Brothers and Sisters aloha,
Introduction
I moved to Laie when I was 15 years old. I remember watching my dad give a devotional at BYU–Hawaii. I couldn’t have imagined that I would be doing the same thing many years later. I also remember thinking to myself although my parents both received degrees in education and both were teachers, I am not going to grow up to be a teacher, I am going to be an accountant. Oh, how the tides have turned. But I believe the Lord can do so much more with our lives than we could have ever imagined or could have accomplished on our own, if we are willing to choose the Lord again, and again.
I’m grateful to have attended BYU–Hawaii where the small class sizes allowed for great classroom engagement and support for my learning. BYU–Hawaii was a place where my professors knew my name and had time to meet with me one-on-one to review my career goals. It was a place where I could continue to grow my testimony and where I could find my eternal companion.
I remember entering my ward on the first Sunday of the semester. I remember the ward had awesome members, fun family home evening activities and delicious food after events. My soon-to-be husband, Spencer, was the executive secretary in our ward. I was impressed by Spencer’s commitment to his calling and his devotion to the Savior. We started dating in my second semester and were married a little over a year later.
Over the last 15 years of being married we have tried to choose the Lord again, and again and serve the best that we can in our callings.
So where did this desire to serve the best that we can in our callings come from? For me, I can’t pinpoint a time or place in my life where I had a singular confirming witness that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was for me. I don’t remember my “sacred grove” moment, but I have treasured a large collection of small spiritual moments over time.
Growing up, I remember watching general conference and listening to my dad identify scriptures as they were quoted by the speakers. Oftentimes, after hearing just a few words of a scripture, he could recite the rest of the verse. More often than not, he was right. I remember being amazed by his knowledge of the scriptures and the love he had for God's word.
As a young girl, I didn't always know which scriptures were considered the "important" ones, but I wanted to. Whenever I saw my dad's well-used set of scriptures, filled with markings made in red pencil, I knew they contained verses that meant something to him. I would often take my brand-new scriptures and compare them to his, carefully highlighting the same passages he had marked.
Just recently, without being provoked, my 11-year-old daughter grabbed her new scriptures and my scriptures to start highlighting the passages that I had marked in red pencil. It was a tender moment—it reminded me of the time she brought home a drawing of her future career aspirations, and she said she wanted to be an accountant—it made my mom heart happy.
For me, the gospel was a constant in my life. I’m grateful for my dad’s and mom’s powerful testimonies and unwavering commitment to serve in the Church, but I needed to test out the gospel for myself to see if it really brought joy, blessings, and peace.
We may ask ourselves how do we move from a sense of obligation to a strong conviction in serving the Lord? How do we move away from going through the motions of the gospel to continuing to have strong spiritual experiences?
I have learned that choosing the Lord has brought so many blessings. The more I have chosen Him, especially when it was inconvenient, difficult, or required sacrifice, the more I have come to know for myself that His promises are real.
Today, I’ll share four aspects of choosing the Lord;
1. Choosing the Lord through life’s challenges,
2. Choosing the Lord when you feel inadequate,
3. Choosing the Lord through lifelong learning, and
4. Choosing the Lord through your priorities.
First, Choosing the Lord Through Life’s Challenges
Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai of the Presidency of the Seventy explained that sometimes young members of the Church feel that “the Church asks too much of me… From going to Church meetings, making and keeping covenants, following God’s commandments, loving Him and your neighbor, repenting daily, serving in callings, worshipping in the temple, studying your scriptures, praying, and more, sometimes being a disciple does require much.” [1]
I have come to find that even though the gospel requires a lot out of its members, every effort for the Lord is worth giving.
Just a few years after I started teaching in the accounting program here, I was on a field trip to a local accounting firm with four of my students. We were talking about my experience at a neighboring accounting firm and how it was a period of learning a lot, working with incredibly bright colleagues and working hard to meet deadlines. I recounted that work and studying for the CPA exam required a lot of my energy, but I was glad to have Sunday to reset and refocus.
