Aloha, brothers and sisters. I’m so grateful Carolyn could be with me today. She is the epitome of all that is joyful and beautiful in my life. She and I have been rejoicing exceedingly ever since we learned of the appointment of President John Tanner to preside over this campus with his wife Susan. The Lord has prepared them well for this assignment. Carolyn and I love BYU Hawaii for a 1000 reasons, just one of which is that five of our seven children found their spouses here.
At President Wheelwright’s request, I have spent the last year writing, editing, and consolidating a volume of history with Dr. Alf Pratte that celebrates this campus and its life of 60 years. I have meditated long on many past events and thought deeply about the comments of alumni and others who submitted their narratives to be included in the book.
Themes of Gratitude
One of the most conspicuous themes in the book is that the University clearly came about by prophetic vision. There was no compelling logic or natural evolution to bring about the Church College of Hawaii, now BYU Hawaii. But the Lord God had planted in the heart of his prophet on earth, David O. McKay, to establish the school and to prophesy that the campus and the people educated here would wield a global influence for good and that millions would eventually be blessed by it.
With this theme in mind, I would like to say again what I fervently believe that you, all of you, are part of that original vision; that just as the campus is here by prophetic destiny, so you are also here by divine appointment. For whatever reason you think you are here, Heavenly Father wants you here for his own reasons. This university is part of his grand plan for you, not just to help launch your career, or to find your eternal companion, although many of you will, but for your successful preparation, academically and spiritually, for a productive mortal life of service to all human kind, and for your eternal life.
In this sense, I believe as students and employees, you should consider your being here to be a calling, yes, a calling from the same prophetic source that inspired the founding of the school. Almost as if heavenly hands were placed on your head in a divine setting apart.
I remember what the late Professor Lance Chase said about this idea:
"The message is that students and faculty alike must understand the studies here are designed to feed our Christ-like motives. Students need to know that their education is their prime calling from God in these years, that their education must be an act of love, even worship, of stewardship; in a way a wholehearted response to God…."(The Idea of a Mormon University, David O. McKay lecture, 1987.)
This calling carries with it tremendous blessings and wonderful opportunities to learn now; and very high expectations in your future to serve the Lord with all your heart, might, mind and strength.
Of course many of you have to be employed in order to support your calling as a student. In the scores of narratives from alumni included in our book of history, there is a consensus that their employment on campus or at PCC was a learning experience equally valuable to their studies and was an immense blessing for them. That is, work was not simply the means to an end, but integral to their overall education. Employment to support yourself in school is not one of your enemies. The real enemies that often sabotage your divine appointment to study are: procrastination, excessive hanging out in person or through social media, and the so-called entertainment technology - video games and more video games. I beg you to stay in control.
Speaking of video games, as a quick aside, our daughter Merrilli and her husband took a two-week Church tour this summer in the United Kingdom. Among the group were four absolutely gorgeous, intelligent, articulate, fun-loving, vivacious young women from BYU Idaho - all returned missionaries. When Merrilli asked them about dating and their prospects for marriage, they said they dated little and had no prospects but then added: “All the eligible boys that we know are already engaged...with video games. We can’t compete with video games.” I hope that’s not true of the boys of BYU Hawaii. But that’s a subject of another talk at another time.
Theme of Prayer
Perhaps one of the most consistent themes in the narratives submitted to the book by alumni and faculty is how prayer and acquiring the ability to receive answers to prayers sustained them throughout their schooling and their current lives of service. They have shared some of their most sacred encounters with deity. Each of these narratives reflects the Book of Mormon prophet Amulek’s admonition to all of us:
"Yea, cry unto [the Lord] for mercy; for he is mighty to save.
Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.
...Cry unto him... both morning, mid-day, and evening.
...Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.
...But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.
Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you." (Alma 34: 18-27)
Now I would like to share a few responses from alumni about prayer. Herman Paleka first came to CCH as a non-LDS student in 1958, the fall the permanent campus was dedicated by then Church president and prophet, David O. McKay. He writes:
"The afternoon after the dedication, I was sitting in the choir seats set up in the auditorium, just enjoying the quiet and the newness of the building, when in walked president David O. McKay. He sat in the middle of the room. I was suddenly moved by a strange and powerful feeling . . . that I had never felt before.
I later dated an LDS girl who was trying to share the gospel with me along with my two stake missionaries, Raymond Sasaki and Ishmael Stagner.… One day she asked if I say my prayers. I said sometimes. She asked if I would pray about the things we talked about.
