This Mortal Experiment

As a Mormon, I believe that before we came to this world we lived in heaven with our Heavenly Father as His spirit children. I do not doubt that as spirit children we looked to our Father as our example and leader. It makes great sense to me that we determined while we were with Him that we would fight whatever course it was we had to fight on earth in order to return to our Heavenly Father.

I recently read a talk by Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "Premortality, a Glorious Reality." Boy is that man bright! I was enlightened and reminded of the truth of our mortal mission. As of late, I've become, in a way, consumed by the idea of meeting my Maker. I don't plan on dying any time soon, trust me. I have just been thinking about how I'll feel when I'm there. I've been personally asking what I need to do better, how to be a more spiritually in tune person. I've wondered about what I need to do to help my family members be there with me.

The other day, I was feeling exhausted so I sat down on the couch while Will played around me. I hopped on Facebook, and while perusing, the thought came to me, "what are you missing out on because you're looking at Facebook?" That thought has come to me several times, and I finally feel like listening would be a smart idea. I shared this with my dear sister, and the next day she sent me this article, " The Battle in Our Brains."
http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-battle-in-our-brains/
It hit on the head the simple impression I had had (only in more of a scientific way ;)).

In this fast pace, fast changing society we live in, self-discipline of how we spend our time and energy is crucial. I read a quote on pintrest which stated, "If you are too busy to pray or read your scriptures, you are busier than God ever intended you to be." I think choosing to put prayer and scripture study above the other things in our lives is one of the big tests of our mortal experience.

The scientific method is:
Ask a Question
Do Background Research
Construct a Hypothesis
Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment
Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion
Communicate Your Results

I think mortality is, for many reasons, the ultimate example of the scientific method. All of our mortal lives, we are asking questions, making our hypothesis, testing said hypothesis, analyzing what happened, and then sharing what we learned. The scriptures and lessons from the prophets are chockfull of example after example of how placing God first, praying, studying His word, and living true to commandments and covenants is the ultimate key to happiness. I'm glad that after 23 years of life, I can say I really believe their conclusion.

I am hopeful that as I strive to place the Lord first, He will help me share that message with my family. I hope my kids will see the genuine joy and steadiness in me because of the gospel, and that they will use it as an anchor as they are tested and tried in life. Mortality, though daunting, is a great opportunity to make clear and steady choices. It is our daily choices that will determine how this experiment of mortality turns out. I hope to be found rooted on the right side of things when it's all said and done.