Of all the problems we encounter in this life, there is one that towers above them all and is the least understood.

The worst of all human conditions in this life is not poverty, sickness, loneliness, abuse, war, or cruelty in all its diabolical variations, as awful as those conditions are. Rather, the worst of all human conditions is also the most common; it is to die. It is to die spiritually. It is to be separated from the presence of God, and in this life, His presence is His Spirit or power.

The best of all human conditions is not wealth, fame, prestige, good health, the honors of men, or security as wonderful as some of those things are, the best of all human conditions in this life, is life; it is to be born again, endowed with heavenly power, to “receive the Holy Ghost” which is life, and the source of knowledge, revelation, strength, clarity, love, joy, peace, hope, confidence, faith and almost every other good thing.

Our absolute dependence on God for life as well as every other good thing, is true spiritually as well as physically.

We all die spiritually, and standing alone, our only and inevitable conclusion is ever-increasing chaos, darkness, and irredeemable death. That universal condition is what King Benjamin called our “awful situation.” It is awful because spiritual death, to be cut off from the presence of God, is both the worst and most common of all human conditions, and there is no way out on our own.