20:12 And I saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God/And I saw the dead, both great and small, standing
before the throne: It is likely that
the phrase would be better written “once dead,” since all at this point have
been resurrected. The phrase “great and small” denotes everyone. None escape
judgment.
and the books were opened: and another book
was opened, which is the book of life: On
“the book of life,” see Notes at 3:5.
The book of life is the heavenly record and
contains the names of the sanctified who will inherit eternal life (see D&C
132:19). The other books are the complimentary records kept by proper authority
on earth that show that the necessary ordinances have been performed for the
sanctified (D&C 132:6–8; compare Dan. 7:10).
and the dead were judged out of those
things which were written in the books, according to their works/then the dead
were judged on the basis of what was written in the books, according to their
works: Here the καί (kai) makes “a temporal
transition from the previous clauses” and takes the place of such temporal
adverbs as εἶτα (eita) or τότε (tote) and is translated as “then”
in the Rendition. The “works” here spoken of include baptism, endowment,
and eternal marriage, and enduring to the end in righteousness. When a person
meets these requirements, he and she are assured of eternal life. (Richard D.
Draper and Michael D. Rhodes, The Revelation of John the Apostle [BYU
New Testament Commentary Series; Provo, Utah: BYU Studies, 2013], 485-86)
