Essential Tools for Making a Good Decision

Recently I read a meme on Facebook that said, “You know it’s going to hurt but you do it anyway—That’s courage...It’s also stupidity.That’s why life is so hard.”

Decisions, decisions.Sometimes it’s very hard to make a good one.Anyone who has wrestled, over an extended period of time, with a difficult decision, knows how excruciatingly painful it can be to “Halt between two opinions…” (1 Kings 18:21)

Perhaps you are struggling with a decision right now…

Today, I would like to discuss some foundational principles that, if followed, will ensure that more of your future personal decisions will be correct, timely, and that they will lead to peace in this life and Eternal Life in the world to come.

We can regard each of these principles as a specific tool designed to aid us in our decision-making.As an aspiring shoemaker I have an appreciation for high-quality tools.The tools I am going to talk about today are of the very highest quality.As with all tools, their usefulness increases as we practice with them.

The first tool I will refer to is the Light of Christ.

The Light of Christ, as we know, proceeds forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space (D&C 88:7,12).

It is that which “gives light to every man (and woman) that comes into the world; and the Spirit enlightens every man and woman through the world that hears and obeys the voice of the Spirit. (D&C 84: 45-46).

Referring to the Light of Christ, President Marion G. Romney, a former counsellor in the First Presidency, stated, “This Spirit is, no doubt, the source of one’s conscience, which Webster defines as ‘a knowledge or feeling of right and wrong, with a compulsion to do right.’”

Members of the Church sometimes think of the Light of Christ as one thing and the Holy Ghost as another thing.However, President Romney went on to explain, “There are three phases of the Light of Christ…

The first (phase) is the light which enlighteneth every (one) that cometh into the world…

The second phase is the gift of the Holy Ghost;

And the third is the more sure word of prophecy” (Conference Talk The Light of Christ, April 1977). Joseph Smith said that the more sure word of prophecy refers to an individual receiving an unmistakable witness that they will be exalted.

In this 1977 April Conference talk, President Romney went on to explain this inspired view of the light of Christ and how it relates to our Eternal Salvation.However, at this moment I wish to focus on how we can experience the Light of Christ and how it helps us make good decisions.

When I was in the 11^th Grade, I attended a high school that was a long way from where I lived, so in the first semester I didn’t know anybody.Our ward, in the town of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, met in a modest, rented building.What we lacked in facilities, however, was made up for by the love, the unity, and the great examples of the members with whom my family attended church.My seminary teacher and my Young Men’s leaders were the best ever, constantly sacrificing their time, talents, and all that they possessed to see that gospel principles were taught to and modelled for the rising generation.In the Fall of 1972, the ward leadership decided to hold a missionary open house in our little building.In Sacrament Meeting, a date was announced, and all the members were encouraged to invite friends and acquaintances to attend.

When I went to school the next day, the thought came to me that I should invite some of my fellow students to the missionary open house, even though I didn’t know them well.Naturally, as a teenager, I felt awkward about doing that.But the thought would not let go of me—My conscience (or The Light of Christ) told me it was the right thing to do.So, I gathered my courage and extended an invitation to the students who sat closest to me in my Social Studies class.They listened politely to my somewhat awkward invitation, but none gave any indication that they would come to the event.Having made the right choice, and delivered my invitation, I thought no more about it until the day of the Open House.On that day, I was serving at one of the missionaries displays in our building when, to my surprise, two girls from my Social Studies class entered the building.I didn’t know what to do!It had not even crossed my mind that my invitation might actually be accepted…

Anyway, the name of one of those girls was Cathy Caldow.It has been 52 years since I paid heed to the light of Christ that day and invited her to the open house.During that time, she and I have been blessed with four children, who are raising 12 grandchildren.So far, Cathy, and our children and grandchildren have served 8 missions, and Cathy has ensured that many, many of her ancestors have received the Ordinances of Salvation in the temples of our God. Our children bless the lives of others through their faithful service in the Kingdom. My own life has been, and continues to be blessed by the example, faith, courage, forgiveness, and love of this exceptional woman.When I think of the small amount of effort required in heeding the Light of Christ that day, compared to the everlasting blessings that are the result of it I am humbled and feel to rejoice in the Lord’s goodness to His children.

Heed the Light of Christ in all your decisions.Choose the Right.

It has been noted that most of our problems, as humans, derive from the fact that we have great big brains.To paraphrase Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “Nothing is so bad that it can’t be made worse by thinking about it.And yet, these big brains are also our ultimate problem-solving mechanism.Whether your brain will become your worst enemy or your biggest problem-solving tool are predicated on the thinking habits that you choose now. I am not talking here about obsessive inappropriate thoughts that individuals sometimes struggle with—those thoughts are not chosen or indulged in but are part of a very real affliction that is outside the scope of what I am saying here.I am talking about the folly of choosing to worry and choosing to allow other forms of negative thinking to dominate your mind, versus engaging in the life and spirit-affirming habit of pondering.Worrying drains the soul while pondering feeds the soul.What is the difference?

