How to Return to Live with God

We are here on earth to gain this physical body, learn, grow and increase our faith in Heavenly Father and His plan.  He has given us the gift of agency, which means we have the ability to make choices for ourselves. We can choose to follow Him and His son Jesus Christ.

This earth was created by Jesus Christ under the direction of Heavenly Father so that we could have a place to obtain a physical body, progress and become like God, outside of His physical presence.  

Adam and Eve were the first of God’s children to be placed on earth, in the Garden of Eden.  God commanded them to multiply and replenish the earth, but he also commanded them not to eat the forbidden fruit.  Satan tempted them, and they ate the forbidden fruit.  As a result, they were cast of out the Garden of Eve, were taken away from God’s presence and became mortal. 

When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they became subject to death and sin. Without a perfect body we cannot experience the joy that God desires for us.  Also, the scriptures teach that no unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God.

One day, all of us will be resurrected with a perfect body, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. If we choose to have faith in Jesus Christ, obey His commandments, repent when we make mistakes, and are baptized, we can also overcome sin and return to God’s presence.

Jesus Christ is the literal son of God and is our Savior and Redeemer.  He suffered for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane. He died for us on the cross at Calvary. Because of this, we can be forgiven of our sins if we will sincerely repent. 

Jesus Christ overcome sin when he suffered in Gethsemane. He triumphed over physical death when he was Resurrected. These two victories together are known as the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ promises to forgive our sins if we exercise faith in Him, repent, choose to be baptized by immersion and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  We also need to strive to keep His commandments all our lives.

As we rely on Jesus Christ, He can help us endure our trials, sicknesses and pain.  We can be filled with joy, peace and love.  All that is unfair can be made right through Him.

After we die, our spirits go to a place called the spirit world.  Those who showed faith in Jesus Christ, repent and were baptized are in a place of peace, happiness and rest from troubles and care.  Those who choose not to obey in this life, will live in a state of unhappiness after death. 

In the spirit world, the gospel is preached to those who did not follow Jesus Christ’s commandments or have the opportunity to hear the gospel while on earth.  We remain in the spirit world until we are resurrected.

After we are resurrected, we will be judged according to our works and desires.  Because we all make different choices on earth, there are different kingdoms of glory to which we may be assigned after the Judgement. 

The celestial kingdom is where Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ dwell, along with those who have repented of their sins, received the gospel, and kept their promises with God.  They dwell in a state of never-ending happiness. 

People who do not accept the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ in this life or in the world to come, but live honorable lives, will receive a place in the terrestrial kingdom. 

Those who continue in their sins and do not repent in this life or accept the gospel in the world to come will receive their reward in the lowest kingdom, which is called the telestial kingdom.

Heavenly Father knows you and loves you because you are His child. He earnestly desires for you to live with Him again in the celestial kingdom together with your family. Thanks to Jesus Christ, this is possible because He overcame sin and death on our behalf.  You will one day receive a perfect, immortal body because of His resurrection. This means you will overcome death, one of the two obstacles that we face as a result of the fall of Adam and Eve.

The other obstacle is sin. We are told in the scriptures that no unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God). The forgiveness of sins requires desire and effort on our part to access the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ so that we can be forgiven. It requires that we live the gospel of Jesus Christ, which consists of: 

• Faith in Jesus Christ 

• Repentance through the Atonement of Jesus Christ 

• Baptism 

• Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost

• Enduring to the end 

Faith in Jesus Christ means you believe that He is the Only Begotten Son of God and is the Savior and Redeemer of the world, and that only through Him can you return to live with your Heavenly Father.

When we believe in Jesus, we want to learn more about Him and do what He asked us to do—which is to reject sin and be more obedient, kind and loving. We will have desires to change, through His example and grace. He blesses us when we do these things, especially when we repent.

Once you have established faith in Jesus Christ, the next step is to repent. Repentance is changing our thoughts, beliefs and behaviors that are not in harmony with God’s will, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. To repent we must recognize our sins, feel remorse, confess our sins to God and ask for forgiveness from God.

We can obtain help to make necessary changes in our lives by praying and asking for the Atonement of Jesus Christ to strengthen us and help make us better.

Our sincere repentance will bring forgiveness and freedom from guilt and sorrow. Repenting daily brings us joy, as we work to become more Christlike.

Repentance is not complete without baptism.

Baptism is an ordinance that shows we have entered into a covenant with God. We promise to keep His commandments and God promises to forgive us of our sins and to give us the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Baptism is symbolic of being “born again”, becoming spiritual sons and daughters of Christ. This is one of the reasons that baptism must be performed by immersion—going completely underneath the water, to symbolize the burial of the old version of us and coming out of the water “reborn” in Christ. Baptism also must be performed by someone that has been given the priesthood.

This priesthood is the power and authority to act on behalf of God. It allows authorized men to perform sacred ordinances—like baptism—on the Lord’s behalf.

Baptism is so important that even Jesus Christ was baptized, by immersion in the River Jordan, by John the Baptist, who possessed the priesthood.

If you have been baptized previously it shows that you have desires to repent and follow Christ. You should feel happy about this desire and your willingness to act. If, however, you have not been baptized by immersion by someone who has received the priesthood from the Savior, you will still need to do so.

Joseph Smith, the prophet who God called to restore the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth, received the priesthood from Peter, James and John, who received the priesthood from Jesus Christ. They appeared to the prophet as resurrected beings.  Joseph Smith gave this authority to other righteous men so that they could perform sacred ordinances, like baptism, today.

The Savior taught, “Unless a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” The Gift of the Holy Ghost is the privilege of having Him as a constant companion after baptism. The Holy Ghost has a sanctifying cleansing effect on us. As we repent of our mistakes and strive to keep God’s commandments, He helps us receive and retain a remission of our sins. He uses thoughts and feelings to warn us of danger, comfort us in our sorrow, strengthen us and communicate God’s love and will for us. He teaches us and strengthens our testimony of Christ.

The Gift of the Holy Ghost must be given by someone who possesses the priesthood of God, by the laying on of hands, just like was done during the time of the Apostles.

To keep the Holy Ghost with us as a constant companion, we must live worthy of his presence by obeying, repenting and enduring to the end.

Following Jesus Christ is a lifelong commitment. It means we strive to increase our faith, repent of our sins through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, obey His commandments, study the scriptures and serve others. Attending temples of God allows us to make promises with Him and receive additional blessings. All these things help us to become more like Jesus Christ every day.

Peace, joy and growth are the fruits of those who focus on Christ. The ultimate reward, however, is exaltation, which is the privilege of living with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ with our family forever.