“Your Savior and the Future before You,” For the Strength of Youth, Apr. 2023.
Your Savior and the Future before You
Jesus Christ makes all good things possible in your future here and in eternity.
Christ at the Tomb, by Albin Veselka, used with permission
You are in a fascinating time of life. You have schoolwork, friendships, family responsibilities, maybe a job, as well as other activities and hobbies to capture your time and attention.
At the same time, you may wonder about your future:
What’s ahead for you? What would you like to accomplish? What will you do for work? What challenges will you face? My answer to those kinds of questions is simple: I don’t know! No one knows exactly what the future will bring.
But I do know that your future holds many wonderful opportunities for you to learn, grow, and progress. I would like to share with you how you can make the most of your future here and realize all the possibilities of your eternal future in the life to come.
Recognize Your Glorious Future
Everything good in your future and every blessing of eternal significance is possible because of the Savior, Jesus Christ. More than anything, He and Heavenly Father want you to choose to become like Them and return to live with Them and have the kind of life They live.
Without Jesus Christ, this glorious opportunity would be lost. Without Him, death would be the end. Because of the Savior and His Atonement, immortality—living forever—is a reality for all, and eternal life—living forever in God’s presence—is a possibility for all who qualify. The unchanging truths of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ can guide you to all that the Savior has in store for you now and in your future.
Remember Who You Are
With all you are doing now, never forget who you are. You are a son or daughter of God with unlimited, divine potential. Your spirit came to earth in a physical body. Together, your spirit and body are a living soul capable of experiencing mortality in ways that would not be possible otherwise (see Doctrine and Covenants 88:15). Your task is to let your true identity as a child of God shape the decisions you make now and for eternity.
Understand the Future of Your Soul
Eventually the time will come when you will die. Your body and spirit will be separated and, in that state, “cannot receive a fulness of joy” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:34). But thanks to Jesus Christ, you will be resurrected. You cannot help it—you will be resurrected!
Your body will be perfectly restored, never to be separated from your spirit again. You will then be an eternal soul. But will your soul be worthy of the celestial kingdom? You decide by choosing in this life to follow Jesus Christ and receive the gifts He offers. The scriptures teach that we will “enjoy that which [we] are willing to receive.” Sadly, some will not be “willing to enjoy that which they might have received” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:32; emphasis added).
What are you willing to receive and enjoy? Will you receive the peace and joy that come from earnestly seeking and following Jesus Christ? Will you rejoice in the hope of eternal life and “in him who is the giver of [that] gift”? (Doctrine and Covenants 88:33). If your answer is “Yes!” you will want to accept these gifts and the other gifts Jesus Christ has given so willingly to you and to all who will receive them.
Seek the Blessing of Repentance
In this life you will sometimes fall into temptation and sin. When this happens, the Savior lovingly offers you the ability to change. It’s called repentance. Satan wants you to see repentance as something negative that should be avoided and to fear that there is no way back from sin. This is simply not true.
There is always a way back. Jesus Christ is the way. You are never beyond His reach. He stands with open arms ready and willing to heal, cleanse, purify, and sanctify you. As you turn to the Savior and take steps to repent, you will feel just how much He loves you. He will forgive you and change your heart. Thanks to Jesus Christ, you can do better and be better each day!
Gain the Strength to Endure to the End
At times you will experience sorrow and suffering. Through these difficult moments, the Savior can strengthen you to endure to the end, as He did.
Jesus willingly took upon Himself all your sin and pain and endured all your anguish and suffering. Through it all, He was not a quitter. He suffered deeply because He loves you deeply! (see 1 Nephi 19:9–10). He gave up His life, and three days later, He overcame death and became the first to be resurrected.
Because the Savior endured to the end, He has power to strengthen you. He said, “Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life” (3 Nephi 15:9).
Look to Your Savior
I am optimistic about your future. You have so much to look forward to! As you come unto Jesus Christ in faith, you can approach your future with confidence.
In a coming day, you will stand before the Savior to be judged. In that moment, you will be overwhelmed with joy to be in His holy presence. You will struggle to find words to thank Him for His infinite, perfect love and atoning sacrifice that makes it possible for you to live with Him and your family forever.
Jesus Christ is your Savior. I invite you to look to Him and make Him the center of your life. He will bring you meaning and hope and make the impossible become possible to you. With Him by your side, amazing achievements and experiences you can scarcely imagine now may be yours.
Because of Him, a wonderful and exhilarating future, both here and hereafter, is before you!