The Final Judgment: Part 2

     In today’s entry I wish to continue my focus on the Final Judgment.  Last week’s entry closed with those to whom Jesus Christ has delegated the keys of judgment.  These are the people who will judge us according to the laws of God when we stand before the judgment bar of Christ.  The next question we must ask is what are the standards by which we will be judged?

     Let me give two scriptural accounts that help us establish what these standards are?  The first can be found in The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ (1 Nephi 10:20-21).  It reads, “Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment.  Wherefore if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgment-seat of God…”  Revelation 20:13 further states, “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.”

     These scriptures make it very clear that we are judged for our works.  If our works are wicked works, we will be judged unclean and therefore not fit to enter the presence of God.  If they have been righteous works, then we will be judged clean and fit to enter the presence of God.  (In The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Alma chapter five gives an excellent discourse on what works we are judged by and what we need to improve upon in order to be found clean at the Final Judgment.)

     There is, of course, a problem with this.  All of us have done works of wickedness.  Doesn’t that mean we will all be judged unworthy to enter the presence of God?  What is the point if none of us will be judged worthy to enter to the presence of God because all of us have done works of wickedness?

     This is where the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ has an impact.  As discussed in numerous locations throughout the scriptures, those who repent of their sins and try to realign themselves to the will of God shall be cleansed of their sins.  Their sins shall be “blotted out” by the blood of the Son of God so they will be “remembered no more” (Isaiah 44:22, Acts 3:19, Hebrews 8:12, Doctrine and Covenants 58:42).  These people will be judged righteous and worthy to enter the presence of God because they had faith in Christ so that they repented of their wickedness.

     This still leaves a problem, though.  All of us are so weak that we sin often.  We may repent of every sin we know we have committed, but miss some sins and transgressions because we forget them or simply never knew about them.  Doesn’t this still leave us falling short of being judged worthy and entering the presence of God.

     Here, again, the mercy of Jesus Christ saves the repentant soul.  Our Heavenly Father knew of this flaw and made allowances for these weaknesses by sending Jehovah to atone for them.  This is why we have learned through modern day revelation that the judgments aren’t so much about what we have done.  They are more focused on what we have become (See the talk “The Challenge to Become”, by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, found in The Ensign, November 2000, page 32.)

     So the question isn’t so much about whether or not you are doing good deeds.  After all you can do good deeds while doing them for poor reasons.  The question is who are you really?  What is the true character you hold that lies behind the motives of your choices and everything you do?  And how will that true character measure up when you stand before the judgment bar?  Is it a character worthy of becoming like God, or do you need to change your course?  And remember that at the judgment bar of Christ it is too late to change your course.  So you better start asking that question now, when it can have an impact on your eternal salvation.

     We still haven’t really answered the question of what the standards by which we are judged are.  We know we are judged by whether or not we are good.  But what is good?  For this we turn to Matthew 5:48.  It reads, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”  So the standard we are to strive to become is perfection like that of our Father in Heaven.  This means we need to strive to become like Jesus Christ who was perfect.  We are to learn from the examples of His life and strive to become like Him. 

     We won’t fully succeed in this life.  None of us are going to become fully perfect.  But the point is to strive towards perfection so that we demonstrate a character that desires perfection.  Then the Atonement of Jesus Christ will have its full claim upon us, and we will stand at the judgment seat and be judged clean and worthy to enter the presence of God.

     I want to restate what I believe is the most important point we need to understand from this.  When we reach the judgment seat, we will not be judged by what we have done in life.  Good actions can still come from bad motives.  Instead we will be judged by what our character has become.  We will be judged by who we are at our very core.

     So ask yourselves, “Who am I?”  Is your character good?  Are you striving to become like Jesus Christ?  If not, correct your course and become better.  After all, we are always becoming something.  And it is our choice what that something is.  So become better.  Exercise your faith in Jesus Christ so that you become like Him.