Repentance

Is hell a reality?  The devil says it is not a reality.

2 Nephi 28:21-23  "And others will he (the devil) pacify, and loll them away into carnal security, that they will say: all is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well - and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.  And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none - and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.  Ye, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment."

Is hell a place for people who have procrastinated in repenting?

Alma 34:35  "For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked."

Is this really the final state of repentance procrastinators?  Isn't there some kind of work that can be done for them?

Alma 34:33  "And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed."

Obviously a person in such a situation would want a chance to escape.

Alma 34:34  "You cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God.  Nay, ye cannot say this;..."

Many people say that repentance is a "gradual process" - it takes time.  However, we are not guaranteed tomorrow.  We may not have time for a gradual process.  We could die in a car wreck.  We could be hit by a drunk driver or a texting driver.  Some people will die of heart attacks and strokes.  It is best to repent right now!

Alma 34:31-32  "Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.  For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors."

Does it sound too easy?

2 Nephi 25:23  "..;for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

For those of us who are hard-headed, it is after we try and do all we can do that we realize it is NOT enough.  We actually do have to depend on God's grace, not ourselves, to save us.

The self-righteous Jews stated that Abraham was their father and God was their father. They were irate when Jesus said their father was the devil.

John 8:44  "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do...."

The Book of Mormon claims that we must be "born again" and "become His sons and daughters".

Mosiah 27:25-26  "And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;  And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."

It is a miracle of God to be changed from a "carnal and fallen state" to a state of "righteousness" - where good deeds are flowing out of you naturally.

My friend, do not procrastinate your repentance.  Turn to the God who is the unchangeable being in Moroni 8:18 and who is the only "true and living God" in Alma 11:27-39.  Be reborn.  Become a new creation.  May God be with you.