--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On the day of judgment, we shall not be…" description: "\"“On the day of judgment, we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done; not how well we have spoken, but how well we have lived.”\" — J...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/j-d-nelson-58906_judgment_on-the-day-of-judgment-we-shall-not-be-a_424961.jpg" --- # On the day of judgment, we shall not be asked what we have… ![“On the day of judgment, we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done; not how well we have spoken, but how well we have lived.” quote by J.D. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/j-d-nelson-58906_judgment_on-the-day-of-judgment-we-shall-not-be-a_424961.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/j-d-nelson-58906_judgment_on-the-day-of-judgment-we-shall-not-be-a_424961.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/j-d-nelson-58906_judgment_on-the-day-of-judgment-we-shall-not-be-a_424961.jpg) > ““On the day of judgment, we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done; not how well we have spoken, but how well we have lived.”” [J.D. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-nelson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actions define legacy more than words or knowledge. **In simple terms:** deeds matter more than reading or speaking. Key Takeaway Prioritize deeds over talk. Themes ethics legacy action Mood reflective motivational Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - volunteering - career choices - daily habits - community service Key Concepts philosophy morality Questions to Reflect On - What actions reflect your values? - How can you measure impact? A Different Perspective Good intentions can be hollow without follow‑through. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Day Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-judgment-405669/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Judgment Shall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment-shall-476117/) [Read Spoken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-spoken-3758773/) [Shall Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shall-asked-608252/) ## Related quotes > [At the day of judgment we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-the-day-of-judgment-we-shall-not-be-asked-what-we-have-read-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [At the day of judgment we shall all meet again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-whitefield/at-the-day-of-judgment-we-shall-all-meet-again/) [George Whitefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-whitefield/) > [A person who can not read your spoken eyes, there you don't need to waste your precious words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faraz/a-person-who-can-not-read-your-spoken-eyes-there-you-don-t-need-to/) [FARAZ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faraz/) > [Wooo!’ he said, slamming his shot glass down and coughing a bit. ‘That’s good stuff.’ I agreed heartily. ‘Shall we do another one?’ I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/wooo-he-said-slamming-his-shot-glass-down-and-coughing-a-bit-that-s/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [I shall go wherever I am asked to participate for freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-tyler-peabody-mann/i-shall-go-wherever-i-am-asked-to-participate-for-freedom/) [Mary Tyler Peabody Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-tyler-peabody-mann/) > [“To a soul which is wide awake, the Judgment Day does not come after death. For that soul every day is a Judgment Day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazrat-inayat-khan/to-a-soul-which-is-wide-awake-the-judgment-day-does-not-come-after/) [Hazrat Inayat Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazrat-inayat-khan/) > [You ever try to go a day without judgment?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-cannon/you-ever-try-to-go-a-day-without-judgment/) [Max Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-cannon/) > [On the day of my judgment, when I stand before God, and He asks me why did I kill one of his true miracles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/on-the-day-of-my-judgment-when-i-stand-before-god-and-he-asks-me-why/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [In a living society every day is a day of judgment; and its recognition as such is not the end of all things but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-a-living-society-every-day-is-a-day-of-judgment-and-its/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [There are only two days on my calendar... today and the day of judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/there-are-only-two-days-on-my-calendar-today-and-the-day-of-judgment/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“Meditate of Christ’s coming to judgment. Surely thou wilt not easily sleep while this trumpet, that shall call all mankind to judgment, shall sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gurnall/meditate-of-christ-s-coming-to-judgment-surely-thou-wilt-not-easily/) [William Gurnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gurnall/) > [You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/you-shall-do-no-injustice-in-judgment-you-shall-not-be-partial-to-the/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [“Rochester talking to Jane: I see no enemy to a fortunate issue but in the brow; and that brow professes to say,--'I can live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/rochester-talking-to-jane-i-see-no-enemy-to-a-fortunate-issue-but-in/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [Reason sits firm and holds the reins, and she will not let the feelings burst away and hurry her to wild chasms. The passions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/reason-sits-firm-and-holds-the-reins-and-she-will-not-let-the/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [Only our concept of time makes it possible for us to speak of the Day of Judgment by that name in reality it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/only-our-concept-of-time-makes-it-possible-for-us-to-speak-of-the-day/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) ## More by J.D. Nelson > [“Seek a suitable time and meditate often on the favors of God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-nelson/seek-a-suitable-time-and-meditate-often-on-the-favors-of-god/) [J.D. