Final Exams and the Test of Life

For finals every semester there's always so much stress and worrying and cramming that goes into it.  There's so many different kinds of "finals:" projects, presentations, papers, take-home tests, open-book tests, essay tests, long tests, short tests, etc. As I take the tests I have this odd combination of disappointment and relief.  Disappointment because I don't know the material on the test, relief because it's material that I know I never would have covered had I studied another 5 hours like I should have, so it doesn't matter anyways! It's odd:  on one test I missed 3 questions and got a 97% (100 questions total).  On another test I missed 3 questions and got a 25% (4 questions total). The greater the number of questions, the less important each individual question becomes. I always realize at finals week that it's simply not feasible to read the entire text book in a day, no matter how motivated I am - if I slacked off during the semester, it's hard to make it up.

I find many analogies to our test of life. There are so many different tests of life - financial trials, dating issues, marriage problems, family concerns, doubts in testimony, conflicts with friends, natural disasters, etc.  We too can find disappointment and relief from each one of these trials.  Disappointment because they often induce some temporary sadness, but relief, because we know that in the long run, any and all trials will only strengthen us and lift us higher.  

I'm so glad that the test of life doesn't have just 4 questions, or even 100.  The test of life is made up of thousands and millions of questions - every day of our lives. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father is at least tolerant of my mistakes.  While no unclean thing cannot enter His kingdom, he doesn't ask us to always be perfect and get 100% every day - He asks to try our best, to truly do all that we can do.  Not ALL that someone else can do, or not a part of what WE can do, but ALL that WE can do.  As President Monson often says, when the time for performance has come, the time for preparation has passed! It's all about the day to day decisions that either draw us closer to God, or tear us further apart. But unlike most tests, each question is not just weighted 1 point.  Perhaps whether or not we choose to read the scriptures today is a 3 point question, but whether or not we choose to accept and enter into covenants with God is a 300 point question! Luckily, Jesus Christ is the grader, and everyone will be graded with perfect fairness!

I know Heavenly Father doesn't grade on the curve.  There is not bell curve and normal distribution into the Celestial Kingdom of Heaven - He will accept as many of His children who have lived the laws thereby.  However, just like teachers sometimes "add a few points to all scores" Christ's Atonement can boost us all up to that 100% if we do all that He has asked. I know that Heavenly Father loves all His children and nobody is interested in our success and in our ability to "pass" the "final exam" than He is Himself.  And He will do all that HE can to help us return to Him.  Our success and happiness in life is His work and His glory - both His labor and His joy.  

Final exams would always be so much easier with the answer key right next to us.  But if that was the case, we would be proving nothing, and we would have learned nothing.  In life, we too do not have the answer key.  We don't understand the meaning of all things.  Sometimes we'll come across a question that just plain stumps us.  But Life's questions are always very open-book, as we can use all our resources: the scriptures, prayer, personal revelation, leaders, family, and friends.  

I know we can be successful at Life's tests - both daily and in the long run.  I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will help us every step of the way.  I know that Christ's suffering in Gethsemane has provided the only way by which our mistakes and wrong answers can be forgiven and we can receive that glorious 100% - Eternal Life with God!

If we cram and study hard for college final exams, how much more so should we all be preparing every single day for the great Final Exam of Life. Thankfully, we're given a practice test each and every day of our lives.  Our goal: Get a better score than yesterday!