Saturday, April 8, 2017

Alma 40:11 -- On Being Taken Home

"Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life."
Alma 40:11


I love the idea of us being "taken home" to God.  I was asked the other day "Have you ever gone to someplace you've never been before, and it felt like coming home?"  ... I think this is similar to what we often feel in life, not about physical places, but in spiritual ways, because even if we can't remember what life with God was like before this life, our spirits remember, and we get that overwhelming sense of recognition sometimes, thinking, wait... I know you on some level, but I don't remember at all how, or this feels true on a level that I never even knew existed.  The Holy Ghost helps us to remember those things, and connect again to that spiritual side of ourselves.  When we leave this life and return to God, I think we will realize that something within us had recognized him all along.  We're not meeting God for the first time as we exit this life, but we are returning to someone we know and love well, and to a comfort and peace that we remember.

Of course, the fact that death is not the end, and that we are actually returning home doesn't mean that mourning is a bad thing, or that we should be in favor of death.  It just means that we might be able to look beyond it at some point, and realize that physical death is not just an ending, but also the beginning of something better, where we can look forward to reuniting with God and each other.

Today, let's tune into that spiritual side of ourselves, and talk to and listen to God.  Let's prepare to meet God again, and for our eternal lives by making choices that will lift and help, and help us learn to love.  As we do, we make sure that day of homecoming will be a day of remembrance and rejoicing, with no regrets or resentments to cloud our promised reunion.  Let's repent, and learn to be the people we want to be forever.

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