Brothers and Sisters, good morning and aloha. It is indeed a wonderful blessing and great responsibility to stand before you this day. I appreciate the invitation from President Wheelwright to speak to you. I bring you the greetings of the saints who reside on the Garden Island of Kauai.
Having been born and raised on Kauai, a part of me always wanted to attend school here and enjoy the wonderful spirit of this special place. Unfortunately, I was swayed to the mainland and spent my college days there.
As I entered the auditorium this morning my mind returned to my days as a student at BYU-Provo and the wonderful memories of attending weekly devotionals in the Marriott Center over my four years there. Those devotionals and teachings have positively influenced me over the years. Listening to inspired leaders and great teachers in our Church has always been a tremendous blessing. My educational experience at BYU truly is the foundation for my life.
The thought of one day being asked to speak at such a devotional never crossed my mind. This may be a once in a lifetime experience, so, I have prayed sincerely that I may present a message today that may instruct and inspire each of you. I pray and invite the companionship of the Holy Ghost to be with me and you as I present this important message today.
Our beloved prophet has recently stated,
"None of us makes it through this life without problems and challenges ”and sometimes tragedies and misfortunes. After all, in large part we are here to learn and grow from such events in our lives. We know that there are times when we will suffer, when we will grieve, and when we will be saddened. However, we are told, 'Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy' (2 Nephi 2:25).
How might we have joy in our lives, despite all that we may face? Again from the scriptures: 'Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you' (D&C 68:6)." (Thomas S. Monson, "Be of Good Cheer," Ensign, May 2009, 89)
He also said,
"This is our one and only chance at mortal life ”here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey”now." (Thomas S. Monson, "Finding Joy in the Journey," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 85)
Our beloved prophet has reminded us to be of good cheer and to find joy in our mortal journey. To find true happiness in this life, we must gain greater faith in Christ until we know him as Simon knew him.
Speaking to his disciples, "He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 16:15-17).
When the Savior was seeking a man of faith, he called among the fishermen of Capernaum. He had been teaching on the seashore and entered a ship by the lake. He asked the owner to put it out a little from the land so he would not be pressed upon by the crowd. After teaching further, he said to Simon, "Launch out in to the deep, and let down your nets." Simon answered, "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net." Simon did this and "they inclosed a great multitude of fishes. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:4-6, 8). Jesus replied, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19). Simon the fisherman was called. It was not an easy path for him to follow nor free from pain. His obedience made Peter an apostle of faith.
During Christ's visit to the American continent, he spoke of the fullness of joy that comes into our lives because of His great love for us in 3 Nephi 17:15-20:
"And when he had said these words, he himself also knelt upon the earth; and behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him.
"And after this manner do they bear record: The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father;
"And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.
"And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome.
"And it came to pass that Jesus spake unto them, and bade them arise.
"And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full."
Our goal is to find joy and happiness in this life. We need the obedience displayed by Simon Peter, we need the love of our Savior, and we need the faith of the Nephites. We need an inspirational and strategic "north star" in our lives. This campus and, from what I understand, your Hawaiian Studies program have made great attempts to honor the pacific pioneering explorers. As a high school history teacher for a number of years, I always enjoyed teaching my students about the ancient Polynesian voyagers who crossed the vast Pacific with wondrous skill and an unquenchable spirit of discovery. We would explore the amazing methods and manner in which our Polynesian ancestors voyaged across the great ocean. Each voyage must have been an incredible test of faith. They would depend on the heavens. They would find their way by keen observation of the stars, the sun, the ocean swells, and other signs of nature for clues to direction and location of a vessel at sea. They would accomplish all of this without the use of European navigational instruments. They would identify and name star clusters and memorize where they come up and go down. Hokule'a or "star of gladness", also known as Arcturus, is the brightest in the Northern Hemisphere. It was the guiding beacon for sailors who made the long voyage north from the Marquesas and Tahiti to Hawaii. They needed to be constantly observant to speed, direction and time. I'm continually amazed at the long lineage of seafarers who explored and settled the Pacific.
Like the Pacific voyaging and way-finding of our ancient ancestors, we must follow an inspirational "north star" to guide us in this mortal journey. It is so critical to make constant observation of our own lives, our direction, and our need for constant correction to stay on the righteous path. In our stake we have tried to reiterate three simple goals that are designed to form a collective inspirational mindset among stake leaders and stake members alike-to influence our every action. I would like you to consider adopting this beacon in your own lives.
