal world the opportunity to have all of
the necessary ordinance work done, so if they accept the gospel when it is preached to them,
they can gain eternal life.20 This “salvation for the dead” is for those whose first chance to
accept Christ and gain eternal life is in the spirit world. All who die without a knowledge of
the gospel who would have received it had they had the opportunity in mortality will be
given the same blessings as those who did accept the gospel in mortality.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ also covers all little children who die before they are at an age
when they can discern between right and wrong.21 This means little children are unable to
sin. They are innocent before God, and therefore do not require baptism or other ordinances
to be saved. All little children will gain eternal life.22 The Savior even admonished us to
become like little children.23

However, not all those in spirit prison will accept the gospel of Christ, even when it is
preached to them. So what is the spirit prison like to them? This is where the first use of the
term hell applies. Here the word hell means three fundamental things:

1. Spiritual death (as opposed to physical death) wherein an individual is cut off from
all good things that come from God.

9
 AN ALTERNATE VIEW

2. Being under the power of the adversary. This part of the spirit prison is where Satan
is king, and he rules the wicked there.
3. Here the evil suffer the wrath of God. Those who ignored the laws of God and
sought wickedness throughout mortality will suffer the wrath of God. In spirit
prison, hell is where this will take place:

“And then … the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor
portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good;
therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of [them]—and
these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing
of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.
Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful
looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them” (Alma 40:13-14).

There are many scriptures which refer to this state of hell.24 The post-mortal spirit world,
however, is only a temporary state, much like mortality is a temporary state. The difference is
that our mortality ends when we die physically, whereas hell in the post-mortal spirit world
ends when these individuals are resurrected and presented at the bar of judgment before the
Savior: “Thus they remain in this state (referring to hell in spirit prison), as well as the
righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection” (Alma 40:14).

This is understandably a vast difference compared with much of Christianity, who believe
that hell is the ultimate state of the wicked with an endless duration. They cite scripture such
as: “And these (the wicked) shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into
life eternal” (Matthew 25:46). What if the words endless and everlasting used in certain
verses of scriptures such as this one did not mean to last forever, but simply meant “from
God?” In other words, everlasting punishment describes punishment that is given from God,
not necessarily the duration of that punishment: “For, behold, the mystery of godliness, how
great is it! For, behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is
endless punishment, for Endless is my name. Wherefore—Eternal punishment is God’s
punishment. Endless punishment is God’s punishment” (D&C 19:10-12).25

Those in this hell (spirit prison) will suffer God’s punishment. In addition, they will need to
pay for their owns sins instead of leveraging the Atonement of Christ, where Christ's
suffering could have paid for their sins. Paying for one’s own sins will cause a great deal of
suffering, as shown in these verses:

“For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they
would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering
caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every
pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup,
and shrink—Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my
preparations unto the children of men.” (D&C 19:16-19)

10
WHAT IS HEAVEN AND HELL?

The good news of the gospel is that this hell will not last forever for those who kept their first
estate. At the end of the post-mortal spirit world, all who have lived on earth will be
resurrected, and will be brought before the Savior to be judged according to their works. The
apostle John wrote: “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to
their works” (Revelations 20:13).26 The word death here means physical death, while hell
implies spirit prison. Being redeemed from physical death refers to being resurrected, which
is when one’s spirit body is reunited with an immortal physical body.27 Immortality means
that once we are resurrected, we can never physically die again and our spirit and body will
never be separated again. An immortal physical body will never suffer from deformity, pain,
sickness or other health related problems.

The reference to hell (or Hades) in Revelations implies that all who still exist in spirit prison
at the time of the resurrection will be removed from that state.28 All will be redeemed from
physical death, by being resurrected, including all those in spirit prison, and will be brought
before Jesus Christ to be judged.29 During judgment, all will be brought into the presence of
God, and hence will not be spiritually separated from Him during this time: “The
Atonement (of Jesus Christ) bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the
resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are
restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and
justice” (Alma 42:23).

At some point, at least before the time of the final judgment, the veil that covers our memory
of our time during the first estate (in the pre-mortal world) will be lifted. Then we will see
that we knew about the plan of salvation before mortality, and that the judgments of God we
receive are just.

