Good morning and Aloha! What a wonderful sight at the start of this new semester at BYU–Hawaii. We welcome all of you this morning and hope that you will join us here at this same time each week throughout the semester. I am grateful to have this opportunity to talk with you about a fundamental element of the mission of this school, an element that has remained unchanged since its founding.
In 1955, at the groundbreaking services for this beautiful campus, the Lord's prophet, President David O. McKay, stated the foundational purposes for which this university was being established: "First, for things pertaining to God and His Kingdom. . . [and] what that means toward establishing peace in the world. Second, [so all who attend here can] develop character, and [become] noble men and women. . . .The world needs men [and women] who cannot be bought or sold, . . . who will scorn to violate truth, [who represent] genuine gold. That is what this school is going to produce. More than that, they'll be leaders. All the world is hungering for them. . ."
Frequently we speak about that prophetic vision in terms of "learning, leading and building." Today I would like to speak about your becoming builders - builders of strong marriages and faithful families; builders of wonderful communities and successful careers; and builders of the Kingdom of God.
I love the counsel given by Elder Bruce R. McConkie regarding the charge we each have to be builders. Speaking at general conference, he said, "Every person born into this world builds a house of some sort and puts it on a foundation of his choosing. And every house built in this mortal sphere is subject to the storms and strifes of life. Our mortal probation is one in which the divine purpose calls for rain and winds and floods." He continued, "We live in the midst of a swirling storm of sin. The rains of evil and the winds of false doctrine and the floods of carnality beat upon every house. [But] it is within our power to build a house of faith, a house of righteousness, a house of salvation."
Today I would like to discuss three principles that are fundamental to your life of building. These are principles identified in the scriptures and expanded on by our modern day prophets. The first principle is that of building on a firm foundation, the second is that of building for eternity and the third is that of integrating the parts so that what you build will be fitly framed together. As you inevitably take on greater and greater challenges in your efforts to build a successful life filled with the peace and joy the Savior has promised, you will need to deepen and broaden your personal application of these principles.
Building on a Firm Foundation
The first principle of creating and maintaining a firm foundation, is one we are all familiar with. In the Sermon on the Mount the Savior taught: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."
I love the simple yet vivid image that this scripture brings to mind as it contrasts building on rock with building on sand. I'm sure that many of you have had the experience of building something with wet sand on the beach only to have a wave come and surround it and then as the wave recedes, have the object melt away as the sand once again becomes part of the beach.
For physical buildings, two things are required for a firm foundation. One is to build on something solid such as rock, rather than on sand or some other less stable foundation. But there is also a second important aspect and that is making sure that the building is tied to the foundation. Sometimes this can be done with appropriate footings and at other times it may require drilling into the rock so the building's foundation remains firmly anchored to the rock beneath, and becomes immovable.
A wonderful example of a physical building anchored to a firm foundation is that of the Salt Lake Temple. The groundbreaking for that temple took place in 1853. Using blocks of granite stone cut and hauled from a nearby canyon, work proceeded slowing but steadily on the 32-foot deep foundation until the approach of Johnston's Army in 1857. At that point the Saints buried the foundation of the temple to make the area look like a plowed field.
After peace was restored and work resumed, the dirt was removed. But at that point, cracks were discovered in a few of the foundation stones. The prophet Brigham Young had the entire foundation removed. After much discussion and with the guidance of the Lord as to how the foundation should be designed and built, it was redone based on that new design. When asked about all the additional work required, President Young replied, "When the Temple is built I want it to stand through the millennium [along with] many other temples that will yet be built." What a wonderful example of building on a firm foundation.
For us personally, the scriptures make it abundantly clear that the only sure foundation - a foundation that cannot fall - is one built on the Savior and His Gospel. Thus whether building a marriage, a family, a community or the Kingdom of God, we must build on that sure foundation. And we develop and strengthen that foundation by applying such daily habits as prayer, scripture study and obedience. These in turn strengthen our faith in the Savior and tie us firmly to His Gospel. Indeed as we consistently and faithfully apply those small daily habits and combine them with worthy service and obedience to all of God's commandments, we are "laying the foundation of a great work."
Let me share a very specific example to help you understand both the power and importance of building on such a foundation. The example I've chosen represents the most important aspect of building in which my wife, Margaret, and I have personally been involved - the building of our marriage and family.
