How do I know if the decisions I am making are the right decisions?

Dear Gramps,

I’m single and am thinking about moving to another state for my work. I already have a job lined up but have a lot of doubts about moving since I have a lot of debt. How can I know it’s the right decision, that it’s based on true principles and not emotional

Robin, from Chicago, Illinois

Dear Robin,

There’s one person who knows who you are, knows all about you and knows what is best for you. In addition, He has plans for you throughout your life. Why don’t you ask Him? That person, of course, is God, the Eternal Father. If you ask Him, addressing Him in the name of Jesus Christ, who has the role of advocate for us, and do so with complete confidence that He will respond, He will assuredly answer your petition. (By the way, the use of the word, advocate, in the connotation used above, in the Spanish language, is rendered as lawyer).

The question is, how will He answer you? We learn from 1 Kings 19:11-12 that the Lord does not speak to us in tumultuous terms, but rather with a still, small voice.

When the Lord spoke to the oppressors of Nephi and Lehi, the sons of Helaman, Mormon recorded in Helaman 5:30 that—

it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul–

In more recent times, actually in April of 1829, the Lord gave a revelation to Oliver Cowdery using slightly different terms about how He speaks to us. The Lord said on that occasion—

Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground (Doctrine & Covenants 8:2-3).

So let’s examine that scripture in light of the others that we cite here. What does it mean, I will tell you in your mind? That means that an idea comes into our minds. We perceive a thought that concurs with what we have been asking about. What does it mean that I will tell you in your heart? That means what we will feel good about the idea that has come into our minds. We might say to ourselves in such a circumstance something like, “Now, there’s an idea. What a great idea!” At this point we would accept the idea as if we knew that it came from the Lord–a direct answer to prayer! Then all doubt will have vanished. At this point we can fall on our knees and thank the Lord for answering our prayer, and act on the information that we have received with full and complete confidence.

Gramps