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Any Thoughts On Death Bed Repentence

Can someone be truly sorry for their lack of indulgence of good works just before death and be made better off in the next life? Here is the challenge, where does it say you can't?

Repentence Bed Death Thoughts Any

Joseph Smith tells us we should not wait until our death bed to repent because the Lord wants us to be doing the work here on earth.

It does not say we can't; it only that we should not wait. To me this is telling us we are much better off repenting now so we can do the work and secure our place in Heaven rather than waiting until the last minute and gambling on whether or not we will be able to get it done.
Somewhere I have read where says it will be harder for us as we will not have our mortal bodies until the resurrection. We will still have our same weaknesses and failings. I am still looking for that reference.

We have been promised we will have our wayward children, who have been sealed to us, for the eternities. This tells me we can still repent after death, but the way is not an easy one.

But the bottom line is that someone can be sorry and repent at their deathbed. Then they will be given the opportunity to continue to do good works to secure their place in heaven. I do not think it will automatically be given them just because the have had a last minute change of heart.

Edited: alskann on 4th Aug, 2008 - 4:43am

Any Thoughts On Death Bed Repentence Studies Doctrine Mormon

I believe that Christ answered this question in the following parable:

So whether we are converted from a young age or as a 90 year old or even on our death bed, we will received the same wage which is salvation and eternal life.

It is interesting that in general the LDS refer to the ability to "DO good Works" seemingly to "earn our way to heaven" or 'secure our place in heaven". In fact the entire question posed is based around the ability to get to heaven based on a death bed repentance, meaning that their is not time to "do good". As repentance is in its most pure form, "a change of heart" from evil to good, the works will come naturally for a person who is truly converted or "born of God". Whether in this life or the next. God is much more concerned about our hearts and desires than our actions.

This being the case, there are many that do the "Good Works" that they think will get them to heaven, but because they have not the change of heart required, they will find they missed the boat. Thus their works are "dead works" because they produce no life. This was a problem the Children of Israel faced because they thought that the animal sacrifices and living the law of Moses would clean them of their sins and produce salvation. But it was given to point to what really saves us. We do the same today, thinking that the ordinances of the Aaronic priesthood which came with the Law of Moses which God gave in his wrath, (D&C 84:24-27), will save us. They are only signs given to point us to the real gate, and not the gate itself.

The topic of trying to earn salvation or exaltation in exchange for doing supposed good works is a common theme in the teachings of Christ. It is clear that the works mean nothing without the internal change of heart motivating it. This was apparent in the previous quote about the outer appearance in relation to the inward filthyness. In addition to that quote, consider the following example given by Chrsit:

It seems strange that Christ would contradict himself by saying that those who do the will of the father will enter the kingdom and then says that prophesying and casting out devils and "DOING many wonderful works" does not necessarily mean that Christ knows you. In fact, Christ didn't even challenge the works they did by telling them they did not do those works. He even tells them in the end that they by doing those supposed good deeds, they were, "workers of iniquity". (It's not a contradiction. And reading the entire context will clarify his message greatly!) It also seems interesting that he leads into this parable with the statement, "by their fruits ye shall know them". What are the fruits by which we know the righteous? Surprisingly, deeper reflection on "the fruits" in scriptures reveals that they have never been actions or works. Fruits are always feelings or emotions or motivations. For example, the fruit of the tree of life is "the LOVE of God" (1Ne. 8). And the "fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: (- Gal.5 22-23)

So too the fruits of men are the inward motivations that cause us to do good or evil works. The intents of our hearts. For example, is we pray to be seen of men, then we have our reward and will receive not from God. But if we pray in sincerity to God we will receive from God. This adds an interesting twist to this conversation too because the death bed repentance is a difficult thing to do. Because as Joseph pointed out, our focus is on our own salvation because eternity is staring us in the face. Trying to repent, (change of heart), under such circumstances is difficult because the focus in on the wrong thing. We are desperately trying to save ourselves. It is this same frantic hope that would cause us to kill innocent animals (Law of Moses) or even the son of God himself expecting that somehow doing such terrible things would either free us from sin or hide our sins such that we will appear clean in the eyes of God, thus missing the entire meeting and purpose of the Atonement.

My point being, it is difficult to be gripped with the fear of death and focused on saving your own soul and be motivated by the carnal instincts of self-preservation to the point that you gain love for God and Man which is the change of heart required for repentance. Self preservation does not bring us to love others. Is it possible to have the change of heart needed to receive eternal life on your death bed? Yes. Is it likely to happen? No.

It is more likely that they will experience "the sorrowing of the damned". (Morm. 2:13)
If an act of great love touches the heart of the individual, while on their death bed, then they may be moved internally to have that change of heart. Understanding the Atonement alone can do this, however, many people learn of the atonement and still do not have the change of heart.

Repentence Bed Death Thoughts Any

That's a catholic belief I think. We believe in sincere repentence and restitution. You cannot do much about seeking forgiveness from those you've hurt while on your death bed.

