The Highest Goal

It is impossible for a human being to know the possibilities without being taught. We cannot know what we can achieve unless we are shown. Therefore, we cannot make any goals on our own. Our ability to achieve is limited by our vision. Our vision is limited by what we know. We only know what we are taught, and what we experience. In the 19th Century it was inconceivable for a man to run faster than a 4-minute mile so nobody did it. Once one person did it, it became common. They didn't know they could until someone did it.

We will achieve whatever goal we have in our minds and hearts. We don't know what we don't know so we can only achieve what we know. What we know depends on where we get our information.

Possibilities
The world teaches certain goals -- money, power, ease of life, and so forth. "Success" is always measured in terms of wealth. Indeed, the very term "successful" implies an abundance of money, goods, and property.

Worldly religions teach loftier goals such as ethics, love, peace, service and morality. Indeed, most religions put honor above money or the things of the world.

There is only one place in the world one can go to receive the ultimate goal; only the Church of Jesus Christ can give people the highest goal -- EXALTATION! Without learning about this goal nobody will know it is possible, and thus will necessarily fall short.

Choosing less
It is surprising to me that so many who are given a chance to know the highest achievement potential of man would choose a lower state. Many people in the Church of Jesus Christ desire lesser goals, assuming the loftiest goal given to them by their Father in Heaven is out of their reach. They desire Celestial Glory, but not to be a leader, only a servant. It is not the Lord that limits them, but rather their own desires.

This is found in all areas of life. Last week I had a young woman in my office who is on multiple medications because she suffers in constant pain, with fatigue, and weakness. I explained to her that I could show her how to be pain-free, with plenty of energy, and no medications, but she can't see it, and won't believe it. She has been given a lower goal of an occasional hour of relief with the medications and cannot let go of them for the lofty goal of a permanent cure. She doesn't see the possibility, and cannot put her trust in me that I do know.

She represents those who just don't believe, but there are other reasons for choosing lesser goals:
1. Some choose a lesser goal without knowing it by assuming they are automatically worthy, or prepared, to receive the highest of gifts without actually treading the path that leads to it. Somehow knowing about it seems to be enough.
2. Others cannot even begin to think of themselves in such a lofty estate, assuming it is only for prophets, apostles, and other "great men."
3. Still others turn away from the highest because they prefer immediate gratification of their worldly desires.
4. Many are so egotistical that they choose to be homeless, knowing that they could have a mansion given to them if they would just let go of their pride.
5. Laziness accounts for a large number of those who choose lower goals. It's just too much trouble to be a leader.
All of these have the opportunity to achieve the greatest glory because they know of it, but choose to be less, to live in a smaller mansion.

Aiming HIGH
Since we cannot understand what we haven't experienced, we must take the goal of Eternal Life on faith. We can learn about it mentally, but nevertheless, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9) We cannot know exactly what our goal is because we cannot see it, hear it, nor feel it. We are given only vague descriptions, and we are expected to follow Jesus Christ to get there, wherever "there" is.

This is not unusual. If I went back in time only a few hundred years and tried to explain cell phones, televisions, and such everyday gadgets of modern life, I might be stoned as a witch. It is normal for people to be suspicious of things they haven't experienced and cannot understand. Just as my patient couldn't conceive of being pain-free with no medications, we cannot know what Heaven is like.

The ability to aim high is called "faith." This is the ability to put your whole heart into something you cannot even understand. As the Proverb tells us, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5) The way to do this is found in the next verse, "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:6) I take the operative word in this scripture to be "all." Is there any other way? How could there be any other way? How could we know the way? On our own we can't even know, really, what the goal is!

One way
Thus there is only one way to achieve true greatness, and that is by humbly submitting to the will of God. If I view God as my coach who will take me as I am and make me into a "team player" on His team, then I will do as He says. Just as an athlete must submit to the coach in all things, doing everything the coach tells him to do exactly when and how he is told, I would submit to the direction of God in all things, and "perform every word of command with exactness." (Alma 57:21) It is in submission to the will of God in all things that puts me on the path to Eternal Life.

Those in the path of Life are often judged by the goals of the world. A finger is pointed in their direction and they are called accursed because they don't achieve worldly "success;" they aren't wealthy! However, what is not understood is that the goals of the children of Christ are not those of the world; wealth is not an issue. Taking on the goal of Eternal Life means leaving all the short-term goals behind, just like my patient would have to leave her hour of relief with pain medication in order to achieve a pain-free life.

We can achieve only what we believe. We believe what we are taught. What is your goal? What have you been taught?