Background:

In October 2017 Elder Ronald A. Rasband shared a message titled, “By Divine Design”. This talk caused a little bit of a stir in my ward. I think the teachers that got a chance to teach this talk in a lesson at church may have over-interpreted his talk and created a false idea that Elder Rasband was not promoting. I heard about two different teachers getting a little exasperated at how the talk seemed to imply that God controlled every moment in our lives and neither of them could work out how that could be true.

The truth is that it took me a few reads before I understood his message. I think that his recent book with a similar title together with Elder Dale G. Renlund’s “Choose You This Day” and Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s “Your Adventure through Mortality” can help us see a full picture on the idea of agency, love, and ‘Divine Design’.

This post will also provide the space to fix some misperceptions about the concept of our God having an open or contingent future with us. It is essential to understand how having a future full of possibilities and probabilities is not a chancy future. That is probable events do not imply haphazard or random control by God. A contingent future of free will possibilities provides randomness or freedom in our choices but does not limit God’s eternal plan.¹

Elder Rasband’s Message

Elder Rasband’s talk is based on a quote by Elder Neal A. Maxwell from a talk titled, “Brim with Joy”. In that talk Elder Maxwell states,

Within each of our circles of friendship there lie so many unused opportunities to love, to serve, and to be taught. Indeed, one could apply the scriptural phrase about there being ’enough and to spare’ (D&C 104:17). None of us ever fully utilizes the people-opportunities allocated to us within our circles of friendship. You and I may call these intersecting ‘coincidence.’ This word is understandable for mortals to use, but coincidence is not an appropriate word to describe the workings of an omniscient God. He does not do things by ‘coincidence’ but instead by ‘divine design.’²

After rereading this talk and the introduction to his new book, I think Elder Rasband is highlighting that God is involved in our lives if we let him. That He is Divine and that he has a design for us as individuals and as a people. His plan allows him to inspire (move) those that follow him. His talk does not have to imply fixed future omniscience. You will be able to see that he is talking about God’s children that choose to follow him in most of his talk. I agree with him about God being involved in our lives. While he allows us to make our own choices for good or bad, a contingent future does not mean that he is not included in our current experience. He is there to persuade and motivate us to attain our highest possible glory. God is forever an optimist and will work with us until all possibility is gone.

Elder Rasband moves between individual events and people events throughout his talk as he references ‘Divine Design.’ As we have discussed previously, a contingent future for individuals does not mean that His plan and purposes are contingent.

People

Significant events unfold in the gospel and in the Church that further the kingdom of God on earth. They are not by accident but by God’s plan. He who fashioned this world can calm the seas with His word and can steer both Alma and Amulek and Nephi and Laban to be at the right place at precisely the right time.

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No trial or calamity can derail God’s plan of happiness. Indeed, by “divine design,” “joy cometh in the morning.”

Individual

Below are some highlights of how God works with us. None of the quotes directly state that God knows the fixed future. All of them highlight that he is the ‘Divine Designer’ or as we say here the ‘Most Moved Mover.’

Our lives are like a chessboard, and the Lord moves us from one place to another - if we are responsive to spiritual promptings. Looking back, we can see His hand in our lives.

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Dear Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin spoke of an occasion when President Thomas S. Monson said to him: “There is a guiding hand above all things. Often when things happen, it’s not by accident. One day, when we look back at the seeming coincidences of our lives, we will realize that perhaps they weren’t so coincidental after all.”

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Through the experience of my own life’s journey, I know that the Lord will move us on that seeming chessboard to do His work. What may appear to be a random chance is, in fact, overseen by a loving Father in Heaven, who can number the hairs of every head. Not even a sparrow falls to the ground without our Father’s notice. The Lord is in the small details of our lives, and those incidents and opportunities are to prepare us to lift our families and others as we build the kingdom of God on earth.