One of my students asked – was it worth it? They were referring to being a member of the Church and going to church on Sunday with an already busy schedule. I think the conversation was centered around, wouldn’t it be better to run errands on Sunday or just relax all day because you had been working so hard during the week?
I replied that the gospel was so worth it. It was sometimes the only thing that kept me going when times were hard. I was physically exhausted, motivation was low, and challenges seemed overwhelming. And passing the taxation and financial accounting section of the CPA exam felt impossible.
But, I knew the plan of salvation, I knew my purpose on earth, and although deadlines are very important, (right students? Deadlines are very important) there were things much more important. Eternal families, keeping covenants, serving others, and becoming more like Jesus Christ are the things that give lasting meaning to our lives. The plan of salvation gave me perspective during difficult times and reminded me that my trials were part of a much larger eternal journey.
President Russell M. Nelson’s words are always encouraging: “The best is yet to come as we fully turn our hearts and our lives to Jesus Christ.” [2]
Elder Tai went on to say: “When your foundation of faith is built upon the rock of your Redeemer, there are promises and blessings that come with that.” [3]
In Helaman 5:12, it talks about building upon the rock. It reads, “And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” [4]
When the storms come, and they will come, you cannot fall. That’s an incredible promise.
So, I say to you young people and my kids, “Yes, it is worth it” to choose the Lord again and again; to show up to church meetings, to build your foundation on the rock, our Redeemer, and to keep an eternal perspective when times are hard.
2. Choosing the Lord When You Feel Inadequate
A couple years after working for the accounting firm, I was a young mother at home with two young children living in Honolulu. I would sometimes feel overwhelmed with what was asked of us as members of the Church. My husband got called to serve as the Young Men’s president, and I got called to serve as a Gospel Doctrine teacher. I said yes to the calling, but the reality of this calling sank in the week that I was preparing for my first lesson. Our ward was made up of many young families and many retired individuals and couples. I remember one of the older brothers in our ward was a historian and especially good at historical geography. He could give historical context and geographical context for every single lesson. I was intimidated to say the least, especially being one of the youngest adults in the room. I prayed for guidance, studied the lesson extensively, and focused on what I was good at. Not geographical context, but object lessons, trying different techniques to get more members participating, and applying gospel principles to our lives. Little did I know that I was developing my own pedagogy and my abilities as a teacher.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: “God does not begin by asking us about our ability, but only about our availability, and if we then prove our dependability, he will increase our capability!” [5]
This quote reminds us that the Lord first asks for our availability, NOT our ability. Think about a time when you felt inadequate or you didn’t quite measure up to a calling. I’ve had many instances of this in the Church, but the Lord can magnify our abilities if we are available, willing, and dependable.
Elder Ronald M. Barcellos recently taught: “When we choose to do each thing the Lord has asked us to do … with a sincere heart and with real intent, each act of service and worship becomes a powerful spiritual experience that strengthens our faith and testimony and fills our hearts with joy and love for God and our fellow man.” [6]
When we think about willingness to follow the Savior, I think about two scripture stories in the New Testament. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin tells these stories:
“They were fishermen before they heard the call. Casting their nets into the Sea of Galilee, Peter and Andrew stopped as Jesus of Nazareth approached, looked into their eyes, and spoke the simple words, ‘Follow me.’ Matthew writes that the two fishermen ‘straightway left their nets, and followed him.’… Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to have lived in the days of the Savior? If you had been there, would you have heeded His call 'Follow me’? Perhaps a more realistic question might be, 'If the Savior were to call you today, would you be just as willing to leave your nets and follow Him?’ ” [7]
The second story talks about a rich young man “who claimed that he had obeyed all the commandments from his youth. When he asked the Savior what else he should do to have eternal life, the Master said, ‘If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.’ When the young man heard that, ‘he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.’” [8]
The rich young man’s hesitation is understandable. As an accountant, I can see why. Accountants deal with money, and I am well aware of how important money and assets are in today’s world. It would be hard to be asked to give up all of your worldly possessions.
