Blogger of Jared

A recently returned missionary was speaking last week at a stake priesthood meeting. He closed his talk by encouraging the Young Men to serve a mission. He said, “Don’t think about it; just do it.”

He based this counsel on his own experience. Though he had grown up in the Church and attended seminary, he was not committed to going on a mission. Nevertheless, on the advice of his father, his bishop, and others, he went. He returned a changed man with a firm testimony, grateful that he had made that decision even if he had not known with certainty at the beginning that it was the right thing for him.

I wrote down his statement and pondered it. I think I understood his meaning in the context of his talk, but I also think it has another application. I’ll discuss both.

First, he encouraged the Young Men to “do it” just as Alma encouraged the poor on the hill Onidah to “experiment upon [his] words” and plant a seed of faith. In chapter 32 of Alma, we read his words:

27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.
28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.

41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.
42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.

In other words, if someone we trust—the Prophet, our bishop, a parent—encourages us to keep a commandment, “just do it” and plant the seed of faith. Some might argue this is an exercise of blind faith. It may be, if we fail to nourish the tree, to see whether the seed enlarges the soul, and to look forward to its fruit. It seemed clear from this returned missionary’s testimony that he had planted the seed, nourished the young tree in faith and with patience, and then enjoyed the fruit thereof. He received the blessing Alma promised in the final verse:

43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.

In addition to this meaning, I believe his counsel has another application worth mentioning here. When we have gained a testimony that a certain commandment is from God and applies to us, we are most safe to obey it without thinking, especially during moments of weakness or temptation. If we stop to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of obedience during such a moment, we are much more likely to succumb to temptation. We teach this principle to the youth in the Church because it will serve them the rest of their lives. Decide one time to keep a commandment. From then on, “don’t think about it; just do it.” President Spencer W. Kimball taught this principle:

“Develop discipline of self so that, more and more, you do not have to decide and redecide what you will do when you are confronted with the same temptation time and time again. You need only to decide some things once. How great a blessing it is to be free of agonizing over and over again regarding a temptation. To do such is time-consuming and very risky.”

(President Kimball Speaks Out (1981), 94)

President Howard W. Hunter spoke of this same principle in the 1982 General Conference:

“There is good reason to make our decision now to serve the Lord. On this Sunday morning, when the complications and temptations of life are somewhat removed, and when we have the time and more of an inclination to take an eternal perspective, we can more clearly evaluate what will bring us the greatest happiness in life. We should decide now, in the light of the morning, how we will act when the darkness of night and when the storms of temptation arrive.”

(Howard W. Hunter, “Commitment to God,” Ensign, Nov. 1982, 57)

Speaking directly to the youth of the Church, Kieth Merrill, a successful LDS filmmaker, explained the benefits of this principle with great clarity:

“Would you like to be spared the agony of 26,645 decisions? Would you like to be spared the agony of 10 times that many? It’s very simple. Decide which decisions you only have to make once and then make them. Shall I give you a good example? The Word of Wisdom. Have you decided to live the Word of Wisdom, or do you decide everytime somebody offers you a cigarette? Do you make a decision everytime someone offers you a drink, or have you already decided? One decision will save you 26,645 decisions. 26,645 decisions is computed based on your being 17 years old today, living to age 90, and having to make the decision whether or not to keep the Word of Wisdom once each day. That’s stupid! Decide right now. You can do that with morality, the Word of Wisdom, temple marriage, a mission, and with a whole list of other important principles of the gospel. Then you don’t have to keep fighting yourself every time a new challenge or opportunity comes up.”

(Kieth Merrill, “Deciding about Decisions,” New Era, Jun 1976, 11)

A principle related to “don’t think about it” is “be quick to obey.” The less time we give to let temptation work on us, the less of an influence it will be. Elder Henry B. Eyring said, “However much faith to obey God we now have, we will need to strengthen it continually and keep it refreshed constantly. We can do that by deciding now to be more quick to obey and more determined to endure” (Henry B. Eyring, “Spiritual Preparedness: Start Early and Be Steady,” Ensign, Nov 2005, 37).

We will experience greater personal growth and happiness if we choose now to keep the commandments. This choice will serve to shield us from sin and to strengthen our faith. Don’t think about it; just do it.