If I had to sum up the purpose of life in one word, it would be family. We lived before this life as part of God’s family, we were born into an earthly family, and depending on the choices we make in this life, the family we have may endure eternally.

We are what you might call dual beings. There is the physical part of us—our body. It is made up of millions of tiny cells, able to mend its own cuts, get stronger with exercise, and turn food into energy. But eventually our bodies will succumb to a slow decay ending in death.

There is a second part to us—our spirits. We lived as spirit children of a loving Heavenly Father prior to this life. Our Father in Heaven loved us and wanted us to become like him. We differed from God in that we did not have a physical body as he did. We also had not progressed in knowledge and ability to the degree he had.

God sent us to be born on earth because he loved us enough that he was willing to part with our company. We needed to come to earth to obtain physical bodies, learn to live by faith, and gain necessary experience to become like Him. Adam and Eve were the first parents. They taught their children to pray to God and to follow his commandments. The love they felt for the children born to them mirrored the love God feels for all of us, his children. Every person who finds themselves in the position of becoming a parent receives a taste of the profound love God feels for each of us.

God did not leave us alone. He sent his son, Jesus Christ, to teach us the way to live so that we could return to God’s presence. God knew we would make mistakes as we learned to choose between right and wrong. Christ’s atonement makes it possible so that we can repent and have our sins wiped away. This way, if we were willing to learn from our mistakes and make restitution for them, we would not be condemned for our sins.

God also gave us the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit can guide us in making correct choices, give us power to overcome temptation, and console us when life is difficult. We can’t feel the influence of the Holy Spirit if we are knowingly sinning or rebelling against God’s will. If we accept the baptismal covenant and live the commandments, we are promised that the Holy Ghost will be our constant companion.

Our earthly family teaches us important principles that will benefit us eternally. We learn the importance of being accountable, of contributing our fair share, and subduing our natural selfishness. Not everyone who lives on earth will choose to follow after righteousness. Those who choose not to follow God will not enjoy the same privileges after this life as those who do. One of the blessings granted those who faithfully serve God is the ability to have their family relationships continue eternally. Those who are married in God’s holy temple and who keep their marital covenants will still be husband and wife after they die. There can be no greater joy than to have our family, those whom we love more than life itself, to be there with us in heaven, never to be separated again. To me, it is the very definition of heaven.

To learn more about God’s Plan of Salvation, please visit www.mormon.org.