Trust in the Spirit in Moments of Indecision

"And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good--yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy; and then shall ye know, or by this shall ye know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive." 
-D&C 11:12-14

As imperfect beings, we often struggle to know what the Lord would have us do next. We sometimes find ourselves at certain crossroads, unsure of what direction we are to head to be the person that God would have us be. But as this scripture describes, we must first put our trust in the Spirit. Then we can have peace and joy, and then we will come to know the answers to those questions.


"Put your trust in that Spirit"

Several months ago a close friend recounted to me an experience he had which has changed my own understanding of how much the Lord trusts us to act on spiritual impressions when we are given them, when, of course, we put ourselves into a position to recognize them. He told me the following:

"I found myself at a type of moment of decision in my life. I had had stirrings about changing my major, and about changing the course of my life in general. I was dating someone long distance at the time, and it all seemed to be going well, but I also was having some serious second thoughts about that, and what it all meant in the course of my life. On a Friday, I came out of class and felt a distinct impression to do something that didn't at all make sense. I thought about it briefly, thinking it was just in my head, but I quickly realized that it wasn't. There was that burning in my chest that let me know that this was the Spirit. All that was left to do was to act on it. So I acted on that impression, which was to drive back home to California, without exactly knowing why. I recorded this as I went:

'This decision I have made to drive all the way from Provo to [California] may be one of the most important moments of my life. This may be the answer to my prayer of where the Lord would have me be, when he would want me to be there and with whom. Plus, the act of acting on the prompting that I received may become the foundation for how I recognize and respond to the promptings of the spirit for the rest of my life. Driving 600+ miles on a whim is not just something you do--it comes from a serious impression. '

"I would never have imagined what would happen that weekend, for the good and the bad, but I can tell you that the Lord taught me in His own way, and in the way that would best help me to know of His love and concern for me. My plans for my career were reinforced, and I think most importantly, He let me know in the most peculiar way possible (in my mind) that the person I was dating was not who I was supposed to be with. All of that because of a crazy impression, and my willingness in that moment to act on it."

He shared this with me also, a journal entry after the experience:

"A week and a half after this experience I remain grateful for the trust that the Lord put in me to give me this revelation, knowing that I would follow it. There's no better feeling of peaceful, humble satisfaction than that which comes from knowing that you've acted on the trusted prompting of our Father. That peace is Him letting us know that we've done well. Whenever I feel that, I imagine Him saying, 'I'm proud of you. You've done well.'

Now I wonder what more I'm capable of. Whatever that is, I know that the only way I can figure that out is by continuing to live worthily and to act on the promptings given. The Lord will then give me opportunities to figure that out."

If we will trust in that Spirit, even when we don't understand the why, we will quickly find out that the Lord has some incredible things to teach us. As always, he will do it in His own, perfect way.


"Which shall fill your soul with joy"

Despite the stories we hear from friends and other loved ones of their successes in following the promptings of the Spirit, we often struggle. Life is hard. The world, now more than ever in history, provides ample amounts of distractions which complicate our recognition of those promptings, leaving us wondering what we are to do next. In those moments, we often look back on our failures, with the skewed lens of retrospect, and we beat ourselves up. But Elder Jeffrey Holland said the following: "The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We [should] look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future."

If we are to truly have faith, we must look forward. Even in those moments when we don't know what we are to do next, or where we are to go, if we will but have the faith to trust in the promptings that will inevitably come, the Lord will give us something that only He can give:

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). That promise is to all of us. That peace brings us joy, because we have a more perfect knowledge of the love that the Lord has for us. Our trust and our faith can then grow even further, and we will be able to overcome the challenges at hand.

Elder Holland said, "Don't give up. Don't you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead....You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come."


"Then shall ye know all things"

As we act on impressions with trust in the Spirit, and as our mind and heart are enlightened and lifted by it, we come to acquire precious nuggets of knowledge that help us along. Ammon, one of the great missionaries of the Book of Mormon, declared, "Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing--unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed" (Alma 26:22). As we put ourselves in a position to receive impressions and recognize them, we gain the privilege of having important things revealed to us, such as have never been revealed. What is revealed?

Elder Dallin Oaks said, "A vision...When we have a vision of what we can become, our desire and our power to act increase enormously."

