Growing up LDS, there was the sense of being perfect "out of the box." In the absence of original sin, the soul is already clean and right with God; one must simply stay as one is, innocent. Revelation is immediate, and the manual on life and religion is given to the Prophet: there is nothing to "discover," only instructions to obey. Further, revelation is generally not collaborative. The Prophet speaks and, apart from significant deliberation with others, points the way forward. The Holy Spirit is not God and the soul is not mired in Original Sin; therefore, discernment should be immediate (instead of complicated by sin), and generally involves me consulting myself, not deeply inviting the Holy Spirit to guide me. There is no meaningful concept of the "Body of Christ," and thus no deep awareness of interdependency: instead of trying to discover one's originality and be the best ear, toe, or arm, one strives to be the best total saint. Standardized publications present consistent, clean-cut imagery of what a person and life should look like. "Fit into this," is the tacit message. Life is something stable and static.
In contrast, I found the Catholic journey to holiness to be an organic journey of discovery. First, I am a sinner in need of grace. I am born already on a journey towards justification and sanctification. I am born in Hell, but destined for Heaven. Revelation is received gradually by man; Judaism and classical paganism are formed for centuries, and then "married" by the full revelation of Christ. Christian revelation unfolds and develops into an ever more mature understanding of Christ across the centuries. God accomplishes His purposes through people living life, e.g. the rise and fall of empires, shifting intellectual currents, innovation of all stripes, and the labors of ordinary people. The Pope makes decisions in union with the Bishops; collaboration, dialogue, and research are part of hearing God's voice. The great need of my soul is to receive the Holy Spirit who is God, so that, in collaboration with His Spirit, I can understand my unique niche in the Body of Christ. There is so much to be discovered and received, and all of it through living life! Life is a quest, not a predetermined destination.
If life is mostly predetermined, there is no need for desire. For what do desires do, but set us in motion. They pull us this way, or that way. If life is predetermined, then desires are more of an obstacle than anything. Or at least, the only acceptable desires are the ones that help us fit into the predetermined mold.
If, on the other hand, life is a quest, then desire is everything. If you can not grow in your relationship with God unless you take a step forward into the unknown, desire becomes a precious guide to help you step right or left. In fact, without desire, you will be paralyzed in your journey. When it's time to choose, this way or that, what is there but desire to incline one? Our ultimate meaning for choosing one thing over another, is that we believe that one direction will best satisfy our desires. If we are honest with ourselves, the most basic thing about our identity, is that we are desiring beings seeking satisfaction.
Catholic theology teaches this clearly. Appetites physical and intellectual/spiritual are God given gifts, which "get us moving." We see how appetites set the biological ecosystem in motion, e.g. the desire for food and reproduction. As human beings, we share in these physical desires, but we have intellectual/spiritual desires too, most especially our desire for God. Our desires are there to incentivize the journey and thereby do the will of God. Without desires, we can not move through the created or spiritual order in the way God intends for us to.
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