Decisions Determine Destiny ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

this post should take four to six minutes to read from start to finish.

Have you ever heard a statement "Decisions Determine Destiny" prior to this blog post? You may or may not have heard of it in past lessons multiple times. I know that I have constantly reminded myself that statement over and over again in the past. This post focuses on BYU Devotional in November 2005 and it is called "Decisions Determine Destiny" by President Thomas S. Monson. 

At the time of the Devotional, President Thomas S. Monson was the first counselor in the First Presidency. This post is part one, I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional and I hope you would be able to learn something new while reading this post. 

President Monson has mentioned the following; "... Well, my young friends, what a thrilling life awaits you! ... But you can be explorers in spirit, with a mandate to make this world better by discovering improved ways of living and of doing things. The spirit of exploration, whether it be of the surface of the earth, the vastness of space, or the principles of living greatly, includes developing the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility.

... As Latter-day Saints, we know who we are and what God expects us to become. Listen to the truth taught to us in the first book of Moses, called Genesis: God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. ... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them. [Genesis 1:26–28] Created in the image of God.

We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound sense of strength and power. As Latter-day Saints, we know that we lived before we came to earth, that mortality is a probationary period wherein we might prove ourselves obedient to God’s command and thus worthy of celestial glory. Yes, we know who we are and what God expects us to become. Such knowledge, however, does not ensure our success in reaching our goal of eternal life.

During the last half century or so, there has been throughout the world a gradual but continual decline in many phases of life. We observe relationships without morality, science without humanity, knowledge without character, business without ethics, worship without sacrifice, pleasure without conscience, politics without principle, and wealth without works.

"Decisions Determine Destiny." - Thomas S.
Monson.

... This is your world. The future is in your hands. The outcome is up to you. The way to exaltation is not a freeway featuring unlimited vision, unrestricted speeds, and untested skills. Rather, it is known by many forks and turnings, sharp curves, and controlled speeds. Your driving skill will be put to the test. Are you ready? You are driving. You haven’t passed this way before. Fortunately, ... even our Heavenly Father, has provided a road map showing the route to follow. He has placed markers along the way to guide you to your destination.

Perhaps you may recognize some of His signs: 

“Honour thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12). 

“Search the scriptures; for ... they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). 

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). 

...

That evil one too has placed road signs to frustrate your progress and to lead you from the path of truth into detours of sin. His detours all lead to a dead end. Have you noticed his markers? Just this once won’t matter. It can’t hurt anyone but me. ... my life is mine to live. Times have changed. Now we see coming into focus the responsibility to choose, that inevitable crisis at the crossroads of life. He who would lead you down waits patiently for a dark night, a wavering will, a confused conscience, a mixed-up mind. Are you prepared to make the decisions at the crossroads?

I can’t stress too strongly that decisions determine destiny. You can’t make eternal decisions without eternal consequences. May I provide a simple formula by which you can measure the choices which confront you. It’s 

easy to remember, sometimes difficult to apply: You can’t be right by doing wrong; you can’t be wrong by doing right. Your personal conscience always warns you as a friend before it punishes you as a judge.

The Lord, in a revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet at Kirtland, Ohio, May 1831, counseled: That which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness. That which is of God is light. [D&C 50:23–24] ... Where money, rather than morality, dictates one’s actions, one is inclined away from God. Turning away from God brings broken covenants, shattered dreams, vanished ambitions, unfulfilled expectations, crushed hopes, and ruined lives.

Such a quagmire of quicksand I plead with you to avoid. You are of a noble birthright. Eternal life in the kingdom of our Father is your goal. Such a goal is not achieved in one glorious attempt but rather is the result of a lifetime of righteousness, an accumulation of wise choices, even a constancy of purpose. Like the coveted A grade on the report card of a difficult and required college course, the reward of eternal life requires effort.

There is a fable told about Euclid and Pharaoh and geometry. It is said that Pharaoh, entranced by some of the explanations and demonstrations of Euclid, wished to learn geometry, and Euclid undertook to teach him. He studied for a brief period and then called in Euclid and said the process was too slow for him. He was a Pharaoh; there must be a shorter road. He did not want to spend all his time to learn geometry. Then Euclid gave voice to this great truth. Said he to his Majesty, “There is no royal road to geometry.”

Stay Tuned until next time.