Gain Greater Faith in Christ
The first goal is to gain greater faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. As we work at building our personal faith to a higher level we will maximize the blessing promised to us in this mortal journey. Why would we ever deny ourselves of blessings by choosing disobedience? Our goal is to know Him as Simon Peter knew him. Simon Peter knew Him because he was willing to trust in the Lord, he will willing to let down his nets because he was asked to conform. He was blessed with an abundant catch and greater faith in Jesus Christ. Obedience was the key for Simon Peter.
I grew up in a family with seven children. We were born of goodly parents who did their best to instill the teachings of the gospel and we were taught to be obedient to the commandments. Our little neighborhood was forever busy with playful childhood activity. Bike riding, basketball, football, and rotten guava throwing fights were my favorites. Sundays were different for one family in the neighborhood, ours. Not only did we attend our Church meetings each Sunday but, we treated the day as a holy one. We were taught well and knew that it was a special day. We were taught to obediently honor the Sabbath. We would often need to remind our friends at the doorstep that it was Sunday and that we couldn't play like we did the other days of the week. This simple pattern of obedience to one of our Father in Heaven's commandments has stuck with me throughout my life.
In the book of Mormon we read about Amaleki just prior to him delivering the plates up to King Benjamin:
"And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved." (Omni 1:26)
This sounds like a recipe for developing greater faith.
We know that faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost are necessary steps to have the gates of the kingdom of heaven open to us. Enduring to the end means strict obedience to God's laws. I encourage you to remember the following acronym, CTR. It certainly stands for Choose the Right. Today, I want it to stand for Current Temple Recommend. The covenants made in the house of the Lord are paramount to our spiritual development. Many of you have been to the temple, while others may not have had the opportunity. Holding a CTR certifies your worthiness and your willingness to live the necessary standards that the Lord has set for each of his children upon this earth. When we hold such a recommend, we have validated our righteous intentions and actions.
Elder Uchtdorf stated,
"Every member who wants to go to the temple, regardless of age, needs to prepare for this sacred experience. Certain questions will be asked by your bishop and stake president, who hold keys of priesthood authority and are common judges in the Church. These vital questions will include: Are you honest? Are you morally clean? Do you keep the Word of Wisdom? Do you obey the law of tithing? And do you sustain the authorities of the Church? The answers to these key questions reflect your attitudes and actions, the standards set by the Lord in the temple recommend questions are very similar to the standards found in For the Strength of Youth." (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "See the End from the Beginning," Ensign, May 2006, 42-45)
Christ's early Apostles once pleaded to the Lord, "Increase our faith" (Luke 17:5). The Apostle Paul's statement that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1) is a great place to begin our definition of faith. In the scriptures faith seems to describe belief”perhaps a strong belief that leads to righteous living and action. We know that a desire to believe can grow "brighter and brighter until the perfect day" (D&C 50:24).
Faith is also a principle of action and power. Enoch is one of the greatest examples of faith and who used his powerful faith as a mighty tool in battle. The scriptures state that "so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him" (Moses 7:13). His Apostles watched Him calm the rolling waves of Galilee, raise Lazarus from the dead, walk on water, and cause the blind from birth to see; they desired greater faith that would allow them to participate in similar miracles. The scriptures later record that the Apostles' faith had been increased as they participated in experiences similar to those of the Savior, beginning with Peter and John's healing of the lame man at the gate of the temple. If we want to increase our faith, as did Enoch, we must give ourselves over completely to the Lord, we need to trust him and strive to act as he would act in all circumstances.
We will no doubt face difficult and seemingly impossible circumstances. We must maintain the attitude that we will forever be in the Lord's debt. Keeping the commandments may be enough to maintain our faith, but it is not enough to increase it. We must continue sacrificing and serving with no thought of reward. We do it because we love the Lord to whom we owe everything. If we are serious about increasing our faith, nothing short of maintaining an eternal perspective will do. We must not place conditions on our willingness to serve the Lord with all our hearts. If we do, we diminish our faith. Doing our duty is not enough. We need to continue with total commitment to the Lord, all the days of our lives. The prophet Joseph Smith was a wonderful example of this. He acted with complete trust in the Lord, in the face of grave danger. He said while bound for Carthage Jail and death, "I am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I as calm as summer's morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men" (D&C 135:4). He had submitted his desire and will over to the Lord. He had gained the faith, such as that enjoyed by the ancient prophets. Surely, the ingredients of fasting, prayer, scripture study, and righteous living are part of the process of increasing our faith, however, trusting the Lord with our whole souls is what will truly take it to the next level. We must do what is right and serve the Lord because we know, trust, and love Him with all of our hearts and souls. We must not ever think that we deserve a reward or thanks for what we do, although rewards will surely come. We must humbly ask, seek and knock. We must never demand anything of the Lord, because we are always in his debt. We must leave to him the final decision in all things, having the attitude, "Not my will, but thine be done." We must be prepared to sacrifice, even unto death, for our entire mortal lives.
