Eternal Questions

The questions we all ask

Where do I come from? What is the purpose of this life? Is there anything after death? These questions have accompanied humankind from the beginning. For The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the restored gospel offers clear, coherent answers full of hope.

Where do we come from? — Premortal life

Before being born on this earth, we existed as spirits in the presence of God. We were His spirit sons and daughters. We lived, learned and grew. There we were presented with the Plan of Salvation — the opportunity to come to earth, receive a physical body, be tested and progress toward a fulness of joy that was not possible in our spiritual state.

This truth changes everything: we are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having a human experience. We come from somewhere, we have a noble origin and a Father who knows and loves us individually.

Why are we here? — The purpose of mortal life

We came to earth to:

• Receive a physical body — an essential part of our eternal progress
• Be tested and show whether we will keep God's commandments
• Learn from our own experience the difference between good and evil
• Make sacred covenants with God, including baptism
• Form families and learn to love and serve others

Forgetting our premortal life is not a punishment — it is necessary for the test of mortality to be real. If we remembered everything, there would be no true faith.

What will happen after this life?

After death, our spirit goes to the spirit world — an intermediate state where we await the resurrection. There is opportunity there to keep learning and to hear the gospel, especially for those who did not have the opportunity in this life.

After the resurrection and the final judgment, we will all receive one of the kingdoms of glory that God has prepared:

• The celestial glory — the highest, where those who accepted the full gospel and lived its principles will dwell. Here one can be in the presence of God and Christ
• The terrestrial glory — for those who were honorable people but rejected the full gospel
• The telestial glory — for those who did not accept the gospel and persisted in evil

In all of these kingdoms there is mercy. God is just and knows the heart of every person. His aim is the happiness of His children — not their condemnation.

The resurrection and the eternal body

Thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we will all be resurrected. Our bodies and spirits will be permanently united in a glorified state. Death is not the end — it is a transition. For those who have lived the gospel, it is a welcome into something much greater.