God will reward everyone according to their beliefs, desires and actions during their
complete second estate (meaning mortality and the post-mortal spirit world) at the bar of
judgment. The beauty of this doctrine is that all who kept their first estate will be given a
degree of glory for their final estate, their post judgment existence. As we learned earlier,
“they who keep their first estate shall be added upon.”30 Being added upon means obtaining
a degree of glory. Those who keep their second estate, by accepting and following Christ,
“shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.”

So what is a “third estate” glory, and what does it mean to have glory added for ever and
ever? Is this heaven?

The Savior said to his apostles “Let not your heart be troubled ... In my Father’s house are
many mansions ... I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:1-2). There are three primary
degrees of glory which are the destination of nearly all who kept their first estate.31 Each
degree to which an individual is assigned for his or her final estate differs, and is based on the

11
 AN ALTERNATE VIEW

life they led during their complete second estate (not just during mortality). The scriptures
compare these three degrees to the brightness of light radiating from the sun, moon, and the
stars.32

The highest degree, called the celestial kingdom,33 is where the righteous followers of Christ
will go. It is compared to the brightness of the sun. The celestial kingdom is the full
realization of eternal life. This glory will enable the recipient to obtain the highest degree of
happiness in the life hereafter. Individuals here will have the opportunity to continue their
eternal progression until they fully enjoy the same happiness as God. They will be able to
participate with God the Father in helping future spirit children go through the same
opportunity to gain this higher level of happiness.

The second degree of glory, called the terrestrial kingdom, is compared to the brightness of a
full moon.34 This is where the good people of the earth go. These are they who were blinded
either by tradition or the things of the world. They did not accept Christ in mortality or
would not have received Him had they been given the opportunity during their mortal life.
When given a “second opportunity,” however, they repent and accept the gospel. These
individuals will be able to progress up to a certain point. This degree of glory will enable its
recipients to experience great joy and happiness, however not to the same degree as those
who obtain the celestial kingdom.

The third degree of glory, called the telestial kingdom,35 is where the remainder of God’s
children go after the bar of judgment has concluded. These are they who were wicked during
mortality. All who go to the telestial kingdom suffer hell during their time in spirit prison.
These individuals will be limited in their eternal progression. Even still this degree of glory is
so glorious as to be beyond our mortal comprehension. Its recipients enjoy life and happiness
that is far superior to anything one can experience in mortality, although compared to the
two higher degrees of glory, it will be significantly less, just as the stars give off significantly
less light than the sun or a full moon.

Once an individual is assigned to a degree of glory at the bar of judgment, they will remain
in that degree of glory forever. They will not be able to move from one degree of glory to a
higher one as part of their progression.

There are a small few who will not receive a degree of glory. These are the sons of perdition
who, like Satan and his angels, willfully deny and rebel against God after receiving a level of
knowledge of the Savior.36 They will suffer in hell before the resurrection and will be cast
back into hell after their resurrection. Their destiny will be the same as the devil and his
angels who did not keep the first estate; they will receive the second hell, which is to suffer
the wrath of God forever. This is the second definition of hell—those who will suffer there
for eternity, which only applies to the sons of perdition, the devil and his followers who were
cast out of the pre-mortal existence. It applies to no one else. The apostle John writes:

12
WHAT IS HEAVEN AND HELL?

“While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I
have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be
fulfilled.” (John 17:12, italics added). Fortunately, there will not be many that will suffer this
fate.

The important concepts we learn about the post-mortal existence are:

1. The second estate includes both mortality and the post-mortal spirit world.
2. After death, the righteous followers of Christ go to spirit paradise, while all others go
to spirit prison.
3. The gospel is preached in the spirit prison by those who dwell in spirit paradise.
4. Those who accept the gospel in the spirit world, who would have accepted it in
mortality, will have the same blessings as those who did receive and accept the gospel
of Christ in mortality.
5. Children who die before they are at an age when they can distinguish between right
and wrong will gain eternal life.
6. Those who do not accept the gospel in spirit prison will remain there until the final
resurrection.
7. The veil of our memories of our first estate will eventually be lifted, so that we will
remember all our experiences in both first and second estates.
8. Everyone who kept the first estate will be resurrected and brought before the bar of
judgment.
9. Resurrection means ones spirit and body are reunited never to be separated again,
which is defined as immortality.
10. Nearly everyone will be rewarded to go to a place of glory in one of the kingdoms of
our Father.
11. There are three degrees of glory—celestial, terrestrial and telestial.
12. Those who obtain the celestial kingdom will have the opportunity for continual
eternal progression, whereas those in the other two kingdoms will have limited
progression.
13. A very few will not obtain a degree of glory and will suffer the same fate as the devil
and his angels (called sons of perdition), which is eternal hell.

