“A just God has placed us here on the planet earth where we experience suffering and imperfection all around us. And this life and estate are necessary because in this life we experience something we cannot do any other place. The life we had before and the life we will have hereafter will leave our bodies, spirits, and minds in a more perfect state. But we did not and will not have the opportunities to give of ourselves in the same way as we can in this life. What a simple truth of a gospel principle! As we suffer and serve in this life, we are fulfilling a very essential part of the gospel plan.”
Elder Robert D. Hales, “We Can’t Do It Alone”, General Conference, October 1975
In this life, we give of ourselves in many different ways. Giving meals to those in need. Giving our time to just be there. Helping others move or lift something heavy. Giving Priesthood blessings to help comfort, strengthen, or even heal someone. And many other ways.
This life affords many opportunities to help others, simply because we are mortal, and have weakness because of the Fall.
However, I have no doubt that we helped others even before this life. It’s a part of who we are. Like it is here, we most likely had callings to serve others. We comforted others. We taught others, and were taught by others.
We are simply continuing what is in our nature to do. Help others. We have different, yet even the same, opportunities here to do so. Others need our help.
It is not in our spiritual nature to go it alone. Everything we do, and have done in life, that eternally matters, we needed help from someone else. Priesthood ordinances, covenants, marriage and family, revelation, learning and knowledge, etc., all require someone else. Could be a spouse or parent, could be a ministering brother or sister, could be the bishop, could be the prophet, could be the Holy Ghost, could be Christ or Heavenly Father. Point is, we don’t ever do it alone when it comes to eternal priorities. It is not possible to do it alone. It’s just not.
Our salvation needs others. The salvation of others needs us.