“And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.” (3 Nephi 27:16)

Those words are written in red. Jesus Christ made that powerful declaration. To those who make the life-changing decision to repent and be baptized, we are charged with a duty and promised a reward. If he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father…

How can it be, Lord? How can guilt-ridden creatures, deserving of punishment for our sins, be held guiltless at the judgment day? 

Guilt is defined as the fact of having committed a specified or implied offense or crime. Guilty: culpable of or responsible for a specified wrongdoing; justly chargeable with a particular fault or error; conscious of or affected by a feeling of guilt.

No one enjoys living with guilt. We don’t like how it feels. We don’t like when it shows. We don’t like to acknowledge it at all. But guilt is an emotional by-product of sin. So the only way to redd up guilt is to wipe out sin.

Just like in the account of Enos, who prayed mightily for the remission of his sins, when the voice of the Lord came unto him declaring his sins forgiven, he said “my guilt was swept away” (Enos 1:6). And he asked the Lord, how is it done? And the answer: “Because of thy faith in Christ…thy faith hath made thee whole” (verse 8).

Guilt has a purpose. It is an energizing emotion that causes us to act. Guilt can actually lead us to repentance! As we exercise our faith in Christ, we can use guilt to drive us to repent, and we commit to serving Christ the remainder of our lives. 

Jesus said if we endure to the end, he would hold us guiltless. Guiltless! Is that an adjective we can readily assign ourselves? Perhaps no one but the littlest children can truly claim a guiltless status. Yet, Jesus takes upon Himself the punishment that we are due, so that the innocent bears the guilt, and the guilty go free. 

“And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end.”

(Mormon 7:7)

How can it be, Lord? 
All because of our faith in Jesus Christ. We are charged with a duty and promised a reward. As we repent of our sins, commit to Christ through baptism, and endure to the end, we can stand at the judgment bar – guiltless – to reign with Him forevermore!

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.