Monthly Message, April 2022
Because we are blessed with knowing the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, we understand that there are four basic irreducible purposes for our mortal existence. Only the first is absolutely essential.
To fulfill the others makes a fullness of blessings. The four are as follows:
- To gain a mortal, physical tabernacle for our spirit. This is the necessary prelude to immortal life in a tabernacle of flesh and bone, which is the heritage of all human beings.
- To develop Christ-like character. To learn to act righteously, responding to the influence of the Savior and not being governed by the other influences which bombard us is our goal. Every human situation is rich with opportunity to learn to be honest, true, chaste and benevolent and to do good to all men. Either sex, any race, any age, any educational level, and economic level affords an almost overwhelming opportunity to add good habit to good habit, correct preference to correct preference, true idea to true idea, all done following the Savior and his example. Each soul is given the light of Christ to guide him or her to the Restored Gospel and its ordinances. Only in fulfilling the covenant path in the Restored Gospel can anyone come into “the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11–13)
- To pass on the seed. To marry in the Lord’s covenant and to bring the souls of men and women into this world is the third task. To forebear having children by artificial means subverts both character and the plan of God. Children are an heritage of the Lord. Blessed is he or she who has a quiver full. (Psalm 127:3–5)
- To pass on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To bring up our children in the nurture of the Lord, engendering that faith in Christ which is the most precious attainment by any human being in this world, is the fourth great opportunity. We are not limited to sharing with our children, but thus fully sharing with them is essential. To assist them and others to find Christ and his character is the essence of that joy for which mankind was created. (2 Nephi 25–26)
When our mortal lives are finished, only these four things will be important in eternity:
- We gained a mortal tabernacle and therefore can be resurrected to immortality. (D&C 29:26–27)
- If we gained that Christ-like character, we will be trusted with that same glory which the Savior has. (2 Peter 1:3–8)
- If we sacrificed to bring others into mortality, and have gained Christ-like character, we can be trusted to continue to bear souls into eternity. (D&C 132:19, 26)
- If we lived and taught the way of the Savior in all things to all who would listen to us, we will have shown that we can be trusted with stewardship over all the Father has, becoming joint heirs with Jesus Christ. (D&C 76:50–60)
What a privilege to be in mortality with these opportunities!