The Conclusion of the Whole Matter

Near the end of the book of Ecclesiastes the writer gave important advice to those in their youth. He said, “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity” (Ecclesiastes 11:9-10). In other words, those in their youth should seek to find joy in their days while at the same time understanding that God knows their deeds and will judge them accordingly. So even while seeking to find fulfillment in the ways their hearts lead them they must seek to put away evil and those deeds which bring sorrow from sin. He continued, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.” There will come a time later in life for the youth when they will say, “I have no pleasure in my days” because of the weakness of flesh and the frailties of age. But youth often think they are invincible and give no thought to the fact that their lives, however long they think they have available to them in the future, are fleeting and will one day end. So much of what they participate in is indeed without lasting meaning and ephemeral. This preacher wanted them to understand that one day “shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:1,7).

I hope as well that my children can understand that they are meant to “rejoice” in their youth and let their “heart cheer” in their activities. But I hope that they also understand that life is fleeting and ephemeral and much of what they participate in is simply “vanity” with little impact in the long run on their future. I love the way that the book sums up what really matters: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). After describing the temporary nature of most of what we do in this life, the preacher emphasized that what matters most is that we fear God and keep His commandments. This is like the counsel the Lord gave to Hyrum Smith: “Behold, this is your work, to keep my commandments, yea, with all your might, mind and strength” (Doctrine and Covenants 11:20). Our most important work is to keep the commandments of God with all our heart; our most rewarding endeavor will be to seek the Lord’s will for us and accomplish it, coming to truly know Him in the process. Our mission in coming to this earth was not to acquire possessions or popularity or position; it was not to elevate our status or station before the eyes of the world. Rather, it was to learn to do what God asks and prepare to return to Him. Jesus put it this way for Himself: “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). And that is what should matter for us as well. The cars and the phones, the homes and the sporting events, the wealth and the wisdom of the world will all one day simply vanish away and be meaningless. The purpose of this life was summed up this way for Abraham as he heard these words of the Lord: “And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them” (Abraham 3:25). We are here on earth to do what God asks of us and prepare to go back to His presence. I hope that I can help my children overcome the pull of the world and learn that to know the Lord and do His will is what will really matter in the end.