In worldly terms, the Prophet Joseph Smith wasn’t prosperous. His family had enough to survive, but not much more. The Lord told him in 1830 that it would be this way: “In temporal labors thou shalt not have strength, for this is not thy calling.”1
Joseph’s “calling” was to be the Prophet of the Restoration. And in those terms, he was a huge success.
Joseph’s wife, Emma, received similar guidance. “Lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better,” the Lord told her.2
You will have friends and classmates who go to better universities than you, get more prestigious jobs than you, and have more worldly success than you.
So what?
Life isn’t a contest. Your only “competition” is yourself: Are you better today than you were yesterday?
You should get an education and try to find a career that suits you and provides for your needs, of course. You should try your best at everything you do. But don’t panic if you see others passing you on the road of life. (They might not be heading for the same destination as you!)
Keep doing what the Lord wants you to do, and don’t worry about the rest. Staying close to Him is the ultimate success in life.
Notes
1. Doctrine and Covenants 24:9.
2. Doctrine and Covenants 25:10.
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