Time has been provided on earth for God's children to learn and grow and qualify to return to God. The time from birth until physical death is mortality. This part of our existence is a time of learning in which we can prove ourselves, choose to come unto Christ, and prepare to be worthy of eternal life. It is also a time when we can help others find the truth and gain a testimony of God's Great Plan.
The Holy Ghost is a spiritual guide to assist us during mortality. He is a source of comfort, truth and encouragement to light our way during our lifetime if we choose to allow Him to guide us.
The earth has been prepared to provide God's children with a place to be tested and prepare to return to God. The earth and all things on it are part of God’s plan for the redemption of His children and should be used responsibly to sustain the human family.
The gospel, the "good news", is our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness. The central doctrine of the gospel is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The gospel includes all the doctrine, principles, laws, ordinances, and covenants necessary for God's children to follow to qualify to return and live with God and Jesus Christ again.
Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, He is our Redeemer. Jesus Christ is the only way by which we can return to live with our Heavenly Father. Jesus suffered and was crucified for the sins of the world, giving each of God’s children the gift of repentance and forgiveness. Only by His mercy and grace can anyone be saved. His subsequent Resurrection prepared the way for every person to overcome physical death as well. These events are called His Atonement. In short, Jesus Christ saves us from sin and death. As a result, He is literally our Savior and Redeemer.
During mortality, experiences will come that will help us develop and grow. Experiences can teach us things such as resilience, empathy, patience, adaptability, perseverance and help us develop God-like traits as we interact with His children.
Agency is the ability and privilege God gives us to choose and to act for ourselves. Without agency, we would not be able to learn or progress or follow the Savior. With it, we are free to choose true freedom and the life God lives, through the great Mediator of all men, Jesus Christ, or to choose captivity and death, according to the power of Satan.
In scripture, the term soul is used as a synonym for spirit to describe a person in four different phases of his or her eternal existence. Soul is used to describe a person in premortal life—before birth . During earth life, the soul is joined with a physical body. At death, the soul leaves the body and goes to the spirit world to await resurrection. In the Resurrection, the body and soul are inseparably connected, which is called “the redemption of the soul”.
Our physical body is a magnificent creation of God. It is His temple as well as yours and must be treated with reverence. Scripture declares:
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Your body, whatever its natural gifts, is a magnificent creation of God. It is a tabernacle of flesh—a temple for your spirit.
"A perfect body is not required to achieve a divine destiny. In fact, some of the sweetest spirits are housed in frail frames. Great spiritual strength is often developed by those with physical challenges—precisely because they are challenged. Such individuals are entitled to all the blessings that God has in store for His faithful and obedient children." - RMN
We are all children of God. He loves us and knows our needs, and He wants us to communicate with Him through prayer. We should pray to Him and no one else. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded that we must always pray unto the Father in His name. As we make a habit of approaching God in prayer, we will come to know Him and draw ever nearer to Him. Our desires will become more like His. We will be able to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that He is ready to give if we will but ask in faith.
Love is a feeling of deep devotion, concern, and affection. The greatest example of God’s love for His children is found in the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ. Love for God and fellow men is the defining characteristic of a disciple of Jesus Christ.
As part of God's Plan, all people experience adversity during their lifetime. Trials, disappointments, sadness, sickness, and heartache are a difficult part of life, but with the help of the Lord they can lead to spiritual growth, refinement, and progress. Each person’s success and happiness, both now and in the eternities, depend largely on his or her responses to the difficulties of life.
Adversity comes from different sources. Trials may come as a consequence of a person’s own pride and disobedience. These trials can be avoided through righteous living. Other trials are simply a natural part of life and may come at times when people are living righteously. For example, people may experience trials in times of sickness or uncertainty or at the deaths of loved ones. Adversity may sometimes come because of others’ poor choices and hurtful words and actions. Suffering may also come through a loving Heavenly Father as a tutoring experience.
Nature is a reflection of God and we can see Him through all His creations. The beauty we see in nature all come from God, perfectly and intentionally designed by Him for us.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands — Psalms 19:1
“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.“ — Psalms 96:11-12