The Challenge to Become

 

Doctrine and Covenants 19:3. Jesus Christ will judge everyone according to his or her deeds

The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches that obedience is a fundamental principle. The blessings that come to those who choose to be obedient are both immediate and eternal. Disobedience causes a person to forfeit blessings and brings chastening and loss of the Spirit. All of God’s children will be judged according to their deeds, or their efforts to be obedient. The “last great day of judgment” (D&C 19:3) refers to the Final Judgment, which will occur at the end of the Millennium.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles clarified how our works and deeds influence how we will be judged:

“Many Bible and modern scriptures speak of a final judgment at which all persons will be rewarded according to their deeds or works or the desires of their hearts. But other scriptures enlarge upon this by referring to our being judged by the condition we have achieved. …

“… The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts––what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts––what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become” (“The Challenge to Become,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 32).