The Purpose of Life

Life is a time to grow, live by faith, find happiness, and prepare to return home to God. 

God has a plan for our happiness

Life has purpose and meaning. God, as our loving Father, wants us to find happiness and joy. He created a plan for us to grow, live by faith, establish families, and return to live with Him someday. God’s plan, often called the plan of salvation, gives meaning and context to our life here on earth by answering the big questions: “Where did I come from?” “Why am I here?” and “What happens after I die?” 

Learn about God’s Plan of Salvation

Where did I come from?

Before you were born, you lived with God, your Heavenly Father. He knew you, loved you, and taught you about the choices that would lead to lasting happiness. This period is called the premortal life. 

God presented His plan to us

God wanted us to come to the earth to gain a physical body. Here, we face challenges and situations that help us learn and grow so we can become more like Him. 

Jesus was chosen as our Savior

God knew that we would make mistakes, so He chose Jesus to come to earth and suffer for our sins. Jesus’s sacrifice allows us to be forgiven and cleansed of our sins so we can live with God again someday. 

What is my purpose in life?

Here on earth, we don’t remember living with God. We must have faith, rely on Jesus, and learn to choose between right and wrong. Life isn’t easy, but hard times let us appreciate happiness and peace.

Jesus’s sacrifice

Jesus suffered and died for our sins. But that doesn’t take our responsibility away—we must choose to accept Jesus by repenting when we make mistakes, being baptized, and keeping His commandments. 

Where do we go after we die?

When we die, our spirit and body separate. Our spirit goes to the spirit world. It is a place of rest and happiness for those who have made good choices and a state of hell for those who have made bad ones. 

The spirit world

The spirit world is not a final destination or judgment. Because God is so loving and fair, those in the spirit world who never knew about Jesus are taught His gospel and given the opportunity to accept Him as their Savior.

We will all live again

Jesus overcame death so we can all live again. This is called the Resurrection. When we are resurrected, our spirits and bodies reunite. Our bodies will be perfect and will never die again. 

Judgment

Jesus will judge us according to our actions and the desires of our hearts. He will be as merciful as He can. Because our actions and desires vary, heaven includes different kingdoms or degrees of glory. 

The celestial kingdom

Our Heavenly Father and Jesus live in the celestial kingdom. If you follow Jesus’s teachings and accept His saving grace, you will live in God’s presence and have lasting joy. You will also be able to live with your family forever.

The terrestrial kingdom

People who refuse to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ but who live otherwise honorable lives will receive a place in the terrestrial kingdom. 

The telestial kingdom

Those who continue in their sins and do not repent will receive a place in the telestial kingdom. 

Will we choose to follow God?

In life, we learn and grow through experiences, both pleasant and painful. God lets us choose between right and wrong, and to serve others or to only care about ourselves. He promises great blessings to those who choose to follow Him. The challenge is to have faith in His plan, even though we don’t have all of the answers. 

Because we all make mistakes, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, so we can be cleansed and forgiven. Jesus makes it possible for us to return home to live with God. When we accept Jesus and follow His example, we become less selfish and can enjoy greater love, peace, and happiness. 

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Jesus is the way to lasting happiness and salvation

The Bible teaches, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God sent Jesus to save us from our sins. Jesus’s teachings guide our lives and lead us to lasting happiness. His sacrifice allows us to find meaning in life and grow to our full potential. You and your family can start on that path today. 

The Book of Mormon teaches about the meaning of life

Like the Bible, the Book of Mormon contains instructions from God to His children. God wants us to succeed in life and find happiness. The people in the Book of Mormon went through many challenges and had to overcome them by faith. We can learn more about the meaning of our lives from their experiences and teachings. 

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