3 Nephi 26
Jesus expounds all things from the beginning to the end—Babes and children utter marvelous things that cannot be written—Those in the Church of Christ have all things in common among them.
📜 4 And even unto the great and last day, when all people, and all kindreds, and all nations and tongues shall stand before God, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—
📜 5 If they be good, to the resurrection of everlasting life; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of damnation; being on a parallel, the one on the one hand and the other on the other hand, according to the mercy, and the justice, and the holiness which is in Christ, who was before the world began.
Who Will Stand Before God to Be Judged?
A devotional dissection of 3 Nephi 26:4–5
Christ’s words in these verses gather the whole human family into one scene: every one of us, every people, every tongue, every nation shall standing before God. The judgment is not abstract or distant—it is universal, personal, and rooted in Christ’s mercy, justice, and holiness.
We move through each cross‑reference word as a doorway into the meaning of the passage.
🌄 1. “Great” — the great and last day
The word great lifts our eyes to the scale of that day. It is not small, hidden, or private. It is the day toward which all creation moves. Every covenant, every prophecy, every act of God across the ages converges into this single, unmistakable moment.
What this means for us
We are part of a story larger than our own lifetimes. The “great and last day” gathers all of God’s works—from the beginning to the end—into one moment where His purposes become clear. We stand there not as isolated individuals but as part of the great family of God. Nothing about our discipleship is wasted. Nothing about our journey is unseen.
Echoing scriptures
📗 Malachi 4:5 — the “great and dreadful day of the Lord”
📗 Zephaniah 1:14–18 — the “great day of the Lord” when all nations are gathered
📒 Helaman 12:25 — the day when the righteous “shall be lifted up to dwell with God”
▪︎ This verse reminds us that the
greatness of that day is not only in its
scope but in its mercy. The Lord
prepares a place for the humble and
faithful, and He gathers us into His
presence with power and tenderness.
📒 3 Nephi 28:31 — the day when the works of all people “shall be made manifest”
▪︎ This verse ties directly to the greatness
of the final day: nothing remains
hidden. The truth of who we have
become—our desires, our loyalties, our
discipleship—is revealed in perfect
clarity before God.
Why this word matters
Great is not about fear. It is about fullness.
It is the day when God’s story and our story meet.
It is the day when justice and mercy stand side by side.
It is the day when every knee bows, every tongue confesses, and every soul sees the truth of Christ.
This word reminds us that our lives are woven into God’s vast, unfolding work.
🧍♂️🧍♀️ 2. “Stand” — all nations and tongues shall stand before God
📜 1 And now, it came to pass that after Abinadi had spoken these words he stretched forth his hand and said: The time shall come when all shall see the salvation of the Lord; when every nation, kindred, tongue, and people shall see eye to eye and shall confess before God that his judgments are just.
📜 2 And then shall the wicked be cast out, and they shall have cause to howl, and weep, and wail, and gnash their teeth; and this because they would not hearken unto the voice of the Lord; therefore the Lord redeemeth them not.
To stand is to be present, awake, accountable, and seen. None of us is lost in the crowd. None of us is forgotten. Standing before God is not a moment of disappearance — it is a moment of revelation. We stand because God calls us by name.
What this means for us
We will stand — not collapse, not hide, not vanish.
We stand because Christ has raised us up.
We stand because judgment is not meant to crush us but to reveal truth, heal wrongs, and set all things in order.
We stand as resurrected souls, restored to His presence.
🗝 10 Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall 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—
Standing is not merely a posture — it is the fulfillment of resurrection. We stand because Christ has lifted us into immortality.
Echoing scriptures: The Last Judgment
(Topical Guide: Judgment, the Last)
▪︎ We “shall all stand before the judgment
seat of Christ” — Romans 14:10
▪︎ The “dead, small and great, stood before
God” — Revelation 20:12
▪︎ We “stand before God, to be judged of
their works” — 1 Nephi 15:33 (Alma 41:3;
▪︎ We “stand before God to be judged
according to [our] deeds” — Alma 5:15
▪︎ We are “brought before the bar of God,
to be judged” — Alma 12:12
▪︎ We “must all stand before the judgment-
seat of Christ” — Mormon 3:20 (Morm. 7:6;
Each of these passages reinforces the same truth:
Standing before God is universal, inevitable, and sacred.
It is the moment when every soul sees clearly, every life is accounted for, and every heart is known.
Standing is an act of dignity. God invites us to rise before Him — resurrected, restored, and fully seen.
