At the end of our lives, what will be the thing that we did that will be of most worth? (D&C 18)

D&C 18:2-4

Do we need to continue to reevaluate what we know to be true? Do we need to relitigate our beliefs regularly? Do we need to keep deciding if the Book of Mormon is true? No, we don't. "Behold, I have manifested unto you, by my Spirit in many instances, that the things which you have written are true; wherefore you know that they are true. And if you know that they are true, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that you rely upon the things which are written; For in them are all things written concerning the foundation of my church, my gospel, and my rock."

If we know that the Book of Mormon is true, we don't have to continually reevaluate its teachings. I'm sure, since Joseph, Oliver and David were very knew at this, they had lots of questions continually. They didn't have two hundred years of scholarship behind them regarding the Book of Mormon. They may have translated something and then asked 50 questions about it...and then continued to ask questions about it. Which is fine, but the questions shouldn’t be "is this actually true" over and over again.

Once we accept the Book of Mormon is true, we are then free to simply live according to it's precepts. We can lay a firm foundation on its teachings without worrying if we are actually building our house on shifting sand. Whether it's true or not is decided, we simply need to shape ourselves to the truth.

I see many inside the church who are not doing this. It seems they are constantly in a state of reevaluating the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Their testimony of it gets cut in half with every criticism or new discovery. It's very hard to live this way. It's hard to live according to a standard that you're continuing to question. We must do what the Lord says in these verses and truly "rely upon the things which are written." If we rely on words that we know to be true, we will not repeat a frustrating the testimony-killing cycle of doubt and regaining faith.

D&C 18:8

I know that there was, sometimes, some contention between Joseph and Oliver. I think they were both leaders but perhaps Oliver, as “second Elder” didn’t fully recognize the difference between himself and the prophet. The Lord appears to be counseling Oliver in verse eight. “And now, marvel not that I have called him unto mine own purpose, which purpose is known in me; wherefore, if he shall be diligent in keeping my commandments he shall be blessed unto eternal life; and his name is Joseph.”

Oliver needed to know that Joseph was called as prophet for a purpose. This purpose was God’s purpose - not any man’s. By the Lord saying that this purpose was known “in me” suggests that Oliver wasn’t aware of the Lord’s purpose.

It’s important that we all realize that we don’t have all of the information. When we criticize a church leader based on our own limited knowledge, we are forgetting that we don’t see the full picture. There may be many times that we will not fully understand God’s purposes. But, we are always blessed when we trust Him and remain obedient.

This verse ends with a promise to Joseph (and all of us) that he will have eternal life if he will be diligent in keeping the Lord’s commandments. We don’t need to have all of the information to be obedient. In fact, the Lord’s commands through his prophets may not make any sense to us with our limited understanding. It isn’t my natural state to be a following sheep. But, when it comes to following the prophet, I will be a sheep. I will follow him off of a cliff. Happily and faithfully.

I see many who don’t have the same attitude. They believe that they have God-given logic. This is true of course. We should use our brains. But we MUST take into account that we don’t have the full picture and our imperfect but impressive logic does not mean we can question the Lord’s prophets.

A perfect example of this is the story of Naaman. He was a captain in the Syrian army. He was told by Elisha to wash in the Jordan river seven times and he would be healed of his leprosy. Initially, Naaman’s logic convinced him that it was unnecessary to wash in the Jordan. There were a couple of Syrian rivers which were closer and cleaner. This is good logic right? Thankfully, Naaman’s servants convinced him to wash in the Jordan and he was healed.

What was the reason why Elisha asked Naaman to wash in the Jordan river rather than the other, better options? I can suppose that it was a lesson in humility and obedience but I really don’t know for sure. I do know that Elisha and the Lord had a purpose in it. Naaman needed to shed his logic and move forward with faith.

D&C 18:10-16

Verse ten lays the foundation for the rest of the Lord’s lesson in these verses. “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.” How valuable is one soul? The value of that soul, in a very real, mathematical way, is infinite. If I become exalted in the Celestial kingdom, I will inherit all that God has. What is that? It is infinite lands of inheritance. It is infinite descendants - with the possibility that some of my spiritual children will progress to be like me and have infinite descendants themselves. If I choose to not be exalted, that line of infinity is non-existent. We cannot comprehend the value of every soul but we can say “the worth of souls is great.” We cannot see it but God’s sight sees it clearly.

Our worth was so great that God was willing to allow his only begotten Son to suffer and be sacrificed. “For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.” The purpose of Christ’s ministry and atonement is to show us the way and then make the way possible. Salvation was not contained in the law of Moses. The church in Jesus’s time was not leading people the way that it should. If Jesus didn’t come and do the hard work of teaching the gospel, we’d be left with the Old Testament and none of us would be progressing in mortality like we should. The higher law would be lost.

Thankfully, Jesus did even more than teach. He suffered and died for us. He did it that we may all might repent and not suffer like he did. He suffered every pain so he could succor every single person - no matter the affliction he or she had suffered. Jesus will always know exactly how we feel.