When we worry, we think about an undesirable outcome over and over again.In fact, we often mentally state or mentally picture the undesirable outcome repetitively.This is a problem. Jason Chatfield, among others, has noted that worrying has never helped anyone reach a positive outcome.This is because the human mind, with its divine origin and its very real interconnectedness with the universe, is an extremely powerful instrument designed to become what it seeks.The writer of proverbs stated it simply and powerfully when he said, “As (a man) thinketh in his heart, so is he”.This does not mean that every thought that pops into your head somehow changes you; and it does not mean that, if you struggle with compulsive thoughts, you are going to become what those thoughts contain—quite the opposite, really.What it does mean, is that when you choose deliberately and consistently to hold a thought in your mind, you will immediately begin to attract what you are focusing on.That is why it is so important to choose thoughts of faith, hope, and charity.If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, those are the things to deliberately focus your thoughts on.When we hold something of this nature consistently in our minds for an extended period, that is what we call pondering.The more you do this, the better will be your decisions, because you will naturally attract to yourself that which you are pondering.Do this and give no thought or energy to the other. This is a powerful tool—use it.

Tool Number 3: Effective Prayer

I am grateful that Enos so generously took the time and effort to record the account of his “wrestle before God”, wherein he received a remission of his sins.This is one of the longest accounts we have of an ordinary human being going to our Heavenly Father in prayer and achieving unmistakable two-way communication. (Enos 1:4)

He recorded, “And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.

And there came a voice unto me saying:Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.”

And then you have this marvelous account of a conversation between Enos and God, where Enos asks questions and God teaches him directly.

Note in the last verse of this chapter that Enos bears witness that he has received the Second Comforter, or, as Joseph Smith sometimes called it, “The more sure word of prophecy”:

“And I soon go to the place of my rest. Which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in Him I shall rest.And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father.Amen,” (Enos 1:27)

President Jeffrey R. Holland, said, “…our prayers are our sweetest hour, our most sincere desire, our simplest, purest form of worship.We should pray individually, in our families, and in our congregations of all sizes.We are to employ prayer as a shield against temptation, and if there be any time we feel not to pray, we can be sure that hesitancy is not from God, who yearns to communicate with all of his children at all times.Indeed, some efforts to keep us from praying come directly from the adversary.When we don’t know what to pray for, we should begin, until the Holy Spirit guides us into the prayer we should be offering”

Once a person has achieved connection with Heavenly Father through prayer, presents his decision to the Lord, and receives the Lord’s answer, all that is left is to follow through with the Lord’s will.This powerful tool is available to you in every moment of your life.Don’t neglect it.

The Fourth Tool: The Gift of the Holy Ghost

One of the most familiar passages of scripture that we have is Moroni’s promise, recorded in Moroni, chapter 10, verses 3-5.I am sure that, if I asked, there are many here who could quote this scripture word-for-word in many different languages, and it would sound beautiful, because the language that we all share is the language of the Spirit.I wont take the time to quote it as we have all heard it many times before.

I love that Moroni tells us, not only that the Holy Ghost will reveal truth to us, but he tells us the means by which the Holy Ghost does this.It is by the power of the Holy Ghost.What is the power of the Holy Ghost?Sometimes we speak of a superhero’s special abilities as their powers.These are the powers of the Holy Ghost.Taken together, I think they can be called the power of the Holy Ghost:

• The Holy Ghost cleanses through the Atonement of Jesus Christ
• The Holy Ghost reveals truth
• The Holy Ghost comforts those in need of comfort and solace, such as in times of sickness and death
• The Holy Ghost Testifies of Truth
• The Holy Ghost ratifies Ordinances
• The Holy Ghost enlightens the mind
• The Holy Ghost protects us from the Adversary

With at least these seven specific powers, the Holy Ghost is the most powerful tool available to you in your desire to make and keep good decisions.However, as with all power tools, connecting to that source of power is the biggest issue.Fortunately, all of us have been well-trained in how to plug it in and turn it on.Prayer, fasting, and keeping the commandments make this tool available for your use.

The Fifth tool:Repentance

In his talk entitled “Spiritual Momentum” in April 2022 General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson urged,
“Please do not fear or delay repenting.Satan delights in your misery.Cut it short.Cast his influence out of your life!Start today to experience the joy of putting off the natural man.The Savior loves us always, but especially when we repent.He promises that, though the mountains depart, and the hills be removed…my kindness will not depart from thee.”

