When most people hear the word "hell," a familiar image comes to mind — a place of eternal fire, permanent punishment, and no way out. It is one of the most feared words in all of religion, and one of the least understood.
But what do the scriptures actually say? When we look closely — not at tradition or assumption, but at revelation — a far more nuanced and ultimately more hopeful picture emerges. One that takes sin seriously, but takes God's love even more seriously.
Latter-day revelation speaks of hell in at least two distinct ways. One is temporary. One is permanent. Understanding the difference changes everything about how we see God's plan for His children.
"Christ prepared the way for our deliverance from death and hell."
— 2 Nephi 9:10–12
1. Hell as Spirit Prison — Temporary
The first — and most widely applicable — meaning of hell in scripture is spirit prison. This is a temporary state in the world of spirits, the place where we go between death and resurrection. It is not the final destination. It is a waiting place, a place of learning, and ultimately, a place of extraordinary opportunity.
Spirit prison is where spirits go who died without a full knowledge of the gospel, or who were disobedient during their mortal lives. But here is what makes this teaching so remarkable: even there, the work of God continues.
The gospel is preached in spirit prison. Spirits are taught, given the opportunity to repent, and offered the ordinances of salvation performed on their behalf by living family members in temples on earth. This is the foundation of the sacred work of family history and temple ordinances — a bridge of love built across the veil between the living and the dead.
"The dead who repent will be redeemed, through obedience to the ordinances of the house of God, and after they have paid the penalty of their transgressions, and are washed clean, shall receive a reward according to their works, for they are heirs of salvation." — Doctrine and Covenants 138:58–59
Those who accept the gospel in spirit prison may then dwell in paradise until the Resurrection. After resurrection and judgment, they receive the degree of glory they are worthy of. Even those who choose not to repent — but are not sons of perdition — remain in spirit prison until the end of the Millennium, after which they are resurrected to a telestial glory (D&C 76:81–86; 88:100–101).
In this sense, hell has an end. For most people, it is not forever. This reflects something profound about God's character — He does not give up on His children simply because their mortal life ran out before their repentance could begin.
2. Hell as Outer Darkness — Permanent
The second meaning of hell in scripture is far more sobering — and far more rare. This is the permanent place of those who are not redeemed by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The scriptures call it outer darkness.
Who ends up here? Scripture is clear and specific. Three groups:
• Satan and his angels
• The sons of perdition — those who received a perfect, undeniable witness of God and then wholly rejected and defied Him
• Those who are found "filthy still" — after every opportunity for repentance has been extended and refused
This is not a fate that falls on ordinary sinners. It is not for the weak, the struggling, the doubtful, or even the rebellious who later repent. The bar for outer darkness is extraordinarily high — it requires having received an undeniable witness of truth and then choosing, with full knowledge, to utterly reject it.
As the revelation states, it is for "those who have denied the Son after the Father has revealed Him" (D&C 76:43–46). This is not the darkness of doubt — it is the darkness of deliberate, knowing rejection.
"...there is a place prepared for them from the beginning, which place is hell." — Doctrine and Covenants 29:38
3. What Do We Actually Know? Trust in the Lord
President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, addressed this directly in a General Conference message titled "Trust in the Lord" (October 2019).
He acknowledged that while we know the broad outlines of the spirit world, much of the specific detail — the conditions, the relationships, the exact experience — remains unrevealed.
His counsel? When questions arise about things not yet revealed, two anchors hold:
• Remember that God loves His children and will do what is best for each of us
• Trust in the Lord — lean on His wisdom rather than speculation or assumption
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." — Proverbs 3:5–6
This is not a dismissal of honest questions. It is a redirect — toward the covenant path, toward the Savior, and toward a God whose plan is always more merciful and more wonderful than we can fully imagine in this life.
4. Side by Side — Two Meanings of Hell
Spirit Prison — Temporary
• For those who died without the gospel or were disobedient in life
• Gospel is actively preached there
• Repentance is possible
• Proxy ordinances can be performed on their behalf
• Ends after the Millennium for most — leads to a degree of glory
Outer Darkness — Permanent
• For Satan, his angels, and sons of perdition only
• Requires willful rejection of a perfect, undeniable testimony of Christ
• No redemption through the Atonement
• Eternal — and exceedingly rare
Conclusion: A God of Mercy and Justice
The scriptural picture of hell is ultimately an expression of God's character — both perfectly just and perfectly merciful. It takes sin seriously. But it takes redemption even more seriously.
It does not consign billions of uninformed, struggling, or imperfect souls to permanent torment. It opens a door — even after death — for those who never had a fair chance during their mortal years. The work of salvation does not stop at the grave. It continues, as God continues, reaching toward every one of His children.
Our part is clear: teach truth, keep our covenants, love and serve one another, and do the sacred work of temples — so that the door God has opened remains open for as many as will come through it.
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