It is my hope that each of us may increase our faith by focusing on our weaknesses and turning them into strengths. We need to exercise selflessness and self-control over the appetites of the natural man. The world will tell you to indulge those appetites, you know better. Whether it be gossiping, the payment of tithing, the word of wisdom or law of chastity, you can overcome. It has been my privilege as a stake president to have witnessed the faith of saints grow in our stake. I've witnessed the healing power of the atonement, forgiveness extended and received, young men and women prepared to serve honorable full-time missions, young couples choosing to enter the holy temple to be married and have sealing powers pronounced upon them. Our ultimate goal is to do as Moroni taught:
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." (Moroni 10:32)
Help Others Gain Greater Faith in Christ
As a natural result of our faith being strengthened, we will have a greater desire to help others increase their faith in Christ to a higher level. This is the second goal as part of the "north star" that we will pursue together. After he instituted the sacrament, the Lord told Simon,
"But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:32).
The three Nephites desired and were given power over death. Similarly, they were told by the Lord,
"And again, ye shall not have pain while ye shall dwell in the flesh, neither sorrow save it be for the sins of the world; and all this will I do because of the thing which ye have desired of me, for ye have desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand.
"And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one." (3 Ne 28: 9-10)
My first experience as a missionary came while in high school. I had met a girl that I liked very much. She got to know me and my family very well and had no choice but to learn about the Church. I remember trying to teach her about the Book of Mormon and the Prophet Joseph Smith's First Vision. It was the first time in my life that I ever really thought about how cool is would be to help someone become a member of the Church. She started to attend Church regularly and soon took the missionary lessons. I was fortunate enough to baptize her a few months later and then I went off to Utah for school and Canada for two years as a missionary. We got married soon after I returned from my mission. The gospel has greatly blessed our lives. My wife's parents were converted to the Church only a couple of years ago. My first missionary experience and subsequent missionary service has laid the groundwork in my life for the tremendous task that is ours to share the gospel message and help our friends, family members, and other acquaintances to be taught by the full-time missionaries. Whenever I attend baptisms or attend the temple with new patrons, I naturally get a strong feeling that I want to share the gospel more with others. Great joy comes into our lives as we share his gospel.
The Lord said,
"If it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!
"And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" (D&C 18:15-16).
After His Resurrection, the Lord commanded His disciples to "go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19). In fulfillment of this command, we all have a solemn duty to serve.
Not long ago, we were having a family day at beach. The kids were having a great time in the water and enjoying the sunshine. My brother-in-law and I were cooking some food on the grill and watching the activities going on by our children and other beach goers. We watched a pair of swimmers out past the breaking waves in an area that we both knew was prone to strong currents pulling away from shore. I commented to my brother-in-law that I would be surprised if these two gentlemen wouldn't need our help. We watched them swim for several minutes without moving in their desired direction. They were actually being dragged further out to sea. They soon were very fatigued and one of them started to panic, waving his arms wildly, and we could faintly hear his cries for help. I sprang into action thinking this is my opportunity to be a hero and save a life. I ran and grabbed a surfboard that we had in the truck and handed it off to my brother-in-law. I encouraged him to go quickly and make us rescuers. Within a few minutes, he had both would-be victims back on the beach. Luckily, one of them had made it back to the beach on his own, but his partner had been swept out into a dangerous place. They were so grateful for the help, the rescue. They could not thank my brother-in-law enough for they knew that the consequences could have been so much worse for them that day. In a spiritual sense, there are many around us that are in tragic waters. They are in need of rescue, and we are their rescuers. Missionary work includes helping and supporting those who are new to the Church and those whom we consider lost. President Hinckley taught us that each new member needs three things: a friend, a responsibility, and nurturing with the good word of God. (see Gordon B. Hinckley, "'Every Convert Is Precious'," Liahona, Feb 1999, 9)
Some of you have served missions and some of you may be ready to serve soon. What a blessing it is that you have prepared yourselves to serve as the spirit of the Lord directs. You are a part of the greatest army on earth doing the greatest work there is. He will allow you to help rescue those who are spiritually drowning, to save souls. Our sense of duty and our efforts to serve should match the divine message that we proclaim. It is truly a labor of love. It is a labor that continues throughout our entire lives.