13
 AN ALTERNATE VIEW

T
his plan provides an expanded view of God’s plan of salvation. Everyone will be
given an equal opportunity to gain eternal life. All will be resurrected to an
immortal state and nearly all will receive a degree of glory. Almost all of God’s
children will end up in a world much better than anything we could ever experience here in
mortality. Nearly all will receive great blessings in the hereafter; some more than others based
on the type of life they lead during their complete second estate. This is the goal of God’s
plan: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and
eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Because of Jesus’ coming into the world “to be crucified
for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it
from all unrighteousness” (D&C 76:41), we all have an opportunity to gain eternal life.

This plan shows God has great love for all of His children, and that almost all of His
children will be saved into a significantly higher level of happiness than they experienced
here in mortality. Some will even have the opportunity to live with Him forever.

If you would like to learn more about God’s plan of salvation for you, and how you can best
take advantage of it, please visit this website.

14
WHAT IS HEAVEN AND HELL?

NOTES
Below are additional comments, scriptural and other references to points made in the document. All
scripture are from the Bible (King James Version) unless noted otherwise.
1
1 John 4:7, 10, 16, 19: “For love is of God … God loved us … God is love … We love him, because
he first loved us.”
2
Acts 10:34-35: “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter
of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”
3
There are numerous scriptures that show the omniscience and omnipotence of God—
Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts
than your thoughts.”
2 Kings 6:16-17: “And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with
them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord
opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and
chariots of fire round about Elisha.”
Job 42:2: “I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.”
2 Nephi 9:20: “O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not
anything save he knows it.” (Book of Mormon)
Mosiah 4:9: “Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in
earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth
not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.” (Book of Mormon)
Alma 37:16: “… God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words.” (Book of Mormon)
4
Same as note 1 and 2 above.
5
Scriptures on the Atonement of Christ—
Hebrews 5:8-9: “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And
being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.”
Romans 5:11: “We also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the
Atonement.”
2 Corinthians 5:18: “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 3:18: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us
to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”
Jacob 4:11: ”Be reconciled unto him through the Atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son.” (Book
of Mormon)
Alma 34:8: “Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his
people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world.” (Book of Mormon)
For a complete description of the Atonement in the New Testament, see Romans 5:6-21.
6
Hebrews 12:9: “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them
reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?”
7
Various references by the Savior to God the Father are found in multiple places in the New
Testament, such as these—

15
 AN ALTERNATE VIEW

Matthew 6:9, 26, 32: “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven … Behold
the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly
Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? … for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye
have need of all these things.”
8
Acts 17:29: “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead
is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.”
9
D&C 131:7: “There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or
pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes.” (Doctrine and Covenants)
10
Scriptures about Jesus Christ becoming the Savior before the world began—
John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word ... and the Word was God.”
John 6:62: “What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before.”
John 17:5: “glorify thou me ... with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”
Moses 4:2: “Behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said
unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.” (Pearl of Great Price)
11
Scriptures about Lucifer’s proposal—
Isaiah 14:12-14: “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 ascend above the heights of the
clouds; I will be like the most High.”
Moses 4:1-2: “And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan … is the same which was
from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and
I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine
honor. But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto
me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.” (Pearl of Great Price)
12
Scriptures on Lucifer and his followers being cast out—
Revelations 12:9: “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan,
which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
Moses 4:3-4: “Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of
man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by
the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; And he became Satan, yea,
even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will,
even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.” (Pearl of Great Price)
D&C 29:36: “And it came to pass that Adam, being tempted of the devil—for, behold, the devil was
before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a
third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency.” (Doctrine and
Covenants)
D&C 76:25-27: “And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in
the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was
in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son, And was called
Perdition, for the heavens wept over him—he was Lucifer, a son of the morning. And we beheld, and
lo, he is fallen! is fallen, even a son of the morning!” (Doctrine and Covenants)

