straight and narrow path to God

I have a theory about the "straight and narrow path" to God. I think far too ofter we think of it as a tightrope or at least a balance beam. That is far too hard to stay on!

My theory is that the straight and narrow path is like heading north on I-15. It is a definitely wider than a balance beam with room for many differing people and the differing paths they take to God. There are so many good choices we can make but not necessarily one right way for everyone. For example, we could choose to spend our free time on education, the temple, family history, etc. None of those would be the exact same lane on I-15 but all would lead to the same destination.

Sometimes we are stuck in traffic and barely making any measurable progress. At other times, we are in the carpool lane and cruising along. It can be frustrating when we are the ones stuck in traffic and we see others we know speed on by.

Sometimes we need to stop and get gas or go to the bathroom or get something to drink so we exit off I-15. I, myself, have been sidetracked by a roadsign announcing that there's a Cafe Rio at the next exit. On the straight and narrow, we have road signs enticing us to get off the path. These road signs are frustration, anger, sin, heartache, etc. The important thing, if we want to get to our destination, is just that we use the entrance ramp to get back on I-15. Thank goodness for repentance and forgiveness that can get us back on the straight and narrow.

At times we wonder why we're still stuck in Fillmore when our friends or family have made it to Ogden. How did they travel so much faster than we did? We need to remember it's not a sprint to the finish but a race of endurance. The Lord doesn't care where we are at on the path just that we are on it and heading the right direction. It's the continual pushing onward that counts.

Too often, as I teach seminary, I see youth who are afraid they'll never be good enough or they'll never be fast enough to get to the Celestial Kingdom. I try to reassure them by quoting Elder Bruce R. McConkie.

"...Everyone in the church who is on the straight and narrow path, who is striving and struggling and desiring to do what is right, though is far from perfect in this life; if you're on that path and pressing forward, and you die, you'll never get off that path. There is no such thing as falling off the straight and narrow path in the life to come, and the reason is that this life is the time that is given to men to prepare for eternity. If you are on the path when death comes...you'll never fall off from it, and for all practical purposes, your calling and election is made sure."

Our job in this life is to get ourselves on the straight and narrow path and press forward. It sounds so simple. Now, if only there wasn't always construction!