(Originally written 6 February 1980, edited 4 June 2020)
by Chauncey C Riddle
Because we are blessed with knowing the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, we understand that there are four irreducible purposes for our mortal existence. Only the first is absolutely essential. To fulfill the other three makes possible a fullness of blessings. The four are as follows:
- To gain a mortal tabernacle of flesh and blood for our spirit body. This is the necessary prelude to immortal life in a tabernacle of flesh and bone, which is the heritage of all human beings.
- To develop Christ-like character. To learn to act righteously, responding only to the spiritual guidance of our Savior and learning not to be controlled by either the physical forces around us or by the temptations of Satan is the goal. Every human situation is rich with opportunity to learn to be honest, true, chaste and benevolent, and to do good to all men. Either sex, any race, any age, any educational level, any economic level –all afford an almost overwhelming opportunity to add good habit to good habit, correct preference to correct preference, true idea to true idea, all done by following the Savior through the influence of the Holy Spirit. Each soul is given the light of Christ to guide him or her in this quest for perfect character. But one cannot finish that task except through accepting the fulness of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and the ordinances of the New and Everlasting Covenant, then enduring to the end by accepting the tutelage of the Holy Ghost to tread the strait and narrow path to the end. The end is attaining that Christ-like character.
- To pass on the seed. To marry in the Lord’s covenant and to bring the souls of men and women into this mortal world is the third task. To forebear having children by artificial means subverts both the character we are trying to build and the plan of God for our blessing. Children are an heritage of the Lord. Blessed is he who has his quiver full. (Psalm 127:3-5)
- To pass on the Gospel. To bring up our children in the nurture of the Lord, transmitting that faith which is precious above all other ideas or messages in this world is the fourth great opportunity. We are not limited to sharing with our children, but sharing our faith fully with them is essential.
When our mortal lives are finished, only these four things will be important for eternity:
- We gained a mortal tabernacle and therefore can be resurrected to immortality.
- We gained a Christ-like character, and therefore can be trusted with the same glory and power that our Savior has.
- We sacrificed to bring other souls into mortality, and therefore we can be trusted to continue to bear souls in eternity.
- We taught and showed the way of righteousness through Christ in all things to all who would listen, and therefore we can be trusted with stewardship over all that the Father has, being joint heirs with our Savior, Jesus Christ.