Book of Life
The Lord has revealed that a record is kept in heaven containing the names and deeds of the faithful. In the book of Alma it states, "for the names of the righteous shall be written in the book of life, and unto them will I grant an inheritance at my right hand (Alma 5:58).
Alma also teaches that the names of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of the righteous, "All you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things; and behold, their names shall be blotted out, that the names of the wicked shall not be numbered among the names of the righteous, that the word of God may be fulfilled, which saith: The names of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of my people" (Alma 5:57).
During Moses' day, Moses was concerned about the wickedness of the children of Israel and inquired of the Lord about their names being recorded in the book of life. The Lord told Moses, "Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book" (Exodus 32:33).
Concerning the reproach of the house of the Lord, David laments in a psalm about the children of Israel forsaking the Lord and says concerning those that had forsook him, "let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous" (Psalms 69:28).
During the last days when the saints will be in the midst of world turmoil, Michael will stand up for them as it is written, "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book" (Daniel 12:1).
The apostle Paul in an epistle to the Philippians instructs them that the faithful servants of the Lord Jesus Christ are written in the book of life. "Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved...stand fast in the Lord...I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life" (Philippians 4:1-3).
In the revelation of John, the Lord tells us, "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels" (Rev. 3:5).
In the same revelation it reads that all those that fight against the saints - their names will not be "written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev. 13:8).
John also revealed aspects of the judgment of those that have died, telling us that, "I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works" (Rev. 20:12).
John leaves the reader with a warning that, "If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city" (Rev. 22:19).
In addition, the Lord himself tells us that all the words that he has commanded to be written shall be used to judge us. "For I command all men...that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written" (2 Nephi 29:11).
During the ministry of the Lord amongst the inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere, he instructs them to, "Write the things which ye have seen and heard, save it be those which are forbidden. Write the works of this people, which shall be, even as hath been written, of that which hath been. For behold, 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; therefore out of the books which shall be written shall the world be judged" (3 Nephi 27:23-26).
In a revelation through the Prophet Joseph Smith the Lord tells us about those that will be with God, "These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just. These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all. These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn. These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and Christ are the judge of all" (D&C 76:65-68).
In speaking concerning of those in whom the Lord is pleased because of their faithfulness he states, "Behold, this is pleasing unto your Lord, and the angels rejoice over you; the alms of your prayers have come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded in the book of the names of the sanctified, even them of the celestial world" (D&C 88:2).
In an epistle to the saints, the Prophet Joseph Smith instructed them concerning keeping a record of the ordinances that they perform, telling them: "That in all your recordings it may be recorded in heaven; whatsoever you bind on earth, may be bound in heaven; whatsoever you loose on earth, may be loosed in heaven" (D&C 127:7).
In a similar epistle to the saints, the Prophet Joseph Smith gave further instruction concerning this as follows: "And further, I want you to remember that John the Revelator was contemplating this very subject in relation to the dead, when he declared, as you will find recorded in Revelation 20:12 - And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. You will discover in this quotation that the books were opened; and another book was opened, which was the book of life; but the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works, consequently, the books spoken of must be the books which contained the record of their works, and refer to the records which are kept on the earth. And the book which was the book of life is the record which is kept in heaven ; the principle agreeing precisely with the doctrine which is commanded you in the revelation contained in the letter which I wrote to you previous to my leaving my place - that in all your recordings it may be recorded in heaven. Now, the nature of this ordinance consists in the power of the priesthood, by the revelation of Jesus Christ, wherein it is granted that whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Or, in other words, taking a different view of the translation, whatsoever you record on earth shall be recorded in heaven, and whatsoever you do not record on earth shall not be recorded in heaven; for out of the books shall your dead be judged, according to their own works, whether they themselves have attended to the ordinances in their own propria persona, or by the means of their own agents, according to the ordinance which God has prepared for their salvation from before the foundation of the world, according to the records which they have kept concerning their dead " (D&C 128:6-8).