Even before we were married in the Logan Temple, we had decided that we wanted to build our marriage and family on the Savior and His teachings. We wanted a family built on a foundation of love, respect and service and obedience to all of the Savior's teachings. But like every young couple, we had much to learn about how to put that into practice. We had to adapt and learn how to become "doers" of His teachings, not just "hearers only."
Over the years as our family grew in number and age, and our personal circumstances made it possible to do so, we began planning for an extended family vacation every few years. Let me tell you about one of those memorable vacations. We decided we would go to Europe for three weeks, renting a van and staying in youth hostels, a friend's vacation house, and other inexpensive venues available at that time.
We gave assignments to our five children - ranging in age from 5 to 14 - to prepare reports on each of the places we would visit and to share those during the business portion of family home evening. We also decided where we would go in each country visited, what we would take with us, and what cities we wanted to stay in each Saturday and Sunday night so we could attend church and keep the Sabbath appropriately.
This past week as I was preparing for this devotional, I asked our youngest son, Spencer, who was only five years old when we took that vacation to Europe, what he remembered of the trip. I was struck by his response. He said, "I recall so many wonderful memories: the big red van we all piled into, playing games in the airports as we waited for flights, the narrow streets in Spain where we had to pull in the side mirrors of our van to avoid having them hit the walls of houses, trying to keep serious faces for a photo in an old castle in Germany, falling into a cold mountain stream in Switzerland and having you come to the rescue and put an icy cold compress on my cheek, seeing the St. Bernard dogs at the border of Switzerland and Italy, and taking the ferry from Holland to England. But most of all I just remember the wonderful time we had as a family." Here is a photo of our family and that red van as we prepared to board the ferry in Rotterdam.
It has been over thirty years since we took that trip, but each of our five children remembers the many wonderful experiences as a family. At the time, our children thought they were going on a vacation, but Margaret and I hoped that we were building an eternal family on a foundation of love, respect and service.
That trip was so successful that a few years later we took a fishing trip to Alaska. Here is one of the memorable photos from that trip. As we continued building our family on that sure foundation, their love, respect and service for each other continued to grow.
In 2001, Margaret and I were presiding over the England London Mission and 200 missionaries when my mother passed away after years of illness. Because we could not attend the funeral, our five children represented us. Here is a photo of them on that occasion as they supported each other while we were thousands of miles away.
Fortunately, that foundation of love, respect and service that we have sought to build for our family has continued to stand the test of time. Five years ago, our family decided to take another fishing vacation to that same spot in Alaska where we had gone decades earlier. Here is a photo from that vacation.
And so you don't think we only gather for vacations, let me share one more photo when our family came for my inauguration as President of BYU–Hawaii in 2007. As captured in this photo we again had all of our family together. You will recognize the location as the Laie Temple. This is the photo I use as my screensaver on my personal computer. It reminds me daily that temples are an integral part of our family's foundation.
While we continue to renew and strengthen the foundation we started building on over forty years ago, we know now, even more surely that we did then, that the Lord and His gospel are the only sure foundation on which to build a marriage and family. As stated so clearly by the Psalmist: "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it;"
Our hope is that during your time at BYU–Hawaii you will establish deep footings for both a spiritual and a temporal foundation. Much like our new on-campus building sites which are currently "settling" before we start preparing and pouring the footings and the foundations, we hope that you are becoming settled and anchored securely and soundly in your faith in the Savior and your obedience to His teachings.
Building Now for Eternity
The second principle of building that I would like to share was the motto of the former Church College of New Zealand, "Build now for eternity." This principle reminds us that if we build for the long term, the eternities, we will build differently than if we build just for the moment. I love how the prophet Joseph Smith responded whenever he was asked by the saints how permanently they should build their homes. He would say, "Build as though you were going to stay forever."
Building now for eternity requires that the quality of the materials, ideas and values applied in whatever you build will be worthy of your good name and reputation and the talents with which the Lord has blessed you. It also means not compromising or cutting corners at any point in the process.
Some years ago I had the opportunity to serve as a scoutmaster. Early on I decided I needed a project that would engage the boys and their dads in building something that they could enjoy and use. We decided to build Kayaks. After ordering the appropriate materials, we started work on 18 kayaks. I quickly discovered that several of the boys needed considerable training if they were to build something that would float, let alone last for a series of river trips.
