Choice: Our Power to Become

God is the greatest teacher.  He knows how to get through to us. He knows His children. His plan for us to become like him is perfect. The way is prepared through Jesus Christ. That way is called the Gospel. Through it we all can return to live with Him despite our imperfections. As we live the Gospel we become more like Christ and the Spirit changes us.

I have experienced that change this past week. I was taught in a very direct way to be temperate in all things. I've got a very addictive personality and once I get going on something I really get going. It's all or nothing for Elder Mahrt. This gets me into trouble sometimes. It can be very destructive if I neglect the other things in my life. Well, God put experiences in my path that woke me up to those others things. Purification is a painful process sometimes, but I'm grateful that I was shown to ease up a bit. I know that I was able to grow because of my obedience. I live the commandments therefore I am entitled to the Spirits guidance.

Everyone is entitled to be taught by God. It is within us all to grow and become like our Savior. As children of God we have great potential. In fact we are commanded to become like Him. "Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect" (Matt 5:48). That's a goal we probably wont achieve in this life. However, it is a goal to strive for, not obsess over.

We can know we are on the right track as we keep other commandments God has given us. In the Bible we are taught, "hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him." (1 John 2) Thus we see that when we keep the commandments we become like Him. Our choices are so important in our progression.

Elder Christofferson stated in a recent address: “Our own choices will always be critical to what we become, and the capacity and power to choose are . . . dependent on laws instituted by or under the authority of God. These laws link particular actions to fixed outcomes, which gives meaning to the power to choose." Whenever we obey the laws God has given us we become. This is because we are entitled to recieve the consequences for those actions. The Lord is bound when we do what He says (D&C 82:10).
I know that as we are obedient we can rest assured that we will become like our Savior. God will guide us along the path. It will be a long road, but it is in essence the very reason we are here experiences life in mortality.

I am grateful that the Lord has taught me so much and continues to guide my path. I love making choices. Obedience is a quest, not a burden. I invite everyone to have greater hope to become more like our Savior. God will help us along this path. He will not leave us comfortless. I leave with this scripture in the book of 1 John. This is my hope:

 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."