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Think of those times, some daily, when the Lord has acted in your life - and then acted again. Treasure them as moments the Lord has shown confidence in you and in your choices. But allow Him to make more of you than you can make of yourself on your own. Treasure His involvement. Sometimes we consider changes in our plans as missteps on our journey. Think of them more as first steps to being “on the Lord’s errand.”

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Each of us is precious and loved by the Lord, who cares, who whispers, and who watches over us in ways unique to each of us. He is infinitely wiser and more powerful than mortal men and women. He knows our challenges, our triumphs, and the righteous desires of our hearts.

Thoughts

I see a strong testimony in these highlights that He is infinitely wiser and more powerful than us. He is involved with us in our decision making. It is his infinite wisdom and power in the face of contingent choices by agents that will allow us to see what may appear to be a random chance is, in fact, overseen by a loving Father in Heaven. That things that did happen with some chance can be used by an involved, wise, and omnipotent God to bring us to salvation. We will see this theme in Elder Uchtdorf’s message as well.

Elder Renlund’s Message

Elder Renlund’s message doesn’t have any explicit statements about omniscience and how it might be defined. However, he has some enlightening quotes on how God will use our agency to help us grow.

Our Heavenly Father’s goal in parenting is not to have His children do what is right; it is to have His children choose to do what is right and ultimately become like Him. If He simply wanted us to be obedient, He would use immediate rewards and punishments to influence our behaviors.

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But God is not interested in His children just becoming trained and obedient “pets” who will not chew on His slippers in the celestial living room. No, God wants His children to grow up spiritually and join Him in the family business.

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God established a plan whereby we can become heirs in His kingdom, a covenant path that leads us to become like Him, have the kind of life He has, and live forever as families in His presence. Personal choice was - and is - vital to this plan, which we learned about in our premortal existence. We accepted the plan and chose to come to earth.

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God’s plan includes directions for us, referred to in the scriptures as commandments. These commandments are neither a whimsical set nor an arbitrary collection of imposed rules meant only to train us to be obedient. They are linked to our developing the attributes of godliness, returning to our Heavenly Father, and receiving enduring joy. Obedience to His commandments is not blind; we knowingly choose God and His pathway home. The pattern for us is the same as it was for Adam and Eve, wherein “God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption.” Though God wants us to be on the covenant path, He gives us the dignity of choosing.

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Indeed, God desires, expects, and directs that each of His children choose for himself or herself. He will not force us. Through the gift of agency, God permits His children “to act for themselves and not to be acted upon.” Agency allows us to choose to get on the path, or not. It allows us to get off, or not. Just as we cannot be forced to obey, we cannot be forced to disobey. No one can, without our cooperation, take us off the path.

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As we strive to “do the next bit” on our own, we practice using our agency correctly. As two former Relief Society General Presidents said, we should not be “babies that need petting and correction all the time.” No, God wants us to become mature adults and govern ourselves.

Thoughts

God wants us to learn to make His choices our choices. This process takes scripture, prophets, the Holy Ghost, and agency. He wants us to learn larger truths than Pavlovian truths³. He wants us to learn to choose what is right beyond the immediate reward or consequence.

Elder Uchtdorf’s Message

Elder Uchtdorf’s message pulls the two previous messages together with some stronger statements about randomness and our choices. He starts off his talk with a quote from Steve Jobs and ends with reference to that same quote.

One of the great innovators of our time, Steve Jobs of Apple, had this insight: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”

In the next quote, he opens up the idea that the various dots can work together to bring about His eternal plan for His people and us individually.

However, when we step back and take an eternal perspective, when we look at our lives in the frame of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can begin to see how the various dots in our lives interconnect. We may not be able to see the entire picture just yet, but with patience we can see enough to trust that there is a beautiful, grand design. And as we strive to trust God and follow His Son, Jesus Christ, one day we will see the finished product, and we will know that the very hand of God was directing and guiding our steps.

Now he calls the dots which I believe are a metaphor for our choices random dots and that God has a plan for them from the beginning. God knows how to use that randomness to suport and amplify our individual growth and His plan.

