Mormon.org answers this question well.

“Death is not the end. Death is really a beginning—another step forward in Heavenly Father’s plan for His children. Someday, like everyone else, your physical body will die. But your spirit does not die, it goes to the spirit world, where you will continue to learn and progress and may be with loved ones who have passed on.

Related Articles and Links:

Mormon.org – Purpose of Life
Mormon.org – God’s Plan of Happiness
Plan of Salvation
Life After Death – Part 1
Life After Death – Part 2

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the welfare plan of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church Security Plan—which would later be renamed the Church Welfare Plan—was first announced in April 1936 in the Great Depression era by president Heber J Grant. The program helps people through temporally difficult circumstances in order to help them become self-reliant.

“The intent of the Church’s welfare plan … involves promoting self-reliance as a way of life. President Thomas S. Monson has taught that self-reliance—’the ability, commitment, and effort to provide the necessities of life for self and family^{‘ 1} —is an essential element of our temporal and spiritual well-being.²

“A mere desire to become self-reliant is not enough. We must make a conscious, active effort to provide for our own needs and those of our families. Bishop H. David Burton, Presiding Bishop, reminds us that when we have done all we can to be self-reliant, ‘we can turn to the Lord in confidence to ask for what we might yet lack.’ ³ Being self-reliant allows us to bless others. Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles says, ‘Only when we are self-reliant can we truly emulate the Savior in serving and blessing others.’ ⁴

Self-reliance involves several facets of a balanced life, including (1) education, (2) health, (3) employment, (4) family home production and storage, (5) family finances, and (6) spiritual strength.”⁵

The above quote is from this month’s issue of the Ensign magazine, a monthly publication of our church. Over the next six days we will publish an article about the above-mentioned six areas of self-reliance.

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels” (Rev. 3:5).

“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son” (Rev. 21:7).

There are numerous other references to those great people who were clothed in white, who praised God and who were blessed by Him.  What stuck out to me, however, was the statement, “and he shall be my son.”  In a previous article titled, “Is Jesus the only son of God?” on this site, the nature of our relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ was explained.  Our opportunity to become sons and daughters of God was listed as the third point.  This is the entire reason behind our beliefs and the purpose of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  As the apostle John wrote, “Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).  To become a son of God, in this sense, is to be like our Savior.  This is our ultimate goal for this life and all that we do ought to progress us further in pursuing that goal.

That goal, however, is impossible to achieve alone. In and of ourselves, we do not merit anything remotely approaching a return to our Father in Heaven or to be called sons of God. In spite of everything we could ever do, our mistakes and imperfections prevent us from ever returning to our God. He did not send us out from His presence for the purpose of losing us though. His perfect plan accounted for our weakness by including the infinite sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

It is through Christ’s suffering in Gesthemene and His death on the cross that He became our advocate to the Father.  Without Christ, we would have to accept all the consequences of our actions, that includes being forever separated from God.  Christ paid the price of justice on our behalf, making us debtors to Him and no longer to sin.  Sin would condemn us forever, but Christ has set His own conditions that allow us to obtain mercy.  Those conditions that He gave us are simple enough. He wants us to give Him our will, the only thing we really have of ourselves to give Him. He asked us to believe in His name, love Him, keep His commandments, enter into covenants, and to repent.

To fulfill those requirements He has given us, it first requires faith on our part.  Faith in His name and in His word causes us to follow His teachings, repenting when necessary.  Repentance leads to baptism which prepares an individual to receive the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Ghost provides the guidance we need to further emulate Christ, particularly in serving our fellow man.

When baptized, an individual makes certain covenants or agreements with the Lord.  We agree to take His name upon ourselves and to always remember Him.  Taking His name upon us is a major step in becoming a son or daughter of God.  It means to act in His behalf and do as He would do.  If we are true and faithful to His name throughout our lives, we will become like He is.  We will be like our Father, just as we are commanded to be (Matt 5:48).

This is a great truth that has sustained me in this life.  We have infinite potential!  Even the lowest, meanest person on earth is spiritually a son of God and can become like Him.  We should all take strength in this knowledge and be faithful to it.  The greatest blessings of Heaven and Earth are available to the faithful.

Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.  For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed? -Abinadi (Mosiah 15:11-12)

I’d like to start with a brief summary of our relationship to God. Because in my opinion, that relationship is the key to understanding the purpose of life. One of our basic beliefs is that we are children of God. Before life began on the earth, we all lived with God as His spirit children. Our Heavenly Father presented a plan to us there. This plan was an opportunity to help all of us, His children, to learn, grow, and eventually become like Him. To quote a church article written several years ago, “We were given laws. We were commanded to walk in paths of truth and light and of virtue and integrity so that we could advance and progress. The ultimate goal held out to us was that if we were obedient in all things, eventually we would become like him. We would live in the eternal family unit as he lives in it, and we would have might, power, glory, and the omnipotent creative ability that he possesses. The name of the kind of life he lives is eternal life.” (“Households of Faith”, Ensign, April 1971, 4).

If our purpose in life is to eventually live as families as God does, then the need of the Proclamation to the World is clear. Families are the fundamental units of society. They are what children look to, to understand what is ‘normal’. They are what God has given us to understand what life will be like after we die. Since the definition of families in our world is becoming more obscure and confused, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made a statement clarifying the definition of family. In my opinion, The Family: A Proclamation to The World provides an answer to a lot of the confusion children are growing up with now. Below are nine issues in the world today that I think the Proclamation addresses.  You may click here to read The Family: A Proclamation to The World in its entirety.

1. “In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life…The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.” (3rd Paragraph)  “The family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” (1st Paragraph)
   • Are families important?  Yes.  We lived as part of God’s family before we were born.  We live in families here.  We can live in families in the next life.  If we lose focus of what constitutes a family, then we lose focus of what we are aiming for in the next life.
2. “All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents…Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose. (2nd Paragraph)
   • Did God mess up?  Was I supposed to be male/female instead of female/male?  No.  We were either a son or a daughter (male or female) when we lived as part of God’s family before we were born.  We were born on earth with that same gender, and that gender is essential in our family.  I want to point out that we’ve also been given varying talents and abilities. We are not limited in what we can do.  There are men who love music, art, dancing, etc.  Good.  There are women who love science, math, sports, etc.  That’s fine too.  Talents don’t constitute gender.
3. “The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife…We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.” (4th Paragraph)
   • Do I need to be married?  I want to have a child.  Can’t I just make arrangements on my own?  No.  The very first commandment that God gave on earth was to have families.  In my opinion that shows just how important families are.
   • A man and a woman should be married before having intercourse or starting a family.  I’ve unfortunately seen two different shows in the past year or two where successful women have good careers and decided that they now want to have a child. So they ‘shop’ around for good genes.  Then they raise the child on their own.  What kind of family is that?  Poor kid.
4. “We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.” (5th Paragraph)
   • I’m not ready for a child.  Can I get an abortion?  Getting an abortion is a serious matter.  Please read the Church’s official statement below (found here).
     • “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes in the sanctity of human life. Therefore, the Church opposes elective abortion for personal or social convenience, and counsels its members not to submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for such abortions.  The Church allows for possible exceptions for its members when:
       • Pregnancy results from rape or incest, or
       • A competent physician determines that the life or health of the mother is in serious jeopardy, or
       • A competent physician determines that the fetus has severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.

       The Church teaches its members that even these rare exceptions do not justify abortion automatically. Abortion is a most serious matter and should be considered only after the persons involved have consulted with their local church leaders and feel through personal prayer that their decision is correct.  The Church has not favored or opposed legislative proposals or public demonstrations concerning abortion.”

5. “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children…Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.” (6th Paragraph)
   • What does being a good mother/father mean?  Children look up to their parents’ example.  Parents are the most influential teachers children have.
   • Families are important to God.  He sends us innocent children who look to us for guidance.  He will hold us responsible for how well we fulfilled that trust.
6. “Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.” (7th Paragraph)
   • Children don’t get to pick their families.  But they deserve good ones.
7. “Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation.  Extended families should lend support when needed.” (7th Paragraph)
   • While fathers are given the responsibility to provide for their families and mothers to nuture their children, we adjust to make things work.
8. “We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God.” (8th Paragraph)
   • Once again, families are really important to God.  If we abuse or neglect family members, He will hold us accountable.
9. “Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.” (8th Paragraph)
   • Families are what God has given us to teach us about what kind of life we can have after we die.  If we destroy that perspective, our children will have a much harder time finding their way back to God.  Should we be surprised that  calamities will come as a result?