16
WHAT IS HEAVEN AND HELL?

13
1 John 3:8: “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this
purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
14
Scriptures on many being foreordained before earth life—
2 Thessalonians 2:13: “God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of
the Spirit and belief of the truth.”
D&C 138:55: “… they were also among the noble and great ones who were chosen in the beginning to
be rulers in the Church of God.” (Doctrine and Covenants)
Alma 13:1, 3: “The Lord God ordained priests … And this is the manner after which they were
ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge
of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works.” (Book of Mormon)
15
Scriptures on the free agency of man:
Judges 2:22: “That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk
therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.”
2 Nephi 2:27: “men are free . . . to choose.” (Book of Mormon)
D&C 101:78: “That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to
the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in
the day of judgment.” (Doctrine and Covenants)
16
Joshua 24:15: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve;
… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
17
Jude 1:6: “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath
reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” (Italics added.)
18
D&C 138:11-12, 16, 18-19, 29-34: “I saw the hosts of the dead, both small and great. And there
were gathered together in one place an innumerable company of the spirits of the just, who had been
faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived in mortality … They were assembled awaiting the
advent of the Son of God into the spirit world … While this vast multitude waited and conversed …
the Son of God appeared … there he preached to them the everlasting gospel … the Lord went not in
person among the wicked and the disobedient who had rejected the truth, to teach them; But behold,
from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and
authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in
darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead. And the chosen
messengers went forth to declare the acceptable day of the Lord and proclaim liberty to the captives who
were bound, even unto all who would repent of their sins and receive the gospel. Thus was the gospel
preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression,
having rejected the prophets. These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for
the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, And all other principles of
the gospel that were necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves that they might be
judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” (Doctrine and
Covenants)
19
2 Nephi 31:5-6: “And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by
water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized,
yea, even by water!” (Book of Mormon)

17
 AN ALTERNATE VIEW

20
D&C 137:7-9: “Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a
knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs
of the celestial kingdom of God; Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would
have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom; For I, the Lord, will judge all men
according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.” (Doctrine and Covenants)
21
The Atonement of Jesus Christ paid for the original sin of Adam and Eve, thereby enabling all
mankind to be responsible for their own sins and not for Adam’s transgression. This makes children
innocent and without sin when they first enter mortality up until they are at the age when they can
distinguish between right and wrong.
22
Scripture regarding the future of little children who die before the age of accountability—
D&C 29:46-47: “But behold, I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of
the world through mine Only Begotten. Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan
to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me.” (Doctrine and Covenants)
D&C 137:10: “All children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the
celestial kingdom of heaven.” (Doctrine and Covenants)
23
Just as a little child is humble and submissive to their earthly parents, so must we become humble and
submissive to our Heavenly Father: “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little
children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).
24
Scriptures about hell—
Matthew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear
him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Here the words of the Savior advise us to be
more concerned about succumbing to the temptations of the devil rather than suffering physical death.
Matthew 23:33: “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” Here
the Savior prophecies the fate of the evil Pharisees of his day unless they radically changed their lives.
Matthew 5:30: “And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for
thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.” The
Savior advises us to eliminate or “cast off” any evil habits that would ultimately lead us to the depths of
hell in spirit prison.
Psalms 9:17: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”
Psalms 116:3: “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found
trouble and sorrow.”
25
The Anglican church leader and classical scholar Frederic Farrar, the author of The Life of Christ,
lamented in lectures in Westminster Abbey that the common teachings of the Protestant churches with
respect to hell were incorrect. He asserted that a definition of hell which included endless torment and
everlasting damnation was the result of translation errors from Hebrew and Greek to English in the
King James Version of the Bible. Farrar also noted the overwhelming demonstration of a loving Father
in Heaven throughout the Bible as additional evidence that the definitions of hell and damnation used
in the English translation were incorrect. See Frederic W. Farrar, Eternal Hope (1892), xxxvi–xlii.
26
Another prophet spoke similar words to John the Revelator about death and hell: “O how great the
goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that
monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit. And because
of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which

