Eternal life, what is so great about it

[CA Steve]

When my kids were in elementary school, the school did a fund raiser by asking parents to donate just their pennies. The goal was 1,000,000 pennies or $10,000.00 dollars. I remember it taking a couple of years or more. After they reached their goal, they built a sandbox type container in the multipurpose room in which they displayed the million  pennies. I remember looking at it thinking; "so that is what a million looks like".  It was an 18" high box 10'-0" x 10'-0". As I think back on that experience, that box could have contained 100,000 coins of 10,000,000. I would never have known or noticed the difference. 

My point is, as mortal human beings we have zero ability to actually envision what would be happiness for an eternal being. As I have said before, "we are like children in the backyard arguing whether or not we will be playing with Barbie dolls or Tonka Trucks when we grow up." For all we know, happiness for a being who has lived for trillions of years may be the thought of non-existence.

There is an interesting short story by LDS author Steven Peck called: A Short Stay in Hell which provides a compelling alternate view to eternities. From the description of the book:

Quote

An ordinary family man, geologist, and Mormon, Soren Johansson has always believed he'll be reunited with his loved ones after death in an eternal hereafter. Then, he dies. Soren wakes to find himself cast by a God he has never heard of into a Hell whose dimensions he can barely grasp: a vast library he can only escape from by finding the book that contains the story of his life.

In this haunting existential novella, author, philosopher, and ecologist Steven L. Peck explores a subversive vision of eternity, taking the reader on a journey through the afterlife of a world where everything everyone believed in turns out to be wrong.

It does a really good job of illustrating how, as mortals, we do not grasp truly large time frames. It is worth the read. The opening scene is gripping. A group of newly arrived dead, with different ideas of what eternity and eternal rewards should of been, find themselves in front of a demon who is determining what punishment they will pay in hell for their "sins" before they can be admitted to heaven. The reactions of each individual on finding out that Zoroastrianism is/was the true religion is exceptionally good and LDS readers will especially like the interchange between the demon and the LDS man which starts out with the demon saying to him "I'll bet this is a big surprise for you isn't it?".

 

[Calm]

23 minutes ago, CA Steve said:

After they reached their goal, they built a sandbox type container in the multipurpose room in which they displayed the million  pennies.

Wait….why have a fundraiser and then just sit on the money?  Even if all pennies?  I am not impressed by the financial savvy of that principal.  

[CA Steve]

38 minutes ago, Calm said:

Wait….why have a fundraiser and then just sit on the money?  Even if all pennies?  I am not impressed by the financial savvy of that principal.  

It was a great object lesson for the kids. They were actually able to see what they had collected and how small individual pennies could add up to something significant. It kept them excited about working to improve the school. It was one of the best fundraisers I have ever seen.

[Nofear]

21 hours ago, kimpearson said:

I would be interested to hear each of your thoughts on what specifically makes eternal life a life that God lives.  What about eternal life makes it so great?

In many ways eternal life will be like what we know: "And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy." (D&C 130:2)
And what is this "eternal glory, which we glory we do not enjoy"? Well, "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (1 Cor 2:9)

I can venture to guess and such but in all likelihood my guesses will fall incredibly short of the  mark--that I quite simply lack a frame of reference to even start imagining the right things.

Edited January 22, 2022 by Nofear

[california boy]

18 hours ago, rodheadlee said:

Well some of the time I would have perfect seas to sail, it would be warm. The water would be warm, the seas would be 4 feet, the wind 13 kts. I would have a deep-water dock and a huge single-story ranch style house next to it. We would have many guestrooms and a barn out back full of construction tools. 

Next to the barn would be the landing strip for my pinnace that would take us up to our interstellar ship in orbit. 

We would be on call to go anywhere and build houses, commercial buildings, industrial buildings and temples. We would never get tired, we would never feel pain, we would meet a lot of people. Discuss the things of God and stay in touch with our white stones. I don't know what we'd do the second Thousand Years.

As a fellow sailor who has spent the last 14 years sailing in the Mediterranean 6 months every year, I do know that place with the perfect seas to sail, 86° water.  Check out Croatia. The long islands off its coast prevent any significant waves and the winds start at about 10am, 15 kts all day and then drop at 5pm to a light breeze, perfect for anchoring out.   Heaven on earth sailing without the dying.

[rodheadlee]

2 hours ago, california boy said:

As a fellow sailor who has spent the last 14 years sailing in the Mediterranean 6 months every year, I do know that place with the perfect seas to sail, 86° water.  Check out Croatia. The long islands off its coast prevent any significant waves and the winds start at about 10am, 15 kts all day and then drop at 5pm to a light breeze, perfect for anchoring out.   Heaven on earth sailing without the dying.

It's too far for me to sail from here in my old age, are there  charter boats there?

Edited January 23, 2022 by rodheadlee

[Peacefully]

One of the songs that terrified me before I joined the church was “Amazing Grace.” I couldn’t fathom being anywhere for 10,000 years. When I was four, my sister died and I cried, not because I wanted to be with her, like my mother thought, but because I didn’t want to die and go to heaven. Time without end sounded scary to me. I still have those feelings sometimes, but I console myself with the belief that time is different there and I am sure there will be plenty to do. I look forward to seeing members of my family again, and being engaged in work I want to do instead of what I have to do. 

[california boy]

1 hour ago, rodheadlee said:

It's too far for me to sail from here in my old age, are there  charter boats there?

