Alma 11

(September 21, 2015)

                For a long time, I held to the illusion that because people were rational they would obey all the commandments if only their faith and testimony were strong enough.  But, as I have been taught by (sometimes painful) experience through the years, I have come to understand that my belief in this idea was naïve.

                I believe, still, that people tend to act in their rational interest.  I no longer believe, though, that all people’s interest is in following the Gospel.  There are those who, even if they fully understood the truth, would choose to follow another path (we read about them in this chapter, as they are described as those who believe that there is a God but love lucre more).

                In that sense, though, the perfect plan of our Father is even more perfect.  He stands ready to teach us that the greatest joy that we can have is by following Him.  He stands ready to help us to change our desires until they are in harmony with what our desires would need to be in order to live a Celestial life.  But if, in the end, we choose something other than a Celestial life He will not force that life upon us.  Our lives are a test, but this test tends to reveal our desires rather than as a pass/fail test.  By the end of this life we likely know what we want, and if we have become people who want a Celestial existence (a true Celestial existence, with the duties and difficulties that would entail) then we will likely receive it.  But, of course, if we truly want that one would assume that we would live in that way here in mortality as well – so our mortal behavior is probably a pretty good indicator of our Heavenly desire and destiny.