Of course, Jesus did more than die. He rose. “And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.” Jesus was raised up on the cross and raised up on the third day. This incredible event changed the course of history. No one, Christian or atheist can deny the impact that Jesus has had on the world. Consider that it’s 2025. So, it’s been 2,025 years since what? Even our accounting of time is based on Jesus. What Jesus did is known across the globe and his name truly brings men unto him. His teaching and his atonement motivates us to follow him - which, of course, includes repentance.

So, God values every soul and has done everything that he can, with his Son, to bring all men to him. Whether we do or not is always and forever up to us. Repentance is the way that we come unto him. Repentance is the way to righteousness. Repentance is the way to progression. Repentance is the only path to exaltation. Without repentance, rebellion ensues. Rebellion damns us. Rebellion never ends well. Ask Satan.

However, how joyful are those who repent? “And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!” We are all attempting to be happy in this life. Some people are searching for the source of happiness in all of the wrong places. Some are looking for it in wealth. Some are looking for it in leisure. Some are looking for it in pleasure. There is no substitute for the joy that can happen through repentance. No other source of happiness and joy will hold up like repentance. There is pure joy when we know we are on the right path doing the right thing with the right people.

As the Lord said to John Whitmer in chapter 15: “…the thing that will be of most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people.” The Lord reiterates this point here. “Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people. And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!” Again, the wroth of one soul is great. You could say that there can be infinite joy found in the saving of one soul.

The Lord takes it even further. “And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!” If the worth of one soul is infinite, to multiply that by many souls is hard to estimate the source of joy that effort would bring to us. We should keep all of this in mind as we see opportunities to share the gospel or be a good influence or extend a hand of fellowship to someone who obviously needs it. If we understood that joy that our small efforts could bring to us and the other person and ALL of their posterity, you couldn’t hold us back from “crying repentance unto this people.”

18:19

“And if you have not faith, hope, and charity, you can do nothing.” Why is that? Aren’t there other qualities that could allow us to do something productive I the kingdom? What about being a hard worker? What about being intelligent? What about amazing social skills? Why are those not mentioned but faith, hope and charity is? Let’s think about it.

• Faith. What good can we do without faith? What action will I take in any effort if I do not have faith that my action will lead to something? Truly, I would remain inert if I had no faith. I wouldn’t exercise, eat well, study, pray, serve, sacrifice unless I had faith that there was a purpose to my action. This faith is not directed at myself but directed at the one person where faith springs. I have faith in Jesus Christ in every form of the word and so that faith is what strengthens me and motivates me to work to become like Him.

• Hope. For me to exercise faith, I must have hope in a future where my work and effort will mean something. If we are all going to die and that is the end, what is there to hope for? If we would eventually become devils and angels to a devil, what do we have to look forward to? Without Christ, there can be no hope because our futures are all the same bleak future. But, there is a Christ and he was successful in fulfilling his atonement. It’s worth reviewing the verses in 2 Nephi 9:7-9: “Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more. O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more. And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.” Thankfully we did have a Savior who accomplished every part of his mission. Because of him, we can hope for a bright future with endless, eternal possibilities.

• Charity. Can’t I be productive in the kingdom without having charity. Sure, for a time. Without charity, our motivation for doing things in this church (which is doing things for others) will eventually wind down. Nothing can fuel the amount of selfless service that we will all do except charity for others. Charity, the pure love of Christ, is what moved Christ forward through the creation of the universe, his condescension during his mortal ministry and his infinite atonement. Charity and his desire to submit to the Father is what moved Christ. What will fuel us through an eternity of service towards our own descendants is charity.

So, it’s true. Without faith, hope and charity, we cannot do anything meaningful and lasting in the kingdom of God - here on earth or in the eternities.

18:20

This verse is interesting. “Contend against no church, save it be the church of the devil.” I get confused about the awfulness or goodness of other religions. During the first vision, the Lord said that all of the other churches were an “abomination.” That’s a strong word. Just from that, it appears that other churches are bad.

However, this verse posits that there is some daylight between a “church” and the “church of the devil.” If so, what is the difference? I think the distinction is that there are teachings of other churches that are perfectly in alignment with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We shouldn’t be focusing on the differences. Other churches are filled with good people who mean to o good and draw closer to their creator as they understand him/her/it.

The problem is when a principle is taught that is completely contrary with the restored gospel. For example, baptizing babies is a teaching of the devil and confuses the principle of a willing baptism. Or, the idea of the trinity. The trinity obfuscates the true nature of God and Jesus and the Holy Ghost. This obfuscation confuses people and hides the true purpose of this life - to become more like God in every way - spiritually and physically. Without understanding who God is and what he started as, we lose sight of our own destiny. That’s bad. I can’t shoot at a target that doesn’t exist…

So, let’s not treat other churches as if they are the church of the devil. Let’s fellowship with other religions but clearly defend those principles that we honor that differ from what they teach. We should be concerned about offending others unnecessarily but we should not shy away from teaching the truth that we know directly from God. As the Lord says in verse 33-35, “And I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, have spoken it. These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man; For it is my voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you, and by my power you can read them one to another; and save it were by my power you could not have them.”