There are many different questions and answers that can be found by reading the Family Proclamation, but these are the ones that stood out to me the most.  I hope they help.  Our Father in Heaven loves us and wants to help us return to live with Him.  He has given us the Family Proclamation to clarify the importance of families in His plan for us, and the role they play in our lives and on into eternity.

Before this Life

See: Where do babies come from?

Before the foundations of this world were laid, God presented a plan to us, which we gladly accepted.  This plan was to allow us to come to earth, gain bodies, experiences, learn, grow and prove (to ourselves) whether or not we would use our agency wisely and submit our will to our Father once we were down here.   The integral part of that plan was the Atonement, a perfect sacrifice that would afford us the opportunity to overcome our weakness.  Jesus Christ was chosen by the Father to fill this capacity and willingly submitted to His Father’s will.  God testified of His part in our happiness when He said, “For behold, this is my work and my glory – to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)  He is deeply involved and concerned with our personal salvation.

Our First Parents

See: The Fall of Adam and Eve

As the planning came to an end, the first step was to create a world where we could live.  This was done by Christ under the direction of the Father as told in the account given in the book of Genesis.  Our first parents, Adam and Eve, were placed in the garden of Eden where everything was provided for them.

While Adam and Eve lived in Eden, they lived in a state of innocence.  That is, they had no knowledge of good or evil, of joy or pain, of sickness or health.  They were limited in their capacity and opportunity to grow and experience life.  That is why God gave them the choice to stay in the garden of Eden or partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  They chose to partake of the fruit and as a result, they were cast out of the garden.  This was a known part of our Heavenly Father’s plan, however, and was provided for in the Atonement.  This separation from God caused two kinds of death to enter the world: physical death and spiritual death.  Physical death came in the form of aging and death.  Spiritual death is a separation from God caused by our decisions to disobey His will for us.

Our Lives

See: Our Life on Earth

To this day we must live in a world where spiritual and physical death as well as sorrow and pain exist.  That does not mean we must continually be mourning.  Our purpose here in life is actually to have joy.  The prophet Lehi of the Book of Mormon stated, “Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy.” (2 Ne. 2:25)  In other words, the fall was a necessary part of the plan so that we might exist.

While in this life, we ought to be happy and we ought to be preparing to join God in His Heaven after this life.  (Alma 34:32)  The two go hand in hand.  When we choose to prepare to meet God (that is, we choose to shun the evil and pursue the good), we will be happy because it is in God’s nature to be happy and everything that is good comes from God.  Every decision we have to make has consequences.  We are allowed in this life to choose but we cannot choose the consequences that our decisions incur.  God has given us commandments to guide our decisions so that we might more fully enjoy life without being encumbered with additional pains.  When we keep the commandments in our hearts and seek to obey them, God has promised a fuller and more abundant life.

The Everlasting Atonement of Jesus Christ

See: What Do Mormons Believe about the Atonement?

Even after everything we could possibly do, there is no way to return to our Heavenly Father’s presence by ourselves.  Remember the effects of the fall: spiritual and physical death.  Every one of us has sinned, there is no way around it and even one sin would be enough to prevent one from living in the presence of God.  In addition, every one of us will die.  Our Heavenly Father knew of these things and, in His infinite mercy,  planned for them, giving us a chance to change our lives and return to His presence.

By the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that great sacrifice that Christ gave Himself up for us, we can be cleansed from our sins and we will be resurrected to a perfect and glorious body.  Christ has provided the way in which we can be perfected in Him, and only on the condition that we follow Him.  We follow Him by following His example and by doing what He wants us to do, not what we want to do.  We follow Him by believing in Him and loving Him.  That is all that He asks us to do and in return, He promises to take away our sins and help us bear our burdens in life.  What a glorious opportunity!

