Why Are We Here...On Earth?

I have been thinking about life lately. It’s amazing to me that there are so many people in this world, and each of us is a spirit child of God - known personally to Him. What I find even more astounding, and incomprehensible, is how the Atonement of Jesus Christ covered for all the sins of everyone on this earth. Sometimes I will be sitting in a room and think of all the problems that the small group of people I can see are dealing with, and it can be almost overwhelming. There are those who will embrace the power of the Atonement and become so much more than they ever could become in this life, and there are those who will openly reject it. Despite what our choice may be the Atonement was made for all, and was prepared before we came to earth.

In the Book of Abraham we read about the council in heaven pertaining to the earth upon which we live and the souls that would populate it.

“Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;

“And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.

“And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;

“And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;

“And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever” (Abraham 3:22-26).

I want to contrast this with what we read in the Book of Moses about Cain. The Lord tells Cain, “thou shalt be called Perdition; for thou wast also before the world” (Moses 5:24, emphasis added). Before we came to earth there was a vast spectrum of loyalty to the Lord among His spirit children: ranging from “one like unto God” to “Perdition.” In Alma 28:13 we read, “And thus we see how great the inequality of man is because of sin and transgression.” Thus we had agency in our first, or pre mortal, estate.

Prior to the great council in heaven we were tutored and taught by our Father—as His children. We learned and grew through our obedience. Greater obedience yielded greater knowledge and understanding. In Doctrine & Covenants 130:19 we read, 

“And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.”

If the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever I feel that this principle of intelligence applied before this earth life as well.

We saw our Father. We saw His glory. We wanted to be like Him. We, through our agency, chose our own path “according to the dictates of our own conscience” (Article of Faith 1:11). Elder Tad R. Callister explains, 

“All premortal spirits commenced their spirit sojourn innocent (i.e., meaning free from sin), but all such spirits lost their innocence through individual sin….Such concepts as agency, expulsion, and foreordinations, all of which were present in the pre mortal life, imply a choice and an opportunity to obey or to sin” (Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement, p 77).

And Joseph Fielding Smith taught,

“God gave his children their free agency even in the spirit world, by which the individual spirits had the privilege, just as men have here, of choosing the good and rejecting the evil, or partaking of the evil to suffer the consequences of their sins. Because of this, some even there were more faithful than others in keeping the commandments of the Lord” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:58-59).

In the Doctrine and Covenants we learn how blessings of obedience were received then, and now:

“There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

“And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated” (Doctrine & Covenants 130:20-21).

From these statements we learn that there were established laws in heaven and we had the agency to obey or disobey, and we would receive spiritual growth or stagnation according to our actions.

Before we came down to earth we knew that Jesus Christ would be our Savior and Redeemer. A grand council was called in which our Heavenly Father’s plan was laid out before us. We were overjoyed! Elder James E. Talmage wrote,

“In that great concourse of spirit-intelligences, the Father’s plan, whereby His children would be advanced to their second estate, was submitted and doubtless discussed. The opportunity so placed within the reach of the spirits who were to be privileged to take bodies upon the earth was so transcendently glorious that those heavenly multitudes burst forth into song and shouted for joy” (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p 8).

Sometimes, when weighed down with troubles and heartache, I think we forget the eternal joy that this life is set up to offer us. Despite our heartaches, challenges, frustrations, unmet expectations, unfulfilled dreams, tragedy, or anything else of that nature, we all chose to come to earth and embraced the opportunity to live the life that would be given to each of us. 

I want to share something I learned while listening to a girl named Meg Johnson tell her story. Meg was a girl who loved life and loved to dance. When she was in her late teens she had a tragic accident that left her a quadriplegic. I remember her telling of a dream she had after her accident about the pre earth life. She was sitting at a table with a man who was dressed in white. They were looking at a book and she knew that it contained what she would experience here in mortal life. She remembers the man saying “you will be paralyzed” and she saw herself exclaim, “I am so excited!!” 

She didn’t know what being paralyzed would really entail, but she knew that if it was required to help her become like her Heavenly Father then she was willing to do it. No price would be too great. (Link to Meg's Website)

Hearing Meg’s story has reminded me that we chose to come to earth because we knew it was the only way that we could return to become like our Heavenly Father. Elder Richard G. Scott taught,

“[S]o that the period of mortal testing and growth would yield its greatest benefit, you were taught and prepared for the circumstances you would personally encounter in mortality” (link to talk).

Sometimes there are those who may think that the Lord threw us down here on earth without a reason, but that is not so. He has walked this way before and knows what it takes to become like He is. As President Lorenzo Snow taught, “as man now is, God once was; as God now is man may be” (link to quote). 

In his book “A New Witness For the Articles of Faith”, Bruce R. McConkie quoted Joseph Smith (see also King Follett Address, History of the Church 6:305-6). He said,

“'If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by His power, was to make himself visible, -- I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form -- like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form of a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God, received instruction from, and walked, talked and conversed with Him, as one man talks and communes with another.’ Oh, how great the importance to make these things known unto all men so that they no longer worship gods of their own creating!

