Of Time for Dying and Living

We are all in the process of dying.  That is why this existence is called “mortality.”  Until we reach the end of that process, though, we are also in the process of living.

The first fact gives rise to the notion of time.  The latter empowers us to do something with time.

The temporary nature of mortality—brought to an end when we receive the immortality that Christ won for us all on the cross and through His resurrection from the tomb—means that time, too, is swallowed up by Christ’s victory over death and will have an end.  What will we do with forever?  How is our forever affected by what we do with time?

While we are in mortality and governed by time an existence without these temporary limitations may seem as hard to grasp as sight must be to one who has never known it.  Yet the promise of eternal existence is as sure as God’s promise of permanent vision to the blind.  As the blind keep a place in their hearts and minds open for the reality of vision, let us keep our hearts and minds open to the concept of forever to be filled one day by its realization, the comparatively brief limitations to be replaced by the boundless.

The ancient American prophet Alma explained how ultimately insignificant time-bound events are, including death itself:

Now whether there is more than one time appointed for men to rise it mattereth not; for all do not die at once, and this mattereth not; all is as one day with God, and time only is measured unto men. (Alma 40:8)

The psalmist Ethan the Ezrahite lamented how short and vain life becomes if we consider only mortality:

Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?  What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? (Psalm 89:47, 48)

If forever, however, is the normal nature of man’s meaningful existence, then why go through this whole temporary mortal experience?  The answer to that is found in the understanding of just how big eternal life is, requiring some intense preparation.  For eternal society to be the great blessing that never grows old, never becomes stale, an eternal source of joy—rather than a never ending hell of bad conduct, conflict, and ultimate pointlessness—people need to prepare to live there in peace, harmony, union, and the kindness that is the pure love of Christ.  That is the point of this life, a training and testing period, where time is a gift from God to be used to learn how to abide in the presence of God forever, guided by commandments He has given us to teach us how to live “after the manner of happiness” (2 Nephi 5:27).

And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men.  (2 Nephi 2:21)

While time may often feel short, God made sure that it would be long enough—but no need to drag it out.

Seemingly short or long, it is the task of this mortal life to make the most of our time, for when it is over the pattern is set for how we choose to live the eternities on the other side of death.  That is to say, in this life we shape and reveal the character of persons we would like to be forever, with sufficient opportunities to change and adjust while we may, but in time the rehearsals end, the play is performed to its conclusion, the curtain closes, and the stage lights go out.  A missionary in ancient America explained it this way to a group of people who had discovered that evil was not as happy as they had thought:

And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.  (Alma 34:33)

Today awash in time and place, this life and this world can seem like so much, even though we all acknowledge that we came here with nothing and take just as much with us when we depart.  The tools of learning, building, testing, and trying are all lent and mean very little in the end.  What we make of ourselves during our time with them, whether we relied upon the help of God our Father to become more or less like Him, are what will matter when the angel sounds his trump, announcing “that there shall be time no longer” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:110).