Beyond this World

See: Life after death – part 1

When death occurs, which it invariably does, the spirit is separated from the body and returns home to God who gave him life (Alma 40:11).  That cognizant spirit will then be received in a state of happiness or a state of misery depending on how their life was lived.  It is unknown exactly how this state is, what it’s like or even where it is but we do know that those that were righteous in this life will have rest and continue to teach others the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Thus, even those who never had the chance before to learn about Jesus Christ will be able to accept Him.  They will remain there to wait until the day of resurrection.

Judgment Day

See: Who gets to be Saved?

The Egyptian belief of the afterlife involves one's heart being weighed against justice before being brought to the gods' presence. Should the heart be deemed unworthy, it would be devoured.

Eventually, every soul that has ever lived on this earth, be it an hour or a century, will be reunited with his or her own body.  Everyone will be restored to the nature and attributes of the person in this life.  The difference will be that everyone’s body will be perfect and immortal and that we will have a perfect knowledge of all our actions in this life, be they for good or for evil (2 Nephi 9:13-15).  In such a state, we will all be brought to the presence of God to be judged by the Son (John 5:22) who has selected certain men, such as His apostles, to aid Him (Matt. 19:28).  Our decisions in this life will be seen then by all and we will be exposed at that moment.  Undoubtedly, those that squandered their lives and wasted their chances will feel utterly naked, with nothing to shield them.  Others who followed Christ more fully will be able to stand joyfully before God and behold His face without shame, having been cleansed through Christ.

Our Eternal Inheritance

See: Life after death part 2

The Judgment will be to divide the sons of men from the sons of God.  Those that never accepted Christ, neither in this life nor in the spirit world, will receive Telestial glory, which is compared to the stars.  Those who accept Christ, but were not valiant in their belief will receive Terrestrial glory, which is compared to the moon.  The others who accept Christ fully and held onto that belief firmly throughout their lives will receive a Celestial glory, which is compared to the sun and is the presence of God.  These comparisons to the sun, moon and stars illustrate the differences between these kingdoms.  The moon can outshine any star but the sun outshines them all.  Even the smallest amount of this glory is more than we can imagine here on Earth and even the most vile of sinners can receive a portion of this unimaginable happiness.

In summary, the Plan of Salvation is a plan of happiness and progress to build us up and strengthen us through Jesus Christ.  We fall individually and have fallen collectively due to Adam but we can rise again to a higher plane.  We may not know what exactly the future will hold, but we do know that a loving Heavenly Father has created a plan for us to return to His presence.  He has provided the path and the means for us but it falls to us to accept them so that we can return to His presence.

Related Articles and Links:

Mormon.org – Purpose of Life

Life is full of ups and downs.  At times we feel inclined to sing, rejoice and be happy.  At others times, we feel as though we are treading through paths of misery and woe.  In spite of life’s difficulties and pains, we are not meant to be continually mourning.  Our purpose here in life is actually to have joy. The prophet Lehi of the Book of Mormon stated, “Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:25)  We exist in order to have joy!

While in this life, we ought to be happy and we ought to be preparing to join God in His Heaven after this life (Alma 34:32).  The two go hand in hand.  When we choose to prepare to meet God, that is, we choose to shun the evil and pursue the good, we will be more happy.  It is in God’s nature to be happy and everything that is good (including happiness) comes from God.  Obedience to the commandments and happiness are related.  Conversely, when we make poor decisions that are contrary to the commandments of God, we cannot expect to be happy forever because  wickedness never was happiness. (Alma 41:10)

Every decision we have to make has consequences.  We are allowed in this life to make our own choices but we cannot choose the consequences that our decisions incur.  Those consequences can be good and bring us knowledge, success or peace or those consequences can be just the opposite and damage the body, mind and soul.  The commandments that God has given us are guidelines of a loving parent so that we might more fully enjoy life without being encumbered with additional pains.  When we keep the commandments in our hearts and seek to obey them, God has promised a fuller and more abundant life.  They are not intended to restrict, but to free.  Milton R. Hunter, a member of the quorum of the seventy wrote in the book, ‘The Gospel through the Ages,’ the following about living life, “Religion is the highest expression of man’s will to live and to have that life more abundantly.  Religion is the outreaching of the human heart for the most worthwhile things that life offers.  In fact, it is the highest aspect of our struggle for life, beauty and happiness.”  Those commandments contained in the Bible become less of a burden and more of a joy when we realize what things are truly worthwhile in the larger scheme of things.

