In a few videos, he explains how he sees the Bible's teaching on election, salvation, and Heaven and Hell. I agreed with him on most points, but there were a few differences. According to him, mankind is in a fallen state, and when we die, we must suffer a just punishment for our sins. For some it would be better, and some it would be worse, depending on what was just. God doesn't have any obligation to save us from that, because He is sovereign and we deserve what we would get. But out of the goodness of His heart, He went above and beyond His duties, came down as Jesus Christ and suffered and died so that we would have a way to go to Heaven, provided that we believed in Him and He chose to save us. Most people go to Hell when they die, as Jesus said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:13-14).
It seems like a bold thing to tell people they're going to Hell, or that their relatives are all in Hell. But according to him, Hell is only as bad as you've made it for yourself, because God is just. Either way, it made me want to re-confirm for myself what exactly we as Mormons know about salvation and Hell from our additional scriptures.
We also believe that most people go straight to Hell when they die. In our theology, the word "Hell" can either mean Spirit Prison or Outer Darkness. In D&C 138, the Lord shows President Joseph F. Smith a vision about the Spirit World, in which he says, in reference to the Lord, "he ... 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; ... Thus was the gospel preached to those who died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets." So what happened to those Africans who died 3000 years ago without ever hearing the name of Jesus? They went to Hell, which was only as bad as they had made it for themselves, and they were to stay there either until the resurrection (Acts 24:15) or until someone among the living performed proxy ordinances for them (D&C 128:16-18). What happened to Mother Theresa when she died? She went straight to Hell. It probably wasn't so bad because she was a great person. But she would have remained there under the same conditions.
If most people go to Hell when they die, how do you not go to Hell?
Get baptized. This is a point where we disagree with most other Christians. Protestants normally teach that we are saved by faith alone, and no works whatsoever are necessary. The scriptures they quote to support this state that you need to believe in order to be saved. Well, that's a start! As far as I can see, all volumes of scripture state that baptism, or whatever ordinance the Lord's people were commanded to perform at the time, is necessary to be saved from Hell (John 3:5) and to those do believe, repent, get baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end, God promises salvation and eternal life (2 Nephi 31:17-18). So when they say that we believe we're saved by our works, they're half right. All of the scriptures teach that it requires both faith and works to be saved from Hell. Moroni taught, "the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins;" because faith, after all, is dead without works (James 2:17).
So what does the Qur'an teach about Heaven and Hell?
In Islam, when a person dies, he rests in his grave awaiting the Resurrection, having just a small taste of what his final reward is going to be. The Resurrection and the Judgment are where people are actually sent to Heaven and Hell. According to the Qur'an, the "believers" go to Heaven and the "non-believers" go to Hell. This teaching first appears in Surah 2:24-25 but it's sprinkled throughout the book. There is a lot of debate among Muslims as to what it means to be a believer or a non-believer, because nobody wants to say that people are going to suffer in agony forever just for not believing something. But as a non-Muslim I have no problem just understanding it the way it sounds. Many Muslims understand it the same way, and many of them have tried to talk me into converting by telling me that I would otherwise go to Hell. I don't blame them, because Muslim Hell is not something that I would wish on anybody. Verses describing Hell as a fire are found all over the Qur'an, but Surah 4:56 seems to be the most explicit: "Those who reject our Signs, We shall soon cast into the Fire: as often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the penalty: for Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise." Heaven, on the other hand, is described as a garden where you enjoy food, women, God's blessing, and shade (thank heavens!) (Surah 4:57, 43:70-71).
In conclusion, I'm glad to know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ really do care about us and have given us what we need in order to receive a fullness of joy. As Ammon said once to his brothers, "we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen" (Alma 26:37).
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