Compared to other creatures, man is a creature whose powers, capabilities, and desires stretch far beyond the terrestrial scene. Look at the ideas that man’s mind is capable of containing. Man’s mind can take in the thought of God, eternity, and infinity. These endowments are not destined only for his limited existence on earth.

God’s dealings with us are to purify and develop character. The perfecting of nature through sharp trial and discipline is not to end up in nothing. Our sense of justice also forces us to visualize something in the future to compensate for today’s unfairness and related problems. The sense of accountability that we all carry with us anticipates a day of reckoning. We can put rational meaning into the experiences of life in the context of the life to come.

Belief in life after death is a source of personal security, optimism, and spiritual betterment. It gives courage and hope when we think of a better life for those who use the present to prepare for eternity. Belief in the unlimited opportunities of eternity has enabled many to make the ultimate sacrifice of their own life on behalf of others. The present life with all inequities and imperfections is not God’s last word to us. The hope of life beyond only grows more evident as the history of humanity advances. Indeed, there must be another chapter to our existence than that which closes on earth.