With a great deal of interest, I read an experience about a young man who faced challenges in a particular line of work as a youth but saw a transformation later doing the same thing with a different attitude. Read more here.
Why can make all the difference...
- why did you sacrifice two years at the prime of your life and thousands of dollars to go on a mission?
- why did your parents forfeit personal advantage, comfort, and the fun-loving single life to raise a family?
- why do you take the high road, which means you have to do hard things and face overwhelming challenges?
I could go on and on. We part with the seemingly obvious comforts today because the end justifies the means. Living for today means a lot of empty tomorrows. Live with tomorrow in mind, and today will take care of itself. That's not just my idea. Others far wiser than me have taught this same principle. Here are just a couple examples:
The Best is Yet to Be, Elder Jeffrey Holland
Preparation for Tomorrow, Elder Victor L. Brown
Turn the other cheek, go with him twain, love your enemies...read more here.
So we return to the question of why. Why do we do these things? It's really not that complicated. Though there are many reasons, I will give just two:
- Following the gospel of Jesus Christ will make us happy.
- Though it seems during earth life that those taking forbidden paths are happy, only those that accept His word and follow the commandments will find real happiness in this life and become recipients of the blessings of eternity in the world to come.
In this life, good things happen to the wicked and to the righteous, but only the obedient will follow God with lasting happiness into the eternities.
That's why faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel--because our ability to accept His will and follow Him with all our heart depends on our believing in Him.
That is why... because of the good things to come.
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