3 Nephi 19:29

Father, I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me out of the world, because of their faith, that they may be purified in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one, that I may be glorified in them.

We come unto Christ by faith. The Father, who recognizes our faith, gives us to Christ to purify and nurture. When Christ owns us, his goal is to purify us through his atonement to make us as much like him as he is like his Father. His glory is to bring us back to the Father purified, sanctified, and ready to dwell with him in the Father's presence. Notice who is doing all the work. Our job is to start the process through faith in Christ as evidenced by our desire and our obedience. Once we are turned over to him, he does the rest.

Alma 13:12

Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.

To be made pure is to be redeemed, and to enter into the rest of the Lord is to have one's calling and election made sure. That exceedingly many have had this experience gives us hope. It is not impossible, and it is not rare.

Mosiah 22:2

And it came to pass that they could find no way to deliver themselves out of bondage, except it were to take their women and children, and their flocks, and their herds, and their tents, and depart into the wilderness; for the Lamanites being so numerous, it was impossible for the people of Limhi to contend with them, thinking to deliver themselves out of bondage by the sword.

The Lord uses the wilderness to purge us of the baggage of pride and sin. While the wilderness is always a trial full of afflictions, it is not a curse, but a cleansing. If we endure our wilderness experiences well, they change us and sanctify us and bring us closer to God. They are indispensable legs in our journey through mortality towards eternal life.