As we go about our lives, we must come to those moments of decision--those forks in the road of life that are ever pivotal in our eternal progression. As we trust in the Spirit, ever willing to act, we will be given those impressions which will shape our lives and help us make the right decision. Sometimes that includes letting us take the wrong path so we can make our adjustments and get on the right path with that peace and reassurance, like in the experience of my friend. (See this Mormon Message featuring Elder Holland on this topic, here.) But as we continue ever forward, we will be able to catch glimpse of what we can ultimately become. As Elder Oaks describes it, "a vision." With that vision in our minds, we can do all in our power to act and to work to become that person. If that means sacrificing certain attitudes or activities, we will do it. If that means letting go of what we want, in favor of what the Lord wants and requires, we will do it. We will do it because our trust in the Lord and in the Spirit will have become unbreakable.

We will do it, because our will will have become one with our Father's.

So trust in that Spirit. It will bring us joy, and it will help us to know what it is that God would have us to next, to continue on our journey to exaltation.

Whom the Lord Calls, the Lord Qualifies

It is one of the unique characteristics of the Lord's true and living Church that every member is called upon to serve in specific assignments for the edification of the Kingdom. Paul said, "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists (patriarchs); and some, pastors (bishops) and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Ephesian 4:11-12). No calling is more important to the Lord than another. He loves no more a Bishop or a Stake President or a Seventy than a Nursery leader or a Primary teacher or a Greeter. All callings have a place in Christ's church, and all will be blessed by magnifying such callings.

"For the body is not one member, but many...Now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it pleased him...And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary" (1 Corinthians 12:14,18,21-22).

Receiving a calling in the Church is a great responsibility, no matter what calling it may be. It is easy to feel inadequate when a call is extended to us, especially when it is something that we are unfamiliar with, or requires us to go outside of our comfort zones. Even when we are given calls in areas of apparent expertise, it is easy to feel that we can never live up to that call. The Lord, however, has promised that He will be right there with us as we serve. President Henry Eyring said the following on receiving callings, and being able to magnify them:

"To everyone, man or woman, girl or boy, who has been called or who will yet be, I give you my counsel. There are a few things you must come to know are true. I will try to put them in words. Only the Lord through the Holy Ghost can put them deep in your heart. Here they are: First, you are called of God...[second,] you are called to represent the Savior....[and third,] just as God called you and will guide you, He will magnify you." (I invite you to study his full talk, found here.) The Lord has desires to see us succeed. And for more reason than one.

As one studies the book of Doctrine & Covenants, especially the first quarter of sections, he or she quickly comes to the realization that the Lord in the early days of the Church first set about to call laborers to the vineyard. He called a fourteen year old boy named Joseph Smith, groomed him, and set him up as a prophet. He called a school teacher named Oliver Cowdery, guided him to Joseph's door, and he became one of the witnesses of the Book of Mormon; he later was present with Joseph when the Savior, and prophets of old appeared to them in the Kirtland Temple. He called a local minister named Sidney Rigdon, led him to the saints, and set him up to be a powerful teacher in the Church. The list goes on and on. In a revelation given through the prophet Joseph Smith to Sidney, the Lord said the following:

"Behold, verily, verily, I say unto my servant Sidney, I have looked upon thee and thy works. I have heard they prayers, and prepared thee for a greater work. Thou art blessed, for thou shalt do great things" (D&C 35:3-4). 

Sidney, indeed, accomplished great things, helping the Kingdom of God to be fortified in its infancy, allowing it to be nurtured and grow to what it is today. (Full disclosure: Sidney eventually fell away from the Church, falling into apostasy following the death of the Prophet, claiming that he was most deserving of being his successor as President of the Church. Scholars attribute this to brain damage from an act of persecution. His merits prior to that, however, are remarkable.) Each and every one of us has been called as well. There is not a single member that has not been guided in some way or another to the Church. Some of us may have been born into the gospel. I myself fall into that category, and it was the faith of my parents and the promptings of the Spirit which nurtured my own faith and has led me to a full conviction of the veracity of the Gospel. Others may be converts to the Church, having come to learn of its principles through friends, family members, and/or the full-time missionaries, and come to know of its truth through faithful action. However you have come to be a participant in the Lord's gospel, you have been led to it for 2 primary reasons:

1) The Lord has prepared for you to be challenged through service in the Church to grow and proceed toward exaltation, and 2) You have something unique to offer that will make you a key cog in the machine which goes forward building up the Kingdom. The bottomline: callings are for our own personal benefit and growth, and for the benefit and growth of the Church.