A clearer understanding of this can be gleaned from the revelation on marriage. In a revelation through the Prophet Joseph Smith the Lord tells us, "And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them - Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths - then shall it be written in the Lamb's Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever" (D&C 132:19).
Alma also teaches that the names of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of the righteous, "All you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things; and behold, their names shall be blotted out, that the names of the wicked shall not be numbered among the names of the righteous, that the word of God may be fulfilled, which saith: The names of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of my people" (Alma 5:57).
During Moses' day, Moses was concerned about the wickedness of the children of Israel and inquired of the Lord about their names being recorded in the book of life. The Lord told Moses, "Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book" (Exodus 32:33).
Concerning the reproach of the house of the Lord, David laments in a psalm about the children of Israel forsaking the Lord and says concerning those that had forsook him, "let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous" (Psalms 69:28).
During the last days when the saints will be in the midst of world turmoil, Michael will stand up for them as it is written, "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book" (Daniel 12:1).
The apostle Paul in an epistle to the Philippians instructs them that the faithful servants of the Lord Jesus Christ are written in the book of life. "Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved...stand fast in the Lord...I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life" (Philippians 4:1-3).
In the revelation of John, the Lord tells us, "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels" (Rev. 3:5).
In the same revelation it reads that all those that fight against the saints - their names will not be "written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev. 13:8).
John also revealed aspects of the judgment of those that have died, telling us that, "I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works" (Rev. 20:12).
John leaves the reader with a warning that, "If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city" (Rev. 22:19).
In addition, the Lord himself tells us that all the words that he has commanded to be written shall be used to judge us. "For I command all men...that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written" (2 Nephi 29:11).
During the ministry of the Lord amongst the inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere, he instructs them to, "Write the things which ye have seen and heard, save it be those which are forbidden. Write the works of this people, which shall be, even as hath been written, of that which hath been. For behold, 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; therefore out of the books which shall be written shall the world be judged" (3 Nephi 27:23-26).
In a revelation through the Prophet Joseph Smith the Lord tells us about those that will be with God, "These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just. These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all. These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn. These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and Christ are the judge of all" (D&C 76:65-68).
In speaking concerning of those in whom the Lord is pleased because of their faithfulness he states, "Behold, this is pleasing unto your Lord, and the angels rejoice over you; the alms of your prayers have come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded in the book of the names of the sanctified, even them of the celestial world" (D&C 88:2).
In an epistle to the saints, the Prophet Joseph Smith instructed them concerning keeping a record of the ordinances that they perform, telling them: "That in all your recordings it may be recorded in heaven; whatsoever you bind on earth, may be bound in heaven; whatsoever you loose on earth, may be loosed in heaven" (D&C 127:7).
In a similar epistle to the saints, the Prophet Joseph Smith gave further instruction concerning this as follows: "And further, I want you to remember that John the Revelator was contemplating this very subject in relation to the dead, when he declared, as you will find recorded in Revelation 20:12 - And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. You will discover in this quotation that the books were opened; and another book was opened, which was the book of life; but the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works, consequently, the books spoken of must be the books which contained the record of their works, and refer to the records which are kept on the earth. And the book which was the book of life is the record which is kept in heaven ; the principle agreeing precisely with the doctrine which is commanded you in the revelation contained in the letter which I wrote to you previous to my leaving my place - that in all your recordings it may be recorded in heaven. Now, the nature of this ordinance consists in the power of the priesthood, by the revelation of Jesus Christ, wherein it is granted that whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Or, in other words, taking a different view of the translation, whatsoever you record on earth shall be recorded in heaven, and whatsoever you do not record on earth shall not be recorded in heaven; for out of the books shall your dead be judged, according to their own works, whether they themselves have attended to the ordinances in their own propria persona, or by the means of their own agents, according to the ordinance which God has prepared for their salvation from before the foundation of the world, according to the records which they have kept concerning their dead " (D&C 128:6-8).
A clearer understanding of this can be gleaned from the revelation on marriage. In a revelation through the Prophet Joseph Smith the Lord tells us, "And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them - Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths - then shall it be written in the Lamb's Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever" (D&C 132:19).