In this life, we have to make many choices. Some are very

“In this life, we have to make many choices. Some are very important choices. Some are not. Many of our choices are between good and evil. The choices we make, however, determine to a large extent our happiness or our unhappiness, because we have to live with the consequences of our choices.” Thus spoke James E. Faust, a man of faith and reflection, who sought to remind humanity of one of the oldest truths ever uttered—that our destiny is not merely written by fate or circumstance, but shaped by the quiet power of choice. In these words lies the foundation of moral life, the eternal dance between freedom and responsibility. For every soul upon this earth stands daily at the crossroads of decision, and the direction taken determines the peace—or the turmoil—of the heart.

The origin of this quote lies in Faust’s spiritual teachings as a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His wisdom was not abstract philosophy, but lived truth—born of experience, faith, and the observation of countless lives. He saw that men and women are not merely carried by the winds of chance; they are guided, instead, by the compass of their will. The choices we make, he taught, are seeds sown into the soil of time—each bearing fruit, whether bitter or sweet. To choose rightly is to cultivate happiness, but to choose wrongly is to sow the thorns of unhappiness that pierce the conscience long after the moment has passed.

From the dawn of civilization, the ancients have spoken of this same principle. Socrates declared that the unexamined life is not worth living, for without reflection, man becomes a slave to impulse. Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor, wrote that the quality of a man’s soul is shaped by the thoughts and actions he permits to dwell within him. And Moses, standing before his people, commanded: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life.” The wisdom of Faust is the echo of these eternal voices: that our freedom to choose is both our greatest gift and our greatest test.

Consider the story of Sir Thomas More, the English statesman who faced one of the most difficult moral choices in history. When King Henry VIII demanded that he swear an oath against his conscience, More refused. He knew the cost would be his life, yet he chose truth over safety, integrity over compromise. He was condemned and executed, but his spirit remained unbroken. More’s story is the embodiment of Faust’s teaching: that happiness does not come from comfort or survival alone—it comes from peace within, from living in harmony with one’s convictions. To choose rightly, even in suffering, is to dwell in the kingdom of integrity, which no tyrant can destroy.

James E. Faust’s words also remind us that not all choices are grand or dramatic. Some are small, quiet, almost invisible—but their cumulative weight shapes the course of a lifetime. Each day, we decide how we speak, how we act, how we treat others, and how we nourish—or neglect—our souls. These countless small decisions carve the path of character. For as the ancients said: “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a destiny.” Thus, even the smallest act of goodness, repeated faithfully, builds a fortress of light around the heart. And each selfish indulgence, each compromise with wrong, opens a crack through which darkness creeps.

The heart of Faust’s wisdom lies in his understanding of consequence. In a world eager to escape accountability, he reminds us that freedom and consequence are inseparable. The choice is ours—but once made, it binds us to its fruit. We may choose the flame, but we cannot choose not to be burned. Likewise, we may choose mercy and find peace, even in hardship. The happiness of the soul, therefore, is not a matter of chance or luck, but of moral alignment—of walking the inner road of conscience, even when it leads uphill.

The lesson, then, is clear: life is a tapestry woven from the threads of our decisions. Choose with care, for every thread has weight and color. Choose with humility, for the heart does not always know its own motives. Choose with courage, for the right path is seldom the easy one. And when you falter—as all do—choose again, and choose better. For as long as there is breath, there remains the freedom to return to the light.

So, my listener, remember James E. Faust’s timeless truth: your life will not be defined by what happens to you, but by what you choose to become. The storms will come, the trials will test you, but your will remains your own. Guard it, cherish it, and use it wisely. For in every moment, the choice between good and evil, happiness and unhappiness, lies before you—and through those choices, you become the author of your own soul.