Spoiler Alert! Annalise was shot by Wes.
Spoiler Alert! CeCe is “A.”
Spoiler Alert! Glenn wasn’t the one attacked by the zombies.

If you’re a fan of any of the TV shows associated with the above, you’ll recognize these tidbits of information that would have spoiled the ending of a segment of the show had they been revealed to you prior to arriving at that particular ending. When these bits of information are included in articles that appear online especially, they are generally preceded with the warning of “Spoiler Alert!” so that you know that if you continue reading, you may read something that will give away the ending.

A “Spoiler Alert!” should be issued in 1 Nephi 12 as the ending of The Book of Mormon is revealed to Nephi (and thus to you).

Nephi is shown the future of his descendants and the descendants of his brothers, Laman and Lemuel. He sees that the two groups of people will fight a war and his brothers’ descendants will kill off his own descendants. After that war, he sees that the surviving people dwindle in unbelief and become a people “full of idleness and all manner of abominations” (verse 23). This is how the book ends, with Moroni, the last living Nephite, burying the records so the Lamanites do not destroy them.

There are times when knowing the ending is a help rather than a spoiler. For example, if you are an avid sports fan, then you may go through a roller coaster of emotions watching your team play — eh, Broncos and Panthers devotees? Good plays bring elation, but setbacks cause despair. You may go through considerable tension and anxiety wondering if your team will win. However, if you are watching a recording of the game (and you know that your team has won), then little despair, anxiety, or tension surfaces. You know that your team wins in the end, so you can just enjoy the game.

God has let us know the ending of the story in the scriptures:

Spoiler Alert! Jesus will lead the armies of heaven to victory against the powers of evil. (Revelation 19:11-20)
Spoiler Alert! The devil will be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone. (Revelation 19:20)
Spoiler Alert! If your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you will inherit eternal life. (Revelation 20:12-15)

Knowing the ending of the story is a great benefit and helps us to get past the despair, anxiety, and tension that are a part of life. We can experience joy even when things go wrong in life if we can stay focused on the ending of the story:

Spoiler Alert! In the end, WE WIN!

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.