The scriptures and prophets are clear that coming to this earth was an assignment made by God in the premortal councils in Heaven. “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.” (Acts 17:26). This same thought was expressed in Deut. 32:8, “When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people.” President David O McKay taught that “Of this we may be sure, each was satisfied and happy to come through the lineage to which he or she was attracted and for which and only which, he or she was prepared.”[1]
Coming to this earth is part of an overall “Plan of Salvation” for all of God’s children. “The Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men.” (1 Nephi 9:6). Indeed it is God’s work and glory to bring about the Eternal life and Immortality of his children. (Moses 1:39). This life is like unto a three-act play, said Elder Boyd K. Packer.[2] “The plan of redemption, with its three divisions, might be likened to a grand three-act play. Act I is entitled “Premortal Life.” The scriptures describe it as our First Estate. (See Jude 1:6; Abr. 3:26-28) Act II, from birth to the time of resurrection, the “Second Estate.” And Act III, “Life After Death or Eternal Life… We’re in the middle of a three-act play that we don’t fully understand, but focusing on Christ will help us find an eternally happy ending.”
We have already made our choice as to when we wanted to come to earth. The choice before us now is what kind of life we want to live with the various opportunities and limitations presented to us as individual children of God. Esther had to make a choice to save the Jewish people at the peril of her own life. The Persian law required the death penalty for anyone who entered the king’s chamber uninvited. Regicide is the deliberate killing of a monarch. Over the centuries numerous kings were killed by family members. Mordecai, from the tribe of Benjamin, was an older cousin to Esther (Hadassah) but adopted her as a daughter after her parents died.[3] It was Mordecai who pointed out to Esther, “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom [of Persia] for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14) Esther had the courage to approach Ahasuerus [identical with Xerxes (486-465 B.C.)[4] Obviously Esther wasn’t killed. The chief antagonist of Mordecai and the Jews was a man named Haman. Ironically Haman was a direct descendant of King Agag who was captured by the Jewish King Saul from the tribe of Benjamin and killed by Samuel the Prophet. Haman hated all Jews but especially Mordecai so much so that he built a gallows 75 feet high to hang Mordecai but was eventually hung from his own gallows.
The Jewish people honor Esther with an annual celebration called “Purim.”[5] This is a festival where the Jewish children dress up in costumes like American children do for Halloween. They go to the synagogue where the story of Ester is read. They cheer when the names of Esther or Mordecai are read and they hiss and boo when Haman’s name is read. It is like an old time melodrama.
It raises the question what will the future children say when your name and my name are read from the books of our lives. It will depend on the choices we make and whether or not we come to realize that we were born for “such a time as this.”
[1] Llewelyn R. McKay, Home Memories of President David O McKay, pp. 94-95.
[2] Boyd K. Packer, “The Play and the Plan,” a discourse given to Young Adults 7 May 1995.
[3]https://thetorah.com/what-was-esthers-relationship-to-mordechai/
[4] http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/967-ahasuerus
[5] Purim means the casting of lots. It was a way to choose the most propitious date for any event like a wedding, going to war or the killing of all the Jews in the Persian Empire. Similar to drawing straws there were different ways to cast a lot. Putting the names of the months of the year or the names of people written on pottery shards in a sack and pulling one out was interpreted as God’s will. Lehi’s sons cast lots to see who would confront Laban. The lot fell to Laman. In Acts 1:26 lots were cast to choose a new apostle. The lot fell to Matthias. For yes and no answers a dark stone and a white stone was used to cast in a small circle or across a line. The one that stayed in the circle or this side of the line was interpreted as the will of God.