Joseph Smith — "If I were to be saved and go to heaven, and see any man there that I had not end…"
If I were to be saved and go to heaven, and see any man there that I had not endeavored to save, I would feel worse there than I would in hell.
Get This Quote & Author's Image Illustrated On:
Click any product to generate a realistic preview. Up to 3 at a time.
* Initial load can take up to 90 seconds — revising the preview in another color is nearly instant.
Kitchen
Apparel
Other
More from Joseph Smith
"I am not afraid to die. I have done nothing to merit death or condemnation."
"I am a man of good will, and I will do good to all men."
"And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men."
"God did not make the earth out of nothing—for it is contrary to a rational mind and reason that a something could be brought from a nothing."
"I have seen the face of God, and I have seen the face of the devil."
Verification
Unverifiable
Found in 1 providers: deepseek
1 source checked
Understanding this quote
What it means
Personal salvation carries a moral obligation toward others. Reaching heaven while knowing you made no effort to help others get there would feel like a deeper failure than damnation itself. It rejects self-focused spirituality in favor of collective responsibility — true fulfillment requires actively working to lift others toward salvation, not merely securing your own. Indifference to others' fate is its own kind of damnation.
Relevance to Joseph Smith
Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830 and immediately organized missionary efforts across America and Europe. His theology uniquely extended salvation to the dead through proxy baptism, reflecting his belief that no soul should be unreachable. He personally led evangelizing campaigns and sent followers worldwide. This captures his driving conviction that a prophet's responsibility is universal — every soul's fate weighs on those who know the truth.
The era
Smith's words emerged during the Second Great Awakening (1790s–1840s), an era of explosive American religious revivalism. Camp meetings drew thousands, denominations competed for converts, and missionary societies sent evangelists globally. Salvation was debated publicly — who could be saved, how, and by whom. Against this backdrop, Smith's theology was radical: even the dead could be saved through proxy work. The urgency to save every soul wasn't just piety — it was the defining spiritual competition of the age.
AI-generated insights based on extensive research and information for context. Factual errors? Email [email protected].