It has been a goal of mine to find out more about who I am, what the purpose of life is on earth, and what will happen in time to come. For a long time I’ve been told that this life is a test for us to show our allegiance and obedience to our Father in Heaven. But as a student, I needed to know more about this test, since I don’t like taking tests that don’t have a purpose, like any efficient student. Besides knowing why I’m taking this test, I had a few other questions: How was this test designed? Can I have a retry? Could it be open book? Is there an answer key I can copy off of?

How was the test designed and why? This test of mortality was designed by our Heavenly Father so that we can progress and become more like Him and live eventually with Him in Heaven one day. God has a body of flesh and bones like we have here on Earth, but a perfected one, like we will gain in the resurrection. How do I know this? I have prayed about the account of Joseph Smith numerous times where he says that God the Father and His Beloved Son appeared to him in a grove of trees outside of his Palmyra, New York home, even visiting there myself. I have felt this to be true with more certainty than I know a quark exists, as I have been taught in my chemistry class. One purpose of ours on Earth is to gain a body.

Is this an open book test? Ever since man first walked the earth, God has sent commandments for us to live by either through His own word or by the words of His prophets. These are the words which we will be judged by. The Bible and the Book of Mormon lay down the commandments which we are to follow, but they also give us all the answers of how to correctly navigate through the trials of life. Christ gives us the example to follow of one who perfectly abided by each of the commandments. We, as imperfect mortal beings, are bound to make mistakes. But through the grace of Christ we have the opportunity to repent and be forgiven. As a student, I know the feeling of missing several questions on a major test, but if I magnify that feeling I don’t know how many times over, that will be the disappointment we will feel when we realize the mistakes we have committed in this life. Yet Christ allows us to use His sacrifice for us to wipe ourselves clean of our mistakes. There is no greater gift than that. If such an opportunity was given to you, why wouldn’t you use it?

AdversityLDSalternativeQuoteThat last question I’ve posed sounds terrible. If any teacher heard a student ask that even if it was a joke, they’d flip out. Of course you can’t ever just copy off the answer key! Yet this test of life has only one student who has and will ever ace the test, and that is our Savior, Jesus Christ. He wrote the “test” by creating the earth under the direction of our Heavenly Father. It was He who lived a perfect life, and it was He whose life we can follow, using the answer key, so that we can get as close as possible to a perfect score. I know that living in accordance with Christ’s commandments is what brings me the most happiness in this life, and it will bring me the greatest rewards in the life to come, and I want to make sure that everyone knows about this chance for happiness too.

Article was written by Andrew L.

Additional Resources:

Meaning of Life

Pre-Mortal Life in Mormonism

The Lord Jesus Christ in Mormonism