Do the best my judgment will teach me

Yesterday I taught a youth lesson on spiritual self reliance. As I was teaching, we discussed answers to prayers. A question came up that this quote addresses. What happens if we have a pressing matter, and we don’t feel as if we have a confirmation regarding the choice we are making?

Brigham Young said:

“If I do not know the will of my Father, and what He requires of me in a certain transaction, if I ask Him to give me wisdom concerning any requirement in my life, or in regard to my own course, or that of my friends, my family, my children, or those that I preside over, and get no answer from Him, and then do the very best that my judgment will teach me, He is bound to own and honor that transaction, and He will do so to all intents and purposes.” (Deseret News, Feb. 27, 1856, 402. See also Ensign, February 2011)

I like this quote for several reasons. One of which has to do with why we are here on earth. We are here to use our agency and make choices. There are times when the Lord does not answer us, or we do not recognize his answer. I suppose that this has much to do with our spiritual growth and development. He is bound to honor our choice as we make the very best decisions in this regard.