Put aside the Ranger and become who you were born to be

I have recently read some disappointing news that one of my friends has decided to have his name removed from the records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. While I acknowledge that he in his agency can choose what he desires I am left pondering what has led him down this path. This is a friend that served a mission and I am pretty sure he got married in the Temple. He is someone that I have respected for a long time and continue to respect.

As I have been sitting here contemplating what has taken him down this path I happened to be watching The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Elrond told Aragorn that he needs to "put aside the Ranger and become who you were born to be."

I think that all of us in our lives need to put aside the "natural man" and become who we were born to be. This isn't always the easy road, the popular road, or the road that brings you the instant gratification that our society is so focused on. But it is what we must do if we want the eternal happiness that our Father in Heaven has in store for us.

I feel bad for this friend. He has turned his back on what he believed. He believed it strong enough to leave home for 2 years and go out and teach other people. I hope that someday he will realize the joy that he had as a member of the Church.

I'm not trying to say that I am perfect, or that I have all the answers. What I am saying is that as I do everything that I can to follow the commandments of Jesus Christ, that I am a happier person. Let us all do everything we can to become who we were born to be.