Personal Growth

It is ever important that we remember that it is our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has called us. He said to his apostles, "Ye have not chose me, but I have chose you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you" (John 15:16). Knowing that He has called us helps in providing the motivation to accomplish what He would have us accomplish. We often think that when we are promised or called upon to bring forth fruit, we are being promised that others will be brought into the gospel or into greater gospel participation. But that fruit also includes our own growth in the gospel. 

In one of the most powerful MTC Devotionals I have ever heard, Elder Jeffrey Holland spoke of the introduction of the missionary handbook Preach My Gospel. The change came in the early 2000's as the Brethren saw a disturbing number of returned missionaries who were falling away from the Church. Elder Holland notes the following in the devotional:

"With this fundamental proposition...the message of Preach My Gospel to you tonight is, that the fundamental change that was made and how we Missionary work is, that we need to convert you, and then you figure out how to convert investigators." (Again, I suggest you read over the whole thing, as its application goes far beyond just missionary work. Find it here.)

Callings allow us incredible opportunities to grow personally. How can we not grow our testimony when we are called upon to be Sunday School teachers, and are to teach fellowmembers the pure doctrines from the scriptures and the words of the prophets on a weekly basis? How can we not grow our faith when we are called upon to serve as Ward Missionaries, and see miracles as we work with the full-time missionaries and aid in building the faith of investigators and less actives? How can we not improve our patience as we are called to serve in the nursery, or even worse still, the Young Men's organization? How can we not feel the love of our Savior and improve our capacity to love as He loves as we serve diligently as Home and Visiting Teachers, entering the homes of our fellowmembers and offering up our time to them? Surely our testimonies will grow, our faith will be strengthened, our patience and longsuffering will be fortified, and our ability to love everyone unconditionally will be developed as we strive to magnify our callings, and be of service to our fellowman. I have held numerous callings (which is by no means a sign of personal worthiness on my part, course), and have seen how each one brings new challenges. But each challenge is an opportunity to grow.

Paul spoke of these moments, and what it means to us and our relationship with our Father. "Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou are rebuked of him: for who the Lord loveth he chasteneth....He [chasteneth] for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness" (Hebrews 12:5-6, 10). We can change that word chasten to calls. Some, indeed may think that a give calling feels like a punishment or at least a cruel joke. The Lord always has his reasons for giving us a calling. That last verse has certain power as we make that change, however.

"He [calls us] for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness."


Building up the Kingdom

It was the prophet Alma who cried out, "O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God...and cry repentance unto every people." With that poetic cry, the prophet quickly realizes the error in such thinking, though we may praise he zeal. He goes on,

"But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me....Seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called? I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which he Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy" (Alma 29:1,3,6,9).

Is it our desire to be instruments in the hands of God? What does that mean? Having been blessed with at least a limited capacity in music, I often think of musical instruments. The guitar cannot pluck its own strings to make music. The piano cannot manipulate its own keys. It is the man holding the guitar--the woman seated before the piano with her gentle fingers on those keys which allows notes to be sounded, and music to be made. If we are to be the instruments, we cannot try to do that which we truly cannot do. We can't make the music of the work. It is only Christ that can do that. All we can do is put ourselves in a position to make that music sound clearly--our strings have to be taut, our pianos in tune. Only then can our music adequately sound as the Lord would have it sound. We must be obedient, and we must be diligent in order to adequately reflect the Light which comes from the Lord.

Each of us has been given certain abilities and talents. It would be very difficult for someone unfamiliar with music to serve successfully as a music director, or the ward organist (though I'm sure miracles have occurred allowing some person to succeed without such talents). Some may be given the ability to convey the principles of the gospel they've learned. They are well-suited to be a teacher in any class. Some may be given the ability to recognize when somebody needs help. These are the people who are usually called to be in Relief Society and Elder's Quorum Presidencies. Surely there are too many examples to list, but we may be given a calling which corresponds with those gifts. And we all have them: "For there are many gifts, and to every man [and woman] is given a gift by the Spirit of God" (D&C 46:11). We have peace that the Lord knows which gifts he has given us, and will put us into a position where we can best become a blessing in the lives of those around us.

It is also important to note that we need not feel inadequate when it seems that our talents don't match up with the rigors of an extended calling. Similar to what President Eyring said, President Monson has said powerfully and simply, "Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies."

"If ye have desires to serve God, ye are called to the work. For lo, the field is white, already to harvest, and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul" (D&C 4:3-4).

We have have been so blessed to know of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, therefore, have a great responsibility to do our part in building up the Kingdom. Though daunting, the Lord is working right by our side.