Why does life continue after death?
As humans, we tend to define life in terms of our mortal, physical bodies. However, life should really be seen in a much bigger context.
Our spirits—our individual characters—existed before we had bodies, and they will continue to exist after we die. We all lived before this life as spirits with our Heavenly Parents. We each accepted the challenge of receiving a physical body so that we might experience the good and the bad in a way we could not experience them before. During our time on earth, we choose how to act, and in so doing we show whether we are willing to become better individuals, more like our Father in Heaven. But mortal life is just one necessary segment of our eternal journey.
When our physical body dies, our spirit continues to live. We continue to exist as the same individuals we were before—but we’ve had the opportunity to grow and progress because of our mortal experiences. Our ability to learn doesn’t end with death either. As spirits we continue to be taught eternal truths, and we choose to accept or reject teachings and ordinances that will prepare us to live again with our Heavenly Father in happiness.