My dear brothers and sisters, Lesa and I are so grateful to be gathered with you this morning. We feel blessed to be with all of you on this beautiful BYU-Hawaii campus—paradise in Paradise. We have such warm feelings of our time with you in our previous visits to Hawaii. We were also glad to have had some time last week to meet with President and Sister Tanner prior to his departure for an assignment at BYU-Idaho.
I am reminded of a time many years ago when I lived here for three months. My memories of this were rekindled yesterday, as we walked by the dormitory where I stayed as a young missionary destined for the Japan Fukuoka Mission, attending what was then called the LTM (or Language Training Mission). My mind and heart were flooded with fond memories and tender emotions recalling some of the struggles and also the joys of learning the Japanese language, as well as the many prayers asking the Lord for help. I believe the walls of those buildings must be sacred, having witnessed so many struggles and miracles and also having heard so many heartfelt prayers over all these years.
As Sister Stevenson and I were discussing how grateful we are for this assignment to participate in your devotional, it occurred to us that those of you from Asia who are now students at BYU-Hawaii may have been Young Men or Young Women attending EFY when we spoke at those events in your home countries some years ago when we were assigned there while serving in the Asia North Area Presidency. Then, as well as now, we are so impressed with your devotion and desire to choose the right and to do what is right.
I remember those conferences well. You were much younger then! Since then much has taken place in your lives, in fact in all of your lives. High school graduation, temple endowments, missions, military service, and now pursuing higher education. We are proud of each of you for your significant accomplishments and progress in so many of life’s important steps. We note that some of you are now married, and some even with children – congratulations. Others of you are dating, and courting, some very seriously, this is good as well. We encourage you in all these good and important activities in your lives.
First, I bring to all of you the warm greetings and love from President Thomas S. Monson, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve. They, along with both Lesa and me, want you to know how amazing we think you are! The Lord loves each one of you! You are important! You play such a very important role in the Church here in Laie, Hawaii as students attending BYU-Hawaii. This important role will continue in locations yet unknown as to where you will be when you finish school. You literally are the bright future of the Church.
What a great blessing it is to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ in the dispensation where a restoration of the keys of the Kingdom and the fulfillment of prophecy allow us to witness first hand “the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth.”1 This prophecy, originally given by Daniel of the Old Testament, and subsequently repeated in this dispensation seems to be in the midst of its fulfillment as we observe over 3,250 organized stakes in the Church today. This is especially noteworthy when I consider that when our beloved President Monson was ordained an apostle in 1963, the number of stakes worldwide was only 389.2 Isn’t that remarkable! During this same timeframe of President Monson’s apostolic ministry, membership in the Church has grown from 2.1 million to 15.8 million.3
As impressive to me as is this prolific growth and change, are the principles and practices that remain the same, including the divine governance model revealed for the Church of Jesus Christ. This model allows the organization of stakes, designed to “provide a defense and a refuge from the storm and from wrath poured . . . out upon the whole earth.”4 Of course, within stakes, are wards and branches, and the general officers of such.
This leads to my first point of emphasis today, Enjoy the Blessings of a Bishop.
Enjoy the Blessings of a Bishop
Every member of the Church has a bishop (in the case of branches, a branch president). Such has been the case from the earliest days of the Church. A bishop’s ordination and call are approved and sustained by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, on an individual basis. They are recommended to the First Presidency by prayerful inspiration and revelation. Take a moment to think of your bishop. Each of your bishops are instructed to minister to you, helping you become a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. Ministering to you means they will remember your name and become acquainted with you, they will love without judging you, watch over and strengthen your faith, even as the Savior did, and establish a sincere friendship and visit with you.5
Enjoy these blessings of a bishop! Now as you can imagine, the role of a bishop (which I have just described) is a heavy one. You can help him. As students, who are often moving from one ward to another, may I recommend that you introduce yourself to your new bishop at the beginning of the school year or semester. You should always know who your bishop is and do what you can to assure he knows you and your name. The best way to do this is to attend your meetings regularly and to serve where you are called. I promise you that much good will come of this practice. The Lord loves you, and will minister to you through your bishop.
In addition, you are recipients of beautiful promises which have been given to you from the Lord including; “Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”6
Brothers and Sisters, the Lord is generous in the blessings that He grants to us. Understanding that blessings are a function of our obedience to commandments, and keeping commandments is a demonstration of our love of the Lord are valuable precepts to learn. Gospel principles such as these provide a very important perspective for us.
This leads to the next two points which I would like to emphasize. I note that these two points have been previously shared by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Twelve to some YSA in 2015.
Point number two, Maintain a Gospel Perspective.
Elder Oaks said that “perspective means to see all the facts in a meaningful relationship, the whole view.”7 Here are some examples of a gospel perspective:
Maintain a Gospel Perspective
- You are children of a loving Heavenly Father.
- You are here on earth for a purpose, allowing choices.
- “There must needs be an opposition in all things.”8
- Jesus Christ is our Savior and advocate with the Father.
Consider what happens if your gospel perspective becomes the lens that you look through in every aspect of your life.
