The blessing of eternal life becomes infinitely more attractive once we understand what it entails.
The promise of eternal life can sometimes be difficult to want. When we face hardships in life, the last thing we want to imagine is life, the seeming root of all our problems, lasting forever.
Despite the hardships of this mortal life, modern prophets have testified of eternal life’s true desirability. In Chapter 13 of Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, President Young soothes the fears of those who wonder why they should want this blessing.
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President Young assures us that eternal life will be something we will actually like: “The Lord has blessed us with the ability to enjoy an eternal life with the Gods.” Though we may sometimes doubt that eternity is truly going to be enjoyable, we can feel comfortable with this promise we’ve been given.
Much of our time on earth is spent with questions and doubts, and no person wants to have doubts forever. However, President Young teaches us that in the eternities “we shall come to the knowledge of truth.” We will receive truth until our knowledge is perfect, complete, and whole. Any struggles we have with doubts, anguish, or any other mortal issues will be resolved.
President Young testifies that “nothing less than the privilege of increasing eternally, in every sense of the word, can satisfy the eternal spirit.” Knowing that our spirits won’t settle for anything less than eternal life beckons us toward it. It is in our nature to strive for and enjoy the highest blessings.
Ultimately, he teaches that “we will be…joint heirs with Jesus Christ.” We will reign as gods in our own right and never be withdrawn from our Father’s kingdom of glory. We will have peace and prosperity for time and all eternity—and what a joyous gift that truly is.
Learn more about eternal life and eternal life’s qualifications in “Chapter 13: Preparing for Eternal Life” in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young.
Source: ChurchOfJesusChrist.org
—Kelly Pratt, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY PEDRO LIMA
Read more about the design of mortal and eternal life in “The Adventure Lasts a Lifetime” by Kjanela Fawcett on Latter-day Saint Insights.
Discover more about the journey to receiving eternal life in Elder Delbert L. Stapley’s general conference address “The Path to Eternal Life.”