"I Am Where I Chose to Be"

This afternoon, at the Temple, I had an opportunity to help some missionaries shovel dirt out of the back of a pickup truck to help repair some landscaping damage that had been caused by a recent storm. As I tried to make myself useful, I tried to get close to where the work was, but that put me in a place where one of the missionaries could possibly, accidentally get dirt on me. He didn't, but he apologized in advance in case he did. I told him not to worry about it, saying "I am where I chose to be."

I didn't have to be standing in that exact spot. I could have stood further back, where I was of less use to the group. I didn't have to be with the group at all. I could have seen the missionaries working, said "huh, that's nice," and went about the rest of my day. I chose to help the missionaries, even at the risk of getting my clothes dirty.

That statement was true, physically, but it's true spiritually as well. I am where I choose to be when I choose to stay in holy places or less holy ones. I am where I choose to be, spiritually, when I choose what kind of person I am and want to be. Every choice I make is leading me to where I will ultimately be, and when I get there, I will be where I will have chosen to be.

And the same is true for all of us. Our decisions are our decisions, and they will lead us to the place where we will ultimately end up. There are many degrees of glory, and there are degrees within degrees. When we get there, we will see how our actions led us to that point, and we will be able to say "I am where I chose to be."

My hope is that we will make good choices, and that those choices will lead us to good places.