Life is a journey.

As far as mortality is concerned, it begins at birth and ends at death, but by no means is mortality the beginning or the ending of our journey in life. Before we came to this earth, we dwelled with our Heavenly Father and our ultimate destination, of course, is to return home to Him.That's what our journey is all about, following the path that will lead us back home. For some the trek may be short, as many die in infancy and have already reached their eternal destination. For others, the road may be long and they may grow weary before reaching the end.

"In the beginning," God created this earth for our journey through mortality. "And I, God, saw everything that I had made, and, behold, all things which I had made were very good," the Lord says of His creations. (Moses 2:31.)

"This life," Elder Howard W. Hunter, then of the Quorum of the Twelve, said in the October 1961 general conference, "is the schoolroom of our journey through eternity. There is work to do and lessons to learn that we might prepare and qualify ourselves to go into the spiritual existence to follow."

In that schoolroom of life, we are being taught many lessons necessary for our trek back home. Much joy and happiness await us along the way, but also much sorrow and pain. However, all has purpose and gives our journey meaning if we have the proper relationship with our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Supposedly, as we climb the mountains before us, cross the streams, and traverse the prairies and plains, we are learning something of compassion, of love, of goodness, of faith, of relying on our Heavenly Father. Hopefully, we are learning patience, virtue, kindness, tolerance and temperance. Surely, the goal of our earthly schooling is to learn all that we must do - and then do it -to return to God's presence.

"Teach me all that I must do to live with him someday" we ask as we sing the popular hymn "I Am a Child of God." (Hymns, No. 301.)

And in the process of our earthly schooling, hopefully, we are helping others, to make their burdens lighter. "Bear ye one another's burdens," the Apostle Paul counseled the Galatians. (Gal. 6:2.)

Sometimes on our journey through life, we make wrong turns. As we come to a fork in the road, it is important that we choose the right that leads to spiritual progress and happiness, rather than choosing the wrong, which leads to misery and sorrow.

And sometimes we try to carry excess baggage with us. Undoubtedly, we all pick up some baggage along the way that needs to be discarded, and it is essential that we don't carry it too long, if we expect to reach our ultimate destination.

Just as the Mormon handcart pioneers who crossed the vast plains and mountains of America on foot nearly 150 years ago were directed not to take with them any "chests or trunks" because they would be too cumbersome and heavy, we, too, must be mindful of what we may be carrying with us in life.

Hate, envy, jealousy and covetness are all pieces of excess baggage that weigh us down. So are faultfinding, backbiting, greed, rationalization. Without a doubt, the heaviest baggage that burdens us is sin and not keeping the commandments of God.

The elimination of all excess baggage in our lives enables us to continue our trek unencumbered, unburdened and unobstructed.

For those with "eyes to see and ears to hear," the road leading to our destination is well-marked. The gospel of Jesus Christ has been given by a loving Heavenly Father as a beacon light to keep us on the right path. The gospel points the way. We have been counseled by prophets, both anciently and in modern times, which way we should travel through life. There is no doubt which path we should be on. Although the road is straight and narrow, it is marked clearly with many signposts.

It is important for us to enjoy our trek through life. There is beauty all about. There are sunrises to behold, sunsets to enjoy. There is the laughter of small children to bring pleasure, the quiet dignity of the elderly to appreciate. As we keep our focus on the eternal perspective, we realize that the sadness and heartache that we may face along our journey are far outweighed by the joy and happiness that are ours if we are true and faithful to the things we have learned and done in our schoolroom of life.

For those on the road leading to eternal life, there is peace. There is no such promise for those who have strayed onto forbidden paths.

Yes, life is, indeed, a journey. It's not the speed that we travel, but it is what we are doing along the way that will determine if we will safely arrive at our eternal destination.