When you have this ‘gospel perspective,’ it will give you greater clarity as to the way you think about your life priorities, solve problems, as well as face your personal temptations. This can truly affect your overall approach to your entire life and the various decisions you will make along the way.
Here are some examples of how having a gospel perspective can be helpful to you. With this outlook, we know that the Lord desires that we partake of the sacrament each week and that we study the scriptures and pray to Him daily. In addition, we know that Satan will tempt us not to follow our Savior or listen to the Holy Ghost’s quiet promptings. We can then be more aware that the adversary strives to take away our agency and ability to withstand his efforts, through addiction, including drugs and pornography. In stark contrast, the lens of the gospel gives us a clear vision of the importance of creating families, choosing to marry, and raising children in righteousness. This view also opens our eyes us to see that the adversary would like to destroy the family unit altogether and confuse gender roles, thus making society decrease in relation to the formation and building of families.
Having discussed our first point, Enjoy the Blessings of a Bishop, and now point number two, Maintain a Gospel Perspective, let's now move to our next topic, Maintain a Spiritual Balance.
Maintain a Spiritual Balance
Elder Oaks has stated,
"When young adults have the perspective, the overall view . . . it is vital for them to maintain spiritual balance in their lives. To do this you must abstain from some of the attractions of the world and also to do the things necessary to draw closer to the Savior.”9
As you study this slide, consider how…on the one hand, you have so many pressing issues and life priorities of all sizes and varieties, of one type or another, all needing attention, focus, and direction. The list for each of you may be quite different, based upon your personal circumstances, but within them you will certainly find: education, employment, marriage, and both emotional and physical wellness. Of course, your challenge is to balance these important life roles against your spirituality.
You must be very careful as you allocate your time that you don't starve yourself spiritually while you keep focus on all your other life pursuits and responsibilities. This principle explains why it is especially important for university and college students to follow the counsel to attend Church meetings, have daily prayer and scripture study, and serve in Church callings.
In the midst of your very personal and diverse needs, to balance life's pursuits and challenges along with your spirituality, you will come to realize that balance is achievable. The Lord does not require you to do something that you cannot accomplish. I have heard President Monson on numerous occasions counsel that ‘the Lord qualifies those whom He calls.’ I think this especially applies to each of you, in your role as members of His Church.
Brothers and Sisters, as daunting as keeping this balance may seem, let me promise you, one of the greatest miracles of your mortal existence, given your appropriate focus and effort will be your ability to find balance between your spirituality and your other important life roles. This will take place in a way that will not just maintain your spirituality and life’s important roles at status quo, but will allow you to grow and develop in both of these very important areas.
The main reason this is possible is because the Lord is the fulcrum. He is the absolute center point of balance. And He has divine interest in each one of you personally as one of His children. Please note that this outcome is predicated on your appropriate focus and effort to find balance.
From my observation and personal experience, it seems that we have a tendency throughout our life to tip more heavily one way or the other. To remain balanced in our lives requires our constant effort and care. Actively choose to stay steady.
Interestingly, it can go both ways. There may be times you find that you need to exercise care to keep clearly focused on your school work, with Church service done in Church service time. However, remember to keep the Lord as your ‘fulcrum’ to find your appropriate spiritual equilibrium.
To summarize, we have now described four important points, Enjoy the Blessings of a Bishop, Maintain a Gospel Perspective, and Maintain a Spiritual Balance.
I would now like to add the fifth, and final point of encouragement, The Lord Will Help You.
The Lord Will Help You
It is quite easy to understand this fundamental truth when we keep a gospel perspective. A most basic gospel principle taught early on – for many as young children and others as they are converted – is that we are children of loving Heavenly Parents. They are glorified when we return to Their presence. It is only natural for Them to help us in every way to return to our Heavenly Home.
Even as I express these words, coupled with a knowledge that Jesus Christ is our advocate with the Father, my faith that The Lord Will Help You just soars!
I am sure that each of you have numerous examples of this principle in your lives, as I do in mine. Today I share an example with you of “how the Lord can help you” that was shared with me many years ago by one of my youth leaders. This man had an enormous personal impact on me growing up and has recently passed away. Thad Carlson was raised in the Great Depression era (in the United States) as the ninth of fourteen children. His family made a living by farming and raising cattle. It was a difficult time financially, and their greatest asset in being able to support their large family was their herd of cattle. In his youth, one of Thad’s responsibilities on the farm was to care for and, when necessary, herd the cattle to assure they found the best feed, a big job for a young boy. He was able to do this with the aid of a smart cow pony who knew exactly what to do with very little direction. The pony was named Old Smoky. Thad described that Old Smoky had one fault – which was that he never wanted to be caught. Whenever this horse was approached to be caught, he would just run away, knowing that he was going to be put to work!