When the kayaks were completed, we scheduled a trip down a nearby river. We had a few adults in canoes, but each boy had his own Kayak. Once the kayaks were in the water, each boy discovered how well he had followed directions, whether he had used sufficient canvas and glue on the joints, and whether he had sealed it completely in the waterproofing step.
We had done sufficient quality control that all of the kayaks were found to be waterproof and they could handle the modest rapids of the rivers we chose to navigate. The kayak plans we used also recommended attaching sheets of Styrofoam inside the front and rear of each kayak, to help keep it afloat in case it filled with water. But on our first trip down the river, we discovered that one of the boys had decided that step wasn't necessary and had not bothered to put the Styrofoam in place. When his kayak overturned and filled with water it sank. Fortunately, he swam safely to shore as his kayak disappeared beneath the river's surface.
Here's a photo of one of those boys, our son Matt, with his kayak. We had great fun, and learned much about how this important principle applied whether building a kayak, a career, an eternal marriage and family, or helping to build the kingdom in some far corner of the world. Indeed if we commit to and follow this second principle in all we do, then when circumstances, associates, or the honors of men would tempt us to compromise or lower our standards, like the prophet Nehemiah of old, we will respond, "I am doing a great work, . . . I cannot come down."
When we follow this principle of "building now for eternity" the Lord can enhance and magnify our efforts far beyond what we might have envisioned for ourselves. I love the way the Christian writer, C.S. Lewis, has described the result when we enlist the Savior's help in building for eternity, rather than simply relying on our own abilities and designs. He said: "Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right, and stopping the leaks in the roof, and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts . . . and does not seem to make sense. 'What on earth is He up to?' The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of- throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace."
When we build now for eternity, and do so on the sure foundation of the Savior and His gospel, the things we build will have the ability to continue on into eternity. As an example of this, let me return to the experience of our own family. One of the things that Margaret and I did not fully comprehend as we sought to build great love, respect and service among our family members, was how those things might manifest themselves when they each had their own families.
Our five children continue to be best friends with each other. The kind of friends you have on speed dial and that you count on for advice and counsel whenever it might be needed. Let me highlight a few of those frequent areas of advice and counsel, as identified by our now adult children. They report: "We rely on Kristy for information, editing or empathy.
We rely on Spencer for computer and electronics advice and solutions. We rely on Marianne for calendaring family togetherness and providing encouragement and advice whenever needed. We rely on Mindy for grand family plans and organizing the annual additions to our family book of remembrance. And, we rely on Matt for home repair help and advice."
Shortly after completing his construction management degree, our son Matt produced a refrigerator magnet for each of our family members. Here is a photo of the message on that magnet: "Call Your Friendly Family Handyman, Matt." We each continue to take advantage of Matt's experience, expertise and willingness to help in this area.
Let me conclude our discussion of this principle of building now for eternity by sharing a summary provided by Elder Joseph P. Wirthlin in a conference talk entitled, "Build it Right": "If we build our life with and for our Savior, we will build it from the best materials and with the best effort we can give. We won't skimp on study or training or diligence or obedience."
Building so the Result is Fitly Framed
The third principle of building I would like to share is what is referred to in the scriptures as "fitly framed together." The Apostle Paul used this phrase when writing to the Ephesians and describing the way in which the Savior had built his church "on a foundation of apostles and prophets" and included other offices and callings that resulted in an organization that was "fitly framed together."
Similarly, when constructing a physical building, this is what ensures that all of the elements are consistent and are tied together. This is the characteristic that is needed if physical buildings are to have sufficient structural integrity and resilience to withstand earthquakes, tornedoes, hurricanes, typhoons and other natural disasters. But such a standard for building additionally requires that the craftsmanship and interior finishes are also of the same quality and integrity as the structural work and the foundation.
One of the English words we use to indicate such consistency is "integrity." The Latin root of the word integrity is "integer." Other words that share that same root include "entire" and "integrate." Integrity is, therefore, the quality or condition of being whole, complete, unbroken, and undivided. When we build something to be "fitly framed together," it will have integrity.