Repentence Bed Death Thoughts Any

The Parable mentioned by Amonhi would seem to connote that some work is involved in procuring ones salvation, even if that work is continued on the other side of the veil. If one does happen to have a change of heart on their death bed, they must continue to work out their own salvation on the other side, and show that they indeed had a change of heart.

I think the reason that postponing ones conversion to moments before death, even if one is found inside the Church, is so dangerous is that ones nature almost never changes in an instance. Natures in my opinion are usually changed through a series of events that may lead to several culminating conversion experiences. Like Amonhi stated death bed repentance is often because of sorrow at having to face the consequences of unrighteousness.

I think He is equally concerned by both, but he knows that good actions can only come from good desires. David Bednar stated:

This being said, not everyone who does good actions is truly converted, but one cannot be truly converted unless ones actions reflect that change.

Any Thoughts On Death Bed Repentence

I do not believe that "showing" our change of heart is required for God to know it has happened and so is not needed to be "saved". God knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts regardless of our actions. I agree that the actions will naturally follow those with a changed heart, however, I do not think God requires us to "show" or prove our heart is changed.

1st example of this is Alma the Younger. Mosiah 27:23-28 & Alma 36:5-24 relate that after 3 days of immobility, Alma was instantly "born of God" and "redeemed". Or had a change of heart. This was as good as any death bed repentance and his salvation came while he was faced with his own eternal destruction. During this moment, he was filled with the Holy Ghost which does not dwell in unholy temples. So his sins were forgiven and the was clean every wit. Sure enough the works followed, but God did not wait for Alma to "show" works before giving the Spirit or forgiveness or any other blessing given when our hearts are changed.

2nd example of this is Lamoni and his wife. Alma 18:40-42, 19:12-13, 19:29-33 explains that these two and others were converted and "saved" and had changes of heart.

True these were not deathbed repentance sessions, but they do show that God gives blessings the moment we qualify for them in internally. One of interesting things in those verses is that while they physically slept, spiritually they received the following blessings.
- "I have seen my redeemer" - Did they see who "would" redeem or who "did" redeem. Had it already happened? Had they been redeemed? Without works? Without even ordainances?
- "O blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell!" - Interesting that they had already been saved, as in past tense. Done! And if saved, then redeemed, just as Alma had and also Born of God which they naturally later showed in their works.

Notice the instant salvation and redemption of both of these examples. Also notice that Lamoni and his wife had not yet been baptized and yet were filled with the Holy Ghost and saved. hmmm. (It could easily be debated that Alma the younger was baptized while younger without being converted. Kind of pressured into it like we occasionally do with our young children. So he may have met the ordinance requirement. But certainly not Lamoni or his wife or their servants. Not yet any way.)

Talk about "Born again" doctrine! But how can this be? Saved without the ordinances? Interesting doctrine... Shouldn't that be edited out of the BOM? Maybe we can just discredit it!?! Certainly after speaking with angels and seeing their redeemer, they didn't know what they were talking about, right? They weren't really saved, right? Without ordinances? Without showing works?

Can a person actually be saved on their death bed without ordinances? Don't we need the Aaronic priesthood ordinances to be saved, as in not saved without them? What do you think?

Any Thoughts Death Bed Repentence

All men need baptism in order to enter the celestial kingdom regardless of any witnesses by the spirit. Men must be born of Water and the Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God.

The water would be the ordinance of baptism as given to us by God through revelation and the Spirit is the Conversion that you are speaking of. One without the other becomes useless in this equation.

As to the examples that you have given, if Alma had not remained faithful in the service of God, his conversion would have been useless to him, as we are commanded to endure to the end and furthermore instructed that every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

Though not written explicitly in the Book of Mormon, Lamoni and his wife needed baptism in order to be admitted into the celestial Kingdom, and most likely recieved this at a later date. There were many prophets in the Old and New Testaments and the Book of Mormon who had received the ordinances of Baptism and the everlasting Covenant of Marriage, whose ordinances were not recorded in the books that we have today. This does not mean that such ordinances were not received, but in my opinion, expressed the view that people reading accounts of their lives would already have an understanding that they had received these ordinances as they were called to do the work.


I am in agreement with you that a fundamental change of heart must occur for us to be saved, but that change of heart is the engine that helps us become more like God, and not an end in itself. The change is what drives us to charity which definitely is a work (an action resulting from our change in heart) that God requires of us to be saved.

Any Thoughts Death Bed Repentence Mormon Doctrine Studies

No question there, but you are looking at Exaltation and I am looking at salvation. You are referring to the Mel. priesthood and I am talking about the Aaronic.

They said, they had been "saved". Baptism is a saving ordinance, sacrament is a saving ordinance. Not exalting mind you, but saving. How can they be saved without the "saving ordinances"? Are you saying that she was not saved because she didn't have the saving ordinances? Why did she say she was saved? Should she have said, "Praise the Lord, for I will be saved after I am baptised...". Are you saying she was wrong, that she was not saved when she said she was?

What is a dead Work? Please give your definition. Was Christ's baptism a "dead work"? Why or why not? Is the law of Moses and the ordinances associated with it "dead works"? Why or why not?