Judged by works and desires

[laronius]

D&C 137:9 For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.

We know that we will be judged by our works but that judgement may be tempered according to the light and knowledge we possess. Is this verse saying something similar about our desires in relation to our works?

I know from personal experience, and I don't think I'm alone in this, that I can desire both good and bad at the same time. In most cases I think we end up choosing that which we desire the most. But does that negate the righteous desire as an indicator of who we are? 

For example, a drug addict may really, really want to get clean but end up succumbing to an even stronger desire to get a fix. There are many other examples we could site. Often it's a physical pull that is at odds with our spirit and we know that the physical part of our existence can leverage significant influence over our decision making, even to the point that it could be argued that agency has been lost. 

But assuming that agency has not been compromised and that sufficient light and knowledge exist, how much of a roll do you think our righteous desires will play when it comes to judgement day if those desires are not always reflected in our works?

[mikbone]

I think of it a bit differently.  Sometimes we do the right thing for the wrong reason, or for a lessor reason.

 

Like paying tithing because we love the lord and want to help our fellow man. 

or

Paying tithing because we want to virtue signal to the ward.

or

Paying tithing because we are guilted into it by our friends and family

or 

Paying tithing because we fear fire and want to purchase fire insurance.

D&C 58:26-29

Edited September 3, 2023 by mikbone

[zil2]

I think it's important to note that this section is talking about those who died before learning of the restored gospel and having a chance to choose it in mortality.  So I think "according to the desire of their hearts" is modifying "their works" - whatever your works, if your desire (or intent) was to do good, but you failed, or didn't know better, then the desire will in essence elevate the work.  And, like @mikbone points out, the desire can negate the work, too.  God cares about our intent.  See: Moroni 7:5-10 and Alma 41:3-5.

I also believe that our desires lead to the work we do, and can be changed over time as we choose the better desires, so that in this way, it's our true desires that are judged.  To quote Nibley (Approaching Zion, chapter 10 "Funeral Address"):

Quote

The test for this life is not for knowledge; it is not for intelligence, or for courage, or for anything like that. That would be a huge joke. None of us knows very much, none of us is very brave, none of us is very strong, none of us is very smart. We would flunk those tests terribly. As Alma said, we are only to be tested on one thing--the desires of our heart (Alma 41:3); that is what we are really after.

Edited September 3, 2023 by zil2

[Vort]

2 hours ago, mikbone said:

Like paying tithing because we love the lord and want to help our fellow man. 

or

Paying tithing because we want to virtue signal to the ward.

or

Paying tithing because we are guilted into it by our friends and family

or 

Paying tithing because we fear fire and want to purchase fire insurance.

I would change the order of preference. Pay tithing because:

1. we love the Lord and want to help our fellow man
2. we fear fire and want to  purchase fire insurance
3. we are guilted into it by our friends and family
4. we want to virtue signal to the ward

The first case is virtuous, the second is suboptimal but pragmatic, and the third is a bit shameful but, I would argue, better than disobedience. In the last case, I think paying tithing actually does no good for us at all. It's pure hypocrisy. We have our reward.

I would also add a Step 1.5 (that is, between 1 and 2): Pay tithing because we have covenanted to do so and we want to obey our covenants. I think this is a pretty good reason, a step on the pathway to acting as we ought because we love the Lord and our fellow man.

[laronius]

10 hours ago, mikbone said:

I think of it a bit differently.  Sometimes we do the right thing for the wrong reason, or for a lessor reason.

 

Like paying tithing because we love the lord and want to help our fellow man. 

or

Paying tithing because we want to virtue signal to the ward.

or

Paying tithing because we are guilted into it by our friends and family

or 

Paying tithing because we fear fire and want to purchase fire insurance.

D&C 58:26-29

You make a good point. The scriptures specifically speak of praying but without real intent or giving a gift but doing so begrudgingly. The Jewish leaders of Christ's time were particularly guilty of impure motives for obedience.

[laronius]

10 hours ago, zil2 said:

I think it's important to note that this section is talking about those who died before learning of the restored gospel and having a chance to choose it in mortality.  So I think "according to the desire of their hearts" is modifying "their works" - whatever your works, if your desire (or intent) was to do good, but you failed, or didn't know better, then the desire will in essence elevate the work.  And, like @mikbone points out, the desire can negate the work, too.  God cares about our intent.  See: Moroni 7:5-10 and Alma 41:3-5.

I also believe that our desires lead to the work we do, and can be changed over time as we choose the better desires, so that in this way, it's our true desires that are judged.  To quote Nibley (Approaching Zion, chapter 10 "Funeral Address"):

I agree. Having a change of heart is so key to true conversion. It is essentially what Elder Maxwell was speaking of when saying that our will is really the only thing that is uniquely ours that we have to offer God.