“Out of the books which have been written, and which shall be written, shall this people be judged, for by them shall their works be known unto men.
“And behold, all things are written by the Father” (3 Nephi 27:25–26).President Joseph F. Smith (1838–1918) defined the role that written records will play in the Judgment:
“The Lord will make a record also and out of that shall the whole world be judged. And you men bearing the holy Priesthood—you apostles, presidents, bishops, and high priests in Zion—will be called upon to be the judges of the people. Therefore, it is expected that you shall set the standard for them to attain to, and see that they shall live according to the spirit of the gospel, do their duty, and keep the commandments of the Lord. You shall make a record of their acts. You shall record when they are baptized, when they are confirmed, and when they receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. You shall record when they come to Zion, their membership in the Church. You shall record whether they attend to their duties as priests, teachers or deacons, as elders, seventies or high priests. You shall write their works, as the Lord says here. You shall record their tithings … ; but we shall judge the people, first requiring them to do their duty. In order to do that, those who stand at the head must set the example” (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 157).