The Doors of Death by Elder Russell M. Nelson
"Life does not begin with birth, nor does it end with death. Prior to our birth, we dwelled as spirit children with our Father in Heaven. There we eagerly anticipated the possibility of coming to earth and obtaining a physical body.
"Knowingly we wanted the risks of mortality, which would allow the exercise of agency and accountability. "This life [was to become] a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God." (Alma 12:24) But we regarded the returning home as the best part of that long-awaited trip, just as we do now.
"Before embarking on any journey, we like to have some assurance of a round-trip ticket. Returning from earth to life in our heavenly home required passage through—and not around—the doors of death. We were born to die, and we die to live. (See 2 Corinthians 6:9)
"As seedlings of God we barely blossom on earth; we fully flower in heaven. Our limited perspective would be enlarged if we could witness the reunion on the other side of the veil, when doors of death open to those returning home. Such was the vision of the psalmist who wrote, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." (Psalms 116:15)
"As a special witness of Jesus Christ, I testify that He lives! I also testify that the veil of death is very thin. I know by experiences too sacred to relate that those who have gone before are not strangers to leaders of this Church. To us and to you, our loved ones may be just as close as the next room—separated only by the doors of death."
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