Young Single Adults

I must admit, that I am an avid reader. So much so that I have on more than one occasion been called a bookworm. When I was a child (when I first started really reading,) one of my favorite book series, was Choose Your Own Adventure. In these books, there were many moments of decision. The reader would have to make a choice of action, which would send him/her to a designated page to continue the story. Each choice made had a drastic effect to the outcome of the adventure story.

Like these children's adventure books, we all have moments of decision in our lives. In these moments the choices we make have a drastic effect on the outcome to our own life story.

Some of our important choices we can make while we are young, so that when the moment of decision comes in our young adult lives, the choice is already made. Some of these decisions include:

What moral standards will I live by?

Whom will I serve? (The Lord)

Where will I marry? (The Temple)

What habits do I want to break and/or establish?

However other important choices must be made right then in the years of Young Single Adulthood, like:

What education should I gain to provide for my future?

Whom should I date?

Whom should I marry?

Knowing the importance and impact these choices will have in our lives, some young adults try to avoid making them, but that in itself is a choice.

"Some of our important choices have a time line. If we delay a decision, the opportunity is gone forever. Sometimes our doubts keep us from making a choice that involves change. Thus, an opportunity may be missed. As someone once said, "When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that in itself is a choice." Choices, President James E. Faust, Liahona, May 2004

Yet, our Father in Heaven tells us that we have no need to fear. He has given us the tools necessary to be able to make the right choices with confidence, and peace. What tools are we given?

First, He has given us the great example of His Son Jesus Christ. By looking at the Savior’s life and following His example we can know the sort of life to live. When we know the general sort of life we should live to receive happiness, we definitely know what sort of choices we should make to keep in line with that sort of life.

Second, we have the Holy Scriptures and a Living Prophet who are given to us that we may receive guidance and direction in every aspect of our lives.

Third, we have been given the gift of the Holy Ghost to be our companion to guide and direct us in our lives. When we are in tune and obedient to His still small voice, we never have to fear making the wrong choices.

Now, sometimes we do make mistakes. The Lord knew we would. That is why He sent His Only Begotten Son to bring about the Atonement. Alma explained this in the Book of Mormon when he taught:

"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me." Alma 7:11-13

In knowing all this, let us take new courage in facing these most important choices in our lives by applying all the tools that God has given us to insure our happiness and eternal joy.

When I was a little girl I used to have the most terrifying nightmares, every night. It got to the point where I would do anything to be able to avoid sleep.

My parents, not knowing about the nightmares, thought that I was just trying to stay up late. So they made the rule that if any of the children were going to stay up in our household after bedtime they would be put to work. When this tactic didn't work to get me to go to bed, like it did my older siblings, my parents knew that something was wrong.

When I told my mother that I was avoiding sleep because of my nightmares, she asked me if when I prayed at night, I asked the Lord to watch over me while I slept and asked for him to send me good dreams.

Where prayer had been a constant part of my life from my earliest years, and where my prayers always covered many things, I had never thought to ask the Lord to give me good dreams.

I still remember that evening all those years ago, when I confided in my mother about my nightmares. It will forever be ingrained in me how after our conversation, my mother knelt down beside me, and while encircling me in her arms prayed to our Heavenly Father in my behalf. She asked Him to send His angels to protect me and to give me good dreams so that I would not have to fear sleep. That night was the first night in weeks that I slept in peace.

Years later, as a young adult, I again experienced trouble sleeping. This time, bad dreams did not keep me awake. It was the realities and responsibilities of adulthood which weighed so heavily upon my mind and heart.

Again, my wise mother knew something was wrong. When I told her what was on my mind, she asked me if I had taken my concerns to the Lord in prayer. I had, but I still couldn't stop thinking about them and so I could not get to sleep easily. When I told her this, Mother pulled out her scriptures and read me this,

"Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day." Alma 37:36-37

What I needed was Faith. Not just faith to take my concerns to the Lord, I needed faith to then hand them over to Him completely. I needed to trust that He would take care of them. Once I learned how to do so, my nights were once more filled with peace despite the added pressure of being a single adult in this crazy world. And then, come morning, I found myself naturally feeling/expressing my gratitude to the Lord for watching over me and my concerns so that I could sleep in peace.

(P.S. When you wake in the morning after giving thanks to the Lord, don't take all those concerns back on you shoulders, continue in faith that He will carry them for you as you travel the course of the day.)