I came across a handout from (I think a Priesthood lesson at) church over a year ago and it said something to the effect of "on judgement day, it's not going to matter in the least what your occupation was in this life..etc". Sorry for the terrible non-quote. I take that to mean "do whatever you like in this life (for a profession). Just make sure you're a good person who is keeping their covenants". Am I misinterpreting? I probably would have forgotten this paper entirely, if I didn't encounter similar sentiments frequently in other situations (casual conversations, lessons, talks, etc).
Isn't it better to choose-for your profession-something that will help other people? Change and improve lives? Improve the world in some meaningful way? I know that not everyone can change the world, but isn't that something we should strive for? If we have the choice between becoming a celebrity chef and becoming a human rights lawyer, wouldn't it be better to choose the latter? Isn't it important to strive to maximize our potential for doing good? Do you really think that God doesn't care AT ALL about what you spend 40+ hours a week doing-for decades of your life? I understand that people can do good and improve lives in really any profession they choose. But this is not an issue of good and bad; it's a question of good, better, and best. Shouldn't we choose the best?
Also corollary to this issue is this other belief that we encounter a lot here in Calgary: the idea that your only purpose in life is to take good care of your family, provide for them, raise your kids, fulfill your church callings, and be a nice person. Doesn't our responsibility extend further than that? Whatever happened to "where much is given, much is required"? What do people think that refers to? Or are people so completely ignorant of the poverty that exists in this world that they don't realize how much they've been given? Do people not realize the great gift of education that we in North America have been given? Have we all turned a blind eye to our neighbors who don't have the same opportunities as us? Shouldn't we do something meaningful with all that we've been given? (MORE than just providing for our family).
Am I totally off base here? What are your thoughts?
