The word desire means” To long or hope for : To exhibit or feel desire for.” And in the book of Mormon Alma the Younger explains that God “granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction” (Alma 29:4). An obsolete definition of the word desire is “to invite” and, as it often is with scriptural words, the obsolete definition is very applicable here.
When we desire something we invite it into our lives. That is why it is so important to pay attention to what we desire. We need to evaluate whether our desires are good or bad and where they are taking us. We need to eradicate our bad desires and educate our good desires because God will grant our desires.
Ah....just what I have been studying lately as I prepare for a lesson on spiritual gifts!
ReplyDeleteThis quote applies: The prophet David O. McKay (1873–1970) quoted Charles Jefferson, who wrote: “The only thing which places a man above the beasts of the field is his possession of the spiritual gifts. … Man’s earthly existence is but a test as to whether he will concentrate his efforts, his mind, and his soul upon the things which contribute to the comfort and gratification of his physical instincts and passions, or whether he will make as his life’s end and purpose the acquisition of spiritual qualities.” (Mervyn B. Arnold, "Messages from the Doctrine and Covenants: Seek Ye Earnestly the Best Gifts", Ensign, Mar. 2005, 64–67)
I love the picture you used to illustrate this post. Hope you're starting to feel better. :)
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