Book Minute: D. L. Moody and the "Little Hell"

The Chicago police had largely abandoned the crime-infested neighborhood called “Little Hell.” Children living there were often beaten, abused, and exposed to gambling and prostitution. It was dangerous for outsiders. But when D. L. Moody wanted to grow his Sunday school, “Little Hell” is where he started. Moody came from a poor family. In spite of his limited education, he developed a passion for teaching the Bible. He is mostly remembered as a preacher and revivalist, but Moody also cared a great deal about serving the needy. He provided Sunday school students with food and clothing and raised money for families to heat their homes. The boys had names that recalled their rough background, names like Red Eye, Madden the Butcher and Billy Bluecannon, Moody’s Sunday school grew to include a thousand or more children weekly. In 1860, president Abraham Lincoln himself made a visit. When Moody founded schools for boys and girls in Massachusetts, he sought out the children of the poor, of the enslaved, and of Native Americans. Many knew Moody for preaching to audiences of tens of thousands. But to his students, Moody was the Bible teacher who was willing to enter “Little Hell” when no one else would. Copyright © 2022 Museum of the Bible. All rights reserved.