26 And in one year were thousands and tens of thousands of souls sent to the eternal world, that they might reap their rewards according to their works, whether they were good or whether they were bad, to reap eternal happiness or eternal misery, according to the spirit which they listed to obey, whether it be a good spirit or a bad one.
27 For every man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to obey, and this according to the words of the spirit of prophecy; therefore let it be according to the truth. And thus endeth the fifth year of the reign of the judges.
I love the way Mormon frames the Final Judgment in this passage. The basic principle is simple: all people will be rewarded “according to their works.” The righteous will be blessed, and the wicked will be punished. But Mormon personalizes the principle by introducing a concept of a wage. Here’s how I understand it:
Spiritually, none of us is self-employed. We all have a boss. There are two employers available. Heavenly Father gives amazing gifts, including celestial glory and a fulness of joy, to those who follow Him. Satan gives terrible gifts–misery and captivity–“for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:27). The great news is that we get to choose our own boss. We can choose to obey our Heavenly Father, and to follow the promptings we receive through the Holy Ghost. Or we can yield to the temptations of the devil and obey the promptings of an evil spirit. The choice is ours, but the consequence is clear: we will receive our “wages” from the employer we choose to obey.
Today, I will remember Mormon’s depiction of the Final Judgment. As I go through my day, I will think about who I am working for. I will seek to obey the voice of the Holy Ghost and reject the voice of the evil spirit.
Today, I will remember Mormon’s depiction of the Final Judgment. As I go through my day, I will think about who I am working for. I will seek to obey the voice of the Holy Ghost and reject the voice of the evil spirit.