What You've Always Done

There is a saying attributed to a variety of people which goes something like this: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you have always gotten.” I have thought a lot about this statement and I agree with it only in some cases. For example, the student who puts in no effort to his schoolwork but expects to suddenly get better grades will certainly be disappointed. Without a change in behavior there will likely be no change in result. Similarly for the musician or athlete or other performer: they will undoubtedly find that a certain amount of practice results in a certain level of performance. Without improved practice they likely will not be able to expect improved performance. This statement for me then has truth when the desired result—what you “get”—is largely controlled by the input effort of what you “do”.  These types of activities remind me of this scriptural declaration: “And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:19). The more diligent effort you input, the better results you get out.

                But I don’t believe that this saying applies in all situations, especially in our most important activities that require faith and trust in the Lord. Sometimes doing what we’ve always done is exactly what we need to do when we are not getting the outcomes we desire. One of the fundamental principles of the gospel is that we need to endure to the end, and often the gospel path requires patient striving, continuing to do what we know is right even when we don’t obtain the reward right away. The missionaries who are diligently keeping the commandments and working hard but not finding the success they desire may not necessarily need to do something drastically different; the Lord may simply want them to continue faithful and be patient. The young man or woman who is living the gospel and righteously seeking an eternal companion but has not yet found one may not need to do anything new to get the outcome they desire; rather, the Lord may simply want them to continue faithful and wait. These are cases where the outcome is largely not in our control be depends upon the Lord. We strive to influence the outcome with our righteous actions and obedience, but in the end we often have to turn the matter over to the Lord and wait for His timing. In that case it is not necessary for us to do something different from what we have always done—we just need to continue to exercise faith.

One example of this is the people of King Limhi. They sought diligently to find a way to escape the Lamanites but were unsuccessful and ultimately were left only with this option: “And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions” (Mosiah 21:14). At that point it wasn’t something new that they needed to try to escape bondage; they just needed to wait upon the Lord and continue praying. When Ammon and his brethren found them, King Limhi declared, “notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made. Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob” (Mosiah 7:18-19). What they needed most was simply to trust in the Lord and wait. Elder Jaggi said this in general conference: “Sometimes we get impatient when we think we are ‘doing everything right’ and we still do not receive the blessings we desire. Enoch walked with God for 365 years before he and his people were translated. Three hundred and sixty-five years of striving to do everything right, and then it happened!” For those things that ultimately depend on the Lord, we need not get discouraged when they don’t come immediately. Sometimes we need to continue in righteousness exactly what we are doing and trust there remaineth indeed an effectual struggle to be had according to the will of the Lord.