Decision Making The Lord’s Way

STEVEN C. WHEELWRIGHT

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.

Today I’d like to consider one of the most basic tenets of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ—
that of agency. Elder Richard G. Scott called agency “a vital element in our Father in Heaven’s
plan of happiness.”1 And Elder Robert D. Hales said, “Our use of agency determines who we are
and what we will be.”2

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.3

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 some of the principles and processes of righteous
decision making.

“The Valley of Decision”

In the last chapter of Joel in the Old Testament, we read of a place called “the valley of
decision,”4 a place where multitudes of people will be gathered to prepare for and await the
Lord’s Second Coming. I like the powerful imagery of the phrase “the valley of decision”
because I see it as analogous to the young adult stage of life—the current stage of life of the
majority of you in this audience.

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.

At this busy intersection of adolescence and adulthood, you are experiencing one of the highest
per-diem decision rates you will ever face in mortality! 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

Let’s for a moment reflect on the most basic elements of the decision-making process. 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.

Now, for discussion’s sake, let’s simplify our decision-making processes into two broad
categories: 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 financial
ramifications, 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, it would be rooted in gospel
principles, and it would allow for a quality journey. And a spiritual attitude would be infused
with humility, gratitude, and faith. 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.

(share example of okoro)

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.

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. Mormon summarized the difference between
making decisions in the world’s way versus the Lord’s way when he noted:

And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men;
yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put
their trust in him.7

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,” 8 and that “her ways are
ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.”9

Scriptural Examples of Righteous Decision Making

In Genesis we read the amazing story of Joseph of Egypt, whom the Lord prospered because of
his righteousness.10 In spite of being sold into slavery by his own flesh and blood, Joseph trusted
in the Lord. He did not follow the world’s process of decision making; rather, he remained fully
committed to making decisions in the Lord’s way. For example, when repeatedly presented with
seductive choices by Potipher’s wife, he retained a spiritual perspective and attitude.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell summarized beautifully the blessings of habitually trusting in the Lord:

Your personal possibilities, not for status and position but for service to God and mankind, are
immense, 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.20

Remember, each of us can choose to trust in the Lord, letting Him develop us into a palace rather
than settling to become a cottage. And 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.

I testify that the Lord’s promise is sure:

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

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. Like Saul on the road to Damascus, may we ask,
“Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”

I have a deep and abiding testimony, brothers and sisters, of the sanctity of agency. Our free will
is literally the only thing that is truly ours; therefore, the ultimate consecration is in yielding
ourselves to God.22 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, we will feel strengthened and enhanced, faithfully
contributing to the building up of His kingdom, and that we will enjoy His promised peace in the
process. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.