In the October 2021 general conference President Jeffrey R. Holland said, “But ultimately it is a story about wholehearted, unreserved devotion to divine responsibility. With or without riches, each of us is to come to Christ with the same uncompromised commitment to His gospel that was expected of this young man.” President Holland’s message reminds us how we need to declare ourselves “all in” for the gospel.” [9]
Hopefully when the call comes to you, you will straightway, without hesitation, choose to follow the Lord. Serving and following the Lord does not have to be a formal calling, nor do we have to be the assigned ministering sister or brother to support others. I’m grateful to have amazing examples of service when I look at my older brothers and brothers-in-law. I see so many acts of service to neighbors, friends and family such as moving something heavy—which makes sense that they always get asked to move something heavy because all of my brothers are over six foot three inches tall and are very strong. Or other acts of service they have performed include hauling trash, doing yard work, or gardening.
The Lord has said, “If thou lovest me thou shalt serve me,” [10] Elder Carl B. Cook taught, “…As we serve, we draw closer to God... Our faith in Him increases. Our problems are put into perspective. Life becomes more satisfying. Our love for others increases, as well as our desire to serve.” [11]
As my husband and I reminisce on our time in Honolulu, we are grateful to have fulfilled those callings in our ward. We loved our time being in the ward. During that time Spencer and I took turns holding a full-time job. Spencer completed his master’s degree, and I went on to pursue my master’s degree. We were busy and there was a lot to do in the week, but we felt renewed and happy to worship with our ward family. We felt blessed in our own family, with our work and with our educational pursuits.
3. Choosing the Lord through Lifelong Learning
In our marriage, we have always had school and lifelong learning as one of our top priorities. Even if we are out of school, we still want to continue to learn and grow whether that be a new skill or an interesting topic. We often debrief after work or after a project with “so what are you learning?” or “what’s the take-away?” When we reflect on our first seven years of marriage, we were always studying for something between the CPA exam, our master’s degrees, and then Spencer’s PhD. Eventually, I pursued my PhD. We’ve spent more than 11 of 15 years of our marriage in school.
We learn from the scriptures that God “is perfect in knowledge” [12], and “…so our aim to become perfect should include striving toward a more perfect knowledge.” [13]
The For the Strength of Youth booklet says: “You have both temporal and spiritual reasons to seek and love learning. Education is not just about earning money. It is part of your eternal goal to become more like Heavenly Father.” [14] “Education is an eternal goal because becoming like God is an everlasting pursuit.” [15]
BYU’s motto is “Enter to learn, go forth to serve.” [16] Elder David A. Bednar said this about the motto: “May I respectfully suggest an addition to this well-known motto that is too long to put on the sign but important for us to remember regardless of which university or college we attend: “Enter to learn to love learning and serving; go forth to continue learning and serving.” [17]
And I would just repeat that again: “Enter to learn to love learning and serving; go forth to continue learning and serving.” [18]
4. Choosing the Lord through your Priorities
Now that my husband and I have finished school, I wish I could say our lives are relaxed, our calendars are clear, and our to-do lists are empty. Instead, we've discovered that one busy season has simply been replaced by another. Just last July we welcomed a new addition to our family. We have three older kids and our one little princess. Life is busy as I am sure yours is as well.
I resonate a lot with President Camille N. Johnson’s talk about juggling priorities. She said, “Maybe you are pursuing your education, bearing children, nurturing and caring for children, earning a living, serving in the Church, or caring for your parents—maybe you are doing many of those things at the same time.” She advised that our first and second priorities should be: “Love of God and love of His children.” [19]
She talks about how she learned that she was “far more efficient and effective” when she included scripture study into her daily routine. She said, “I get more done when I do the things that matter most first!” [20]
She talks about putting on a conference talk when she’s getting ready for the day. I have found this practice to be helpful. Additionally, one way I’ve tried to make time for the Savior amid life's busyness is by listening to the Book of Mormon audio while driving my son to school. Not only does it eliminate the debate over what music to listen to, but it also creates opportunities for gospel conversations. Not every day is perfect, and we struggle on the weekends, holidays, and vacations, but small efforts are still important.
