“All Things Are Written by the Father”

Joseph F. McConkie, Robert L. Millet

The spirit lives where the record of his deeds is kept—that does not die—man cannot kill it; there is no decay associated with it, and it still retains in all its vividness the remembrance of that which transpired before the separation by death of the body and the ever-living spirit....

It would be in vain for a man to say then, I did not do so-and-so; the command would be, Unravel and read the record which he has made of himself, and let it testify in relation to these things and all could gaze upon it.... That record will stare him in the face, he tells the story himself, and bears witness against himself.... When we get into the eternal world, into the presence of God our Heavenly Father, his eye can penetrate every one of us and our own record of our lives here shall develop all. (JD 11:77-79.)

“All Things Are Written by the Father”

Mankind is judged out of the books that the Father has caused to be written__ both earthly and heavenly records. We do not know precisely what role the various types of records kept on earth or in heaven will play in the final judgment.

As we have already discussed, the scriptures are the primary book or standard of judgment against which we are judged “according to our works.” What record has the Father caused to be written that contains our works? Some have the mistaken notion that we are followed around by some guardian angel with a large notebook who diligently keeps track of all our deeds.

We often view it as some type of spiritual ledger, with our assets of righteousness in one column and our liabilities of wickedness in the other. In reality, the record of our deeds which the Father has caused to he written is kept within our own souls. “My understanding of the thing is that God has made each man a register within himself,” taught president John Taylor, “and each man can read his own register, so far as he enjoys his perfect faculties....”

Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 4

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