The Firm Resolve of a Determined Soul

     There is no chance, no destiny, no fate,

     Can circumvent or hinder or control

     The firm resolve of a determined soul.

         Poetical Works of Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1917), 129.

Stuck Under the Smoggy Haze

There are times in our lives when we figuratively find ourselves stuck down in the valley, under the gloom of the dark, smoggy haze. Because of poor choices we have made, behaviors that offend the Spirit, or simply the painful and stretching decisions and challenges common to mortal life, we feel mired in thick, smothering fog. We can’t see clearly, we feel confused, and we sense that we have moved ourselves away from the light and warmth of our Heavenly Father’s love. We forget that the pure light of the Lord awaits us, beckons us, and is only a few steps of faith away. We must recognize that we have the power and capacity to take ourselves out of the filthy air of the valley and into the bright sunlight of the peace and hope that is found only by coming to the Savior.

Elder Patrick Kearon

• pg 30 EnsignDECEMBER 2011
• COME, LET US ADORE HIM

The Foundation for Every Important Decision

“The foundation for every important decision and choice you will make is your testimony of Jesus Christ and the restoration of His gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith."

Quentin L. Cook, “Strengthen Faith as You Seek Knowledge,” New Era, Sept. 2008, 2, 4.

Be Careful in your Professional Lives

“Be very careful in your professional lives. Do not put false gods before the Lord. Be wise. Do not let yourselves be carried away by the current of the world. Seek the Lord’s inspiration and guidance to make wise decisions. Let the material things you earn be a blessing and not a curse in your lives and those of your families.”

Elder Claudio D. Zivic, “The Blessings of Perseverance,” Ensign, April 2014, 61.

Correct Decisions

“When we explain a problem and a proposed solution, sometimes Heavenly Father answers yes, sometimes no. Often He withholds an answer, not for lack of concern, but because He loves us—perfectly. He wants us to apply truths He has given us. For us to grow, we need to trust our ability to make correct decisions. We need to do what we feel is right. In time, He will answer. He will not fail us.”

Elder Richard G. Scott, “Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayer,” Ensign, Nov. 1989, 31. 

Staying On the Path

“Decisions are constantly before us. To make them wisely, courage is needed—the courage to say no, the courage to say yes. Decisions do determine destiny.

“I plead with you to make a determination right here, right now, not to deviate from the path which will lead to our goal: eternal life without Father in Heaven.”

President Thomas S. Monson, “The Three Rs of Choice,” Ensign, Nov. 2010, 68.