I just read a very interesting passage from "As Long as I Have You," the last book in the Children of the Promise by Dean Hughes. As I mentioned in my last post, I've been trying to figure out what I should do with my life now that I'm graduated.

In this book, Elder Benson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is talking with one of the characters in the book, Alex. He asks the character what he plans to do after he leaves the military. Alex responds that he is unsure what he wants to do. Here is the remaining conversation:

"Well. . . I wouldn't plan too far into the future."

Alex thought he had heard wrong for a moment. "You Wouldn't?"

"No, and I'll tell you why. There's no way you can know all the things the Lord might have in store for you. Go home and finish your education. Prepare yourself the best way you know how. And then, when you take a job, work hard at it. Be the best that you can be; give your employer all you have. If you do something well, someone will come along and give you another opportunity. That's what always happens. And when that opportunity comes, pray about it. Ask the Lord if that what you're supposed to do. If it is, go after it. Work at like that's your life's ambition; don't just put in your time. If you do that, another opportunity will come along--and more and more will follow. That's how my life has always gone. When I was your age, I never could have imagined the things that have happened to me.

I don't know if this is something that Elder Benson actually told a service man, something he often preached, or a tool invented by the author. I believe in the principle of working where ever you are as if "it's your life's ambition." There is a scripture in that Doctrine & Covenant that says something to that effect, but I always have a hard time finding it again (feel free to comment if you know where that is).

Maybe this is my answer; I should just work as hard as I can at ICON until the Lord sends me another opportunity to pray about.

Give Heed to This Compass

Give Heed to This Compass
Last week, I mentioned that I had intended to post about Abraham and Sarah; however, today in Sunday school we discussed Alma chapters 36–39, which I feel impelled to discuss further. In chapter 37, verses 38­–46, Alma is talking to his son, Helaman, about the Liahona. As I am currently trying to decide where my life should go post-graduation, I found this lesson intriguing. After I graduated in May, I worked extremely hard looking for a job. I was very diligent at it too, for almost two weeks. Then, I got discouraged and decided to stay with ICON for a while. This wasn't a decision I had made with the Lord; it was just a decision I made out of easiness.

Return to McDonald's
I was reminded today of the time I decided to return to McDonald's. Prior to my mission, I worked for my local McDonald's. I quit about a week before my mission. As I walked out the door, I shouted joyfully, “This is the last time I will ever work at McDonald's again!” And I meant it.

When I returned home from my mission, I avoided talking to my friends who still worked at McDonald's because I knew they would want me to return. Finally, my brother convinced me to visit my friend. He asked if I would consider coming back to McDonald's. I told him right away that I wouldn't, then I suddenly felt guilty. For two years I had been asking people to be open-minded and ask Heavenly Father what they should do. I softened my stance and said that I would pray about it, but probably not.

That night as I knelt in my room, I offered a vocal prayer (something I need to do more often). I said, “ Heavenly Father, I don't want to go back to McDonald's. I do need a job, but I really don't want to go to McDonald's. I did tell [my friend] that I would ask and I want to go where you want me to go. So, should I go back to working at McDonald's?”

Immediately, I heard these words in my mind, “Go until I tell thee otherwise.” It was one of the clearest answers I've ever received. I wanted to imitate Jonah and try to sail across the sea. Unfortunately I live in the desert and there is no sea, just the Salt Lake which won't take me very far. I knew I had to return to McDonald's. Now I can look back and see that I have developed many leadership qualities that I would not have gained in other pre-graduation jobs.

The Liahona
I decided today, that I need to be more diligent in seeking this type of guidance as I search for a job or decide to stay at ICON (because I'm not ruling anything out). Alma tells his son that the Liahona was compass that “was prepared to show unto our fathers the course which they should travel in the wilderness.” I love the analogy of a compass. I remember when I was trying to follow a compass and map in boy scouts. We were supposed to find our way to an exact location, but somewhere along the way, we set the compass to the wrong degree. We discovered that by following even one degree different would put us completely off track.

Alma continues to teach that the compass did “work according to their faith in God.” The teacher today asked for examples when this has happened with the scriptures. I thought about how I have used the scriptures for this very purpose. Unfortunately, as I have neglected my job search, I have also neglected this simple principle of using the scriptures as my Liahona. “. . . Because those miracles were worked by small means . . . they were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence. And they did not progress in their journey. Therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel a direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst.”

A Far Better Land of Promise
According to Alma the reason they were slothful was because of the easiness of the way. Indeed, it should be easy, but I wonder if sometimes the spindles pointed to path that they did not want to travel. Perhaps they pointed towards a dark forest or a desert that looked very deserted. I believe sometimes we will get an answer that doesn't make sense. I know I didn't want to go back to McDonald's. I'm sure Abraham was confused when he was commanded to sacrifice Isaac. In time we come to understand the reason we were meant to travel down a certain path. We just have to have faith to follow that path and
trust that it will lead where we should go. “Just as surely as this director (the Liahona) did bring our fathers to the promised land, shall the words of Christ carry us to a far better land of promise.”