Becoming What We Choose

1 Nephi 15:33 - "Wherefore, if they should die in their wickedness they must be cast off also, as to the things which are spiritual, which are pertaining to righteousness; wherefore, they must be brought to stand before God, to be judged of their works; and if their works have been filthiness they must needs be filthy; and if they be filthy it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God; if so, the kingdom of God must be filthy also."

President Dallin H. Oaks - “The Apostle Paul taught that the Lords teachings and teachers were given that we may all attain 'the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ' (Eph. 4:13). This process requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something. Many Bible and modern scriptures speak of a final judgment at which all persons will be rewarded according to their deeds or works or the desires of their hearts. But other scriptures enlarge upon this by referring to our being judged by the condition we have achieved. The prophet Nephi describes the Final Judgment in terms of what we have become: 'And if their works have been filthiness they must needs be filthy; and if they be filthy it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God' (1 Ne. 15:33; emphasis added). Moroni declares, 'He that is filthy shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous still' (Morm. 9:14; emphasis added; see also Rev. 22:11-12; 2 Ne. 9:16; D&C 88:35). The same would be true of 'selfish' or 'disobedient' or any other personal attribute inconsistent with the requirements of God. Referring to the 'state' of the wicked in the Final Judgment, Alma explains that if we are condemned by our words, our works, and our thoughts, we shall not be found spotless;…and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God' (Alma 12:14). From such teachings we conclude that the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts— what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become"

Seek this Jesus - A Book of Mormon Daily Podcast invites you to discover the joy and guidance that comes from studying the Book of Mormon everyday. This podcast would hope to just be a supplement to your studies. 

For a free copy of the Book of Mormon, click here.  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-book-of-mormon

For more information on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, click here. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Welcome to Speak This Peace, a daily podcast dedicated to drawing closer to the Savior through the powerful truths found in the Book of Mormon. Each episode, we focus on one verse that helps us walk more faithfully in his footsteps. One truth we must accept in Scripture is that our choices are never neutral. Every decision shapes us. Over time we are not just choosing actions, we are choosing who we are becoming. Nephi teaches this principle with striking clarity as he describes the final judgment. Nephi fifteen thirty three reads Wherefore if they should die in their wickedness, they must be cast off also, as to the things which are spiritual, which are pertaining to righteousness. Wherefore they must be brought to stand before God, to be judged of their works, and if their works have been filthiness, they must needs be filthy, and if they be filthy, it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God. If so, the kingdom of God must be filthy also. This verse confronts us with the truth we must prefer to soften, we might prefer to soften, but Nephi does not soften it. Judgment is real, accountability is real, and righteousness cannot coexist with filthiness. What is striking here is how Nephi describes judgment. He does not say we are merely judged by a checklist of deeds. Instead he describes a condition, a state of being. If a person's works are filthy, then they become filthy. And because God's kingdom is not filthy, that person cannot dwell there. This helps us understand that heaven is not arbitrarily exclusive. God is not randomly deciding who may enter his presence. Rather, the kingdom of God is a place defined by holiness, and only those who have become compatible with that holiness can dwell there. Judgment, then, is not about God changing his standards, it is about whether we have been changed by Him. President Dallin H. Oakes expands this principle with markable clarity. This is a long quote. I apologize. Quote The Apostle Paul taught that the Lord's teachings and teachers were given that we may all attain the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. This process requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel. We must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something. Many Bible and modern scriptures speak of a final judgment, at which all persons will be rewarded according to their deeds or works or the desires of their hearts. But other scriptures enlarge upon this by referring to our being judged by the condition we have achieved. The prophet Nephi describes the final judgment in terms of what we have become, and if their works have been filthiness, they must needs be filthy, and if they be filthy, it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God. Moroni declares, He that is filthy shall be filthy still, and he that is righteous shall be righteous still. The same would be true of selfish or disobedient or any personal attribute inconsistent with the requirements of God. Referring to the state of the wicked in the final judgment, Alma explains that if we are condemned by our words, our works, and our thoughts, we shall not be found spotless, and in this awful state we should not dare to look up to our God. From such teachings we conclude that the final judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts, what we have done. It is an acknowledgement of the final effect of our acts and thoughts, what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our heavenly Father desires us to become. Yes, I know that was a long quote. However, President Oakes makes something unmistakably clear in that quote. Knowing the gospel is not the same as being converted by it. We can attend meetings, read scriptures, and even defend doctrine and still resist transformation. The gospel does not exist to inform us, it exists to remake us. Nephi, Moroni, Alma, and President Oaks all teach the same principle from different angles. Final judgment reveals the direction we consistently chose. No one becomes righteous or filthy by accident. These conditions develop slowly through repeated decisions, habits, and desires. What we practice becomes our nature. What we excuse becomes our identity. This should sober us. But it should also give us hope. If becoming something is the issue, then repentance is not merely correction, it is redirection. Through Christ we are not trapped by who we have been. We are invited to change who we are becoming. That is why the gospel is so demanding and so merciful at the same time. God does not merely forgive our past, He offers power to reshape our future. Grace is not permission to stay the same, it is strength to become different. This teaching invites us to ask better questions than am I checking the right boxes? Instead we should ask, what kind of heart am I developing? What desires am I feeding? What habits are shaping my spiritual condition? We do not drift into Christ like character. We become Christlike through intentional discipleship, through choices that align our thoughts, actions, and desires with Him. Daily scripture study, sincere prayer, covenant faithfulness and humble repentance are not transactions. They are transformations. They are how the Spirit slowly reshapes us into something holy. So here is today's challenge. Today, instead of evaluat evaluating what we did, take a few quiet moments to reflect on who we are becoming. Ask the Lord to help us see our direction clearly, and then choose one small, intentional change that aligns us more fully with the person He is helping us become. Thank you for listening to Seek This Jesus. I hope this message helps you draw a little closer to the Savior, Jesus Christ. Please don't let this podcast be your only scripture time today. I encourage you to open your scriptures, because when you study God's Word personally, the Spirit will teach you things no podcast ever could. Until next time, keep speaking this detail.