The Way And The Light

                                                                                      Photo from LDS.Org

I had the t.v on as I folded laundry the other day. It happened to be set on a sitcom re-run that I half listened to as I worked. But it caught my attention when the bumbling dad sat down to have a conversation with his daughter and she asked the question,

"Why are we here on Earth?"

The poor father fumbled, and grumbled. Unable to answer her question. The studio audience let out peels of laughter at each of his attempts to dodge her serious query.

But I just stared. I must admit I was a bit confused. I was raised in a household with parents, and faith, that lent me a life of not one single day going by that I did not know why I am here on Earth.

By then end of the agonizing (to me) scene, I wanted to jump up and raise my hand.

"Over here, Pick me! I know! I KNOW WHY you are here!"

So I will tell you. Just in case you didn't know either.

We are here to complete a test. To experience pleasure and pain. Dark and light. Happiness, and grief. To see the fruits of righteousness and evil.

And to make a choice.
Will we be followers of Christ, or of Satan. Who will be our Master?

Our actions, thoughts, and lives will be evidence of who we serve.
The goal is to return to live with a loving Heavenly Father again one day.  If we came to a fallen world we would need a Savior.

One man had a plan. To offer no choice. To have the decisions made for us. No agency for those of us sent by our Father in Heaven. A world that provided no temptation.
But also provided no growth, no learning, no opportunity to choose. To become like our Heavenly Father.
And that man would get all the glory. And if we would not choose his plan, he would bitterly try to steal away our salvation by taking on  the form of the adversary.


And then another man stepped forward. Our brother, Jesus Christ, offered to come to Earth. To live a life as a perfect example, and then to willingly, although Godly himself, give that life for all of us. To take upon him all of our sins. To be a sacrifice for our sins.

But we would live again. We would be resurrected. Like he would. By choosing his plan, we would come to Earth and receive a body, that would one day be resurrected.

We could have a chance at Eternity with our loving Father in Heaven. He would allow tragedy, and sadness. For our experience. For our growth. For our chance to prove ourselves and him.


And if we would take upon OURSELVES his name, he could take up where we fall.

And he told us to feed his sheep. To share his message.


The sitcom scene played over and over in my mind for the next few days. Disturbed by the image of a man without an answer.
Then in a moment before I put my older boys to bed I decided I better find out how far we have to go in them being the one with their hand raised calling, "Over here! I KNOW why we are on Earth."
I asked them if they knew why they are on Earth? Who sent them here?

And then I tried not to cry as my boys explained the truth, in it's simplest form. The plan of Salvation. Our purpose and our goal. They both said they knew. And I listened to Wally. He explained with the faith of a child, but the testimony of a baptized member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I was relieved.
I was grateful.

For family, church teachers, church manuals, three hours of church on Sundays, magazines of faith geared toward children.

But mostly to my Savior. For filling in the gaps that I leave open in my parenting. The mercy he bestows upon me on my worst days as a Mom.

I find myself praying for that mercy more now.

Please make up for what I lack!

In raising my children. In all things. I need that. I am dependent. Completely on his life. His Atoning death.

I am thankful for this time of year. When I can reflect on that morning. When he lived again. When his Spirit was restored to his body, with the promise of the same gift to ALL of us, his brothers and sisters.

I am thankful that he fills in the gaps. That after I have DONE all I can do, he reaches out a hand to lift me from where I fall short.

But it is up to me to use my time on this Earth wisely. To be able to return to Heavenly Father with my restored body, free of sickness, age and imperfection.

And I can't imagine what my life would be without that knowledge. I can't imagine that darkness of a little girl in a sitcom or real life who can't find an answer to the WHY of her mortal experience.

And I knew why I was commanded to feed his sheep.

So that we can all declare...

I know that he died for me, and

I KNOW that my Redeemer lives!!