Several Past Decisions

Good Morning, or Good Afternoon, or Good Evening, 

this post should take three to five minutes to read from start to finish. 

Everyone around the world has made decisions in the past, everyone around the world has made decisions at this present time, everyone around the world will be making more decisions in the near future, and everyone around the world will be making more decisions in the future.

Is it necessary to make decisions in our everyday lives? Are we grateful for some of past decisions?
What type of past decisions did you faced? Have we learned anything from some of our past decisions?

Here are several examples of my past decisions that I have made. Most decisions that I have made in the past has taught me so much, and I learned some useful and great lessons.

Towards end of my tenth grade; I was able to make the decision for myself if I would like to continue with schooling of the following two years (eleventh grade and twelfth grade/senior). I was afraid that I might fail in school core subjects and when I eventually decided that I would like to continue with schooling has made me feel forever grateful because I knew that I would have to put more effort into schooling and I had the opportunity to get better grades. I must admit towards end of twelfth grade/senior, I was able to grade High School successfully and I was able to go to Senior Formal/Prom.

"The course of our lives is not determined
by great, awesome decisions. Our direction
is set by the little day-to-day CHOICES
which is chart the track on which we run."
- Gordon B. Hinckley.

Duration of my online seminary; I knew that there has been times when I have made decision to not make huge efforts into online seminary. I knew that I was slacking and I was failing. I remembered during High School, I was able to have some spare periods that I didn't have any school work to focus on. 

Therefore; I wasn't into playing games online, I was able to use those some spare periods to catch up work for online seminary. I have made the effort. I must admit, it was a wonderful feeling to know that I was able to grade seminary successfully. I was the only church member out of my ward in the stake to graduate seminary.

Deciding whether to make Institute a priority or not.

At the beginning of the same year when I was eighteen years old, I have started to attending Institute and it didn't take me too long to make a decision for myself to make Institute a priority in my life. I have attended Institute very often. 

I remembered that I have attended multiple classes, one class per semester. I have been acknowledged and I have received a institute Diploma certificate at Institute Graduation when I was twenty-one years old. I remembered that I still attended Institute after graduation and I attended Institute while I was studying the BYU-Idaho Pathways Program online, and sometimes while I was engaged - whenever I can.

I'm glad that I was able to attend Institute often. I remembered participating in Institute by showing up, sharing some of my life experiences for the answers of the questions that was asked for the whole group discussions, and so forth. I remembered when there has been times for me feeling like that I have known all of the answers, I remembered making countless friends during institute and after institute.

Deciding whether to study the BYU-Idaho Pathways Program or not.

Shortly after I received my Diploma certificate at Institute Graduation, I have made the decision to enroll myself into BYU-Idaho Pathways Program online. I got approved! Indeed it was my first attempt for the enrollment form to BYU-Idaho Pathways Program online and it got approved. I was so happy and I got notified via email. I was able to start BYU-Idaho Pathways Program online in April 2017 and I completed the program in 2018. 

For the first semester of the Program, there was three other YSAs that attended in the same program. I was happy about it because two out of three other YSAs are my friends. Sadly sometime before mid second semester all three other YSAs has stopped studying the program. I stayed strong and positive. I was the only YSA who finished that BYU-Idaho Pathways program. It took time, it took effort, it took encouragement to complete the program. I'm glad that I have completed program because I was able to meet other people while I was in the program and I hope that one day I would be able to study BYU-Idaho online again sometime in the future. 

Deciding whether to move to US or stay in Australia.

I must admit that it was a toughest decision in my life to decide whether to move to US or stay in Australia. My husband and I have thought about and discussed about some advantages and disadvantages about me moving to US and about me staying in Australia. We both have thought about and discussed about some advantages and disadvantages for my husband to move to Australia and for him to stay in US. We knew it was just the right decision for me to move to US. 

Indeed for the last weeks prior to me leaving Australia; I had to reassigned for the job that I was employed at, I had to sell the car that I had, I trusted my Mum to take great care of my pet bird - Bluey, and so forth. It was tougher than I thought it would be for me to say final goodbyes to friends and relatives in Australia. I certainly didn't want to let go of what I already had in Australia and I knew that I was also so excited for a new chapter was just about to begin for me to move to US.

I know that I have plenty of experiences for the past decisions that I was proud of. Don't ever forget that sometimes our past decisions helps us to become for who we are at this present time. 

Stay Tuned until next time. 

Decisions Determine Destiny ~ Part Two

Good Morning, or Good Afternoon, or Good Evening, 

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

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 two, 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 continues and he has the following; "My young friends, there is no royal road to salvation and exaltation. There is no royal road to success in any endeavor. The A grade is the result of each theme, each quiz, each class, each examination, each term paper. So each heartfelt prayer, each Church meeting attended, each worthy friend, each righteous decision, each act of service performed all precede that goal of eternal life.

