I have been thinking a lot lately about the importance of gospel study. There are many obvious reasons such as the fact that we can’t help others to learn the way of happiness unless we first learn it, and that it brings a great deal of peace and joy into our lives. You’ve all discussed these and more reasons in Sunday School classes and other Church setting. But there is something more that I’ve never heard discussed in a class before. And that is the impact it will have on our life in the Spirit world.
Many years ago I was talking with some women about scripture study and in the course of the conversation it came out that they believed that as soon as they died and the veil was lifted they would suddenly know everything. This attitude led them to the conclusion that it was a waste of time to study the gospel now when it took so much time and effort. Instead, it was better to just wait until the next life when it would all be given to them without effort.
But the prophets have taught that learning, growth, and progression will continue into the next life. This means that the more we learn here, the further along we will be there.
Gospel study is not just about helping us in this life. What we know is all that goes with us; so if we learn much now, we have an advantage in the next world. In other words, the many benefits of gospel learning are advantageous now and later.
Now is the time to prepare to meet God. We came to this earth to learn and grow in ways that we could not in the spirit world. We came to this earth with the light of Christ that enables us to recognize truth when we hear/read it. We did not come with a full knowledge. Truth must be sought hence the scripture admonition to "seek." Similarly, after the veil is lifted, all truth will be available but that does not mean an automatic 'implantation' into our brains. Here is where our spirits must learn to rule our bodies, recognize and embrace truth. If we do not seek now, embrace now, we will definitely be at a disadvantage in the world to come, because our spirits will not have learned to recognize and choose truth. That is why we are here. The truth will not be any more obvious in the world to come to those who have not learned to recognize and choose it here.
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