The choices we make determine who we are:
And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged. (Moroni 7:18)
What we seek determines who we become. We are paid the wages of what we obey:
For behold, there is a wo pronounced upon him who listeth to obey that spirit; for if he listeth to obey him, and remaineth and dieth in his sins, the same drinketh damnation to his own soul; for he receiveth for his wages an everlasting punishment, having transgressed the law of God contrary to his own knowledge. (Mosiah 2:33)
40 For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.
41 Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil, for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him. (Alma 5)
Being good and being evil is the same whether it refers to a person or a decision. If it improves, it is good. If it degrades, it is evil. If it grows, it is good. If it decays, it is evil.
Being good is not about your level of awareness, and being evil is not about the lack thereof. Consider this parable:
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. (Matthew 25)
Note that the servant who was given five talents and obtained five more as well as the servant who had two and obtained two more were both told “thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” They were both congratulated, both entered “into the joy of [their] lord” and both rewarded to rule “over many things.” So we see that the Lord’s happiness over us is not about the absolute level of truth we obtain, but rather what we do with what we are given . If we acquire more light and truth than we started with and are reconciled to the level of light and truth we possess, we will receive his joy. If we do less than this, we will earn his disapproval.
If you are reconciled to the light God has given you, you are good. If you are not reconciled, you are evil.
You can’t stand still. If you are reconciled to the light God has given you, he will give you more. If you are growing in the light that God gives you, you are good. If you are not reconciled to the light God has given you, he will take some away. If you are decaying and losing light, you are evil. The Lord taught:
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? (Matthew 6)
This teaching is not limited to wealth; it merely includes wealth. It is about everything the world offers.
You either love God or you don’t: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (John 2:15) You either love truth or you don’t. If you love God with all your heart, you are good. If you love something else more than him, you are evil. If you love the truth more than anything else, you are good. If you turn away from anything your light tells you is true, you are evil.
10 Wherefore, a man being evil cannot do that which is good; neither will he give a good gift.
11 For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil.
12 Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.
13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. (Moroni 7)
This doctrine is liberating and exacting at the same time. On the one hand, it is liberating. You don’t have to be perfect to be good. You just have to be perfect in Christ. You don’t have to have all the light that God has. You just have to be perfectly obedient to the light you have. On the other hand, it is exacting. You really do have to be perfectly obedient to the light you have. You really do have to put God first.
You really do have to seek the truth at all cost, and obey it without any reservations. You really do have to “lay hold upon every good thing” by seeking and heeding every additional amount of light that is given you:
20 And now, my brethren, how is it possible that ye can lay hold upon every good thing?
21 And now I come to that faith, of which I said I would speak; and I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing.
22 For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing.
23 And God also declared unto prophets, by his own mouth, that Christ should come.
24 And behold, there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them.
25 Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ.
26 And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.
27 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?
28 For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens. (Moroni 7)
There is no fooling God, and there is no fooling reality. You really do become what you desire. If your desire is evil, you can’t benefit from the acts of good. Sooner or later, the outward appearance of who you are will reflect the inner corruption that grows undetected:
6 For behold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing.
7 For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness.
8 For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God.
9 And likewise also is it counted evil unto a man, if he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such. (Moroni 7)
Wheat and tares might look similar when they are young, but they are obviously distinguishable at harvest time (see Matthew 13:24-30). The everincreasing awareness provided in mortal life will reveal every man’s heart, whether it is good or evil: “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” (1 Corinthians 3:13)
After you die, you will:
10 ...be brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judged of him according to their works whether they be good or whether they be evil—
11 If they be good, to the resurrection of endless life and happiness; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of endless damnation, being delivered up to the devil, who hath subjected them, which is damnation—
12 Having gone according to their own carnal wills and desires; having never called upon the Lord while the arms of mercy were extended towards them; for the arms of mercy were extended towards them, and they would not; they being warned of their iniquities and yet they would not depart from them; and they were commanded to repent and yet they would not repent. (Mosiah 16)
These outcomes are not arbitrary, but are the natural consequences of the choices made in mortality. Those who did good in this life are good. Those who did evil are evil. The only way to change the outcome is to change the input.