“The Kingdom of Heaven is Soon at Hand”
In one sense this meant to the Nephites that Christ, the King of all the earth, would come into mortality (see v. 50; Alma 7:9; Alma 10:20). In another sense it means that each of us, as we face the time of death, must reckon with ourselves in regard to the commandments of God. That is, we know not the day nor the hour in which our experience in mortality will end. Be it a few years or many (as mortals count them), the time spent on earth will seem all too short. The phrase is not being used in this text with the same meaning given to it by the Baptist, who declared, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2; see also Matthew 4:17; Matthew 10:7). John’s reference was to the reestablishment of the Church of Jesus Christ among those of the nation of Israel. See commentary on verses 50-51.
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