“'It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God,’ the inspired word continues, ‘and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another, and that He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did.’ The Father is a glorified, perfected, resurrected, exalted man who worked out his salvation by obedience to the same laws he has given to us so that we may do the same” (Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p 64).

I remember when I first heard that I thought, "He is there cheering for us and saying, you can do it, and it is SO worth it!". He has done what we need to do, and He knows how to help us get there. What peace and comfort to know that God has a plan for each of us, and it is one that He has already walked.

Growing up I always imagined the council in our pre-earth life as one where there was a large gathering and a plan was presented.

“And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first” (Abraham 3:27).

Naively I thought Jesus and Lucifer both approached the throne, volunteering for the position of Savior. One was chosen and the other was not. I didn't quite understand how it could be fair that Lucifer was cast out.

I now realize my misunderstanding. God, our omniscient Father, knew the plan from beginning to end. He was not looking for volunteers. Jesus Christ had been foreordained to fulfill the role as Savior and Redeemer. John Taylor said,

“It is evident that at the Council certain plans had been proposed and discussed, and that after a full discussion of those principles, and the declaration of the Father’s will pertaining to His design, Lucifer came before the Father with a plan of his own, saying, ‘Behold [here am] I; send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore, give me thine honor’….Lucifer wanted to introduce a plan contrary to the will of his Father, and then wanted His honor” (John Taylor, Mediation and Atonement, p 93-94).

The Lord explained,

“And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.

“But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.

“Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;

“And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice” (Moses 4:1-4).

Agency, the ability to choose for ourselves, is an integral part of our Heavenly Father’s plan. Because of His love for us he allows us our agency. And because of agency our Father watched as one-third part of His children followed Lucifer, of their own free will, to their own eternal condemnation. I was struck by something Elder Robert D. Hales said about relating the pre-earth life to this life when he said, 

“In choosing whether we will obey [in this life], it is always helpful to remember the consequences of our choices. Did Lucifer and his followers understand the consequences of choosing to reject Heavenly Father’s plan? If so, why did they make such a terrible choice? We might ask ourselves a similar question: why do any of us choose to be disobedient when we know the eternal consequences of sin?” (link to talk).

Those who followed Lucifer were very aware of the consequences of their actions, but they chose them anyway. It made me wonder how I am doing at keeping my current actions aligned with where I really want to end up after this life.

In the pre-mortal council we understood that we would be able to come down to earth and choose for ourselves whether we would hearken to the voice of the Lord or not. Whether we were born into poverty or wealth, slavery or freedom, the Lord has an individual purpose and plan for each one of us. The circumstances and challenges that we each face are specifically tailored and designed to help us attain eternal life and salvation with God. How we respond to this life is a sign of who we are becoming.

Elder Jörg Klebingat reminds us,

“Accept trials, setbacks, and ‘surprises’ as part of your mortal experience. Remember that you are here to be proved and tested, ‘to see if [you] will do all things whatsoever the Lord [your] God shall command [you]’—and may I just add, ‘under all circumstances’” (link to talk).

We each have differing trials and abilities to accompany us during this life. Just as you would never wear oven mitts to perform surgery (or surgical gloves to remove something from a hot oven) we are each here with specific talents, abilities, and spiritual gifts that complement perfectly with our purpose here on this earth. We should never wish for anyone else’s trials or joys. We each have a plan that is specifically outlined for each of us to help us reach our divine destiny. We will never make it back to our Father in Heaven by taking someone else’s path.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin taught,

“You will meet challenges, adversities, and temptations that seem to be more than you can bear. In times of sickness, death, financial need, and other hardships, you may wonder whether you have the strength, courage, or ability to continue….

“However, be sure you understand that God will not allow you to be tempted beyond your ability to resist. He does not give you challenges that you cannot surmount. He will not ask more than you can do, but may ask right up to your limits so you can prove yourselves. The Lord will never forsake or abandon anyone. You may abandon him, but he will not abandon you. You never need to feel that you are alone” (link to talk).

We each have a specific role to play as well as a specific purpose for being here on earth. In Alma he speaks of his desire to be an angel so he can cry repentance to the whole earth (see Alma 29:1). He then states, “But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me” (Alma 29:3). Allot means “to assign, as a share or a portion” (Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10ed).

In Alma we read, 

“And after God had appointed that these things should come unto man, behold, then he saw that it was expedient that man should know concerning the things whereof he had appointed unto them” (Alma 12:28).

We have each been assigned specific tasks, duties, assignments, and responsibilities while on this earth. One way to find out what our allotment in this life is can be found in our Patriarchal Blessing (click here to learn more about Patriarchal Blessings). We can also be guided by personal revelation through prayer. I think the Lord expects us to do the best we can with what we have, and He will intercede if needed.