When considering this principle of consequences from actions, one must not assume all pain and suffering comes from bad choices.  Life is a growing experience.  God did not place us all in a static environment.  That would show nothing from us.  All people grow more when they are stretched to their limits.  “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”  (Ether 12:27)  Our real responsibility when dealing with hard times is to remember that we still control our attitude.  The way we react to situations speaks volumes of our true self.  When we have hope, we allow God to help us grow in trials.  When we despair, we are left to languish and deteriorate.

God did not intend for us to only react, however, and He has given us certain commandments that we must be charitable towards our fellow man.  “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself“  (Matthew 22:37-39).  When we love God, we love our neighbor.  We serve him and when we serve our neighbor, we are serving our God.  (See James 1:27 and Matthew 25:34-40)

A truly full and abundant life would not be complete without our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Through His gospel, He can be a daily part of our life.  Through Him, our efforts to serve God will not be in vain.  We will grow, our fellow man will grow, and we will all be perfected in Him.  This process is continuous and does not end, even when this life will end.  Our true faith and our willingness to come to Christ will be an integral part of our life and it will show.

See “The Plan of Salvation“

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Romans 1:16

The word gospel is derived from the Old-English spelling of God-spell, or rather, good news.  The term is not limited in referring to the first four books of the New Testament, but rather refers to the good news that “Jesus Christ has made a perfect atonement for mankind that will redeem all mankind from the grave and reward each individual according to his/her works.” (Bible Dictionary: Gospel)  This makes those books commonly referred to as the gospels, testimonies of that gospel, being witnesses of Jesus Christ, of His life and teachings.

The true and everlasting gospel of which the apostles and all the prophets testified throughout their lives was taught to men on the earth since the time of Adam.  “And thus the Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, being declared by holy angels sent forth from the presence of God, and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Moses 5:58)  Every prophet that was called of God, was instructed to teach the people of this gospel.  They testified of Christ, His atonement and sacrifice and implored the people to repent, come unto Christ and receive the gospel into their lives.  This call was often rejected, as told in the scriptures, and resulted in repeated periods of apostasy wherein the true gospel was lost.  Repeated periods of apostasy were ended by repeated callings of prophets to restore what was lost until Christ Himself came to earth to teach His own gospel and also to fulfill it.

Christ’s apostles went abroad to spread this good news.  The bad news is that they too were rejected and martyred and the world was left bereft once again of the truth; that is, until the truth was restored once more by a prophet called of God.  That gospel is now being taught all across the world and people everywhere are coming to the knowledge that Christ lives and loves each one of us and that He has prepared a way for us to prosper in this life and return to Him once we pass into the next.

The faithful would never forget that good news that they were redeemed and they rejoiced in the future where the Lord’s kingdom would be established and His gospel would be preached around the world.

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!  Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Isaiah 52:7-8

Heavenly Father has prepared another chance for them to hear the gospel and choose to accept or reject it.

The official Church website explains:  “Jesus Christ taught that baptism is essential to the salvation of all who have lived on earth (see John 3:5)  Many people, however, have died without being baptized.  Others were baptized without proper authority.  Because God is merciful, He has prepared a way for all people to receive the blessings of baptism.  By performing proxy baptisms in behalf of those who have died, Church members offer these blessings to deceased ancestors.  Individuals can then choose to accept or reject what has been done in their behalf.”

Baptism is the first ordinance of the gospel.  It is so important that even Jesus Christ asked to be baptized in order to fulfill all righteousness.  Because Heavenly Father desires for us all to return to Him, He has made it possible for the dead to have the same opportunities as the living through the temple ordinances.

Some have the misconception that this temple work forces the deceased persons into covenants against their will.  This is entirely false.  All spirits maintain their free will after death and can opt to accept or refuse the ordinance of baptism.  When a living person is baptized and receives the Gift of the Holy Ghost in behalf of a deceased person, it is only to give the deceased person the opportunity – the option of redemption.

