During this time of uncertainty, BYU students must be decisive in their choices, said Elder Lynn A. Mickelsen of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“The Lord made it clear: he will inspire. He will guide. He will prompt. He will teach. But He will not choose for us,” he said. “The Lord does not work that way. First we must ‘study it out in our minds’ and then we must decide.”

Elder Mickelsen explained the responsibility of being chosen and encouraged students to exercise agency with faith to gain pure knowledge and eternal life.

He spoke Tuesday at Devotional to a filled de Jong Concert Hall. Vice President Brad Farnsworth presided in the place of President Cecil O. Samuelson, who was not present at the program.

Elder Mickelsen reminded students that they are the “chosen generation” and with that, they have great responsibility. Students can come to know the things of God through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.

“To those who are chosen, the Lord has always opened the heavens to that marvelous light,” Elder Mickelsen said. “The promised light includes understanding the plan of salvation and participation in the covenants and blessings from God. That marvelous light comes through the Holy Ghost.”

Inspiration comes through earnest seeking and thinking, Elder Mickelsen said. Both the Holy Ghost and the Light of Christ can guide students in their choices.

“If we follow the Light of Christ, it becomes one of the most precious possessions that we hold,” Elder Mickelsen said. “However, if we persist in rejecting His inviting and enticing, we can lose that help, for the Spirit ‘will not always strive with man.’”

Although Christ and the Holy Ghost will guide students toward the light, in the end, it is the students’ choice.

“The purpose of our existence is to develop the character and capacity to make right decisions,” Elder Mickelsen said.

He said agency is the essence of eternal life. Students are free to choose between eternal life and eternal death.

“When we make wrong choices the door of opportunity closes behind us,“ Elder Mickelsen said. “If we continue in error, the doors keep closing until the night of darkness comes when agency is lost and no labor can be performed.”

With each decision students exercise faith, Elder Mickelsen said. As students practice faith in decisions, they will be decisive and boldly step into the darkness, knowing that light will follow.

He said this decision making process will become automatic with time and effort. During this time of uncertainty, students experience a flood of contradictory information from the world. Students need to act now, and do it with faith and the Holy Ghost guiding the way.

“This is not a time to wait and see,” Elder Mickelsen said. “This is a time of decision. It is always comfortable to have someone validate your decisions, but the most important thing is to learn to make right decisions for yourself.”



Copyright Brigham Young University 29 Jun 2005