President and Sister Wheelwright, members of the administration, faculty and staff and students of this great university, Aloha. It is always disconcerting to walk onto this campus and see your face on flyers seemingly posted on every door. Having seen these flyers for several days now, you are probably here expecting a lecture on geology or precious metals.
Well, so as not to disappoint, I hold in my hand a 1 ounce gold coin minted in the year 2000 by the United States Mint. This coin is comprised of .999% pure, genuine gold and has a face value of $50. However, anyone who owned this coin would be foolish to use it at its face value because the current price of genuine gold per ounce is in excess of $1,600 and has been as high as $1,800 in recent weeks. A hundred years ago a 1 ounce gold coin had a face value of $20 and was actually used as everyday currency. A man possessing such a coin back then could walk into a fine tailor shop and have a complete custom suit of clothing made to his exact specifications in the finest fabrics in exchange for a $20 gold piece. By contrast, twenty dollars today, would barely buy you an average discounted neck tie.
Since I acquired this $50 gold coin back in the year 2000 the price of gold per ounce has more than quadrupled in value.
Did you know that 78% of the yearly gold supply is made into jewelry? 12% is used in the electronics, medical and dental industries, while the remaining 10% is used in financial transactions. Gold has historically been an investment that people have turned to when conventional financial markets are in turmoil and when the global economy is in upheaval: it has been viewed as a safe haven in times of commotion. One of the many useful qualities of gold is its malleability. For example, this one ounce coin could be made into a thin gold wire that would stretch some 50 miles long. To better illustrate, you could take that wire and wrap it around the perimeter of this building 254 times. This one ounce gold coin could also be pounded into a thin sheet or leaf of gold that would cover almost 100 square feet. That sheet of gold would be so thin that if you stacked 7,055 similar gold sheets on top of each other it would be no thicker than a dime (www.amnh.org/exhibitions/gold/incomparable/properties.php).
Who knew that genuine gold was so versatile?
Not surprisingly, God also recognizes the worth and beauty of gold. In chapter 3 of the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price, verses 11 and 12 it reads, ". . . I the Lord God created much gold; . . . and the gold of that land was good." In D&C Section 137 the great vision given to the Prophet Joseph Smith of the Celestial Kingdom is recorded. Verse four of that section reads "I saw the beautiful streets of that kingdom, which had the appearance of being paved with gold."
We also know that anciently gold was made into sheets or plates used to record sacred records for future generations.
Now, it is also important to know, when learning about gold, that there exists in nature a counterfeit to genuine gold. This counterfeit is called Pyrite and is commonly referred to as Fool's Gold. Fool's Gold looks and feels like genuine gold but has none of the valued properties or traits of real gold. Because of its similar appearance, some are "fooled" into believing they have something of value when all they really have is a shiny gold-colored rock.
So, what does all of this talk about gold have to do with you? Good question. During his remarks preceding the dedicatory prayer at the ground breaking ceremony of this university on February 12, 1955, President David O. McKay made many prophetic comments. He said that this school would produce "men who cannot be bought or sold, men who will scorn to violate the truth." He referred to such men, and I will also include the women of this university, as "genuine gold." He followed this statement with the prophecy that these men, and women, will be leaders, "not leaders only in this island, but everywhere" (Selected quotes compiled from transcripts of tapes and materials on file at BYU-Hawaii Archives; (File: CCH/BYUH, Dedications)).
President McKay foresaw in you great value to an increasingly troubled and wicked world. He recognized that the components of honesty and integrity taught and reinforced at this university would be key elements necessary to helping you achieve your prophetic destiny as leaders throughout the world.
Today, in a world that is increasingly consumed with corruption, greed, deception and dishonesty, the principles of integrity and honesty have seemingly become old fashioned, out-of-date notions. Some even believe that these character traits actually limit an individual's progression toward leadership, influence and respect.