18
WHAT IS HEAVEN AND HELL?

is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave. And this death of which I have
spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore,
death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must
deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and
it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel” (2 Nephi 9:10-12, Book of Mormon).
27
There are numerous scriptures that refer to the resurrection—
John 5:29: “And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that
have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
John 11:25: “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he
were dead, yet shall he live.”
Acts 24:15: “And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a
resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.”
1 Corinthians 15:21-22: “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
Alma 11:41: “Behold, the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be
judged according to their works.” (Book of Mormon)
D&C 138:14-17: “All these had departed the mortal life, firm in the hope of a glorious resurrection,
through the grace of God the Father and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ … They were filled with
joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand. They
were assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God into the spirit world, to declare their redemption
from the bands of death. Their sleeping dust was to be restored unto its perfect frame, bone to his bone,
and the sinews and the flesh upon them, the spirit and the body to be united never again to be divided,
that they might receive a fulness of joy.” (Doctrine and Covenants)
28
King David, who had committed both murder and adultery, knew he was destined to go to hell or
spirit prison. But he rejoiced in the knowledge that one day he would receive a degree of glory and be
redeemed from hell—
Psalms 16:10: “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell.”
Psalms 86:13: “For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.”
29
2 Nephi 9:15: “When all men shall have passed from this first death unto life, insomuch as they have
become immortal, they must appear before the judgment-seat of the Holy One of Israel; and then
cometh the judgment, and then must they be judged according to the holy judgment of God.” (Book of
Mormon)
30
Abraham 3:24-26: “And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those
who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and
we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And there stood one among them that was like unto
God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will
take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And they who keep their
first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same
kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory
added upon their heads for ever and ever.” (Pearl of Great Price)
31
2 Corinthians 12:2: “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, … such an one caught up to
the third heaven.”

19
 AN ALTERNATE VIEW

32
Comparison of three degrees of glory to the sun, moon and stars—
1 Corinthians 15:41: “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory
of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.”
D&C 76:96-98: ” And the glory of the celestial is one, even as the glory of the sun is one. And the glory
of the terrestrial is one, even as the glory of the moon is one. And the glory of the telestial is one, even as
the glory of the stars is one; for as one star differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from
another in glory in the telestial world.” (Doctrine and Covenants)
33
Glory of the celestial kingdom—
D&C 76:50-52, 92: “This is the testimony of the gospel of Christ concerning them who shall come
forth in the resurrection of the just—They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on
his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, … That by keeping the commandments they
might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit … And thus we saw the
glory of the celestial, which excels in all things—where God, even the Father, reigns upon his throne
forever and ever.” (Doctrine and Covenants)
D&C 137:1-4: “The heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the
glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell. I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate
through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire; Also the
blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son. I saw the beautiful streets of that
kingdom, which had the appearance of being paved with gold.” (Doctrine and Covenants)
34
Glory of the terrestrial kingdom—
D&C 76:51, 77, 91: “And again, we saw the terrestrial world, and behold and lo, these are they who are
of the terrestrial, whose glory differs from that of the [celestial] who have received the fulness of the
Father, even as that of the moon differs from the sun in the firmament… These are they who receive of
the presence of the Son, but not of the fulness of the Father… And thus we saw the glory of the
terrestrial which excels in all things the glory of the telestial, even in glory, and in power, and in might,
and in dominion.” (Doctrine and Covenants)
35
Glory of the telestial kingdom—
D&C 76:81, “We saw the glory of the telestial, which glory is that of the lesser, even as the glory of the
stars differs from that of the glory of the moon in the firmament. These are they who received not the
gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus… These are they who shall not be redeemed from the
devil until the last resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb, shall have finished his work.
These are they who receive not of his fulness in the eternal world, but of the Holy Spirit … And thus we
saw, in the heavenly vision, the glory of the telestial, which surpasses all understanding.” (Doctrine and
Covenants)
36
Only a few in mortality receive enough “light and knowledge” of the Savior to become a son of
perdition. It is like seeing the sun shine on a bright day and yet denying that it exists. One must know
that Jesus is the Christ beyond any shadow of doubt, then later not only deny him, but be willing to
participate in His crucifixion (had they had the opportunity): “Thus saith the Lord concerning all those
who know my power, and have been made partakers thereof, and suffered themselves through the power
of the devil to be overcome, and to deny the truth and defy my power—They are they who are the sons
of perdition, of whom I say that it had been better for them never to have been born; For they are
vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the devil and his angels in eternity;
Concerning whom I have said there is no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come—Having

20
WHAT IS HEAVEN AND HELL?

denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father,
having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame. These are they who shall go away
into the lake of fire and brimstone, with the devil and his angels— And the only ones on whom the
second death shall have any power; Yea, verily, the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time
of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath. For all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of
the dead, through the triumph and the glory of the Lamb, who was slain, who was in the bosom of the
Father before the worlds were made” (D&C 76:31–39 in the Doctrine and Covenants)

21