The Purpose of Our Mortal Life

2 Nephi 2:25 - "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf - "But to what end were you created? You were created with the express purpose and potential of experiencing a fulness of Joy. Your birthright—and the purpose of your great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness. One of the ways you find this is by creating things." 

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf - “If you have any concerns about whether or not your Father in Heaven, will accept you and allow you to receive His joy, I invite you to prayerfully  return to Christ’s parable of the prodigal son… In that parable, we learn how Heavenly Father feels about His children and how He awaits and celebrates our return after we have strayed from Him. From the moment we come to ourselves and begin the journey home, He will see us, for He stands watching and waiting. And what is He waiting for? For us! As we draw near to Him, He will celebrate our return and call us His child. His welcoming embrace is promised to those who walked the path of discipleship, follow the teachings and example of the Savior, keep His commandments, and honor covenants they make with God. What a remarkable promise!”

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Transcript

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Welcome to Seek This Jesus, a daily podcast dedicated to drawing closer to the Savior through the powerful truths found in the Book of Mormon. Each episode, we focus on one verse that helps us walk more faithfully in his footsteps. One of the most important questions we can ask in mortality is simple but profound. What is the purpose of life? The scriptures do not leave us guessing. Lehi taught his sons a foundational truth about why we are here and what God intends for us. Second Nephi two twenty five declares Adam fell that men might be and men are, that they might have joy. As we study this verse today, along with teachings from Elder Dieter F. Uchdorf, we will consider what it means to understand our purpose, seek joy as God defines it, and live with purpose in Jesus Christ. Welcome to part two of Second Nephi two twenty five. Lehi's statement in Second Nephi two twenty five is remarkably direct. Mortality exists for a reason. The fall was not an accident or a tragic detour, it was a necessary step in God's plan. Without it there would be no growth, no agency, no progression, and no joy. Our existence is intentional and the outcome desercome desires for us is joy. Joy in this context is far deeper than momentary pleasure or temporary happiness. It is rooted in meaning, purpose, and eternal perspective. God's plan is designed to lead his children toward a fullness of joy both now and eternally, through experience, growth, and relationship with Him. Elder Dieter F. Uchdorf taught clearly about this divine intent. But to what end were you created? You were created with the express purpose and potential of experiencing a fullness of joy. Your birthright and the purpose of your great voyage on this earth is to seek and experience eternal happiness. One of the ways you find this is by creating things. This teaching aligns directly with Lehi's doctrine. Our lives are not random or aimless. We were created with purpose, and joy is not incidental. It is central. God did not design mortality merely to test endurance, but to enable transformation that leads to joy. Recognizing this helps us frame our challenges differently. Life's difficulties do not negate our purpose, they refine it. When we understand that joy is the aim of God's plan, we can see commandments, covenants, and repentance not as restrictions, but as divine invitations to live fully and meaningfully. This perspective shifts how we approach daily decisions, priorities, and expectations. Elder Ruchdorf's teaching highlights an important dimension of joy. It is connected to growth and creativity. God Himself is a creator, and as his children, we are invited to participate in that creative process. Creating is not limited to art or craftsmanship, it includes building relationships, developing faith, strengthening families, serving others, and shaping a Christ centered life. Creation requires effort, patience, and persistence. It involves mistakes, revisions, and learning through experience. Yet it is through this process that lasting joy is formed. Growth oriented joy comes not from avoiding effort, but from engaging in purposeful labor aligned with God's will. This understanding helps reconcile while joy can coexist with difficulty. If joy were merely the absence of pain, it would be fragile and fleeting. Instead, God's joy is resilient. It is forged as we act, choose, repent, forgive, and continue forward in faith. The fall made this kind of growth possible. Agency allows us to choose, and choice gives meaning to our experiences. As we create, whether spiritually, relationally, or morally, we become more like our Heavenly Father. That transformation is itself a source of joy. Seeing joy as something we actively seek and develop helps us avoid passivity in our discipleship. God's plan invites participation. Joy is not simply given at the end of life, it is cultivated throughout life as we engage in becoming who God created us to be. While joy is central to God's plan, many wrestle with the fear that they may have disqualified themselves from it. Mistakes, sin, discouragement, and distance from God can lead to doubt about whether joy is still possible. Elder Ukdorf addressed this concern directly by pointing us to the Savior and to the nature of our Heavenly Father. He taught If you have any concerns about whether or not your Father in heaven will accept you and allow you to receive his joy, I invite you to prayerfully return to Christ's parable of the prodigal son. In that parable we learn how Heavenly Father feels about his children and how he awaits and celebrates our return after we have strayed from him. From the moment we come to ourselves and begin the journey home, he will see us, for he stands watching and waiting. And what is he waiting for? For us. As we draw near to him, he will celebrate our return and call us his child. His welcoming embrace is promised to those who walked the path of discipleship. Follow the teachings and example of the Savior, keep his commandments, and honor covenants they made with God. What a remarkable promise. This teaching reinforces that joy is not reserved for the flawless. It is offered to the faithful, the repentant, and the willing. Through Jesus Christ joy remains accessible regardless of past choices. The atonement ensures that failure is not final and that returning is always possible. Joy flows from relationship with the Savior and with the Father. As we draw nearer to them, joy becomes more than a future hope, it becomes a present reality grounded in forgiveness, belonging, and divine love. Understanding that we are created for joy changes how we approach daily life and invites us to evaluate where we are seeking fulfillment and whether those pursuits align with God's eternal purpose. Joy grows as we orient our lives toward Jesus Christ. Participate in creation and growth, and trust in God's willingness to receive us. Living for joy does not mean avoiding hardship. It means choosing faith, repentance, obedience, and discipleship even when life is difficult. It means recognizing that joy is cultivated over time through covenant living, an intentional spiritual effort. As we remember that our existence has divine purpose, we can approach each day with clarity and hope. Joy becomes not a distant destination, but a guiding principle that shapes our choices and priorities now. So here is today's challenge. Take time to prayerfully reflect on where joy fits into our understanding of God's plan. Consider one deliberate action we can take to align our lives more fully with the purpose of seeking eternal joy through Jesus Christ, whether through creation, repentance, obedience, or drawing near to Him. Thank you for listening to Seek This Jesus. I hope this message helps you draw a little closer to the Savior Jesus Christ. Please, don't let this podcast be your only scripture time today. I encourage you to open your scriptures because when you study God's Word personally, the Spirit will teach you things no podcast ever could. I invite you to come back tomorrow for another verse and message to help you keep focused on Jesus Christ. Until next time, keep seeking this Jesus.