33 pages 1 hour read

A Short Stay in Hell

Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 2011

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Background

Ideological Context: Mormonism and Zoroastrianism

Mormonism is a term that refers to a collection of independent religious groups, the largest of which is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which reports having over 17 million members worldwide (“Our History.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). These groups trace their origins to the teachings of Joseph Smith (1805-1844), a Christian Restorationist who claimed to have experienced a series of visions from God. Like other Restorationist movements that sought to return to a more “unadulterated” form of Christianity, Mormon beliefs include mainstream Christian concepts with some key modifications. Mormonism recognizes both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible as sacred texts but also draws on the Book of Mormon, a narrative that depicts the arrival of early Indigenous people in the Americas under the guidance of God. Mormons believe in a version of Hell referred to as the spirit prison, in which sinful souls have the opportunity to learn, repent, and eventually be released into paradise.


Zoroastrianism is a dualistic religion that was first recorded in Iran around the sixth century BCE, but in all likelihood originated around 1500 BCE (Mark, Joshua J. “blurred text
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