Questions and Answers
What Do We Do When God Doesn’t Give Precise Answers?
I learned that the gift of agency was meant to bless my life rather than frustrate it.
During my second year of college, I was praying about an important decision. I had been searching for an answer for quite a while, and I began to feel frustrated with God when I hadn’t received anything. I wanted to make the best decision possible and follow His plan for me.
While at work one day, this decision was weighing especially heavy on my mind. I decided to take some quiet time to myself to pray. I poured out my sincere concerns to God. I explained the pros and cons of the situation to Him and tried to make sense of them myself.
Finally, I said: “Heavenly Father, please help me know what to do.” For the first time, I had a clear impression from the Spirit that because I had my own agency, I could make the decision.
My immediate response was ... seriously?
Jokingly, I thought in response: “What if I don’t really want my agency right now? Can’t you just tell me what to do?”
An instantaneous, stronger impression came to me that I was given agency so I could learn from my own experiences, trusting the Lord as I prayerfully make decisions.
That answer from the Spirit hit me hard. As simple as this experience was, it taught me about the great love God has for each of us and the great faith He has in us to make our own decisions. I learned that He trusts our ability to act for ourselves—because that was His plan for us from the very beginning.
It made me realize that our agency is truly a gift. As President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, testified: “A desire to be led by the Lord is a strength, but it needs to be accompanied by an understanding that our Heavenly Father leaves many decisions for our personal choices. Personal decision making is one of the sources of the growth we are meant to experience in mortality.”1
The Gift of Agency
There might be times when we become frustrated with our prayers, feeling like we aren’t receiving the answers we want or need. Maybe we say to ourselves, “God doesn’t care enough about me,” “He doesn’t hear my prayers,” or “He isn’t there for me.”
However, the times when God allows us to learn and act for ourselves may actually be a manifestation of His love. The power to act and make decisions is a divine power and gift from Him. As we learn to act for ourselves, we are able to become more like Him.
In the Book of Mormon, the brother of Jared is commanded to build barges that will take his family to the promised land (see Ether 1–6). After repenting for not calling upon the Lord, the brother of Jared built barges according to the instructions of the Lord in every step of the building process.
Finally, he comes to the Lord with two problems. First, there will be no oxygen in the boat, and second, the boat will have no light. The Lord responds with a simple solution to the first problem—a very precise answer to the brother of Jared’s prayer (see Ether 2:18–20.)
After receiving this answer, he is exactly obedient. He does as the Lord says and then returns to the Lord with his second issue: “I have prepared the vessels for my people, and behold there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?” (Ether 2:22).
This time, rather than giving the brother of Jared another solution, the Lord instead responds, “What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?” (Ether 2:23). The Lord gives him a response that invites him to use his agency.
And the brother of Jared does show great faith by exercising his agency in choosing right. He comes up with the solution himself (see Ether 3:1–5), and the Lord blesses him with a miraculous, spiritual experience (see Ether 3:6, 14–15).
Agency to Become
Heavenly Father’s ultimate desire is for us to become like Him and return to His presence (see Moses 1:39). He sent His Son to die for us so that we could conquer all things: sin, death, sorrow, temptation, confusion, and the uncertainty and anxiety that comes with decision-making.
Of course, there are times when Heavenly Father has a particular path for us or specific guidance that He would like us to follow; however, we can’t expect Him to make every decision for us. God honors our agency by allowing us to choose, to act, and to be who we desire to be as we follow the covenant path throughout our lives. He wants us to choose for ourselves.
My decision wasn’t one that could be made in a day, and maybe that is what Heavenly Father needed me to realize too. Knowing that He had trust and confidence in me, I pressed forward, taking small actions and making important adjustments in my life with the Savior as my focus. The choices I made as a result of this spiritual experience eventually led me to my eternal companion—someone wonderful who I couldn’t have imagined at that earlier time.
President Russell M. Nelson taught: “The wise use of your freedom to make your own decisions is crucial to your spiritual growth, now and for eternity. You are never too young to learn, never too old to change. Your yearnings to learn and change come from a divinely instilled striving for eternal progression. Each day brings opportunity for decisions for eternity.”2
God’s plan is a plan of happiness, and Jesus Christ is the Savior who makes it all possible. With the Spirit as our guide, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ can collaborate with us on our own life’s journey. As we trust in Them and use our agency wisely, They will help and encourage us to make great choices that will lead us to blessings we can hardly imagine.