When building an aspect of your personal life - whether a marriage, a family, a career, a community, or the kingdom - this principle enables each aspect both individually and collectively to withstand every challenge. By being "fitly framed together," each aspect is tied to that sure foundation which cannot fall whatever storms or circumstances may come. As we hear the Savior's words received through His prophets, heed the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and then choose to bind ourselves to Him and His gospel, we become fitly framed and will merit all that He has promised.
President Hinckley described our efforts at building our own life in this manner, as follows: "In all this world there is no substitute for personal integrity. It includes honor; it includes performance. It includes keeping one's word. It includes doing what is right regardless of the circumstances."
Elder Bruce R. McConkie echoed the importance of having our behaviors consistent with the Lord's standards and truths in order for our lives to be anchored to the Savior and His teachings. He taught: "To say 'We believe in being honest' is to testify that because we believe in Christ and His saving truths, we automatically accept honesty as a divine standard to which every true believer must conform. And so it is with all true principles; they inhere in, are part of, and grow out of the saving truths. . . . It is only when [our behaviors] are tied to gospel doctrines that they rest on a sure and enduring foundation and gain full operation in [our lives]."
As we build for eternity on that sure foundation, and do so consistently and faithfully in all aspects of our lives, we develop the integrity and character that results in our progressing "line upon line [and] precept upon precept." And by so doing, we merit the Lord's promised blessing of being given even more.
This principle requires that all aspects of our life be consistent in order to be fitly framed together. Some years ago I had a group of graduate students who became intrigued with the observation that some of the senior executives they had come to know were outstanding examples in all aspects of their lives, including marriage, family, career, community and service. They also recognized that such individuals seemed to keep things in balance in spite of their success in the professional world and the demands on their time.
These students came to me and asked if I would supervise a field study project where they would interview a dozen or so individuals on their list, to see if they could identify the sources of that balance, perspective and success. I agreed and off they went to do interviews and gather some data. What they didn't know at the time was that about a third of those on their list were strong members of the LDS Church.
When they reported their findings they had discovered a handful of characteristics that were common across these outstanding individuals. First they found that each individual had built his or her life - in every aspect - on a core set of principles and values that were unchanging.
Second, they found that everything these people did was of excellent quality and with a long term perspective as to its impact and value. Each of these individuals was very aware of the need to avoid short term or temporary solutions, and consistently sought for solutions that would endure the test of time.
Third, they discovered that none of these individuals separated their life into compartments. They each had a calendar that integrated all activities, whether with spouse, children, community, profession or church, into a single plan and schedule. And, while they always had to make choices and tradeoffs given limited time and resources, they did so only after considering all aspects of their lives. Thus they avoided marginalizing any important dimension of their life.
It was fascinating to me that such a group of students - not of our faith - but anxious to learn the requirements for success, not just in their careers, but in all aspects of live, would draw conclusions so consistent with the principles we've been discussing here today. Of course the fact that four of the individuals they studied were faithful Latter-day Saints helped make that happen. But more importantly, they learned that true principles are true, no matter who applies them.
Of course these are things that the Lord and His prophets have known and shared throughout the ages. I love the way that President Faust summarized the value of adopting and living by such truths when he said,
"Honorable men and women will personally commit to certain self-imposed expectations. They need no outside check or control. They are honorable in their inner core. Integrity is the light that shines from a disciplined conscience. It is the strength of duty within us."
The prophet, Brigham Young, was quick to add that not only should we apply such standards and truths when building aspects of our personal and family life, but we should be equally committed to applying those principles when building the Kingdom of God. He taught: "If you give anything for the building up of the Kingdom of God, give the best you have. ... Let us devote every qualification we are in possession of to the building up of God's kingdom, and you will accomplish the whole of it."
I have great faith in each of you as sons and daughters of God. My hope is that you will go forth committed to build on that sure foundation of Jesus Christ, that you will consistently build for eternity, and that through your thoughts and actions, all aspects of your life will be fitly framed together and tied to that sure foundation.
I know that as you do so, your life will be blessed beyond measure. Let me conclude by echoing the words of Helaman to his sons, Nephi and Lehi: ". . .Remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer. . . that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds,. . . when all of his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you. . . because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
I testify that these are true principles and that they will lead you to peace and joy in this life and eternal life in the world to come, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.