Shortcuts Make Long Delays - July 24, 2014

Every morning, my companion and I leave at 6:30 to jog for half an hour. When I first arrived in McLean, Virginia, my companions at the time and I found a route around the city that took exactly half an hour, IF you jogged the entire way. That was a pretty difficult task, because I am still trying to get into shape, but just recently, I finally found it in me to jog the ENTIRE CIRCUIT. That was a big day. The next morning, I was incredibly excited to jog the entire route again.
I started off well, but half way through, I slowed down because I felt the sudden need to use the bathroom. My mother had always taught me to run to the bathroom, not walk, but with half of the route still left, and the ups and downs of my jog agitating my stomach, I thought it would be wiser to briskly walk home. After telling my companion my situation, we slowed to a walk and tried to think of all of the ways we could cut time from the original path. We looked down all of the parking lots until we found one that seemed promising, as though it might be a way to cut across to our apartment.

There was a forest at the end of the parking lot, but being an Albertan, I assumed that there would be a way through it. Hermana Brown assumed that there was a small service road in the corner where it was too dark to tell.

So we continued until we reached the end of the parking lot, stepped a little into the forest, and looked down to see a large crevice filled with shrubbery. We considered crossing, but as there was not much time before breakfast, and I was quite uncomfortable by this point, we turned back and resumed the route.

Our detour cost us at least 15 minutes along the way, and when we finally arrived at home, we were late for breakfast, and I was just about ready to explode.
Through this experience, I learned a little more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is Heavenly Father's plan not only so that we are happy, but so that we are successful. And this plan is perfect, because it was made by a perfect being. His plan is that we follow keep his commandments, and one day return to live with him. When trials come our way, and when we feel to weak to continue, our first instinct may be to try and find a shortcut -- to omit practices like reading the scriptures, praying, or going to church because we feel like that will make life more simple, or easier. That is not true! Remember that Heavenly Father's plan is perfect. He knew that we would have to go through in this life. All of his commandments are given to us so that we may be successful; his entire work and his glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man! (Moses 1:39) If we are having a difficult time, or we feel weak, following his plan is the answer, not trying to make shortcuts, because just like I was set back, disobeying God's commandments sets us back, and leads us down paths that have incredibly unpleasant endings.
Let us follow his plan and lay claim on all the promised blessings God has in store for us!