Doctrine and Covenants 7:8

"Verily I say unto you, ye shall both have according to your desires, for ye both joy in that which ye have desired."
Doctrine and Covenants 7:8


This section talks about John the beloved and Peter, and the things that they asked the Lord for before he departed his earth life.  John desired power over death so that he could continue to bring souls to Christ.  Peter wanted to go back to Christ as quickly as possible.  Both were good desires.  I love the idea of so many things being good desires, and that there are so many choices that we can make that are good, and that God is pleased with.  I don't think it is just these two, of course... but just the idea that even though there is a straight and narrow path to heaven and salvation... we still can all walk it in a different way.  We don't all have to have the same career, or the same family, or the same hobbies or desires.  God's instruction and love for us is so individual.  We absolutely have to follow the commandments, and apply general rules to ourselves as we strive to live closer to God, but none of that means that we have to become borg-like parts of some slave-mind.  Obedience brings true freedom... freedom from guilt and the burden of sin.  Freedom to joy in all of our righteous desires, even if they are totally different from the next person.  Freedom to become better than we are, and to achieve personal goals, to celebrate with others that we want to join in eternal friendship.  Freedom to develop our talents and to be happy in what we as individuals desire.  God's perfection isn't a world full of cookie-cutter clones, but a world of glorious diversity and freedom to grow and learn without restrictions like economic or educational deficits, or racial or cultural hatred.  Today, let's remember that there are many righteous desires, and that everyone doesn't need to be the same to be good. :)  And let's go out and become people who would rejoice at living in that Zion society.