Why are we here? Mortality and the Gospel

Why we are here on this Earth is one of life's greatest questions. The answers are simple, yet unknown to most in this world. One can only know the answers if they seek for themselves. One need not despair, however - we can find them if we seek in the right place.

With the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we can begin to find those answers.


Obedience

God gives us commandments so that we can live happy lives. If we choose to follow His commandments, we receive blessings and will feel greater peace and happiness. These commandments are given because God loves us, knows what is best for us, and wants us to return to live with Him someday. If we follow His will, He blesses us. If we are disobedient, we miss out on those blessings. Obedience to God’s will is the only way we can ever truly be happy.

Ex. 24:7 “All that the Lord hath said, we will do, and be obedient.”

1 Sam 15:22 “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

Josh 24:15 “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”


Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

Faith is the first principle of the Gospel and without it we can’t be saved. Faith is believing in something we can’t see. It is confidence in the Lord’s promises and knowing that through our obedience we will be saved through His atoning sacrifice. As we show faith in Jesus Christ, we receive great blessings in our lives because the Lord knows that we are obedient to His will. Through acting on promptings from the Holy Spirit our faith in Christ is strengthened and our testimonies are strengthened.

Gen 15:5-6 “Look now towards heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness.”

1 Sam 17:37 “The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.”

1 Sam 1:11 “O Lord of hosts, if thou wild indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid and remember me and not forget thine handmaid but wilt give unto the handmaid a man child, then I will give him into the Lord all the days of his life and there shall no razor come upon his head.”


Repentance

Have you ever felt that something you have done was wrong? The Greek word metanoia is translated into English as repentance. This word means a change of mind, i.e., a fresh view about God, about oneself, and about the world. This includes forsaking your sin completely.  
This means you must truly feel bad for what you have done and never do it again. In Isaiah 1:16 it says “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;” Forsake our sins and progress.
(See also Leviticus 6:2-6, Joel 2: 16-17, and Mosiah 27:23-24).


Baptism

Before death, we have responsibilities that we must accomplish while we are living.  One of the responsibilities is to be baptized.  Along with being baptized, there are numerous promises that we make to God.  Each one of the promises gives us power as long as we keep our end of the promise.  For example, being baptized is a promise that we make to God.   The promise is that we may follow the commandments, remember Jesus Christ, and always follow him.  If we do those things then we will be granted the Gift of the Holy Spirit.  Obedience is the first law given under heaven, and we must always strive to be as exactly obedient as we can. 


The Atonement

Christ’s atonement is the single most important event in the history of the world. Jesus, as a perfect man and thus the only person capable to do this, overcame death and took upon Himself all the sins, sorrows, and pains of every individual that would ever live. This atonement was prophesied of from the beginning of time, and has been taught and shared all over the world ever since. Through Christ’s atoning sacrifice all mankind will be resurrected and may be forgiven for their sins and made perfect through obedience to His gospel.

Num. 21:8-9 “And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”
 
Lev. 16:22 “And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities…”
 
Gen. 22:8 “And Abraham said, My son, God shall provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering…”

 
Role of the Prophet

Thomas S. Monson - A modern prophet

The role of a prophet is to give direction to all the people  of the earth. In Deuteronomy 18:18-20 it says “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren… and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.”  It is the prophet’s duty to try and keep progressing torwards heaven.
(See also Exodus 4:11-13  and Genesis 20:7)


Prophecies about Christ's Coming

The Coming of Jesus Christ was foretold by many prophets because of  his great importance. He fulfilled the Law of Moses, Atoned for all our sins, and saved us all. We learn about his birth in Isaiah 7:14 it states “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Immanuel in Hebrew means God is with us. This is a very specific prophesy that tells us Jesus’s name and also his birth origin. (See also In Isaiah 9:6-7)

We also learn about his death in Psalms 22:16-18. It says “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have in closed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.”   
(See also Isaiah 50:5-9)


Conclusion

For those that honestly seek, the answers to one's life purpose will always come.
We do know the reasons that apply to all of us - we're here to learn and to grow, and to be tested, to see if we'll do what's right. In the end, all that will matter after this life is what we did with our lives here - whether or not we tried to do the right thing, and whether we treated others the way the Lord wanted us to.