On November 27, 1982, the Church lost one of its great leaders with the passing of President N. Eldon Tanner. President Tanner had served as a councilor to no less than four Church Presidents: David O. McKay, Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee and Spencer W. Kimball. President Tanner was a man who was highly respected within and without the Church for his honesty and integrity. He served in many political and governmental offices in his home country of Canada and was revered as a man that could be trusted with the most important and delicate issues of the day. In a talk given by President Tanner in the April General Conference of 1977, President Tanner spoke on integrity and the need for there to be a "revival of this " ˜old fashioned' virtue." He taught that when one integrates the virtues of "honesty, trust, righteousness, dependability, truthfulness, kindness, justice, mercy, love and fidelity" into his being and when those become the "moving force of all his thoughts, actions, and desires, then he may be said to possess integrity." He gave a definition of integrity as being "a state or quality of being complete, undivided, or unbroken; moral soundness, honesty and uprightness." Profoundly, he spoke of a man "being whole within himself, or undivided," and recited the following thought provoking verse by Edward Sanford Martin("My Name is Legion," in Obert C. Tanner, Christ's Ideals for Living, Salt Lake City: Deseret Sunday School Union Board, 1955, p.118.):
Within my earthly temple there's a crowd;
There's one of us that's humble, one that's proud,
There's one that's broken-hearted for his sins,
There's one that unrepentant sits and grins;
There's one that loves his neighbor as himself,
And, one that cares for naught but fame and pelf.
From much corroding care I should be free
If I could once determine which is me!
Choosing honesty and integrity should be a simple question of black or white. However, the Adversary, in his typical style, blurs the clear moral lines by tempting us to believe that we should, "Eat, drink and be merry; nevertheless, fear God: he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor, there is no harm in this; do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God" (2 Nephi 28:8).
Now, contrast these false teachings by what is recorded in the 4th and 5th chapters of Acts where we have the tragic and extraordinary account of Ananais and his wife Sapphira. At that time the members of Christ's church, "had all things common." They had consecrated all that they had so that everyone's needs were met. Those who owned land or houses sold them and brought the amounts received, and I quote,
". . . laid them down at the apostle's feet: and distribution was made unto every man according to his need.
"But a certain man named Ananais, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
"And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostle's feet.
"But Peter said, Ananais, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of land?
"Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why has thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
"And Ananais hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
"And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
"And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
"And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
"Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
"Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband" (Acts 4:32, 34-35; Acts 5:1-10).
This dramatic account should clearly reestablish in our minds a solid, bold line of black and white.
President Tanner taught that more integrity is need in government. Said he, "we need to be governed by men and women who are undivided in honorable purpose, whose votes and decisions are not for sale to the highest bidder. We need as our elected and appointed officials those whose characters are unsullied, whose lives are morally clean and open, who are not devious, selfish, or weak. We need men and women of courage and honest convictions, who will stand always ready to be counted for their integrity and not compromise for expediency, lust for power, or greed; and we need people who will appreciate and support representatives of this caliber."
He also lamented the decline of integrity in the business world and strongly felt that "business leaders and financiers should be the very epitome of integrity." And, what of the world of education? Yes, he also raised a warning voice to those that occupy the hallowed halls of academia. He felt that, "nowhere else, save in the home, is there greater opportunity to practice and to educate in the principles of integrity," and he recognized "an undeniable correlation between [integrity] and education." He quoted the famous English author, Samuel Johnson who said, "Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful" (Johnson, Samuel. "Chapter 41." The History of Rasselas, prince of Abissinia).
Truly, honesty and integrity must first be taught and modeled within the walls of the home. The husband who is dishonest with his wife, the child who is deceptive to his parents, will compromise these moral codes when outside of the home. If we cannot be honest with those who love us and to whom we are joined by sacred covenant, there is little standing in the way of our compromising these values when dealing with those we casually associate with.
A few years ago, my wife and I purchased groceries at a local market in our home town of Kailua. Upon returning home, I reviewed the receipt and found that the cashier had made a mistake and only charged us for one item when in fact we had purchased two of the same item. The dollar amount was not significant but I did walk out of that store without having paid for the item. A discussion ensued in our home regarding what we should do about this seemingly small matter. All agreed that the item should be taken back to the market and that we should identify the error and pay for this second item. I returned to the store with the item in hand and sought out the cashier who had helped us minutes before. I showed her the receipt and the uncharged item and said that I was here to make good on the oversight. To my disappointment, the cashier said to me, "Oh, it's no big deal, you didn't need to come back just for that." I responded by telling her that my integrity was worth more than the price of the item and that I would settle the matter even though small.
