Comments on: How important is earth life really?! http://www.nine-moons.com/2004/10/21/how-important-is-earth-life-really/ Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:35:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Comment Restore http://www.nine-moons.com/2004/10/21/how-important-is-earth-life-really/#comment-33 Comment Restore Mon, 28 Nov 2005 08:52:20 +0000 http://www.nine-moons.com/?p=40#comment-33 Interesting thoughts! Like you said, the trials must be to prove something to US, not to God. Though God knows which kingdom we'll end up in, there must be something more to do here on earth for those of us who don't die before we're 8 -- in my mind, that's proving to ourselves our own faithfulness in keeping the commandments (see Abr. 3:25), which will make us worthy to be purified and live in God's presence. You've heard the comparison to leaving home for college: I think my parents knew I'd be successful, for they knew me better than anyone else and believed in me even more than I did. So why didn't I just take their word for it and jump over that step? Besides the obvious (no degree earned nor any other accomplishments that occurred during that time period), I needed to prove to myself I could do it! The trials and suffering increased my confidence, my gratitude, and my faith. They refined me in a way I feel burned away many "impurities" or weaknesses. Earth life not only teaches us much about ourselves that way, but if we follow the Gospel's guidelines, we're cleansing ourselves to be worthy of the Atonement's redeeming grace. It would have been easier to just die before that 8th birthday, but I see a vital aspect of growth and sanctification missing for the rest of us if we could die without "the test." Amy | Email | Homepage | 10.21.04 - 9:31 pm | # Amy has hit it right on the head! I couldn't have chosen a better way to say it. That doesn't take anything away from your argument that so much of us was formed in the pre-mortal life. I heartily agree with that. Bret | Email | Homepage | 10.22.04 - 1:05 am | # (sorry for the two comments, forgot one thought) It is like your analogy I've heard you use before about a bullet through a paper bag. (Though I would personally rather change the paper bag to a piece of tin, I think) Bret | Email | Homepage | 10.22.04 - 1:07 am | # If there are things it's important for us to learn or do on in this life, what does that say to those who don't go thru this life? If "a vital aspect of growth and santification" is what we need then what about them, they don't need it but I do? How do they learn the things about themselves that I learn from the experiences of earth life? If they can't learn them, because they don't have this experience then are they really necessary to get to the Celestial Kingdom? Don | Email | Homepage | 10.22.04 - 2:13 am | # Good questions; I was actually thinking about those same ideas after I posted my comments, because I wasn't sure I even answered your original question (or that I even COULD answer it). The easiest explanation would be that those who die before age 8 must, for some reason (perhaps determined in the pre-mortal life?), not need that growth, learning, and sanctification stuff that the rest of us do. Right? (???...) Amy | Email | Homepage | 10.22.04 - 10:23 am | # Or maybe those people had work on the other side that they had to get back to that was "more" important. Or that they're "test" etc, is yet to come and may be after this life... Bryce | Email | Homepage | 10.23.04 - 8:10 am | # Maybe the Lord knows all of us best and we should just trust Him that He knows what He's doing. These are interesting questions and I can't wait until the millennium when I'll be able find out the answers to all these questions! Angela | Email | Homepage | 10.31.04 - 12:40 am | # Name: Email: Comment: ? Commenting by HaloScan.com Interesting thoughts! Like you said, the trials must be to prove something to US, not to God. Though God knows which kingdom we’ll end up in, there must be something more to do here on earth for those of us who don’t die before we’re 8 — in my mind, that’s proving to ourselves our own faithfulness in keeping the commandments (see Abr. 3:25), which will make us worthy to be purified and live in God’s presence.

You’ve heard the comparison to leaving home for college: I think my parents knew I’d be successful, for they knew me better than anyone else and believed in me even more than I did. So why didn’t I just take their word for it and jump over that step? Besides the obvious (no degree earned nor any other accomplishments that occurred during that time period), I needed to prove to myself I could do it! The trials and suffering increased my confidence, my gratitude, and my faith. They refined me in a way I feel burned away many “impurities” or weaknesses.

Earth life not only teaches us much about ourselves that way, but if we follow the Gospel’s guidelines, we’re cleansing ourselves to be worthy of the Atonement’s redeeming grace. It would have been easier to just die before that 8th birthday, but I see a vital aspect of growth and sanctification missing for the rest of us if we could die without “the test.”
Amy | Email | Homepage | 10.21.04 - 9:31 pm | #

Amy has hit it right on the head! I couldn’t have chosen a better way to say it. That doesn’t take anything away from your argument that so much of us was formed in the pre-mortal life. I heartily agree with that.
Bret | Email | Homepage | 10.22.04 - 1:05 am | #

(sorry for the two comments, forgot one thought)
It is like your analogy I’ve heard you use before about a bullet through a paper bag. (Though I would personally rather change the paper bag to a piece of tin, I think)
Bret | Email | Homepage | 10.22.04 - 1:07 am | #

If there are things it’s important for us to learn or do on in this life, what does that say to those who don’t go thru this life?
If “a vital aspect of growth and santification” is what we need then what about them, they don’t need it but I do?

How do they learn the things about themselves that I learn from the experiences of earth life? If they can’t learn them, because they don’t have this experience then are they really necessary to get to the Celestial Kingdom?
Don | Email | Homepage | 10.22.04 - 2:13 am | #

Good questions; I was actually thinking about those same ideas after I posted my comments, because I wasn’t sure I even answered your original question (or that I even COULD answer it). The easiest explanation would be that those who die before age 8 must, for some reason (perhaps determined in the pre-mortal life?), not need that growth, learning, and sanctification stuff that the rest of us do. Right? (???…)
Amy | Email | Homepage | 10.22.04 - 10:23 am | #

Or maybe those people had work on the other side that they had to get back to that was “more” important. Or that they’re “test” etc, is yet to come and may be after this life…
Bryce | Email | Homepage | 10.23.04 - 8:10 am | #

Maybe the Lord knows all of us best and we should just trust Him that He knows what He’s doing. These are interesting questions and I can’t wait until the millennium when I’ll be able find out the answers to all these questions!
Angela | Email | Homepage | 10.31.04 - 12:40 am | #

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