I remember a story my dad told that was shared by his mission president. When he first arrived in the mission the Mission President said that it was almost too easy—when missionaries needed to be moved or transferred he felt impressed with the exact details. After a while, however, he stopped receiving the specific impressions, and was left to figure things out on his own. After a while, and a little frustrated on not knowing the specific action that he needed to take, he prayed. The answer he received was something along the lines of, “How can you expect to rule worlds without number if you can’t run a mission?” I think the Lord was teaching this mission president that he needed to think things through, apply the principles of the gospel to his decisions, and learn from his own trial and error so that he could make better decisions now, and in the eternities to come.  

We are here on this earth to be proved, tried, and tested to see if we will do what the Lord asks. I think the Lord is letting us discover what we can do ourselves. At times we may also be a little frustrated by not knowing which direction to turn, or sometimes worrying about choosing the wrong way. I know I have had times in my life where, regrettably, I have done nothing because I wasn’t sure what to do and I feared that I might do something wrong. What I have learned since that time is that we need to pray for guidance. If we receive no answer then we just keep moving in the direction we intended to move (as long as it is in line with gospel teachings). I remember something my brother used to say, “If you don’t get a ‘no’ when you pray just keep moving forward. The Lord has ways of stopping you if He needs to.” How true that is.

One of the great challenges of this life is to see if we will choose good over evil and, while being surrounded by the innumerable good and better choices, will choose the best choices (see Elder Oak's talk entitled “Good, Better, Best”). Everyone on this earth has been blessed with the Light of Christ, which helps them know good from evil. Alma teaches us that whether or not we use that light will determine what we receive in the end.

“Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience” (Alma 29:5).

Staying on the straight and narrow path is difficult at times. There may be times that we  want to, or even feel justified in briefly stepping off for a quick breather. President Uchtdorf spoke of the  tragedy that can come from changing course just a few degrees in our long-term (and eternal) pursuits.

“The difference of a few degrees…may seem minor. But even small errors over time can make a dramatic difference in our lives.

“Let me share with you how I taught the same principle to young pilots.

“Suppose you were to take off from an airport at the equator, intending to circumnavigate the globe, but your course was off by just one degree. By the time you returned to the same longitude, how far off course would you be? A few miles? A hundred miles? The answer might surprise you. An error of only one degree would put you almost 500 miles (800 km) off course, or one hour of flight for a jet.

“No one wants his life to end in tragedy. But all too often, like the pilots and passengers of the sightseeing flight, we set out on what we hope will be an exciting journey only to realize too late that an error of a few degrees has set us on a course for spiritual disaster” (link to talk).

The little things do really make a difference. 

Are we do the daily, seemingly small, things that will keep us on course to return to live with our Heavenly Father? The Lord taught the importance of this principles to the children of Israel,

“Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no” (Exodus 16:4).

As we liken these scriptures to our own lives, and apply the principles we are taught, we can ask ourselves if we are gathering our daily ration from heaven through daily prayer and daily scripture study.

Another example of the Lord testing the children of Israel can be found in the Book of Deuteronomy.

“And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no” (Deuteronomy 8:2).

Sometimes the trials and struggles that we face can feel like wandering in the wilderness for forty years. But, as we are wandering are we humbling ourselves so that the Lord can lead us out of the wilderness, or are we trying to find our own way out? Are we continuing to trust in the Lord, and continuing in the faith, despite not seeing any results? President Henry B. Eyring taught,

“If we choose the right, we will find happiness—in time. If we choose evil, there comes sorrow and regret—in time. Those effects are sure. Yet they are often delayed for a purpose. If the blessings were immediate, choosing the right would not build faith. And since sorrow is also sometimes greatly delayed, it takes faith to feel the need to seek forgiveness for sin early rather than after we feel its sorrowful and painful effects” (link to talk).

What we choose to do each day will determine where we will end up in the eternities—no matter what others may choose. I love the counsel that Mormon gives to his son Moroni,

“And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay” (Moroni 9:6).

No matter what anyone else says or does, or the opposition that we face, we need to keep pressing forward in those things the Lord has asked of us. We will not be judged by the actions of other people, but we will be judged by our own actions.

We are here on earth to be tested, and whether we press forward with steadfastness or sit back and take the easy road we will eventually receive those things that we most sought after. 

I read a quote by Joseph Smith a while back that often comes to mind and helps to remind me to think about if I really am doing what I really am supposed to be doing.

“The great misery of departed spirits in the world of spirits, where they go after death, is to know that they come short of the glory that others enjoy and that they might have enjoyed themselves and they are their own accusers” (History of the Church 5:425).

Once we pass out of this life our “time...to prepare to meet God” (Alma 34:32) will be over. May we use this time on earth that has been allotted to us to strive to do the best we can. When we fall short, and we will, the Atonement of Jesus Christ was part of our Heavenly Father's plan that we can rely on.  I try to remind myself that once this life is over I will be able to finally see and obtain all the things that I am now hoping for in faith.


Click here for several videos about Our Heavenly Father's Plan, produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.