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-nelson/) > [“What would it profit us to know the Bible by heart and the principles of philosophers if we live without grace and the love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-nelson/what-would-it-profit-us-to-know-the-bible-by-heart-and-the-principles/) [J.D. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-nelson/) > [“Even though you bear it unwillingly and are indignant, restrain yourself and let no inappropriate words pass your lips at which the weak might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-nelson/even-though-you-bear-it-unwillingly-and-are-indignant-restrain/) [J.D. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-nelson/) > [“I am the God not of dissension, but of peace;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-nelson/i-am-the-god-not-of-dissension-but-of-peace/) [J.D. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-nelson/) [Explore all 5 J.D. Nelson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-nelson/) ## More Judgment quotes > [Humans are, as Sartre put it, 'condemned to be free'. To insist that science, or God, objectively defines moral values is to abandon our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenan-malik/humans-are-as-sartre-put-it-condemned-to-be-free-to-insist-that/) [Kenan Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenan-malik/) > [Pain results from a judgment you have made about a thing. Remove the judgment and the pain disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/pain-results-from-a-judgment-you-have-made-about-a-thing-remove-the/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“The absence of judgment becomes a catalyst and an enabler for greater injustice. Contrary to popular thought, judgment is a GOOD thing when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-chace-gordon/the-absence-of-judgment-becomes-a-catalyst-and-an-enabler-for-greater/) [J. Chace Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-chace-gordon/) > [It is exactly in the repetition of the exercises that the education of the senses exists; not that the child shall know colors, forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/it-is-exactly-in-the-repetition-of-the-exercises-that-the-education/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Dont judge me by my hair, my skin colour, my body size, or my outer beauty. Because if you do, you might miss who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-judge-me-by-my-hair-my-skin-colour-my-body-size-or-my-outer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“Do not judge, so that you won't be judged. 2 For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-judge-so-that-you-won-t-be-judged-2-for-with-the-judgment-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It isn't bad judgment to make a man believe he is something. He is by nature inclined to it, and a little encouragement is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-langley-bosher/it-isn-t-bad-judgment-to-make-a-man-believe-he-is-something-he-is-by/) [Kate Langley Bosher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-langley-bosher/) > [A hard heart makes for hard judgments; a compassionate heart understands the humanity of the one we presume to judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/a-hard-heart-makes-for-hard-judgments-a-compassionate-heart/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [Love's mind of judgment rarely hath a taste: Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-s-mind-of-judgment-rarely-hath-a-taste-wings-and-no-eyes-figure/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Every man will have his own criterion in forming his judgment of others. I depend very much on the effect of affliction. I consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cecil/every-man-will-have-his-own-criterion-in-forming-his-judgment-of/) [Richard Cecil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cecil/) > [More exposure leads to more judgment and negativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camila-morrone/more-exposure-leads-to-more-judgment-and-negativity/) [Camila Morrone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camila-morrone/) > [Laugh at every mistakes and realize that no one is perfect. We are human. All of us are imperfect, so there's no point judging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/laugh-at-every-mistakes-and-realize-that-no-one-is-perfect-we-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anybody who is an entrepreneur is a person who essentially has impaired judgment. The odds of success are zilch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/anybody-who-is-an-entrepreneur-is-a-person-who-essentially-has/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Nobody wants to see someone's life ruined over a small-time lapse in judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-baker/nobody-wants-to-see-someone-s-life-ruined-over-a-small-time-lapse-in/) [Charlie Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-baker/) [Browse all 3,488 Judgment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“On the day of judgment, we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done; not how well we have spoken, but how well we have lived.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J.D. 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