We’ve talked about premortality (Where Did I Come From?) before, so lets examine the next phase in our eternal existence: mortality, also known as our Second Estate.
From Teachings of the Presidents: Spencer W. Kimball, we read:
We understood well before we came to this vale of tears that there would be sorrows, disappointments, hard work, blood, sweat, and tears; but in spite of all, we looked down and saw this earth being made ready for us, and we said, in effect, “Yes, Father, in spite of all those things I can see great blessings that could come to me as one of thy sons or daughters; in taking a body I can see that I will eventually become immortal like thee, that I might over the effects of sin and be perfected, and so I am anxious to go to the earth at the first opportunity.” And so we came. (To Live With Him Some Day, Teachings of the Presidents: Spencer W. Kimball, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, 2006 3)
Premortality was our First Estate and having successfully completed that First Estate — having sided with Jesus Christ in the war in heaven where a full third of the hosts of heaven followed Satan — and understanding that mortality was the next phase in our eternal progression, we were born. We obtained bodies of flesh, bone, and blood, which have been denied to Satan and his minions. This alone gives him great reason to seek our ultimate and eternal downfall.
We can’t let him.
Mortality, our Second Estate, is essentially school. We had progressed as far as we could go in heaven and now we are at college. We were not sent to Earth in order to live lives rife with pleasure, sin, and self-gratification; we were sent to learn to master the passions of the natural man and to become as close to perfect as we can.
This does not mean we become inhuman; none of us will reach perfection in this lifetime. We simply learn to control our passions. For example, the sanctity of marriage is an eternal principle. Family is an eternal unit. Yet the world would have us believe that faithfulness to a marriage partner isn’t really necessary. We hear constantly how irresponsible it is to have children. We learn that family units do not need to be complete.
Satan has succeeded in corrupting the Father’s eternal plan which “brings to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Again, we cannot let Satan succeed. He wishes to hasten us to eternal misery and sorrow, the Savior wishes for our eternal joy and progression. Faithfulness in marriage does matter, and in fact, is critical. The complete and solid family unit is what will save this world.
Heavenly Father did not send us down without a textbook. The scriptures, as well as modern prophets and apostles, have clearly outlined the expectations our Father in Heaven has for us. He misses us. He wants us to come home. To this end, He sent Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer.
We were:
“. . . sent to this world with a very serious purpose. You are sent to school, for that matter, to begin as a human infant and grow to unbelievable proportions in wisdom, judgment, knowledge and power.” (To Live With Him Some Day, Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, Edward Kimball, Deseret Book 1982 31)
Our first responsibility in mortality is to prepare to meet God again. How do we do that? We seek after truth. We study the scriptures and the writings of modern prophets and apostles. We go to church every week and we seek answers. If the answers are not there, find them. Work every day to be a better person.
You see, we weren’t put on earth to coast. We were put here to grow and develop to the fullest of our eternal potential.
You already did it once. You can do it again.
