Sometimes it seems that Enduring to the End is the hardest part of living the gospel. It may often be hard, but it is the least complicated. After all, every single one of us must endure to the end of our lives. It's practically the definition of living. Enduring to the end means seeing our mortal journey from start to finish. Whether we like it or not, we are stuck with this life, complete with its own unique arrangement of pains and pleasures, until the end. We don't often get much of a choice on how soon or late that end will arrive, but we do have a choice on how we pass the time until we reach that end. For instance we can choose to endure to the end by acting in a way that will make our lives more and more miserable. We can choose to relinquish control over our own destiny and take savage pleasure in how hard it is to be a powerless victim. We can try to do the right things and fail and try again and fail again and decide that this endless cycle of sinning and repenting is exhausting and not worth the effort. Or we can choose to take another two steps forward when we've taken a step back and to act in faith despite our fears and to repent again even though we've returned to the same sins over and over. We all get to the end one way or another. Enduring to the end has less to do with how quickly or efficiently we reach the end and more to do with how well we use the time we have been given. One day this whole time thing with its beginnings and endings will be over. We will all be given the gift of immortality and a kingdom of glory that has no end. We only have to endure to the end of our probation, and then we will become endless.
