Chapter 5

Throughout scripture, we are often called to repentance because "the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand". This call can be found in both the New Testament as well as the Book of Mormon. We also find calls to repentance before an imminent destruction many times throughout Book of Mormon history. In fact, you can find these over the course of maybe a thousand years. Doesn't seem very imminent to me in that context. The Nephites often cycled between righteous and wicked. I imagine it was the same with the early New Testament church after the Lord was resurrected. I can see those early groups being good for a while, then reversing back to wickedness, and then back to righteousness again, until finally they too lost the truth and light. It's human nature. Christian preachers and believers are mocked sometimes for that seemingly never ending call to repentance. "Yeah, yeah, yeah...you've all been warning about that impeding kingdom coming and I better get my s@#* together before that happens. Whatever..." That's what I think many unbelievers, and perhaps some believers too, would say to those warnings. What if the warning isn't some global call to avoid societal ruin or collapse or an impending divine event, but your own personal appointment with death?

While studying some of Alma's words the other day in the Book of Mormon, I wanted to know more about repenting for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. As I read the beginning chapters in the book of Alma, it occurred to me to take those warnings as a personal call to prepare for His kingdom...when my time is finished here on earth. His kingdom IS imminent because my time here is short and He will be coming to visit me when I pass through the veil upon death. If I go by the estimated life expectancy for men, I'm already past the halfway point in my earthly existence. This may be what the prophets are warning us of. The Lord's kingdom extends into the entire universe, it's not just a mortal kingdom here on earth. His ministry, Zion, the millennium...these are special times during this eternal round, but His kingdom is eternal. When we die, we will continue to exist in His kingdom and He will be right there waiting for us. Where in that kingdom we'll end up will depend on how well we heeded that prophetic call to repentance. There is urgency because we don't know how long we have here to repent. The ax is laid at the foot of the tree. When we die, will our branch be cut off and cast into the fire or will we have produced fruit pleasing to Him and be grafted into the tree of life?

As for my time, maybe I am only halfway through, maybe I've only got a few years, months, or days left. I don't know. My father made a deal with the Lord many years ago and has been promised to live to a certain age. I believe that. I'm sad because that time is not far away and I'll miss him greatly after he dies. His body should have given up long ago, but he has a purpose here and a promise for the time he needs. The kingdom of heaven is very soon at hand in his case. I believe the Lord appreciates those who are willing to make sacrifices and covenants with Him to further His work. After all, He asked His disciples what they wanted. Why can't any true disciple approach Him with a righteous request and have it ratified? Back to me...what am I doing with my time? If not repenting, then I truly am wasting my time here. I've come to appreciate, and duplicate, Nephi's exclamation, "O wretched man that I am!" I too have felt that blessed, wonderful feeling. No, it's not a bad thing to recognize and feel that awakening to my awful situation. He has been merciful to me and has been instructing me of what I need to change. It's been an amazing journey. I have wasted so much of my life with distractions and too little introspection. That is changing. Knowing my standing has led to my thirst for gaining knowledge, which ultimately leads me to true and meaningful repentance.

I echo those who came before me and say as well...Repent! The kingdom of God is at hand! Your time is coming. You will kneel before the Lord, confess He is the Christ, and wet His feet with your tears. The question is, will they be tears of joy because He can accept you into His kingdom or will they be tears of sadness because you won't be able to stay with Him? His judgments have to be just. Please repent and partake of His mercy so that reunion will tears of joy. Even better, seek Him out in this life before you die so He can personally abide with you and walk with you the entire way into His Father's kingdom.