What Should I Do?

What Should I Do??? Today I reflect on some near my age who influenced the outcome of American History forever, who undoubtedly asked the same question when they were called to serve the United States during WWII! Assigned to go to war, they must have been sheer full of fear! But many hearkened to this council from Heber J. Grant at the April 1942 General Conference of the LDS church:

"To our young men who go into service, no matter whom they serve or where, we say live clean, keep the commandments of the Lord, pray to Him constantly to preserve you in truth and righteousness, live as you pray, and then whatever betides you the Lord will be with you and nothing will happen to you that will not be to the honor and glory of God and to your salvation and exaltation. There will come into your hearts from the living of the pure life you pray for, a joy that will pass your powers of expression or understanding. The Lord will be always near you; He will comfort you; you will feel His presence in the hour of your greatest tribulation; He will guard and protect you to the full extent that accords with His all-wise purpose. Then, when the conflict is over and you return to your homes, having lived the righteous life, how great will be your happiness — whether you be of the victors or of the vanquished — that you have lived as the Lord commanded. You will return so disciplined in righteousness that thereafter all Satan's wiles and stratagems will leave you untouched. Your faith and testimony will be strong beyond breaking. You will be looked up to and revered as having passed through the fiery furnace (Dan 3:26-27) of trial and temptation and come forth unharmed. Your brethren will look to you for counsel, support, and guidance. You will be the anchors to which thereafter the youth of Zion will moor their faith in man.

Wow... look at those promises, look at how all of them were fulfilled for those WWII vets who served in faith, and look at how we can apply and receive those same promises in our own lives!

Lots on the mind this week. As usual, I'm prompted by a sports reference. LeBron James and Nike recently released a commercial "LeBron Rise". He is quoted saying: "What Should I Do?" over and over. The commercial, to those who haven't heard, was prompted by his "Decision". He made the unpopular choice to do the hard thing and join the Miami Heat, and leaving his home state of Cleveland. We'll see how that works out for him. I initially disagreed with what he did with his "Legacy", but the best line in the whole video is the last, "Should I be what YOU want me to be?"

What Should I Do? I don't think a day goes by that this question hasn't been on my mind, whether I was conscious of it or not.

Before a young man in the LDS church serves a mission, he kind of knows what he is expected to do. Graduate high school, live worthy, prepare to serve a mission, and go on a mission prepared, and serve the Lord with all his soul. Its very outlined for them.

When a young man gets back, its different! There is only the 2 broad expectations of: (1) Get a job, and (2) Get Hitched. Those are two TOUGH

decisions. You mean I have to choose one thing I want to do for the next fifty years? You mean I need to find a woman that I don't drive nuts, and someone to build eternity with?

For some, it seems to come easy. For me, I'm very scattered. I can see myself being great at many things, but I struggle being great at something I don't care for... who is?

So here I am at the original question: What Should I Do?!

Enter October 2010 General Conference, a weekend that I would like to think marked my life for the better. There were lots of talks that touched me, as I already reported earlier. Also, I'm comforted by the admonition of John A. Widstoe (pictured right) in that same 1942 conference.

I think I'm afraid of making just good choices, instead of the BEST choices. This causes fear of commitment...

"Fear, which "shall come upon every man," is the natural consequence of a sense of weakness, also of sin.

Fear is a chief weapon of Satan in making mankind unhappy. He who fears loses strength for the combat of life, for the fight against evil. Therefore, the power of evil ever seeks to engender fear in human hearts. In this day of sorrow, fear walks with humanity. It directs, measurably, the course of every battle. It remains as a gnawing poison in the hearts of victors as of the vanquished."

So... weakness? I can count a million of those in myself. What I love about weakness, it that it is by those weaknesses that we're perfected. It is by weakness that we call upon the Lord to strengthen us says a popular scripture in Ether. We are strong, BECAUSE we are weak, as Paul says.

What Should I Do? I will move forward in faith, praying, and living what I pray. I can draw on those prophetic promises given to those WWII vets, and I will come away from life's daily battles " having lived the righteous life, how great will be [my] happiness — whether [I] be of the victors or of the vanquished — that [I] lived as the Lord commanded. [I] will return so disciplined in righteousness that thereafter all Satan's wiles and stratagems will leave [me] untouched. [My] faith and testimony will be strong beyond breaking." That sounds like the kind of person I want to become! NOT what everyone else wants me to become, but what the Lord will mold me to become!