... I thought of the truth “Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your hands. But ... you choose them as your guides, and following them you will reach your destiny.” What ideals, when followed, will bring to you those blessings you so much seek, even a quiet conscience, a peace-filled heart, a loving family, a contented home?

May I suggest these three: Choose your friends with caution.
Plan your future with purpose. Frame your life with faith.

First: Choose Your Friends with Caution

... Those persons whose friends married in the temple usually married in the temple, while those persons whose friends did not marry in the temple usually did not marry in the temple. ... We tend to become like those whom we admire. ... Associate with those who, like you, are planning not for temporary convenience, shallow goals, or narrow ambition but rather for those things that matter most - even eternal objectives. Inscribed on the east transept wall of Stanford University Memorial Church is the truth: “All that is not eternal [is] too short, [and] all that is not infinite [is] too small.”

Beyond your circle of earthly friends, I urge you to make a friend of your Heavenly Father. He stands ready
to answer the prayer of your heart. Being the Father of your spirit and having created you in His own image, knowing the end from the beginning, His wisdom will not fail and His counsel is ever true. Make a friend of Him. There is another important friend you should have, and that is the bishop of your ward. He has been called of God by prophecy and the laying on of hands by those who are in authority. He is entitled to heavenly help in providing you with counsel and guidance. Make a friend of him.

How well I remember the challenges confronting the youth in the ward over which I once presided as a bishop. One evening a lovely teenage girl came to my office with her boyfriend to talk things over with me. The two of them were very much in love ... As we counseled together, each made a pledge to the other to resist temptation and keep uppermost in their minds the goal of a temple marriage. I suggested a course of action to follow and then felt impressed to say: “If you ever find yourselves in a position of compromise and need additional strength, you
call me, regardless of the hour.”

One morning at 1:00 a.m., the telephone rang and a voice said: “Bishop, this is Susan. Remember how you asked me to call if I found myself being tempted? Well, Bishop, I’m in that situation.” I asked where she was, and she described a popular parking spot in the Salt Lake Valley. She and her fiancé had walked to a nearby phone
booth to make the call. The setting wasn’t ideal for providing counsel, but the need was great, and the
young couple was receptive. I won’t mention how often Susan called. 

However, when the mailman delivered her wedding announcement to our home and Sister Monson read, “Mr. and Mrs. Jones request the pleasure of your company at the wedding reception of their daughter, Susan,” she sighed, “Thank heaven!” When I noticed the small print at the bottom, which read, “Married in the Salt Lake Temple,” I said silently, “Thank heaven for the strength of Latter-day Saint youth.” Choose your friends with caution.

Second: Plan Your Future with Purpose

The great Thomas Carlyle said: “... Have a purpose in life, and, having it, throw such strength of mind and muscle into your work as God has given you.” ...  Some of you within the sound of my voice have already married; others are still seeking that special someone with whom you would want to spend eternity. 

For those of you in the latter category, in your quest for the man or woman of your dreams, you may well heed the counsel given by King Arthur ... King Arthur could well have been speaking to all of us when he declared, “We must not let our passions destroy our dreams.” ... Lucy lived the truth of the verse: "Dare to be a Mormon; Dare to stand alone. Dare to have a purpose firm, And dare to make it known." Plan your future with purpose.

Third: Frame Your Life with Faith

Amidst the confusion of the times, the conflicts of conscience, and the turmoil of daily living, an abiding faith becomes an anchor to our lives. Little children can give us interesting examples of faith. Some time ago I jotted down from one of our national magazines a short compilation of “Children’s Letters to God.” I found them most interesting.

... Jeff wrote: “Dear God, It is great the way you always get the stars in the right places. Why can’t you do that with the moon?” Joyce wrote: “Dear God, Thank you for the baby brother but what I prayed for was a puppy.” I like this one from Matthew the best: “Dear God, I read your book and I like it.” Then he asked, “I would like to write a book someday with the same kind of stories. Where do you get your ideas? Best wishes.”

True faith requires determination, and the kind of determination which is required is that set forth by a 21-year-old female college senior, who declared: "Our generation has been exposed, through every means of communication, to major and minor fears—the little threat of not finding a mate if one does not use a certain mouthwash or fear of non acceptance if one does not succumb to a low moral standard because it is “the nature of the beast.”

... I am old-fashioned enough to believe in God; to believe in the dignity and potential of His creature, man; and I am realistic, not idealistic, enough to know that I am not alone in these feelings. Some say that, unlike other generations, we have no mission in life - that everything has been handed to us. We have not been pampered but spiritually impoverished. ... I cannot live alone. Remember that faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other. Be firm in your faith.

... Though we may not necessarily forfeit our lives in service to our God, we can certainly demonstrate our love for Him by how well we serve Him. He who hears our silent prayers, He who observes our unheralded acts will reward us openly when the need comes. ... Frame your life with faith.

