I recently saw a picture of two identical graves. The caption said, “Rich or poor, all graves are the same size.” It was a good reminder to be humble, and to realize that we ultimately leave everything behind.
Many in this world try to ignore that, convincing us that we must have the biggest, the latest, the most lavish belongings. And some of us fall prey to that message, “getting and spending,” as the poet, William Wordsworth described. We behave as if there really is a prize for the wealth and fame constantly paraded before us by the media.
For some, especially those unsure of an afterlife, this life is it. This is the time to live it up, self-indulge, and take what you can. Thrill seeking adventures, wild parties—they’re all there to pack your life with fun and folly, lest you miss something.
But even the most hedonistic know that mortality looms: We all die. “No one gets out alive,” people say. And sometimes this is how they justify sampling every offering on life’s smorgasbord.
Ironically, chasing after extreme entertainment leads us exactly in the opposite direction of the course that brings true fulfillment. This is why Satan promotes it. Of course he wants to point us on a path diametrically opposed to the right one. And many follow, perhaps rationalizing that they can always jump off his train and onto the right one later.
Eventually the earth claims us all. Or does it? Knowing the Plan of Salvation is actually the only way to beat the system. Yes, if all you do is accumulate belongings and thrills in this life, then your ending looks the same as everyone else’s: A rectangular hole in a cemetery.
But here’s where Easter becomes the Answer. Here is where the gospel swings wide a door that opens onto an unbelievable vista of eternity. Christ not only gave every human being resurrection, but by atoning for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross, he gave us forgiveness, and the chance to live in Celestial Glory forever and ever. Glory that makes earthly offerings look puny and ridiculous. Glory that surpasses your wildest imaginings. Christ defeated the grave.
Yes, you will start with a physical box the same size as that of a king or a pauper. But that isn’t the real ending. Your ending can be with Christ and our Father in Heaven. By ignoring Satan’s messages and clinging to Christ’s only, we can ensure every blessing God has to offer. Even if we’ve stumbled and fallen. Even if we find this truth late in life. The chance to repent and change our hearts is ever present. And the real spoiler alert can be this: That everyone lives.
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Hilton currently serves as a Relief Society President.