I went into the hills in the back of the college to pray. As I prayed, the same feelings that I had in the auditorium came again…. In October 1960 I joined the church…."
Herman served a mission, graduated from this campus, and for years thereafter lived in Kauai. He became a popular professional educator, a bishop, stake president, and later as a missionary to Nigeria with his wife, Joan.
Victor Cave from Tahiti, a bishop, stake president, an area 70 and a member of the South Pacific area presidency, came to CCH in 1968, as a nonmember as well. In his narrative he said that he was taught the gospel on campus by the missionaries but had resisted their every effort to convert him. He writes:
One day as one of my dorm friends from the Philippines, Bien Flores, was leaving for class. He greeted me, then asked out loud: “Victor, when will you be baptized?” I replied, “Never.” He then asked why. I said because I don’t know that the church is true. Then walking away to class, he yelled words that hit my heart like a sledgehammer: “Why don’t you pray about it?
My roommate had already left for an early class that morning. So I went to my room, locked the door, and for the first time with real intent and a sincere desire, I knelt down to ask my Heavenly Father if this Church was true. No sooner had I begun to ask than I was overcome with tears to the point that I could not speak. I could only cry because the spirit replied to my heart that this is the Lord’s church, and it is the only true and living church on earth.
Nina Abuliz Foster (Class of 2004) and her husband John describe their first experiences with personal prayer in their journey of conversion to Christ and His Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nina grew up in Urumqi, China. A native Uyger of Turkish descent and a Muslim, she became a professional dancer gaining national renown in China as a lead performer and MC at the famous Windows of the World in Shenzhen, China. It was there she met a visiting performing group from BYU Hawaii and heard her first Christian prayer by a BYU Hawaii student, Emily Shumway. Nina says,“In her prayer Emily asked Heavenly Father to bless me and for Angels to protect me. She also mentioned something about families could be together forever. To me, I had been in the desert, and this was water.”
Through a series of miracles Nina was able to leave her professional career and come to BYU Hawaii as a student. She became attached immediately to us, Emily’s parents and called us, Mom and Dad Shumway. Nina remembers her first uttered prayer to Heavenly Father, “I still remember feeling nervous and excited [about offering my first personal prayer]. It seemed that Mom Shumway could read my mind; she smiled warmly and told me ‘in prayer, nothing can go wrong.’ When I opened my mouth to pray and said ‘Dear Heavenly Father,’ that’s the moment my life changed, and I felt tears running down my face and felt the arms of Heavenly Father holding me up but overwhelming me at the same time. I felt I was speaking directly to him, and while it seemed I had known him for a very long time, it was very peaceful and powerful to finally actually speak to him. ... Our Father in Heaven loves each one of us and he wants us to love each other as brothers and sisters. For example, one day the president’s home was robbed and Mom Shumway lost some valuables. To my surprise instead of trying to call the police, she knelt down and prayed for the thief. Mom explained to me that he must have a very sad and difficult life. Her prayer really helped me understand that Heavenly Father loves all his children, even the thieves.”
John’s conversion to prayer and to the church was a short but intense journey. Born in Ecuador, raised in Texas, John spent 10 years working in China. Very intellectual and somewhat worldly he had graduated from an Ivy League school and spoke three languages brilliantly Spanish, English, and Chinese. Struck by Nina in their first meeting in Honolulu he pursued her romantically - which, of course, brought him into the orbit of the Shumway family. At our first meeting he charmingly described himself as one of the “nicer atheists.” Still we treated him in our home as any guest and invited him to join us in family prayer with Nina. At first he sat respectfully on the sofa while we knelt; several prayers later he actually knelt with us. At one point he consented to offer a prayer which was kind of an out loud meditation, neither mentioning Heavenly Father nor Jesus Christ. Eventually he addressed God but did not mention Jesus. As missionary discussions continued, I remember the thrill of his first prayer in which he addressed Heavenly Father, humbly and reverently, and concluded in the name of Jesus Christ amen. John wrote recently saying:
“Through those family prayers the light of Christ turned on inside my mind. Through those prayers I decided that I too needed my own testimony. And then in my own prayers I found myself, eventually securing my marriage, and now my children and my life. Prayer changed everything."
John and Nina were married on our patio in 2004 before she graduated. They had their first baby, Evan, the following year. Nina’s wonderful Muslim parents softened toward the church, thanks to a fireside they attended which featured Gordon B. Hinckley, and agreed to her baptism. John and Nina were baptized and sealed in the temple a year later.
