Everyday we are hounded by decisions. Personally, I hate
making decisions, especially the ones that are “What do you want to eat? Or
“What do you want to do tonight?” I am terrible at making these kinds of
decisions, but it all usually ends up working out. We have many decisions to
make in this life, some insignificant, and some that will have a great impact
on our lives, and the lives of those around us.
Last week I was reading a blog post by Al Fox Carraway, and what she said really struck me. She referenced Alma 41:7, which reads, “These are they that are redeemed of the Lord; yeah, these are they that are taken out, that are delivered from that endless night of darkness; and thus they stand or fall; for behold, they are their own judges whether to do good or do evil.” This scripture really hit home for me, and being that I had no plans for that night, I ended up taking a drive over to the temple, and spent two hours soaking in the peace, reading a conference talk, and reading my scriptures. In D&C 87:8 we read, “Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved…”
Our Father in Heaven has given us a tremendous gift of
Agency. We have the ability to make our own choices, decide for ourselves, and
be in charge of our own lives. We face decisions about where to go to school,
what car to buy, whom to spend our time with, who to date and marry, and many
other major life decisions. We also have a daily decision to make concerning
the gospel of Jesus Christ. Will I read my scriptures today, will I make time
to pray, will I listen to uplifting messages/music, will I be kind to those
around me, will I show Christ that I love Him?
LDS.org defines Agency as the “ability and privilege God
gives us to choose and to act for ourselves. Agency is essential in the plan of
salvation. Without agency, we would not be able to learn or progress or follow
the Savior. With it, we are “free to choose liberty and eternal life, through
the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to
the captivity and power of the devil” (2 Nephi 2:27).”
Alma shows us that we can stand or fall, choosing whether to
do good or evil. Nephi shows us that we are free to choose liberty and eternal
life, or captivity and death. The little choices we make daily will have a
direct impact on our life, attitude, and ability to live the gospel. We need to
put ourselves in more positions where we will choose to make the right choices,
and surround ourselves with good.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have an immense trust in us
to give us the ability to choose for ourselves. Can you imagine being our
Father, watching His sons and daughters make the wrong choices? Can you imagine
him thinking, “If I had only made the choice for them, they would not have
strayed.” But this is not how He thinks! He trusts that we will make our own
decisions, whether right or wrong, and He hopes that someday we will make our
way back to Him. I am not a parent, but I can only imagine the thoughts of
parents watching their young kids, and wanting so badly just to make their
choices for them. But this is not how we learn. If we make a wrong choice,
hopefully we can recognize that it was a wrong choice, and correct our
mistakes. As parents, you can hope that your children will make the right
decisions, and align their life with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The best choice that we can make is to choose to believe in
Jesus Christ, and in our Heavenly Father. Choose to believe that They know what
is right for us, and will guide us safely home. Elder L. Whitney Clayton
counsels, “Every day each of us faces a test. It is the test of our
lifetimes: will we choose to believe in Him and allow the light of His gospel
to grow within us, or will we refuse to believe and insist on traveling alone
in the dark? The Savior provides His gospel as a light to guide those who
choose to believe in and follow Him.” How beautiful this counsel is to us!
Everyday we get to make a choice! Everyday we get to say, “I Believe in
Christ.” Let us make the right choices and decisions. Let us stand in holy
places and surround ourselves with good. If we do, Christ will guide us home.
Here is an awesome Mormon Message that was shared with me,
and highlights the test of daily decision making in each of our lives:
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