It All Starts With A Desire

During my daily studies today I studied on desire. I read Elder Dallin H. Oaks talk on Desire (check it out for yourself, Desire). As I read the talk I started to reflect on my own personal desires. That is something I would suggest we all do. In the talk Elder Oaks says, "Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming." As I read that I thought to myself, what are my priorities? What do I want to achieve and become? After further review there is a lot of work to be done, but there is still hope.

The hope comes because I know that it all starts with a desire. As Alma teaches in the Book of Mormon; "even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you" (Alma 32:27). Once we desire something we need to work to achieve that desire. We can see our desired out come and that is what we hope for. Then we have faith that the Lord will provide the way for us to achieve our desire. Now as we work the path to our desire hard times may arise. We must keep the faith and trust that the Lord will help us through it all. We have to have patience and remember that we will be provided with our righteous desires when the Lord sees fit for us to receive them. We just need to consistently work our hardest at achieving our desires. That is where diligence comes in, but we have to work at a pace that is right for the desired out come. Lots of times things just don't happen overnight. We just have to take the necessary steps to reach our desires. We must follow the council of King Benjamin found it Mosiah 4:27 of the Book of Mormon.

Alma does a great job summing this all up in Alma 32:41-43(Alma 32:41, Alma 32:42, Alma 32:43). I know that as we desire and work towards things of God and that have been ordained of God we will find the greatest joy and happiness imaginable in our lives. I know that the path is hard at times but I know that God will provide us will little tastes of this great joy. This will help us strive harder to reach our desires. I know that when we do reach these righteous desires that we will feel great joy and feel God's love in our lives and that is all we really need. I know that it all starts with a desire and as we do God's will and patiently work with the required effort we will reach our desires. I know that God loves us and will give us the greatest gifts as we serve Him and do His Will. Let us all reflect on our desires and strive to achieve our desires that will bring us closer to God and help us achieve His will for us.