This great tool of repentance, purchased for us at great cost by our loving Elder Brother, “… in great sweat and agony of pain”, in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross of Calvary, is useless if left neglected on the shelf, but, oh so powerful in changing your life, when you heed the Savior’s invitation to come unto him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.I bear personal witness to that.Do whatever you need to do to thoroughly and cleanly repent, and then follow that with constant, daily, joyful repentance, as President Nelson has invited.

I have three more tools to share with you.Think of each of these, as well as those already mentioned, being laid out neatly in your decision-making workshop, ready for you to craft beautiful decisions with:

The first of the last three tools I call, “The Spirit killer detector/ extractor tool”. There are traps, designed by our common enemy, Lucifer, intended to wound or kill your spirit. Sometimes, just when you are starting to press forward in faith, you may fall into one of these traps.Fortunately, we have the power and the ability to avoid these traps, and to extricate ourselves from them.Here are the traps: criticism, gossip, comparing yourself to others; greed, looking outside of your true interests [The Kingdom of God, Family, Health), envy, gluttony, looking for fault, looking for evidence in favor of death and despair, rather than looking for evidence that points to Life and Salvation.

You know what I’m talking about. You can detect these traps by the unpleasant feeling you get when you approach them. Perhaps you are struggling right now in one of these traps.You are distracted, unsettled, anxious, you are finding it impossible to achieve personal peace because you are trapped in one of these Spirit-Killers.
Here is the key, the tool, that that will give you your freedom and your peace back.With credit given to Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf for the following advice: Stop!Just stop.Whatever thoughts or words of criticism, doubt, envy, greed, self-centeredness, comparison, gossip, or fault-finding you have been engaging in, step away from it and leave it alone.Let peace, like a river, flow into your life.

Here is the second to last tool:I almost didn’t include this as a tool for successful decision-making.However, I decided to include it for this reason.In shoemaking, as in many skilled trades, there are tools used for actual construction (or making the shoes, in my example) and then there are finishing tools.When you build something, your finishing tools are used to make the item more beautiful.So here is the tool I’m talking about now:

A cheerful heart and a happy countenance.

President Gordon B. Hinckley admonished, “Don’t be gloomy.Do not dwell on unkind things.Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight.Even if you are not happy, put a smile on your face. ‘Accentuate the positive.’Look a little deeper for the good.Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, with great and strong purpose in your heart.Love life.”

Once you have made your decision, chosen your path, set your course, then use the tool of a cheerful heart and a happy countenance to finish that decision beautifully.I promise, that as you determinedly do this, your decisions will become powerful trends in your life, leading to joy and peace.

And lastly, I will end my list of effective decision-making tools by telling a story.In the city of Vancouver, British Columbia near my childhood home, there is a famous bronze statue of John Landy and Roger Bannister.We passed this statue often and I was fascinated by it, partly because it was sculpted and cast by my mum’s first cousin, Jack Harman.The sculpture depicts the two runners, both of whom had recently broken the 4 minute mile barrier.They were racing against each other now, in the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, to determine who was the “fastest man on earth”.Just as John Landy looked over his left shoulder, Roger Bannister passed him on the right to win the competition.Later, Landy joked that, “While Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt for looking back, I am probably the only one that was ever turned into bronze for looking back”

The obvious lesson for all of us, as the sculptor intended and the actual event so powerfully taught, is the great importance of keeping our eye, undeviatingly, on the ultimate goal:Eternal life in the Presence of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.All scriptures entreating us to make our “eye single to the Glory of God”, to “Hold to the Rod”, and to be steadfast and true are saying the same thing.

Like a compass, pointing us toward magnetic north, or like the fixed compasses I use in shoemaking, we can use this tool to make sure we are always in line with our ultimate and most important goal.Keep your eye on Eternal Life.As our beloved prophet has said, “Think Celestial”.

As so many of you have spent many months of your lives testifying, all of us are beloved sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.He wants each of us to be happy, He wants each of us to succeed.

He has placed no roadblocks in our way“God is in relentless pursuit of you, said Elder Patrick Kearon.“The Father’s design, His plan, His purpose, His intent, His wish, and His hope are all to heal you, all to give you peace, all to bring you, and those you love, home.To that end, He reaches out to you—lovingly and mercifully, indefatigably, and eternally---with the matchless arms of His covenant love.”

He will not interfere in your decision- making but, like the excellent parent He is, He will support every good decision you make, and He will gently teach you to make better and better decisions, if you let Him.As an Advisor from the 9^th floor, I am going to give you some advice—Use the powerful tools that God has given you.

I bear testimony to our Saviors’ love for us and for a clear and profound personal experience, I know that he lives and that he loves us. May you always be aware of this as you strive to make decisions and live by principles that emulate the Savior’s life and teachings.
In his sacred Name of Jesus Christ.Amen