The principles taught by our church were not invented some really smart men. They aren’t the result of some excellent study habits. They are revelations from God and we should be concerned ”proud” of what we know enough to share what is true.

18:23-25

“Behold, Jesus Christ is the name which is given of the Father, and there is none other name given whereby man can be saved; Wherefore, all men must take upon them the name which is given of the Father, for in that name shall they be called at the last day; Wherefore, if they know not the name by which they are called, they cannot have place in the kingdom of my Father.” This struck me as I read it. It made me think about the contentious differences in our country. Everyone has a label. Some include:

• Republican or Democrat.

• Conservative or Liberal.

• White or people of color.

• Gay or straight.

• Blue collar or white collar.

• Pro-life or Pro-choice.

• Religious or agnostic.

These labels can be powerful. A temporary, meaningless label can grow into an identity. We can become proud or defensive of the label we identify with. The only identity that will matter, in the end, is that we are children of God and have taken the name of Christ upon us. Our education or political views or race or nationality will not matter in that day.

Satan is doing a very good job of providing various identities that are, at best, distracting and, at worst, derailing. In one effort, he is dividing us, creating contention and confusing us about who we really are. If we remain confused by this in the day when we meet the Savior, we “cannot have place in the kingdom of my Father.”

10:38

“And by their desires and their works you shall know them.” It’s interesting how we can know people by their desires and their works. It doesn’t mention their words. I would say that I know most people by our conversations with our words. I have quoted “by their works ye shall know them” and “what someone does speak much louder than what they say.” I definitely believe that someone’s works are the defining statement of their character. It’s easy to say that I am a charitable person. It’s much harder to actually dedicate serious time to charity. If I say I am honest but lie regularly, my true character is being revealed. I totally agree that it is by people’s works that we truly shall know them.

The more thoughtful thing about this verse is that we can know someone through their desires. I’m a little confused at this one because I’ve also heard “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Our desires mean very little if we don’t actually do anything. A desire can be a vain, meaningless hope that we can do better in the future. So, why is it here in this verse? I think there are a few reasons:

1. Desires Shape Our Character

   • In D&C 137:9, the Lord states: “For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.” This shows that desires matter to God: they reveal our internal character, even if they haven’t yet been fully acted upon. Our deepest desires indicate the direction we are inclined to move, even if external circumstances or weaknesses prevent us from fully acting on them. Our desires, for must of us, direct the progression of our character.

2. Desires Precede and Motivate Action

   • While it’s true that desires without action might seem meaningless, actions usually begin as desires. A righteous person may not be perfect in their works yet, but their desires pull them toward improvement. Similarly, a wicked person might outwardly do good things while inwardly desiring evil. Over time, desires tend to manifest in behavior.

3. Desires Reveal True Intentions

   • Someone’s outward actions can sometimes be misleading. They might do good things for the wrong reasons or fail to do good because of weakness rather than rebellion. Desires, however, reveal why someone does what they do. Consider the example of the Pharisees. Outwardly, they were religious and performed righteous works. Inwardly, they desired power and recognition. Christ condemned them because their desires were corrupt, despite their external actions (Matthew 23:27-28).

4. Desires Matter in Judgment

   • If a person truly desires righteousness but struggles, God judges mercifully. Conversely, if someone’s works appear good but their heart desires evil, God sees through the facade.

Desires are an accurate indication of who someone truly is because they shape intentions, motivate actions, and reveal the state of the heart. While actions do matter, desires show the direction a person is heading—even before they fully arrive.

18:46

“And after that you have received this, if you keep not my commandments you cannot be saved in the kingdom of my Father.” What does this mean? Does it mean that, if we receive the gospel and then aren’t perfect, we’re doomed? Not exactly.

It does mean that for us to go against what we know to be true is rebellion. Rebellion is bad. Rebellion is what led Satan and his followers to fight against those who supported God’s plan. If we are knowingly rebellious in this life, that pattern of rebellion will continue into the next.

Again, rebellion is knowing something is right and not caring and going against it anyway. Rebelling against what we know will continue when we know more. You can imagine that, when we all finally see Christ and know that he is the Son of God and our Savior and his way is the only way to become like the Father - if we are rebellious, we may not follow him anyway. Again, in mortality and in immortality, rebellion against what we know is bad.

Rebellion, ultimately, is what will keep us out of the celestial kingdom. It may even keep us out of heaven. If we continue to rebel against what we know, I think this is what “denying the Holy Ghost” is. If we continue, forever, to not care if we are choosing the right, we will never repent and will remain unclean. No unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God.

If we will continue to strive to live according to what we know, we will continue to repent and Christ’s grace is sufficient for us. As long as we are willing to repent, we aren’t rebelling. We are human. God can sanctify any human who is willing to repent and repent and repent until the end.