When you choose your friends with caution, plan your future with purpose, and frame your life with faith, you will merit the companionship of the Holy Spirit. You will have a perfect brightness of hope. You will testify through your own experience to the truth of the Lord’s promise: I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory. [D&C 76:5–6]"

If you would like to read the whole BYU Devotional either now or in your own time, here is the link below.
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/thomas-s-monson/decisions-determine-destiny/

Stay Tuned until next time.

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.

Decision Making The Lord's Way ~ Part Two

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

This post focuses on May 2009 BYU - Hawaii Devotional and it is called; "Decision Making The Lord's Way" by Steven C. Wheelwright. This post is part two and I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the devotional. I hope you will learn something new while you are reading throughout this post.

President Wheelwright mentioned the following; "Scriptural Examples of Righteous Decision Making

... In addition to Joseph, consider the stories of Ruth, Job, Esther, Nephi, and so many others; these courageous men and women trusted in the Lord with humility, gratitude, and faith. Faced with life-altering circumstances and decisions, they chose to trust in the Lord rather than lean unto their own understanding. By so doing, they were blessed with safety and peace, just as we will be. Following the Lord’s process of decision making results in consistently and powerfully righteous decisions.

And that pattern of righteous decision making in turn develops our character. Elder Scott explained the relationship between making decisions the Lord’s way and forming righteous character. He said: "... When strengthened by obedience and worthy acts, correct decisions form a fabric of character that brings victory in time of great
need. Righteous character provides the foundation of spiritual strength that enables you to make difficult,
extremely important decisions correctly when they seem overpowering.

Building our character is certainly part of the Lord’s process of building us into a palace. Trusting in the Lord actually becomes an upward spiral: when we trust in the Lord, our faith and character are strengthened, and the stronger our character and the deeper our faith, the better we are able to trust in the Lord, and so on, which all results in better decision making." This was certainly the case with Nephi in the opening scenes of the Book of Mormon. ... Nephi is faced with many critical decisions. ... We know he had “great desires to know of the mysteries of God.” 

In other words, he had a desire to know God’s will for him, and that desire led to action - he “did cry unto the Lord,” and the Lord visited him, softening his heart and teaching him to believe the words of his father. ... We probably all know Nephi’s faith-filled reply by heart: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

"The decision to BELIEVE shapes all our other
decisions." - L. Whitney Clayton.

Elder Scott described this type of motivating faith as follows: Motivating faith is centered in trust in the Lord and in His willingness to answer your needs. ... The consistent, willing exercise of faith increases your confidence and ability to employ the power of faith. 

Again we see the upward spiral that results from having a spiritual perspective: the stronger our faith, the more we are able to trust in the Lord, and the better the decisions we will make.

The scriptures and the lives and experiences of modern-day prophets are filled with excellent examples of making decisions the Lord’s way. I urge you to study the scriptures with a focus on searching these out. 

The lessons we learn from the scriptures will strengthen us and fortify our determination to seek the Lord’s will in our own lives as well.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell summarized beautifully the blessings of habitually trusting in the Lord: ... If you will but trust the Lord to lead you from what you are to what you have the power to become. .. If you are righteous, his purposes will be served. Remember, each of us can choose to trust in the Lord, ... what better time to commit to developing the habit of following the Lord’s process of decision making and learning to trust in Him than during this critical period of young adulthood, full of frequent and significant decision-making opportunities.

If we can shift from the world’s way of making decisions to the Lord’s way, our paths will be safe and peaceful and our destination divine. ... Rather than focusing on ease and prestige, may we concentrate on eternal considerations as we make life’s daily decisions. I pray that we will be able to replace feelings of self-centeredness, entitlement, and political correctness with an attitude of humility, gratitude, and faith through righteous obedience to God’s commandments.

... Our free will is literally the only thing that is truly ours; therefore, the ultimate consecration is in yielding ourselves to God. I pray that as we seek to know the Lord’s will for us and as we humbly and gratefully make decisions in His way, ... and that we will enjoy His promised peace in the process." 

I enjoyed learning the part that stated, "Our use of agency determines who we are and what we will be." I know that statement is true and applicable into my life because I know that several times in my life, I have forgotten about how agency determines who I was in the past, who I currently am and what I will be in the future. Most times, I like trusting and putting my faith into Heavenly Father with my past decisions whether it is good decisions or not because I know that I have been able to decide on my own choices and follow any consequences afterwards. I know that sometimes I would just act and do something without thinking about if it is a good decision or not.

Duration of my youth; I would make tons of friendships throughout the years. I have forgotten to ask myself whether some of those friends would still be my friends when I leave Young Women's, and move into YSA (Young Single Adults) or would some of those friends would leave me and won't be my friend anymore before I turned eighteen years old. I guess at times I didn't know how to be a great friend to someone who really needed a friend.

