The Path Ends In Joy

In D&C 7, we have a conversation between the Savior and John and Peter. In verse 5, Christ tells Peter that his “was a good desire; but my beloved has desired that he might do more, or a greater work yet among men than what he has before done.” It seems a little like Jesus is telling Peter that John’s desire was better than Peter’s, but what’s important to note, is that Christ doesn’t say that John is going to do a greater work than Peter’s work, but that John is going to do a greater work than what he (John) has before done. If this is still unclear, He says in verse 8, “ye shall both have according to your desires, for ye both joy in that which ye have desired.” We exist that we might have joy. Our version of joy is different than anyone else’s. The reason we are on this Earth, the reason that God created us, is different from anyone else’s reason. If we hunger and thirst after righteousness, if we waste and wear out our lives in the service of our fellow brothers and sisters, if we love the Lord with all of our heart, might, mind and strength, then what does it matter if our accomplishments or our goals or our efforts look different than what everyone else seems to be doing? If we both have joy in that which we desired, it doesn’t matter if you become an apostle and I become a primary teacher, or vice versa. And if the ends of our journeys are different, that means that where we are at on the path compared to anyone else is entirely irrelevant. Look at Peter and John. At the age of seventy, Peter was all the way at the end of his mortal journey. But at age seventy, compared to the next two thousand years ahead of him, John had barely even taken a single step. Even though they were both apostles, they were at very different parts of their journey, because their journeys were ending at different places. If you desire to do good, if you exercise faith and repent when you veer off track, if you look to the Savior for strength and guidance, and ultimately if you find joy in the journey that you are on, then it doesn’t matter at all if your path looks different from anyone else’s. Everyone who follows the Savior will find that their paths end in joy, even if their paths look different and their joy looks different, that joy will still be sweet above all that is sweet and pure above all that is pure and will pass all understanding.