Throughout the scriptures, the Savior asks variations of the same question, noted Elder B. Corey Cuvelier, a General Authority Seventy, during a Brigham Young University devotional on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
To John the Beloved and Nephi, He asks, “What desirest thou?” (Doctrine and Covenants 7:1, 1 Nephi 11:2). To two of John the Baptist’s disciples, “What seek ye?” (John 1:38). To the mother of Zebedee’s children, “What wilt thou?” (Matthew 20:21). To the brother of Jared, “What will ye that I should do?” (Ether 2:23).
“Do you see the pattern in the question?” Elder Cuvelier asked students and faculty gathered in the Marriott Center on the Provo, Utah, campus. “Each time, the Savior isn’t testing His followers — He’s teaching them. When He asks the question, it’s not for His information — it’s for our transformation.”
The Savior’s question invites individuals to look inward, think a little deeper, and consider why and what they truly seek and most desire, Elder Cuvelier explained.
“His question isn’t about our career path or daily plans — though He cares about those things as well as our happiness. But the answer to His question should reflect the innermost desire of our hearts. Ultimately, He invites us to look beyond worldly measures and to align our ‘wants’ with His will,” said Elder Cuvelier.
During the late morning devotional, Elder Cuvelier spoke of the need to educate one’s desires to align with Heavenly Father’s. He promised listeners: “Remember: You followed Jesus before you were born. Follow Him again now — and prepare for His return. Seek Him. As you align your will with His, you will find peace, direction and joy far beyond anything you could plan for yourself. I testify that Jesus Christ lives. He loves you. He always does the will of the Father — and He will strengthen your desire to do the same.”
‘Educating our desires’
As individuals trade personal ambition for eternal purpose, they discover that the Savior truly desires their joy — lasting, eternal joy, Elder Cuvelier said.
God’s miracles, revelations and judgments all flow according to His will and timing and individuals’ desires, “whether it be unto death or unto life … according to [our] wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction” (Alma 29:4), Elder Cuvelier said.
Christ modeled this perfectly. “I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:30), the Savior repeatedly taught.
“The Savior’s only desire was to be one with His Father. So, if the Savior stood before you today and asked, ‘What desireth thou?’ — how would you respond?” Elder Cuvelier asked listeners.
“I’ve answered that question differently at different stages in my life,” he noted, adding that throughout his life the Lord has patiently helped him educate and prioritize his desires.
“If the Savior stood before you today and asked, ‘What desireth thou?’ — how would you respond?”
— Elder B. Corey Cuvelier, General Authority Seventy
On his mission to Brazil, for example, Elder Cuvelier said he stopped praying only for blessings and started asking how he could be a blessing. And yet, as he finished his mission and returned to studying, playing soccer for BYU, and friends and family, he felt his spiritual desires begin to dull.
So he asked his bishop for a calling, started attending the temple more regularly and looked for opportunities to share his testimony. “I learned that to educate and strengthen righteous desires, I had to combine my own effort and intent with God’s grace,” said Elder Cuvelier.
Developing godly desires takes time and effort. “It is not an easy path, but developing this desire and aligning our wants with God’s will is part of our journey to return to our heavenly home,” he said.
Balancing secular and spiritual
“The Lord wants you to develop your talents and make a real difference in the world,” assured Elder Cuvelier, who then quoted President Spencer W. Kimball teaching that BYU students must be “bilingual” — in things both secular and spiritual.
“We must become fluent not only in our discipleship and in the gospel of Jesus Christ, but in the language of our disciplines, professions and training,” said Elder Cuvelier.
The Savior taught, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (3 Nephi 13:33).
“My dear friends, as we talk about our deepest desires, remember: It’s good to want to do well — to study hard, to succeed, to play your best, to build good relationships. The Lord wants you to enjoy this life and to develop the talents He’s given you,” said Elder Cuvelier. “But He also invites you to keep your eyes lifted — to make eternal life your greatest desire. We cannot afford to sacrifice or substitute the spiritual for the secular.”
An invitation
Elder Cuvelier extended a “simple” invitation: “Dedicate some quiet time to pray. You just may hear the Lord’s gentle echo of the same question He has asked His disciples over centuries. ‘What desirest thou?’ Share the deepest desires of your heart with Heavenly Father. Then pause and listen.”
Those who pray with faith, seeking God’s will and timing, will be answered, Elder Cuvelier promised. “He has promised to bless you, knowing that ‘all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to [His] will’” (Helaman 10:5).