I have read about "friends" from The Strength of Youth pamphlet. I love how a section that stood out to me and that was; "To have good friends, be a good friend. Show genuine interest in others; smile and let them know you care about them. Treat everyone with kindness and respect, and refrain from judging and criticizing those around you.
Do not participate in any form of bullying. Make a special effort to be a friend to those who are shy or lonely, have special needs, or do not feel included."  Decision making in the Lord's way can help us to feel peace and assurance that we would be able to feel the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

You may or may not like to read the whole devotional either now or in your own time, here is the link below.
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/steven-c-wheelwright/decision-making-lords-way/

Stay Tuned until next time.

Decision Making The Lord's Way ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

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

This post focuses on May 2009 BYU - Hawaii Devotional and it is called; "Decision Making The Lord's Way" by Steven C. Wheelwright. He was the president of BYU Hawaii at the time, this post is part one and I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the devotional. I hope you will learn something new while you are reading throughout this post. 

"Following the Lord's process of decision making results in consistently and powerfully righteous decisions. And that pattern of
righteous decision making in turn develops our character." 

President Wheelwright mentioned the following; "... Elder Robert D. Hales said, “Our use of agency determines who we are and what we will be.” While agency is a powerful, eternal principle, our approach to decision making can be considered its mortal embodiment. Agency, the ability to make our own decisions, is a great blessing bestowed by a loving Heavenly Father on all His sons and daughters. In 2 Nephi we read: "Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves - to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life." Choice is inevitably accompanied by opposing forces. Opposition is, in fact, the very essence of choice. Today I’d like to focus my remarks on ... processes of righteous decision making.

“The Valley of Decision”

... Most of you have already made the wise decision to further your education, but you may now be choosing what to study, what classes to take, and what career path to pursue. You may have had your roommates assigned to you, but you have the choice of whom to spend time with and how to spend your time. Hopefully you young men are considering serving a mission, or, if you have already served, you are choosing to maintain the righteous habits you acquired on your mission.

And I suspect more than a few of you are deciding whom to date and even whom to marry and when. The list of decisions you each face goes on and on. ... If you learn to make decisions according to the Lord’s process, you will form one of the habits most critical to both your earthly and your eternal success.

The Process of Making Decisions

... When we are presented with a choice, our perspective and our attitude combine to largely determine the course of action we will pursue - or, in other words, the decision we will make. ... making decisions the Lord’s way versus making decisions the world’s way. We’ll begin with a closer examination of the world’s way. Let’s use the example of choosing a career path as our choice or decision to be made and assume two possible outcomes, option A and option B. The world’s perspective on such a significant decision would certainly consider... potential for prestige and power, and ease of acquisition. And a worldly attitude might include such things as self-centeredness, a sense of entitlement, and even political correctness as major factors in choosing between options A or B.

Working together, the influences of perspective and attitude will largely determine the decision we make or, in this example, which career path we choose. The result of following the world’s process of decision making in selecting a career would greatly favor certain professions over others. In contrast, let’s now take a closer look at making decisions the Lord’s way. We’ll begin with the same choice of which career path to follow, but, since we know that all things are spiritual to the Lord, we’ll consider a spiritual perspective and a spiritual attitude in this process.

A spiritual perspective would, first and foremost, consider eternity, ... and it would allow for a quality journey. ... For example, opportunities to provide service to others, to strengthen one’s family, and to spend meaningful time in Church callings would all be considered in the Lord’s process. When a spiritual perspective and a spiritual attitude are factored into a major decision, such as the choice of a career, the resulting action might well be quite different than that resulting from following a worldly decision-making process.

Now, let’s superimpose one of my favorite scriptures over this decision-making process. Proverbs 3:5–6 reads: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Using this scripture, we can subtitle the world’s approach to decision making “leaning to thine own understanding.”

Our own understanding is imperfect. We cannot see the future, nor can we see our ultimate potential, but when we follow the world’s process, we rely on that understanding anyway. Similarly, using this scripture, we can subtitle the Lord’s approach to decision making “trusting in the Lord.” The Lord does see the future, and only He knows our divine potential - thus this approach requires trusting the Lord. 

C. S. Lewis described this great truth when he likened our lives to a house undergoing renovations: At first, perhaps, you can understand what [God] is doing. ... Therein lies the key reason we need to make decisions by following the Lord’s process: He is building a palace far beyond our wildest plans. ... Left to our own understanding, we are unintentionally false and unsteady. But through trusting in the Lord with humility, gratitude, and faith, we are blessed and we prosper. If we trust in the Lord and acknowledge Him, not only will He “direct [our] paths,” but He will also ensure that “then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble,” and that “her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.”

Stay Tuned until next time.