🌅 3. “Resurrection” — to the resurrection of everlasting life… or damnation
Resurrection is the hinge of the judgment. It is the moment when our works, desires, and loyalties are revealed in the kind of life we rise into.
📜 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
What this means for us:
We rise because Christ rose. Our resurrection is not earned—it is given. But the quality of our resurrection reflects the life we chose to live with our agency.
Echoing scriptures:
▪︎ “They that have done good, unto the
resurrection of life; and they that have
done evil, unto the resurrection of
damnation” (John 5:29)
▪︎ “The spirit and the body shall be
reunited… to be judged”
Resurrection is God’s promise that our story does not end in the grave.
» "Electricity doesn't stop light doesn't disappear they transform..." «
This statement is a perfect summary of the Law of Conservation of Energy, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.
⚖️ 4. “Justice” — according to the mercy, and the justice, and the holiness which is in Christ
Judgment is not arbitrary. It flows from Christ’s own character — His mercy, His justice, His holiness. These are not competing forces; they are one perfect whole. In this verse, we are looking at two intertwined principles:
1. The Justice of God — who He is
2. Justice — how He governs, judges, and
restores
Both principles meet in Christ.
(God’s own nature — steady, righteous,
unchanging)
These scriptures reveal that God’s justice is not harshness; it is His rightness, His truth, His faithfulness, His perfect equity.
📗 Deuteronomy 32:4 — “A God of truth… just
and right is he.”
📗 Psalm 89:14 — “Justice and judgment are
the habitation of thy throne.”
📗 Isaiah 45:21 — “A just God and a Saviour.”
📕 John 5:30 — “My judgment is just.”
📕 Romans 3:26 — God is both “just, and the
justifier” of those who believe.
📕 1 John 1:9 — He is “faithful and just to forgive.”
📒 1 Nephi 12:18 — “The word of the justice
of the Eternal God.”
📒 2 Nephi 9:17 — “The greatness and the
justice of our God.”
📒 Mosiah 15:9 — Christ stands “betwixt
them and justice.”
📒 Alma 42:1 — The justice of God in the
punishment of sin.
📒 3 Nephi 27:17 — Justice of the Father
allows no unclean thing to return.
📒 Mormon 6:22 — God deals with us
“according to his justice and mercy.”
What this reveals:
God’s justice is not a threat — it is His reliability.
It is the assurance that He will always act in truth, always judge rightly, always keep His covenants, always defend the oppressed, always honor agency, and always uphold eternal law.
▪︎ Justice
(The principle by which God governs, judges, and restores)
These scriptures show how justice operates in the lives of God’s children — always paired with mercy, always rooted in agency, always tied to our works and desires.
📗 Deuteronomy 30:19 — We choose life or
death; justice honors our choice.
📗 Psalm 62:12 — God “renderest to every man according to his work.”
📗 Isaiah 9:7 (2 Ne. 19:7) — Christ’s kingdom
is established “with judgment and with
justice.”
📗 Jeremiah 17:10 (32:19) — God gives
“every man according to his ways.”
📗 Micah 6:8 — The Lord requires us
“to do justly.”
📒 1 Nephi 15:30 — Justice divides the
wicked from the righteous.
📒 2 Nephi 9:26 — The Atonement satisfies
the demands of justice.
📒 Jacob 6:10 — “Justice cannot be denied.”
📒 Mosiah 2:38 — Divine justice awakens
the immortal soul.
📒 Alma 41:3 — Justice requires that we be
judged according to our works.
📒 Alma 42:15 — Mercy cannot rob justice;
Christ appeases its demands.
📒 3 Nephi 29:4 — The sword of His justice
is in His right hand.
📘 D&C 82:4 — Justice and judgment are
the penalty affixed.
📘 D&C 137:9 — God judges according to the
desires of our hearts.
What this reveals:
Justice is not something done to us — it is something done for us.
It protects agency.
It restores order.
It makes wrongs right.
It ensures that every soul receives exactly what they truly desire.
What this means for us
We are judged by Someone who knows us, loves us, and understands every wound, every effort, every intention. Christ’s justice is not cold. It is restorative, truthful, and rooted in love. Justice and mercy are not rivals — they are companions in Christ.
Justice ensures that nothing good is lost.
Mercy ensures that nothing repentant is condemned.
Holiness ensures that all things are made whole.
Echoing scriptures:
▪︎ “Justice exerciseth all his demands, and
also mercy claimeth all which is her
own.” — Alma 42:24
▪︎ “The Lord is a God of judgment.” —
Christ’s justice is the assurance that the universe is not chaotic — it is governed by a holy, merciful, perfectly just God.