On this day, after Old Smoky was caught, bridled and saddled, young Thad rode out to the pasture where the cattle were grazing. The ground was dry, and so was the pasture, as the whole area was experiencing a drought. Thad noticed that the grass outside the pasture along the sides of the railroad tracks seemed longer and greener. So, he thought they could herd the cows outside the fenced pasture and let them enjoy some of that good feed which was right along the railroad tracks. With the help of Old Smoky, he herded the cattle out of the pasture, where they began to move back and forth along the rail tracks feeding on the better, greener grass. Everything seemed to be working out so well with this plan. The contented cows seemed to be taking care of themselves, so Thad got off his horse, and sat on the reins of the bridle enjoying the surroundings around him, playing and amusing himself. Old Smoky eventually drifted away, his reins slipping out from under Thad, looking to graze in the green grass himself.
This idyllic and peaceful moment came to a crashing and abrupt halt when Thad suddenly heard a loud noise from far away. It was the whistle of an oncoming locomotive barreling down the very rail tracks where his cattle herd were lazily scattered right in front of him! He recognized the consequences could be devastating to the herd and also to his family if he did not act quickly to get the cattle back into the pasture away from that oncoming train. He felt he would never be able to forgive himself for not fulfilling his trusted responsibility. He swiftly jumped to his feet and ran to grab the reins of Old Smoky. Old Smoky saw him coming and quickly danced away from Thad – of course not wanting to be caught. Breathless and desperate, with images of dead cows and family tragedy flashing through his mind, Thad knew he had to act fast.
He later recorded what followed next :
“My primary teacher had taught us to pray, and reinforced teachings learned from my mother. With no other recourse, I dropped to my knees and started to pray for help to clear the cows off the tracks.” He continues, “I didn’t hear a voice, but the clear thought came, “Notice how the cows can walk by Old Smoky and he doesn’t move. So . . . now that you are on your knees, also get on your hands. Play [pretend] like you’re a cow and crawl over to Old Smoky.” I did. He didn’t move. I grabbed his reins, led him to the fence, hopped on his back and we raced like the wind to get the cows back into the pasture. Old Smoky was unusually brilliant at every twist and turn.”
Thad continued to describe that at the time he “didn’t dare tell anyone about this for fear of getting his pants kicked . . .”
He also described that it was sometime later, when he was in high school that it fully dawned on him that he had a very clear answer to his prayer in a critical time of need. He observed that, “angels administered to Old Smoky beyond my ability, and our family was spared a tragedy.”
Later on, he shared: “this was the first of many promptings that was to come to me. ‘And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be given unto you.’”10
He finally quipped, “whenever someone would sing the song ‘On Top of Old Smoky’, I always thought of prayer.”
We all have our ‘cattle to clear off the railroad tracks before the train arrives.’ They come in many different forms, shapes and sizes. Some are even as serious as Thad’s dangerous situation with consequences that could turn into a family tragedy on many levels, some may be life threatening, and some may even be soul threatening, for you or your loved ones.
Other situations you face may not have such serious consequences, but nevertheless weigh heavily on your mind and heart. One thing is certain, each of you will have adversity and affliction in your lives, because it is part of our mortal experience. But remember, The Lord Will Help You!
I love the words found in the Book of Mormon, which support this precept, “…we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in.” That means each one of you. “Yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth.”11 What a great comfort it is to know: The Lord Will Help You.
It looks like our time has come to an end. I have truly enjoyed being with you today. I love you, I honor you and I support you in every way.
Before I close and share my testimony with you, I would like to quickly summarize the thoughts I have discussed with you today. First, I described some of the roles of your bishop and encouraged you to Enjoy the Blessings of a Bishop. To do this, you should reach out to him to make certain he knows you and you know him.
Second, I described how it is important to Maintain a Gospel Perspective and shared the idea to look at the world around you through the ‘lens’ of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I then emphasized the goal to Maintain a Spiritual Balance. We are all faced with challenges and opportunities in our various life roles, and they are best served when we balance them with our faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, which comprises our spirituality.
Finally, I shared my faith and hope that The Lord Will Help You. This is what helps you confidently face the challenges that are an inevitable part of your mortal mission.
I would now like to conclude by sharing my testimony of these things which I have spoken today: We have a loving Heavenly Father, and we are His children. I have faith in and a testimony of Jesus Christ and of His role as our Savior and Redeemer.
I bear witness of the restoration of the gospel; Joseph Smith is the Prophet who presides over this final dispensation, and the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I bear testimony that we are members of the re-established and restored Church of Jesus Christ with priesthood authority and priesthood keys in these latter-days. I bear testimony that the Church is led by a living prophet who receives divine revelation, Thomas S. Monson.
I offer these thoughts and my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
[1] Doctrine and Covenants 65:2
[2] Statistical Report, April 1964 General Conference
[3] Statistical Report, April 2017 General Conference
[4] Doctrine and Covenants 115:6
[5] Handbook 1. 3.2.3
[6] Revelation 3:20
[7] Dallin H. Oaks, Untitled Speech, Salt Lake Bonneville Young Single Adult Stake Fireside, Salt Lake City, Utah, February 8, 2015.
[8] 2 Nephi 2:11
[9] Dallin H. Oaks, Untitled Speech, Salt Lake Bonneville Young Single Adult Stake Fireside, Salt Lake City, Utah, February 8, 2015.
[10] 3 Nephi 18:20
[11] Alma 26:37