LDS.org also reveals:  “Many in the spirit world embrace the gospel. However, they cannot receive priesthood ordinances for themselves because they do not have physical bodies. In holy temples, we have the privilege of receiving ordinances in their behalf. These ordinances include baptism, confirmation, Melchizedek Priesthood ordination (for men), the endowment, the marriage sealing, and the sealing of children to parents. The Lord revealed this work to the Prophet Joseph Smith, restoring a practice that had been revealed to Christians shortly after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 15:29).

Part of the mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to Redeem the Dead.  Because of this, we participate in genealogy/family history work to find our ancestors who were not able to hear and accept the gospel while on earth.  Many in my family are involved in this work because of our desire to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to their fathers as mentioned at the very end of the old testament.

I love going to the temple.  There is such a special feeling that accompanies me when I’m in the House of the Lord.  Doing the physical ordinances for my ancestors who have passed on is an amazing experience because I know that many of them have been waiting for hundreds of years to finally have their baptism performed.  Being a part of their spiritual progression is remarkable.  I know that God is merciful and mindful of each of us because He gives everyone a fair chance at accepting or rejecting the message of the gospel.

Now think of the best gift you could ever receive–one from a loving heavenly parent with unlimited resources, perfect love, and such an intimate knowledge of who you are and what you need that it often surprises you.  What gift would God give to you on a special day?

I’ll tell you and I want you to know up front that it is honestly the most important gift I have and will ever receive in this life.

The Gift of the Holy Ghost.

The gift of the Holy Ghost comes to you as part of your baptism.  (For more information on baptism, look here.)  It is God’s gift to you for your willingness to make a covenant to follow Him and it is the very thing that will help you receive the greatest gift He has to give: Eternal Life. The Gift of the Holy Ghost is a promise that the Holy Spirit will be  your constant companion, as you live worthily.  Let me belabor this a little bit: a member of the Godhead (and there are only three) is your constant companion, giving inspiration, guidance, protection, comfort, knowledge, reproofs (when needed), and spiritual gifts throughout the rest of your life.

Some of the ways that I have personally benefited from this gift are:

• Protection – Even though this one happens less frequently than the others listed below, it is still important.  If a place is not safe or a person should be avoided, He will communicate that to you.  For me, it is a generally uneasy feeling, sort of nauseous.  At other times, people hear a voice, as in “stop and turn around” or “don’t talk to that person”.  The way the Holy Ghost communicates with each person is tailored to them.  Remember, God knows how to reach each of us perfectly.
• Avoiding Spiritual Dangers – Along the same lines as physical dangers, there are very real spiritual dangers surrounding us that the Holy Ghost points out to us before we get hurt.  You could call it a Sin-Warning-Alert System.   The Spirit lets you know when you are going to do something that will drive Him away, and when you feel His absence, you know that you have done something to drive him away, and need to repent.  And the guilt doesn’t go away–you can’t just push through it and get through on the other side unscathed.  The only way is to turn around, change the behavior or thoughts, and ask for forgiveness.  Then the Spirit will return and so will the peace.   The Holy Ghost is the instrument that helps us gauge if we are in good standing with the rest of the Godhead, or if we need to repent.
• Comfort – This happens often.  At times of tragedy, the feeling is strong and warm, like walking around being hugged all of the time.  (This is why LDS funerals are usually somewhat uplifting and peaceful.)  On my mission, I had a few opportunities, when I felt all alone in the world, to pray and find companionship and comfort.  Even with daily weaknesses and shortcomings, the Holy Ghost provides comfort and reassurance to help you get back on your feet.
• Guidance – I cannot understate how important this is to me.  What should I major in?  What should I do for a career?  Where should I live?  Who should I marry?  When should I have children?  God gives us our freedom to make choices, but it is so nice to be able to consult with Him and receive answers and direction through the Holy Ghost.  As a member of the Godhead, they all work together and are one in purpose and direction, so though you pray to God (in the name of Christ), the Holy Ghost is the one bringing you the answers to your prayers.
• Knowledge – As a student, this was key.  I had to show that my schooling was important to me through studying, attending class, and taking it seriously, but the Holy Ghost sure made it easier for me to retain things, write my essays and take my tests.  I know that it was the Holy Ghost because the times that I wasn’t doing everything that I should have (living all the commandments) and He couldn’t be with me, I was barely able to keep my head above water.  This isn’t just worldly knowledge though–spiritual knowledge is related to us almost exclusively through the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  If you have just been baptized and you feel like you don’t know anything about what you have just covenanted to do, don’t worry.  Just keep studying and asking and the Holy Ghost will teach you.  And it doesn’t take long to understand the gospel as long as you are sincere and dedicated.
• Reproofs – For awhile in my young adult life, I felt like this was the only way that the Holy Ghost was speaking to me, but I am sure glad that He did.  The Holy Ghost is like a warning alarm, letting us know when we are veering off of the path back to Heavenly Father.  He either tells us to straighten up or else He has to leave us until we repent and are worthy again.  Both ways are effective at getting us to seek God again.  If, as a recipient of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, you find yourself feeling unhappy, listless, frustrated and dissatisfied when you used to be happy and satisfied, it may be that He had to leave you.  So repent, get back on the path and you can enjoy His presence again.  Remember how nice that felt?
• Spiritual Gifts – Spiritual gifts follow the true church of Christ.  There are the public gifts like the gift of tongues or of interpretation of tongues, prophecy or healing (which all exist in this Church.  They are just special and sacred so we don’t broadcast them for everyone to see).  But there are also personal, private gifts of the spirit: Faith, visions, discernment, beholding of angels, teaching and learning wisdom, etc.  These gifts aren’t intended to convince anyone that God is there, they are rewards for believing that He is, and for blessing the lives of others (1 Corinthians 12).  And they are wonderful.

