Elder Russell M. Nelson
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From the unexpected death of Sister Dantzel Nelson, Elder Nelson's wife of 59 years, recently, "we can learn a very important lesson: Now is the time to prepare to meet God. Tomorrow may be too late."
Those who die take with them whatever principles of intelligence they have attained in life and enter a state "of such perfection and glory that man has a need of a preparation before he can, according to the laws of that kingdom, enter it and enjoy its blessings. God has given certain laws to the human family which, if observed, are sufficient to prepare them to inherit this rest."
Mortals come to this life to gain a body and to be tried and tested and to make choices. "Our decisions determine our destiny.
"Some people live as if there were no day of reckoning. Others waste today's time with a disabling fear of tomorrow or a paralyzing preoccupation over mistakes of yesterday."
Preparation should begin with repentance. In the hereafter, results will inevitably match the efforts made to conform to God's will.
"Death is a necessary component of our eternal existence. No one knows when it will come, but it is essential to God's great plan of happiness. Thanks to the Atonement of the Lord, eventual Resurrection is a reality, and eternal life is a possibility for all humankind. That possibility becomes a reality as we obey God's law . . . We live to die and we die to live — in another realm. If we are well prepared, death brings no terror."
