Some of [Elder Oaks'] most important insights, however, came by quiet inspiration. When Elder Oaks first assigned missionaries, he did so "prayerfully and with fear and trembling." Afterward, he had a "sweet feeling of lightness, as in carefree and peace, which I took as a communication that I had made no grievous mistakes," he wrote. On June 9, [1984], as he was driving, he felt "several waves of what I can only describe as goosebumps sweep over me," he observed. "Then these words came to my mind. 'This is my work, Dallin, my son. Be thou humble, and the Lord thy God will lead thee by the hand and give thee answer to thy prayers.' I am grateful for this reassurance and promise," Elder Oaks disclosed in his journal, "which gave me confidence for the morrow."

Elder Oaks' feelings of inadequacy as a new apostle continued, but were partly relieved by an event in the Salt Lake Temple. At a meeting of General Authorities, he was called to bear his testimony, "dwelling on my own feelings of inadequacy," he acknowledged. But when Elder Boyd K. Packer arose to testify, "he said something that settled heavily and impressively on my mind. Elder Packer explained that, as time passes and we gain greater experience and maturity in our callings, we are less focused on ourselves, even our inadequacies, and more conscious of the great burden of the Kingdom, our responsibility to carry the Gospel to the entire world, and the sufferings and needs of all mankind. I love that insight," the new apostle wrote. "But it is quite a challenge for a new man to get outside himself and put a shoulder under even a tiny corner of the foundation of the Kingdom."

[S]ome of our most important plans cannot be brought to pass without the agency and actions of others. A missionary cannot baptize five persons this month without the agency and action of five other persons. A missionary can plan and work and do all within his or her power, but the desired result will depend upon the additional agency and action of others. Consequently a missionary’s goals ought to be based upon the missionary’s personal agency and action, not upon the agency or action of others.

…

Wise are those who make this commitment: I will put the Lord first in my life and I will keep His commandments. The performance of that commitment is within everyone’s control. We can fulfill that commitment without regard to what others decide to do, and that commitment will anchor us no matter what timing the Lord directs for the most important events in our lives.

Do you see the difference between committing to what you will do, in contrast to trying to plan that you will be married by the time you graduate or that you will earn at least X amount of dollars on your first job?

…

How fundamentally different my life is than I had sought to plan! My professional life has changed. My personal life has changed. But the commitment I made to the Lord—to put Him first in my life and to be ready for whatever He would have me do—has carried me through these changes of eternal importance.

That is our objective—to have love of God and commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ "catch fire" in the hearts of those we teach. … A gospel teacher is concerned with the results of his or her teaching, and such a teacher will measure the success of teaching and testifying by its impact on the lives of the learners. A gospel teacher will never be satisfied with just delivering a message or preaching a sermon. A superior gospel teacher wants to assist in the Lord's work to bring eternal life to His children.