We will know that the Master Artist had a plan for those random dots all along. We will see that He amplified our talents, prepared opportunities, and introduced us to possibilities far more glorious than we ever could have imagined or accomplished on our own. I have certainly seen this in my own life.

Next Elder Uchtdorf uses the idea of God knowing the end from the beginning that prompted the vision of us being in the heat of battle and not knowing which way is up or down, left or right. We can’t see how to string a set of dots together to make the necessary art. However, God as the great general that can sit above the commotion of the battle can tell us the end from the beginning and guide us in the right direction.

When I was your age, I had no idea where my life would take me. I definitely didn’t see any dots connecting in front of me. But I did trust God. I listened to the advice of loving family and wise friends, and I took small steps of faith, believing that if I did the best I could in the moment, God would take care of the big picture. He did. He knew the end from the beginning when I did not.⁴

Now notice the question he asks in the following statement. He discusses an individually tailored walk-through’ which I might read as a statement about ‘fixed future omniscience.’ Then he implies in his question that such a complete walk-through might decrease our confidence in the Lord. I think he may be implying that the random dots connect not because of fixed future omniscience but because of God’s great wisdom and power. His ability to work with our contingent choices to bring about a series of connected dots.

My dear friends, you pass through the adventure of mortality only once. Wouldn’t an individually tailored walk-through complete with spoilers and answers to all of life’s great questions take away your great feeling of accomplishment and your increase of confidence in the Lord and in yourself?

The next part has a strong tone of our lives being full of agent-driven choices. It also sounds like he believes that many of our decisions will not have long term impacts and that God can use those choices to bring us to him. Notice the strength of his phrases about our paths and mortality.

• Because God has given you your agency, you can choose many directions to go and still lead a fulfilling life.

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• Mortality is an open-ended, choose-your-own-adventure story.

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• You have commandments, you have covenants, you have inspired prophetic counsel, and you have the gift of the Holy Ghost. That is more than enough to lead you to mortal happiness and eternal joy. Beyond that, don’t despair if you make some decisions that are less than perfect. That is how you learn. That’s part of the adventure!

Finally, near the end of his talk, he reiterates that in that future day when we can look back into our history we can see the pattern. We will see that the dots really did connect into a beautiful pattern. He doesn’t quite requote Steve Jobs. However, I find it interesting that he says we will be able to connect the dots looking backward. In essence, he reiterates that we will not be able to connect the dots looking forward. That as we move through life, we will use our choices to help us find Him but that our options are open and uncertain until they are made.

On that future day, you will look back on this cherished and exciting adventure of mortality, and you will understand. You will see that the dots really did connect into a beautiful pattern, more sublime than you ever could have imagined. With unspeakable gratitude, you will see that God Himself, in His abounding love, grace, and compassion, was always there watching over you, blessing you, and guiding your steps as you walked toward Him.

Conclusion

Notice how the next quote from Paul Ewart provides a simple example of how we can be free to make choices in a world full of randomness to get better at navigating eternity while God in his wisdom stays close to steady any bumps that would affect us beyond the current choices that we are making.

When I taught my children to ride a bicycle I did so by first holding the saddle from behind. Thus, running alongside, I could keep the bicycle stable and the child safe. The bumps and wobbles that occurred were corrected at first by my stabilizing grip. Then I gradually weakened my hold until the bicycle was free. My child was then ‘in control’ and learned to cope with the random bumps by making their own balancing adjustments. All the while however I kept my hand only an inch or two below the saddle in case they needed help. It was an important part of the learning process that he or she experienced real bumps, genuine chance events, and learned how to cope with them. It may be that this is the way in which God’s sovereignty needs to be understood. He is alongside us in all the random ups and downs of life and no matter what happens, even by chance, he is holding us in his providential care, ‘because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.’⁵ Paul Ewart

I believe that God is the ‘Most Moved Mover’ and that as the ‘Divine Designer’ he works with us and his moved by us as we inch closer to His glory.

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