16 I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?
17 Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say—Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth—and that he will save you?
18 Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God?
In spite of the seriousness of the warning in these verses, I’m glad that Alma begins by asking us to visualize a positive outcome at the Final Judgment. While he clearly wants us to take the Final Judgment seriously–as seriously as a conscientious student takes a final exam–his purpose in reminding us of the event is to motivate us to take constructive action. As he reminds us in two other passages, we should feel a sense of urgency about preparing for that day, and since we don’t know when it will come, we must not procrastinate our repentance (Alma 13:27, Alma 34:33-35).
I’m grateful for Alma’s reminder that we will all face a day of reckoning. I’m grateful that, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can all be prepared for that day (Ether 12:27). Today I will follow Alma’s admonition and imagine the positive outcome I would like to experience in the day of judgment. I will then recommit to live in a way which moves me toward that goal.
I’m grateful for Alma’s reminder that we will all face a day of reckoning. I’m grateful that, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can all be prepared for that day (Ether 12:27). Today I will follow Alma’s admonition and imagine the positive outcome I would like to experience in the day of judgment. I will then recommit to live in a way which moves me toward that goal.