I appreciate the profound lesson to be learned from 1 Samuel in the Holy Bible. You will recall that the Prophet Samuel was directed by the Lord to go to Bethlehem, even to Jesse, with the revelation that a king would be found among the sons of Jesse. Samuel did as the Lord had commanded him. Each of Jesse's sons was introduced, seven of them. Though they were fair and qualified in appearance, Samuel was told by the Lord that none was to be chosen. "And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him. And he sent, and brought him in. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he." (1 Sam. 16:11-12)
The lesson for us to learn is found in 1 Samuel 16:7: "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." May we look at the hearts of our loved ones and neighbors and help them come unto Christ. May we truly help others move their faith in Christ to the next level.
May we be prepared when needed by the Lord to help Him save His children. May we take upon us the attitude of the sons of Mosiah:
"Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble." (Mosiah 28:3)
After Enos' mighty prayer and remission of his sins, the Lord is speaking unto him:
"And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.
"Now, it came to pass that when I had heard these words I began to feel a desire for the welfare of my brethren, the Nephites; wherefore, I did pour out my whole soul unto God for them. (Enos 1:8-9)"
I suggest an acronym to help you to remember this important duty. MTC usually stands for missionary training center. Today, remember Meet The Christ. We need to work diligently to feed his sheep and truly help others to know Him, to meet Him. May we capture the great vision of the rescue. Let's magnify our callings, take upon us the responsibility and be anxiously engaged.
Lifetime Daily Searchers
I would like to suggest a third and final goal that will help us navigate by our "north star". There needs to be a catalyst to encourage the incremental change steps in increasing our faith and helping others do the same. A catalyst is something that precipitates or encourages a change. I suggest that we all become LDS. Latter-Day Saints should come to mind, but I suggest that we become Lifetime Daily Searchers of the scriptures.
In Acts 17: 11 it states,
"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
There are some critical reasons why we should be engaged in the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, every day. I would like to use the scriptures to illustrate this point.
First we do it to show our gratitude:
Elder John Taylor said,
"Hyrum Smith was forty-four years old in February, 1844, and Joseph Smith was thirty-eight in December, 1843; and henceforward their names will be classed among the martyrs of religion; and the reader in every nation will be reminded that the Book of Mormon, and this book of Doctrine and Covenants of the Church, cost the best blood of the nineteenth century to bring them forth for the salvation of a ruined world; They lived for glory; they died for glory; and glory is their eternal reward. From age to age shall their names go down to posterity as gems for the sanctified." (D&C 135:6)
We do it to keep a commandment:
"And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; (3 Ne 23: 1)
We do it so we never forget God:
"I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct. (Mosiah 1: 5)
We do it to be free:
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8: 32).
"And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
"And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell." (Alma 12: 10-11)
We do it to be in tune to the Spirit to better help others:
"Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea." (Jacob 4: 6)
Spiritually speaking, we will be enabled to help other overcome the trials and challenges that lie in their path.
We do it to truly grasp that Jesus is our Savior:
"Now behold, my brethren, I would ask if ye have read the scriptures? If ye have, how can ye disbelieve on the Son of God" (Alma 33: 14)?
And from the Prophet Nephi,
"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Ne 25: 23).
Go Forward With Faith
We must follow an inspirational "north star" to guide us in this mortal journey. It is so critical to make constant observation of our own lives, our direction, and our need for constant correction to stay on the righteous path.
We should ask ourselves, "Am I living the way the Lord wants me to live?" Our prayers will allow us to express to our Heavenly Father the desires of our heart. We need his help, guidance and direction. He will hear and answer our prayers. He is the source of all wisdom. Personal revelation will flow into our lives as we read the scriptures daily. The scriptures will strengthen our testimonies. As we keep sacred baptismal covenants to remember him always, to take upon ourselves his name and promise to keep his commandments, we will truly have His spirit to be with us. Our Church leaders will lead us in paths of happiness. We should be eternally grateful for our membership in God's kingdom. Our humility and willingness to obey the whisperings of the Spirit will help us to put the will of our Heavenly Father above our own. Our personal obedience and reliance on the Lord will help us to make much more of our lives than we could on our own. He will bless us with wonderful opportunities; he will strengthen us and help us to focus on the things of eternity. He will help us to overcome the challenges in life and know the only source of true happiness and joy:
"And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved.
"Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.
"And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.
"And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.
"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
"And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen." (2 Nephi 31:16-21)
I bear you my witness that these things spoken today are true. I know that we have a loving Father in Heaven who has prepared a perfect plan for each of us. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I know that that Book of Mormon is true and that the heavens were open to our boy Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. I testify that this is the true Church upon the earth today. We are led by a living Prophet today, even Thomas S Monson. I say these things humbly in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.