Like genuine gold, we need to be malleable in allowing the teachings of parents, trusted teachers and leaders to shape and mold us into the manner of men and women that our Heavenly Father would have us be. We have been given commandments, teachings and the personal example of our Savior, Jesus Christ as models to follow. You have been drawn to this university where these doctrines and teachings are the very foundation of all that is done here. You have agreed to live by an honor code that embodies these doctrines and teachings and you have been asked to pledge your commitment to this higher law. As a result, you are viewed in this community and even the world as being "genuine gold." However, if you are here under false pretenses, if you have a casual attitude toward the commandments, teachings of the Savior or the Honor Code, then perhaps you have the appearance of genuine gold but only the appearance. You must possess the valued properties of honesty and integrity to be genuine gold and constantly guard against being gold in appearance only.
The honor code asks that you live the law of chastity and word of wisdom and that you respect the property of others. You have agreed to live by dress and grooming standards. You cannot become involved in drug abuse and must respect the personal rights of others. You commit to honoring, obeying and sustaining the law and to being honest in your behavior and academic conduct. This includes "not cheating, plagiarizing, or knowingly giving false information." These standards are given as a preparation for your achieving the leadership potential seen in you by a prophet of God, and whether you become leaders of nations, industry, the Church or only within the walls of your own home, honesty and integrity must be the hallmark of your character.
When you sign your pledge to keep the Honor Code of this university, it may be likened to swearing an oath. I have always been impressed by the permanent and binding nature of oaths in the Book of Mormon. You will remember the story of Nephi securing the Plates of Brass from Laban and how Laban's servant, Zoram, believing Nephi to be his master, followed Nephi outside the city walls. Upon learning Nephi's true identity, Zoram rightly became fearful and was about to flee back to Jerusalem, when Nephi seized him, "and spake unto him, even with an oath, that he need not fear; that he should be a free man. . . if he would go down to the wilderness with [them]." "And it came to pass that Zoram did take courage at the words which [Nephi] spake. And it came to pass that when Zoram had made an oath unto [them], [their] fears did cease concerning him" (1 Nephi 4: 31-37).
Much time, effort energy and worry could be lifted from the hearts and minds of your families, church leaders and school administrators if all of the students at this university would honor their oaths as Zoram and Nephi honored theirs.
In addition to the oaths, you have also made sacred and binding covenants. Covenants at baptism; for the men, oaths and covenants when you received the two priesthoods; and temple covenants. The keeping and honoring of these covenants bring promised blessings that have no equal. The breaking of these covenants will result in heartache and profound sorrow, a loss of blessings, opportunities and privileges, and, most significantly, separation from a loving God who has promised you "all that [he] hath" in exchange for your integrity in honoring covenants(D&C 84:38).
As said before, because of the high standards of this university, you will be instantly recognized in the world because of your golden appearance. You will then need to show the world through your words and actions that you are genuine gold, not Fool's Gold. Future employers and even spouses will invest in you because you will be recognized as a safe haven in a morally bankrupt world. Prove to them that their investment in you was wise and that your value will only increase with time like this gold coin.
President Tanner reminds us that others have modeled honesty and integrity in the most perilous of circumstances. You will remember that prior to his conversion, Saul was a Pharisee who persecuted the Christians, and in his own words did, "many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them." Later Paul, the newly ordained apostle, testified before King Agrippa and honestly stated,
"At midday, O King, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
"And when fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in Hebrew tongue, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
"And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
"But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee" (Acts 26).
Remembering that Saul was a chief persecutor of the saints, this confession to the King was unbelievable. Indeed, a Roman procurator named Festus who was with the King, "said in a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad." Paul responded, "I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness."
Paul, ultimately gave his life for this testimony of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
So it was with the prophet Joseph Smith, "I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecutest me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation" (JS-H 1:25).
Brothers and sisters, I too, bear you my witness that Joseph Smith did as a matter of fact and truth see God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I will forever be grateful for that boy prophet's honesty and integrity in the face of unyielding persecution that lead to his suffering a martyr's death. More genuine gold the world has not seen save it be in the Son of God, even Jesus Christ.
The value of genuine gold is rising. The need for genuine gold is growing more acute in the home and family and the business and political world. I urge you to refine the qualities of honesty and integrity in order that you may rise up and take your prophesied place as "leaders everywhere."
This is His Church; this is His work; and I testify that we are lead by prophets, seers and revelators in these latter days. I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.