Yeah there are a lot of boats to charter in Croatia.  If you need some help finding one or want more information, send me a PM

[Tacenda]

4 hours ago, california boy said:

As a fellow sailor who has spent the last 14 years sailing in the Mediterranean 6 months every year, I do know that place with the perfect seas to sail, 86° water.  Check out Croatia. The long islands off its coast prevent any significant waves and the winds start at about 10am, 15 kts all day and then drop at 5pm to a light breeze, perfect for anchoring out.   Heaven on earth sailing without the dying.

Oh, if only...

My son and his wife went there and several other countries recently, and I got to see their Marco Polo videos. On the bucket list. 

[The Nehor]

There was an old line that no one was ever corrupted by the desire to spend eternity with God because only the people who love God would want to.

[James 1 5]

On 1/21/2022 at 11:41 AM, kimpearson said:

I would be interested to hear each of your thoughts on what specifically makes eternal life a life that God lives.  What about eternal life makes it so great?

That is what eternal life is, as I was taught what the term means.  Eternal life is the life or kind of life that God lives.  Which is not the same thing as immortal life, also according to what I was taught. And it is great because it is the kind of life God lives while being able to live the best kind of life that is possible for anybody.

On 1/21/2022 at 11:41 AM, kimpearson said:

 

Here are a few ideas I have.  The opportunity to love fully and be loved.  Peace that comes from truly  knowing what is right and wrong.  Knowing my self worth fully and having no doubts about myself.  Knowing the worth of others completely.  Having the opportunity to help other souls come to this same knowledge.

I would also be curious on your thoughts of what one has in the Celestial kingdom that he wouldn't have in the lesser kingdoms.

I don't know much if anything about eternal life, or maybe I do and don't remember.  Small chance of that, I think, so most likely I don't know much about it.  Just that he is able to have his own children by somehow begetting their spirits, and create worlds for them to live on, and communicate with them spiritually through his and their spirits either personally or through his appointed messengers, and, that's about all I know about the kind of life he is living.  Mainly that it is the best kind of life that is possible  for any of us while he is honest and intelligent and aware of everything in existence that he wants to be aware of.  Which is why I would like to live that kind of life.

[JLHPROF]

1 hour ago, James 1 5 said:

That is what eternal life is, as I was taught what the term means.  Eternal life is the life or kind of life that God lives. 

This would mean if we receive eternal life then we will be doing what God does right?  Living his kind of life?

[bluebell]

On 1/22/2022 at 8:25 AM, CA Steve said:

When my kids were in elementary school, the school did a fund raiser by asking parents to donate just their pennies. The goal was 1,000,000 pennies or $10,000.00 dollars. I remember it taking a couple of years or more. After they reached their goal, they built a sandbox type container in the multipurpose room in which they displayed the million  pennies. I remember looking at it thinking; "so that is what a million looks like".  It was an 18" high box 10'-0" x 10'-0". As I think back on that experience, that box could have contained 100,000 coins of 10,000,000. I would never have known or noticed the difference. 

My point is, as mortal human beings we have zero ability to actually envision what would be happiness for an eternal being. As I have said before, "we are like children in the backyard arguing whether or not we will be playing with Barbie dolls or Tonka Trucks when we grow up." For all we know, happiness for a being who has lived for trillions of years may be the thought of non-existence.

There is an interesting short story by LDS author Steven Peck called: A Short Stay in Hell which provides a compelling alternate view to eternities. From the description of the book:

It does a really good job of illustrating how, as mortals, we do not grasp truly large time frames. It is worth the read. The opening scene is gripping. A group of newly arrived dead, with different ideas of what eternity and eternal rewards should of been, find themselves in front of a demon who is determining what punishment they will pay in hell for their "sins" before they can be admitted to heaven. The reactions of each individual on finding out that Zoroastrianism is/was the true religion is exceptionally good and LDS readers will especially like the interchange between the demon and the LDS man which starts out with the demon saying to him "I'll bet this is a big surprise for you isn't it?".

 

[rodheadlee]

On 1/22/2022 at 2:26 PM, california boy said:

As a fellow sailor who has spent the last 14 years sailing in the Mediterranean 6 months every year, I do know that place with the perfect seas to sail, 86° water.  Check out Croatia. The long islands off its coast prevent any significant waves and the winds start at about 10am, 15 kts all day and then drop at 5pm to a light breeze, perfect for anchoring out.   Heaven on earth sailing without the dying.

Your message box is full. I tried to pm you.

[mfbukowski]

On 1/21/2022 at 11:41 AM, kimpearson said:

I would be interested to hear each of your thoughts on what specifically makes eternal life a life that God lives.  What about eternal life makes it so great?

 

Here are a few ideas I have.  The opportunity to love fully and be loved.  Peace that comes from truly  knowing what is right and wrong.  Knowing my self worth fully and having no doubts about myself.  Knowing the worth of others completely.  Having the opportunity to help other souls come to this same knowledge.

I would also be curious on your thoughts of what one has in the Celestial kingdom that he wouldn't have in the lesser kingdoms.

Seriously?

Godhood. No big deal.

[James 1 5]

19 hours ago, JLHPROF said:

This would mean if we receive eternal life then we will be doing what God does right?  Living his kind of life?

Yes, that is what I meant.  I'm sorry for not making that crystal clear.  I was taught that eternal life refers to the kind of life that our Father in heaven is living.  Not only a life that goes on forever and ever, but the kind of life he is living.  Doing the kinds of things he does, being the kind of person he is, and living with the kinds of people he lives with and visits.  His own wife or wives, or for a woman who lives like him her own husband (or husbands?), with his own children who he creates with his spouse(s).  Knowing what he knows and able to go where he goes.  Etc.  Whatever his kind of life involves, which we know very little about because we have never lived the kind of life he is living and have heard very little about it.