Sentence:  The great ultimate <WSD>ends</WSD> of religion have served as magnificent beacon lights that lured people toward them with an almost irresistible force , mobilizing energies and inducing sacrifices ; for example , the Crusades , mission efforts , just wars . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it