What is Your 'Promised Land'?

Exchanges are beautiful things for a missionary. Every few weeks, we may swap companions with one of our mission leaders for 24 hours and glean new ideas about teaching, finding, and studying from the other missionaries in our awesome mission!  A few days ago, I got to go on an exchange with Sister Durfey and was reminded of a key element in one of my favorite stories I suppose I never noticed before.  A long time ago, God lead a group of people across the ocean to the "Promised Land".  These people had never been there or seen it, or really had any proof that it existed. But they followed the council of the Lord and built "barges" for them to cross in.  These barges had to be big enough to carry all of their food and grains and animals besides their families for an extended period of time, and had to be "tight like unto a dish" so that water couldn't get in from any side.

Off these people went, with no steering wheel or rudder, or even a window to guide them. All they had was faith and trust in the Lord that they would get to this "promised land" someday. And what does the Lord do?


"...and it came to pass that when they had done all these things they got aboard of their vessels or barges, and set forth into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord their God.

 5 And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind.

 6 And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind." - Ether 6:4-6

Why on earth would He do that?!  These people have done everything He asked of them, and He sent huge waves and winds to crash down on them. Why?  Listening to Sister Durfey tell this story, a thought hit me: if the sea had been calm and kind, they wouldn't have made it to the promised land. They wouldn't have gotten anywhere! It had to be a storm, or else they wouldn't have reached their full potential, all that was waiting for them.  Then I wondered, what is my promised land that God so kindly sends "furious wind" and "terrible tempests" to guide me to? 

Heavenly Father said, "This is my work and my glory; to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." - Moses 1:39

All that He sends is so that we can live with our families forever.  So that we can be in paradise with Him forever. That is our promised land, and I am so thankful for the example of those written of in the scriptures to help me remember to keep an attitude of gratitude for the hard times, because they are what will push me to the better ones.