So can you see why I say that the Holy Ghost is the greatest gift I have ever or will ever receive?  Even my marriage and beautiful children aren’t going to benefit me if I can’t make it to heaven to live with them forever.  The Holy Ghost is going to help me get there.  God wants everyone to have this gift because He loves us all and wants us to return to live with Him again.  You don’t have to believe me, you can ask Him directly and the sweet answer that will come to your heart is the Holy Ghost.

Related Articles and Links:

mormon.org – Holy Ghost
Our Life on Earth
What Do Mormons Believe about the Atonement of Jesus Christ
What Do Mormons Believe? – Repentance
Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

In other parts of this blog, it has been put forward that we are to be like Christ and our Father in Heaven and that is our purpose in this life. What is less clear, is exactly what that entails. What we do know is that our Father has promised us everything He has. John’s revelation shows that here and here.  Modern revelation also confirms this.

Elsewhere in scripture, Christ speaks of the many mansions in His Father’s house and that He has prepared them for us (John 14:2). In the parables of the faithful steward (Luke 12:42-44) and the prodigal son (Luke 15:31), the faithful steward of the first and faithful son of the second are promised all that the Lord has and ruling power over it.

Even more important than what we receive is who we will become. Christ commanded us to become perfect, even as our Father in Heaven is perfect. As we endeavor to fulfill this commandment throughout our lives, we can indeed progress nearer to godliness. Christ’s atonement makes this possible. This process is the main purpose of our life and to which the majority of the scriptures are devoted.

We also can receive all that is our Father’s (for isn’t infinite power and glory divided a trillion times still infinite?) once we have proven ourselves worthy of such a great responsibility. What specific duties and activities that will entail are currently unknown but since God’s work and glory are to bring to pass our own immortality and eternal life, we ought to work to that end in an ever increasing scope.

As for our Heavenly Father’s origins, there is less clarity in the subject but it does follow that since we are His children and offspring, then our potential is equal to His and our origins similar. My own opinion is that He was more like Christ than any other man of this earth. “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” John 5:19

In the end, God, our Heavenly Father, wishes to foster our growth and happiness.  He has given us unlimited potential, opportunities to take advantage of it and agency to decide for ourselves.  And it is through Jesus Christ that we can overcome our shortcomings to live and to grow.  This is the plan that was created for our benefit and no doubt we will continue to fulfill our potential even after this life.