We knew that there was more, and He told us about His plan--that He did
have more prepared for us, but it would mean that we had to choose to come to
this earth and have some hard experiences.
Jesus Christ volunteered to help make the plan of salvation
possible, and He knew that we would need someone to help us get back to
Heavenly Father, that we couldn't do it on our own.
And we chose that we would accept it and come down to earth and be part of
this earthly existence.
Why does life have to be so hard? Well, we’re here to learn, right?
How will we understand
the difference if we don’t experience the difficult and the hardness?
How will we know happiness if we don't experience pain and sadness?
So Heavenly Father has very carefully put those opposites together to grow us
and to teach us and to expand us and evolve us as spiritual beings.
I think for those that are struggling, there is always
hope, and there always will be hope.
Through those struggles that we have in life, through those
challenges, we are able to draw nearer to our Heavenly Father if we choose
to, if we want to do that.
And we're able to find peace with our Savior if we want to find peace.
I was eight years old when Mum died, and probably not realizing it at
the time, but I think that started for me a lifelong pursuit of finding out
about her, where she is, and where I need to be to be with her.
I found out that she's still alive.
Mum, right now, lives in the spirit world, and I found that out
for myself.
But I found out, too, that I could qualify to see her again.
And so that's been a driving force in my life--my entire life.
There is absolutely life after death.
It's not something you can see, but it's something that you can feel.
And that also comes with knowledge and through study of the scriptures.
I lost my wife four years ago, and so that motivates me to keep on
the straight and narrow path so that I can be with my wife again in this
life hereafter.
After death I do believe that we will be perfected.
I told my husband many years ago that he'll be able to sing in tune after.
And for myself, because I have the pancreatic cancer, the breast
cancer, I have damaged discs in my lower spine--each day that I live here
on the earth, with faith and hope in Heavenly Father's blessings, I am
actually working toward the fact that I know, after this life, I'll be able
to throw this crutch away and I'll be running marathons and I will be
perfected, as we all will be.
Because I know that there is more, and that there is a Heavenly
Father that has a plan, and who knew that these things would happen
but loved us enough to send us here, I think it makes anything you go
through bearable.
And
I think having that knowledge also makes you more loving of people around
you and wanting to help them to get through their hard times, too, so that
they know there's more than what's happening right now, but that there's
eternal happiness ahead.
Essential to the plan of salvation is our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Without His atoning sacrifice, all would be lost.
It is not enough, however, merely to believe in Him and His mission.
We need to work and learn, search and pray, repent and improve.
We need to know God's laws and live them.
We need to receive His saving ordinances.
Only by doing so will we obtain true, eternal happiness.