Amulek now imaginatively invokes the condition his listeners will find themselves in when night falls (death arrives). When the soul stands before Yahweh’s judgment bar, it cannot redo its entire earth life.
But this metaphor, which Amulek assumes his listeners will readily understand and accept, also communicates three important elements of Nephite religion. First, individual consciousness continues from this world to the next. Who we become rises with us and continues to influence our understanding and willingness to accept. Second, the very fact that we must accept the consequences for our mortal decisions tells us that the principle of agency also continues beyond death. But the third, and most important point, is the significance and meaning of this earth life. It is an argument against those who see wasted lives for those who did not have the opportunity to hear the gospel in life. Amulek tells us, obliquely, that this is not correct. The fact that the same spirit we have become in this life continues into the next means that this life’s purpose is to become the kind of person who could accept the gospel, even if the opportunity was lacking.
Lowell Bennion had this same understanding of this passage:
How do we interpret this passage? Is there no opportunity whatever for repentance in life beyond the grave? Some people think so, and that may be right with regard to those who are spiritually dead. Taking this passage by itself, with no reference to other gospel fundamentals, we could easily conclude this. But let us remember that God is our Father—a loving, merciful Father—and that his work and glory is to redeem his children. He is not likely to give up easily nor quickly. Judging by the attitude of his Son, the Father would, we believe, never close the door to repentance for his children.
Some, such as the sons of perdition, may sink so low that they lose the power to repent because they “die as to things pertaining unto righteousness” (Alma 12:16). Perhaps others who have procrastinated their repentance may find the faith and power to repent in the eternal world. This is our faith when we do work for our kindred dead, some of whom, no doubt, were first-rate sinners. We are not discrediting Amulek’s plea to repent now. It is the sensible thing to do, for happiness in this life as well as for our eternal welfare. And no one knows who will have the strength to repent hereafter.
The whole gospel cannot be taught in one sermon. However, as we interpret a sermon we can and should do so in the context of the gospel as a whole.