What is our purpose here in this life

[Shadow Wolf]

I think it's what you make of it.

 

[Ori]

To do good.

 

[lunamoth]

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

Ecclesiastes 3

That, and ice cream.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

To observe the universe so that it can exist.

 

[Human]

Are we here to live life to the fullest ?

Why, but of course.

Are we here to help others and be kind ?

Why, but of course. I for one try my hardest to be kind for others and be friendly as well.

Are we here to indulge in all pleasures as possible?

No, considering that plenty of things that seem like "pleasures" are really horrible for you. Drugs, Alchohol, reckless driving, and for a homocidal lunatic, murder. None of those things help you at all.

Are we here to pursue religion,God,other? Why?

Nope.

Are we here to achieve all wisdom possible?

Not as much as possible, how fun would life be then?

 

[SoyLeche]

I've got to teach a class based on the first chapter of http://www.lds.org/languages/teachingspresidents/skimball/TeachingOfThePresidentsOfTheChurch_SpencerWKimball_36500_eng.pdf
on Sunday, and at least part of it goes at least somewhere in answering the question "Why are we here". If you so desire - go ahead and read the whole chapter.

This probably needs some context, and if you want it, I'll give it upon request.

Life was to be in three segments or estates: pre-mortal, mortal,
and immortal. . . . Performance in one estate would vitally
affect the succeeding estate or estates. If a person kept his first
estate, he would be permitted the second or the mortal life as a
further period of trial and experience. If he magnified his second
estate, his earth experience, eternal life would await him.​

While we lack recollection of our pre-mortal life, before coming
to this earth all of us understood definitely the purpose of
our being here. We would be expected to gain knowledge, educate
ourselves, train ourselves. We were to control our urges and
desires, master and control our passions, and overcome our
weaknesses, small and large. We were to eliminate sins of omission
and of commission, and to follow the laws and commandments
given us by our Father. . . .
We understood also that after a period varying from seconds
to decades of mortal life we would die, our bodies would go
back to Mother Earth from which they had been created, and our
spirits would go to the spirit world, where we would further
train for our eternal destiny. After a period, there would be a resurrection
or a reunion of the body and the spirit, which would
render us immortal and make possible our further climb toward
perfection and godhood. This resurrection has been made available
to us through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Creator of this earth, who performed this incomparable service
for us—a miracle we could not perform for ourselves. Thus the
way was opened for our immortality and—if we prove worthy—
eventual exaltation in God’s kingdom.​

​

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We understood well before we came to this vale of tears that
there would be sorrows, disappointments, hard work, blood,
sweat, and tears; but in spite of all, we looked down and saw this
earth being made ready for us, and we said in effect, “Yes, Father,
in spite of all those things I can see great blessings that could
come to me as one of thy sons or daughters; in taking a body I can
see that I will eventually become immortal like thee, that I might
overcome the effects of sin and be perfected, and so I am anxious
to go to the earth at the first opportunity.” And so we came.​

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[astarath]

love god everyday everyway
love one another

it's just that easy folks!!!

 

[wmam]

Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear Elohim, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

 

[michel]

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

Ecclesiastes 3

That, and ice cream.

Forget the ice cream! (That is fattening)

I do love Ecclisiastes..........especially that part you quoted.

 

[roli]

I hate this question.

My instict and belliefs tell me that I am here to learn to "become better".. to learn to try and become acceptable to God.

The thought though - on a lighter note (but still a valid thought) has struck me that I have attempted suicide (quite genuinely - no cries for help) four or five times, and have failed each time..

Could it be that my lesson was to succeed at comitting suicide ?:cover:

Well, I can relate to your feelings in that regard in several ways from my past,but that was then, this is now,I believe me talking ,writing what have you right now is the fullness and the express essence of my life.
Yesterday is gone,tommorrow is not ours all we have is now ,no, now ,no now.
In other words the essence of our lives is summed up in what we are doing right this minute.
Learning be better people like you stated is, I think the key.
I believe many will attest to as well.
But with that thought there must be a standard of excellence that we follow after.
Is that in another person,well perhaps,to some degree,but when they fail and their failures are exposed are they still the standard of excellence we follow.
Well maybe not that specific person,but we will find another ,or one will come across our path that we strive to emulate.
But when it all is said and done our purpose is to strive after the one who is that standard of perfection.Man is a shadow of it,but there must be something more excellent and worthy of adherence.
I think therefore our purpose is to find it in God,how one does this is their choice.
My question is does it work for you.
That is why I believe In Jesus Christ,he claimed to be perfect,sinless and morally perfect,tempted mind you but was without sin.
If he does exist as I believe he does through my relationship to him than is that not our purpose to be like him.
We learn so much in our soceity from top leaders,teachers etc, why should it be any differnt in our spiritual journey.
It should be taken more serious than our social,financial material pursuits.
Just my thoughts.
But Michael thanks for being honest about your life,I am sure one of your purposes is to help others who are experienceing what you went through.

 

[eudaimonia]

But when it all is said and done our purpose is to strive after the one who is that standard of perfection.Man is a shadow of it,but there must be something more excellent and worthy of adherence.

One's standard of perfection can only be an implication of one's own nature, since we are unique individuals, and it must be something achievable to oneself in principle, or else it wouldn't be one's own perfection, but someone else's.

I agree that we need heroes and rolemodels -- including fictional ones, which are better at simulating perfection than real-life ones. The story character "Jesus Christ" seems to fit that role for some people.

Nevertheless, while a generic standard can be helpful as a guide, one's personal perfection is non-generic -- it is specific to who one is as an individual. Therefore, our purpose is not to strive to be some perfect other person, but to be one's perfect self. It is this which is sacred above all else.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Ozzie]

Our purpose is to learn, and pass on the best of that learning to others. Thats it.

 

[doppelganger]

Is imputing a "purpose" to life a form of slandering life? Suicide, murder, violence, hatred and fear, are measured out through the "purposes" we graft onto life.

 

[wizanda]

Our waste is fertilizer to plants, our bodies seem to process the food we eat and convert this into phosphates and nitrates, that make plants grow.
Depending on the quantities of each, depends which plants will flourish.

Our breath works in opposite to the plants and so works in perfect symbiosis.

Like written we are given “caretaking” = dominion?

 

[A. Leaf]

Simple answer: yes. It's as simple as that to me.

aye, aye.

 

[Ody]

Are we here to live life to the fullest ? G-d wants us to be as happy as possible, but not by following a hedonistic mind set.
Are we here to help others and be kind ? Yes
Are we here to indulge in all pleasures as possible? Within reason...
Are we here to pursue religion,God,other? Why? We are here to serve him.
Are we here to achieve all wisdom possible? The torah values highly wisdom and the like.

 

[Storm Moon]

I think our purpose is to live life, and what we get out of life is what we put into it.

 

[xexon]

Your purpose in being here is to see if you can find your way back home, DESPITE all the attractions that draw your attention away from this task.

There is no time limit, but the deed needs to be done before you can leave. You landed yourself here because you were attracted to this world of sensation. By the same token, you must remove one by one the attractions that hold you here.


x

 

[BFD_Zayl]

to learn all i can about death...and gain strength, then return home. if i am not strong enough, i am reincarnated.

 

[Hacker]

To serve others,(help the poor etc) be true to yourself, to always leave room for spritual progression/advancement(unless you've attained enlightenment, and if you have, please tell me all about it and how you were able to achieved it), and to work out our karma.