We should not conclude from these statements by Amulek that it is impossible for a person to repent once he has left this earth life. Other scriptures indicate that repentance may be obtained under certain conditions beyond the veil of mortality. For example, Peter mentions that after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Savior "preached unto the spirits" of those who had died during the days of Noah (1 Peter 3:18-20) so that they "might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit" (1 Peter 4:6). However, we do not know the full conditions of repentance in the post-earthly spirit world, and, as Brother Talmage has stated, ". . . to suppose that the soul who has wilfully rejected the opportunity of repentance in this life will find it easy to repent there is contrary to reason. To procrastinate the day of repentance is to deliberately place ourselves in the power of the adversary." (Articles of Faith, p. 115.)
Danger of Deathbed Repentance
Several weaknesses and dangers are inherent in the doctrine of deathbed repentance. One of these is that we never know when we are going to die; therefore, there may not be time to repent. Furthermore, as Amulek warns us, "Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis [death], that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world." (Alma 34:34.) Then Amulek counsels us to repent of our sins so that we will be prepared for death whenever it should come. Essentially this same advice is given by President Lorenzo Snow:
All men and women who are worthy to be called Latter-day Saints should live hour by hour in such a way that if they should be called suddenly from this life into the next they would be prepared. The preparation should be such that we should not fear to be called away suddenly into the spirit life. It is our privilege to so live as to have the spirit of light and intelligence to that extent that we shall feel satisfied that all will be well if we should be called away at any hour. (Conference Report, October 1899, p. 2.)