This week I was reading in 2 Nephi chapter 2 which talks a lot about the Fall and the consequences thereof. I've been pondering a lot about the decisions we make in this life and how they affect us in the life to come. I believe that there are many decisions that affect our time here on earth, but there are also many that affect us after this life. There are also a handful that are key to both this life and the next. 

After a long week of projects, midterms, quizzes, and papers, my brain is fried. I made the mistake of thinking that an accounting project was due at midnight tonight - when in reality it was due at 5 pm. I had allotted time later in the evening to work on and finish the project as I had previous engagements. In fact, my brother was scheduled to go to the temple for the first time to receive his endowment at 4 pm. When I realized that the project was due at 5 and not later in the evening, I had a minor "freak out". Not knowing what to do, yet knowing exactly where I was needed, I called my mom and explained the situation. She encouraged me to try my best to finish the assignment ahead of time. No condemnation for my mistake was shown, but instead, understanding. I called my strict professor and nearly begged for some way to have an extension on the project as a voice mail message. I chose to forgo the project and take a 0 because I knew that my mistake was no excuse to miss a pivotal moment in my only brother's spiritual growth as he prepares for his mission. I made it to the temple and said a little prayer just outside the car, asking for help to focus, learn, and serve while there in the temple. My thoughts and concerns vanished and I was able to get a lot out of the session.
After exiting the temple and heading to dinner, I checked my email only to find an email from my merciful professor. Though he had been very clear and had reminded us many times about the assignment, he recognized my tricky situation. The email read:

"...I received your phone message. Not to worry. Sometimes things conspire against us. So it is now for you. Get the project done when you can and then take the quiz. Don't worry about this now. You have more important things to think about - like your brother. 
Take care."

What a tender mercy. The decision to forgo the project to focus on eternal matters had led to one of the sweetest tender mercies I have ever seen. Though it seems little, it meant the world to me. We make our own choices in this life - some good, some bad. I make mistakes daily, but I am grateful to have a testimony that it is from these mistakes that we learn. As we learn to understand and grasp the Grand Creator and His purposes, we come to the knowledge of a merciful God. I know that if we have an eternal perspective in our daily lives, then we can make decisions that will affect us positively in both this life and the next.