Justice in Christ
Justice in Christ is not a threat but a promise. It is the steady assurance that God is truthful, faithful, and perfectly fair. His justice honors our agency, restores what is broken, and upholds every covenant He has made with us. Because Christ stands between us and the full weight of justice, mercy is not lost and righteousness is not compromised. In Him, justice and mercy move together, revealing a God who knows us completely and judges us with holiness, compassion, and truth. His justice guarantees that nothing good is forgotten, nothing evil is ignored, and every desire of our hearts is brought into the light of His perfect love.
🌌 5. “Before” — Christ, who was before the world began
📜 14 Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son—of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given.
The One who judges us is the One who existed before creation.
He is not temporary, distant, or newly enthroned.
He is the eternal Christ — the same yesterday, today, and forever.
📜 14 Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.
Christ’s premortal identity is not a side doctrine — it is the foundation of why His judgment is perfect.
He knew us before we came here.
He prepared the plan before the world began.
He stands before us now as the One who has always been.
What this means for us
We stand before Someone who has always known us.
Our judgment is not a surprise to Him.
He has been working for our redemption since before the world began.
Because He was before, He will also be after — our Alpha and Omega.
Echoing scriptures: Antemortal Existence of Man
These scriptures deepen the truth that Christ — and we — existed before mortality, and that His eternal identity shapes the justice and mercy of judgment.
“In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God.”
“Glorify thou me… with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”
“He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.”
“The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
Priesthood was prepared “from the foundation of the world.”
“Never have I shown myself unto man whom I have created.” (Christ reveals His premortal body to the brother of Jared.)
Christ was “in the beginning with God,” the “Firstborn.”
Choice spirits were reserved to come forth in the fulness of times.
Christ was chosen from the beginning; Satan rebelled against the plan.
“Noble and great ones” were chosen before they were born.
Why these matter
Each of these passages reinforces the same truth:
Christ’s judgment is perfect because His knowledge is eternal.
He knew us before we came here.
He prepared the plan before the world began.
He stands at the end because He stood at the beginning.
His premortal identity is the anchor of His justice, His mercy, and His holiness.
Who Will Stand Before God?
All of us.
All nations, all tongues, all families, all stories.
» We stand before God because we
belong to Him.
» We rise in resurrection because
Christ rose.
» We are judged according to His mercy,
justice, and holiness.
» We face the great and last day not as
strangers but as children of the
Eternal Christ.
The One Who Knows Us:
A Testimony of 3 Nephi 26:4–5
I testify that the words we have studied in 3 Nephi 26:4–5 are true. Christ Himself revealed that every one of us will stand before God, not as strangers but as His children. I know that the great and last day is real, that resurrection is sure, that justice and mercy flow perfectly from the character of Christ, and that He was before the world began and will be after all things are fulfilled. I know that His judgment is rooted in love, holiness, and eternal knowledge. He sees us clearly, remembers us perfectly, and redeems us willingly. I testify that Christ is the center of every covenant, the anchor of every promise, and the hope of every soul who turns to Him. He is the One who lifts us, restores us, and prepares us to stand in His presence with confidence and peace. Amen.
Orientated by Christ
This study has shown us that judgment is not meant to frighten us but to orient us. It reminds us who we are, whose we are, and where our story is headed. We are part of a divine narrative that stretches from the foundation of the world to the great and last day. We rise because Christ rose. We stand because Christ strengthens us. We are judged according to His mercy, His justice, and His holiness — not according to the world’s standards or our own fears. Every cross‑reference word has opened a window into His character: the greatness of His day, the dignity of standing before Him, the promise of resurrection, the reliability of His justice, and the eternal nature of His identity. Together they reveal a Christ who is not distant but deeply involved in our becoming. A Christ who knows the end from the beginning. A Christ who invites us to walk with Him now so we may stand with Him then.
Christ, the One Who Prepares Us to Stand
This entire Bible study leads us to one central truth: Christ is the One before whom all will stand, and He is the One who prepares us to stand. The great and last day gathers all nations and all stories into His presence. Resurrection restores every soul to life. Justice and mercy work together in Him with perfect harmony. His premortal glory assures us that His judgment is eternal, wise, and filled with compassion. We face that day not alone but as part of the family of God. We stand before Him because we belong to Him. We rise in resurrection because He rose. We are judged according to His mercy, His justice, and His holiness. And we walk toward that day with hope because the Christ who was before the world began is the same Christ who walks with us now.
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