President Johnson goes on to say, “When we prioritize daily acts of devotion to Heavenly Father and the Savior—including prayer and study of the scriptures and the words of living prophets—we invite the Spirit to be our constant companion… we invite Jesus Christ to be the author and finisher of our faith.” [21]
We all have to choose what will occupy our time as we are juggling our many tasks.
President Dallin H. Oaks in his talk Good, Better, Best shared how we can choose priorities, “We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.” [22]
The story of Mary and Martha illustrates that amid life’s busyness, making time to choose the Savior is a top priority.
“Jesus taught this principle in the home of Martha. While she was ‘cumbered about much serving’ [23], her sister, Mary, ‘sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word’ [24]. When Martha complained that her sister had left her to serve alone, Jesus commended Martha for what she was doing but taught her that ‘one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’ [25] It was praiseworthy for Martha to be ‘careful and troubled about many things’ [26] but learning the gospel from the Master Teacher was more ‘needful.’ The scriptures contain other teachings that some things are more blessed than others.” [27]
Rather than waiting for life to slow down, Elder Tai encourages us to intentionally create space for stillness and communion with God.
“When you make time for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ...You will be better prepared to encounter the challenges and overcome the temptations of the day. If it feels like the world is dictating your schedule, remember—setting aside moments of designated time for the Lord is completely within your control.” [28]
I know that as you choose the Lord again, and again you will be blessed. Your path will be guided, and you will be able to accomplish things that you could have never accomplished on your own. As you demonstrate your availability and dependability to the Lord, continue to love learning and intentionally create space for stillness and communion with God, he will increase your capabilities.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes:
[1] Benjamin M.Z. Tai, “5 Invitations to Help You Feel More Joy in Living the Gospel” Liahona, July 2025
[2] Russell M. Nelson, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” Liahona, October 2024, 122
[3] Benjamin M.Z. Tai, “5 Invitations to Help You Feel More Joy in Living the Gospel” Liahona, July 2025
[4] Helaman 5:12
[5] Neal A. Maxwell, “It’s Service, Not Status, That Counts,” Ensign, July 1975, 7
[6] Ronald M. Barcellos, “The Lord Looketh on the Heart,” Liahona, November 2025
[7] Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Follow Me,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2002, 15
[8] Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Follow Me,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2002, 15
[9] Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Greatest Possession,” Liahona, November 2021, 8
[10] Doctrine and Covenants 42:29
[11] Carl B. Cook, “Serve,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2016, 110
[12] Job 37:16
[13] Joel B. Randall, “Growing Closer to God through Lifelong Learning,” Liahona, April 2023
[14]For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices [2022], 31
[15] Joel B. Randall, “Growing Closer to God through Lifelong Learning,” Liahona, April 2023
[16] Brigham Young University Motto
[17] David A. Bednar, “Learning to Love Learning,” Ensign, February 2010, 28
[18] David A. Bednar, “Learning to Love Learning,” Ensign, February 2010, 28; emphasis added.
[19] Camille N. Johnson, “Lessons Learned in Inviting Christ to Author My Story” [Brigham Young University Women’s Conference, May 3 2024]
[20] Camille N. Johnson, “Lessons Learned in Inviting Christ to Author My Story” [Brigham Young University Women’s Conference, May 3 2024]
[21] Camille N. Johnson “Lessons Learned in Inviting Christ to Author My Story”
[Brigham Young University Women’s Conference, May 3 2024]
[22] Dallin H. Oaks, “Good, Better, Best,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2007, 107
[23] Luke 10:40
[24] Luke 10:39
[25] Luke 10:42
[26] Luke 10:41
[27] Dallin H. Oaks, “Good, Better, Best,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2007, 104
[28] Benjamin M.Z. Tai, “5 Invitations to Help You Feel More Joy in Living the Gospel” Liahona, July 2025