33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.
34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.
35 For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked.
That Same Spirit – Alma 34:33-35
Sometimes people say or think something like, “Why can’t I sin now and repent later?” That’s like congressional budgets that allow deficits today paid for by projected surpluses in the future. When the future day comes, the temptation to run a deficit is too strong, and the planned surplus never materializes.
As Amulek points out in this verse, the time to repent is now. You can’t rely on a future self to choose more wisely than you are willing to choose today. If you choose to sin now, why do you expect your future self to be wiser or more self-disciplined? Every decision you make influences who you become. Therefore, a deliberate decision to do wrong makes it less likely, not more, that you will choose to repent in the future.
The person you have become at the end of your life is the same person who will be resurrected and judged. If you want God’s help in preparing for that day, the time to turn to Him is now, not later. Don’t waste another day, and don’t deliberately make choices which will lead you further away from what you want to be at that time.
Today, I will ponder what I need to repent of, and I take action immediately. I will seek to “improve [my] time while in this life,” and I won’t “procrastinate the day of [my] repentance.”
If I read this literally it appears to say that if I haven’t repented by the time of my death on earth then the devil owns me and I am sealed to him. If that is correct how can the baptism for the dead work?
Thanks for the question! I can see how this passage might give the impression that we can’t change after we die, particularly some of the phrases in verse 35. However, as you point out, that can’t be right, because it would contradict the practice of baptism for the dead. Furthermore, Joseph F. Smith saw in a vision that the Savior has organized extensive missionary activities in the Spirit World (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/138). Why would the gospel be “preached also to them that are dead” if they can’t change (1 Peter 4:6)? So there must be some other explanation.
I prefer to read these three verses as a unit. I think Amulek’s main point appears in verse 33: don’t procrastinate repenting. It’s not that you can’t change later. It’s that you shouldn’t make decisions today based on an expectation that a new and improved you will make better decisions in the future. We can only control our actions and thoughts right now, and our choices today do influence who we will eventually become.
I hope those thoughts are useful to you as you ponder and learn from these verses. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
If you don’t have the chance to hear the gospel in this life you will have the chance later. God is just and he will give fair chance to everyone.
You are absolutely right. Thank you for sharing the doctrine of salvation for the dead, clearly and concisely. Here is a link to the topic in the Guide to the Scriptures, with a number of scriptural references that support your statement. Have a great day!
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/gs/salvation-for-the-dead?lang=eng
Thanks for sharing your thoughts but it still doesn’t clear up the sealing to the devil part for me. I shall continue to dig deeper into the scriptures and hopefully come to an understanding of this passage. Thanks again.
Sounds good. Let me know if you find something that helps with that phrase. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
There is much value in considering the context in which the words are spoken, as well as understanding that the scriptures and the words of the brethren cannot be understood unless we put them into context with the other teachings of the gospel. In this case, I think there is value in remembering that Amulek was speaking specifically to the Zoramites, one of the most wicked groups of people ever mentioned in the scriptures. Verse 35 seems to be referring specifically to the Sons of Perdition, the most wicked of the wicked. They are the only ones whose final state is to be sealed up unto the devil. They are the only ones whom Satan will have all power over for eternity. All others will eventually be delivered from the devil and inherit either the Celestial, Terrestrial or Telestial Kingdom. Even the Telestial Kingdom is a kingdom of glory.
Nevertheless, we will all face a day of final judgment and all of those who have not repented will be delivered unto the buffetings of Satan before being redeemed from spiritual death. The warnings in the rest of the chapter are applicable to more than the Sons of Perdition. When we realize that verse 35 is speaking specifically of the Sons of Perdition but the warnings in the chapter apply to all, then there is no conflict between the chapter as a whole and doing baptisms for the dead.
President Nelson, when speaking of the warnings given in the chapter, taught the following:
“God’s plan is fair. Even those “who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God.” His plan is also merciful. He “will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2005/04/now-is-the-time-to-prepare?lang=eng)
Thanks for the comment! I agree that verse 35 is the problematic part of the chapter. Since we believe that almost everyone will eventually be delivered from Satan’s power, that verse must either refer to the few people who will not (the sons of perdition) or it must refer to some earlier “final” state, not the “final final” state.
Thanks for sharing your reading of these verses.