No Such Thing as a Good Idea

Dudley was right.

Cary Grant played the part of Dudley - an angel - in the 1947 Christmas film, The Bishop's Wife. This photo shows Dudley him talking to Debbie, the bishop's daughter (also Su-Su in It's a Wonderful Life). He's telling her the story of David, a young shepherd - who, thanks to an angel, gets the idea of how to save one of his lambs and kill an attacking lion.

While there's no account of an angel in this story in the Bible, the idea that an angel gave David an idea is a central theme in the film. Several characters besides the bishop in the title find solutions to pressing problems by seemingly receiving a sudden, expected - brilliant - idea.

Perhaps you've had this kind of sudden inspiration: you're running errands and realize you're very near something else you'd intended to do, but somehow the task had left your current radar; now you can do both. Or maybe you're making a meal and suddenly decide it'll take no extra time to double up and stick the extra in the freezer... unless you've remembered while you're making it that so-and-so down the street just had a baby.

It happens all the time, and here's a private lesson of late: the sooner I recognize it was heavenly help - angel or no - and the sooner I acknowledge it by muttering a quick prayer of thanks - the more "good ideas" I seem to get.

Coincidence? I think not.

A few recent "good ideas" lately have gotten me thinking there may be no such thing as a good idea, a good intention, or a good resolve - that didn't come first as the quietest inkling of an invitation from Someplace Else. Nothing bossy - no, no. Just a quiet: "You know what might be a great idea? _____" Fill in the blank with your most recent brilliant idea.

In fact, I'm willing to up the ante and suggest that there's no such thing as any resolve in self-improvement, any attainment of a good habit, any good thing anyone may ever do, that if you trace the quiet thread back to the Source of the idea, you won't find Jesus standing there.

I assert that Jesus is the Source of all the good ideas - because He is the source of all good. The reason we are able to choose to be good - choose to RSVP those quiet invitations at all - is because He performed the atoning sacrifice. His great gift is the only way we are truly able to choose and be 100% responsible for those choices.

This is likely to tick off quite a few people - unbelievers and those who actually hate the influence of Jesus in the world. Imagine their surprise at the end of their lives, watching the whole thing play out in whatever version of home movies heaven has, and seeing that it wasn't an angel like Dudley who whispered quiet ideas to them - but the very Father of their spirits and the very Savior of the world Himself - through the quiet, inviting influence of the Holy Ghost.

The mighty Godhead who work and serve in tandem for the good of humanity - for our very salvation and exaltation - are the reason any of us can do anything ennobling. They plant the idea through the influence of the Holy Ghost, and it's up to us to act on the ideas.

No wonder daily repentance is such a great idea. How else can I review when I've listened - and give thanks - or when I haven't listened - and resolve to do better? That's what daily prayer is for - daily coaching sessions that involve this kind of review and resolve to do better in our practice tomorrow.

The best news of all is that the more we practice accepting the quiet invitations, the better we get at recognizing them - and the stronger our inclination to act on them becomes. You really can get better at just about anything... with practice.

Elder David A. Bednar has cut to the chase on this idea on a number of occasions - usually when speaking to youth, missionaries, or young adults. Here, in a 2009 talk in the Missionary Training Center, he explains:

"Somehow, someway in the culture of the church, not in the doctrine, but in the culture of the church we have come to believe that I must know in the moment that it's a spiritual impression. That I must receive the spiritual impression so that it will guide me and tell me what to do. And that unless I receive such an impression, I cannot go forward because I won't know what to do. Now, Elders and Sisters, every once in a while, rarely, you will receive an impression that will guide you and you will know it before the fact. The overwhelming majority of the impressions and revelations you will ever receive will come in the course of you being a good boy or a good girl, honoring your covenants, keeping your commandments and you will become an instrument in the hands of God and He will take you where you need to be so you can do what He wants you to do and much of the time you'll never know it's happening that way." (https://ldsmomentsoflight.com/an-apostle-explains-revelation/)

This teaching from an apostle suggests a powerful promise worth holding onto: the more you listen to the quiet invitations, the more you'll receive. And this idea has left me a little apprehensive about ever ever ever thinking I've ever ever ever had a good idea. EVER.