Today Nina writes:
"Now I depend on prayers to get me through each day. I have a great faith in Heavenly Father, and love to pray to him. My days are filled with prayers, and through prayers, I put my children’s lives and their futures and their happiness in the hands of the Lord. Through prayers, my heart sings and my soul stretches close to heaven. Prayer is the core of my life. Through prayers I make righteous choices. I know that my prayers and choices will bring me back to live with Heavenly Father forever and ever."
Some of you may recognize Nina as your dance teacher here on campus.
One of the finest basketball players ever to compete for BYU Hawaii, Lucas Alves (class of 2010), now plays professional basketball in Brazil. When he arrived on campus in 2006, he knew very little English and very little about the Church. He tells about his resistance to the missionaries on campus and his relief when the bishop said he had told the missionaries to stop teaching him. The bishop said he already knew enough. It now must be his choice. “Finally,” he thought, “I get a break from the missionaries.” But then in his words he says:
"I kept feeling that I needed to kneel and pray. I needed to sincerely ask my Father in Heaven if this Church is true. There is not one part of my being that can deny the overwhelming spirit I felt the night I humbled myself and knelt down to whisper my heartfelt prayer. I knew that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was true. I had received my answer.
On November 21, 2009, I entered the waters of baptism. I was overwhelmed by the spirit and the support I received from so many loved ones. I felt sunshine in my soul. I look back and see how much the gospel has changed my life.… Through basketball, I was able to receive an education, become a member of the church, receive the holy priesthood, and get married in the temple to my wife, Vanessa. I learned that my life was so much more fulfilling with His hand near my side."
These former students, Herman, Victor, Nina, and Lucas represent a legacy of young people of this campus who chose to make a leap of faith; and humbly, meekly, and with real intent seek Heavenly Father in prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Their reward was life-changing. Their faith aligned perfectly with the apostle Paul’s definition of faith as recorded in Hebrews 11:1: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The testimony of Christ and his true church was the substance of their hope. The overpowering witness of the Spirit within their souls was the evidence of things not seen – not seen but felt. And when you feel that powerful witness of the Spirit, it is not likely you will ever confuse it with a different emotions.
Insights into Personal Prayer
A number of faculty who submitted narratives to the anniversary history of the campus tell of sacred experiences in prayer in which Heavenly Father speaks actual words to their mind and heart. Reading about these experiences filled my heart with joy, remembering again that this faculty not only teaches students, engaging them in professional ways, but they pray with and for their students. I’ll never forget years ago in a devotional assembly just before finals when Professor Sue Barton of the math department gave the closing prayer. She focused on the students, their needs, their fears, their challenges. She pleaded with the Lord to bless them as they prepared for the upcoming finals. Sue’s prayer was so full of love and of pure intent, it was recorded in my heart and found a place in my journal.
Indeed, one of the great legacies of this campus is how companionship with deity through prayer has rescued and sustained individuals in their personal lives and professions. Ten years ago President Boyd K Packer spoke to BYU Hawaii graduates on the topic of how to receive answers to our prayers-- that is, how to receive revelation. In a very moving way he said, in our world, “the curtains are falling… [The world is in intense commotion and moral confusion]… You won’t survive spiritually unless you know how to receive revelation [that is, answers to prayers]… I don’t know whether you know how to receive revelation, but you won’t survive without it…."
As I pondered President Packer’s talk I realized that as an institution of higher learning in the Church of Jesus Christ, if students learn everything else in math, science, in business or art and not learn this – how to receive answers to their prayers or receive personal revelation – then their education has failed them. Without this ability, a person will leave BYU Hawaii spiritually crippled and vulnerable in a world of many strident, often mocking voices; a world consumed by forces that destroy the soul – the forces of lust, greed, ambition for power, addiction, excessive leisure, violence, Godlessness, and pride.
One way we can improve our prayers is to remember that prayer is not just a monologue, one person doing the talking, but a conversation in which we speak and we listen. Sometimes Heavenly Father’s part of the conversation comes in actual words to our mind and sometimes in feelings to our heart. He will speak peace to our souls. Sometimes his words come in the language of scripture. That’s why it is important to read scriptures. There is truth in the old saying, we talk to God in prayer and he talks to us through the scriptures. But he will also speak to us in our prayers if we give him a chance. Remember father Alma’s admonition, “Counsel with the Lord in all our doings.” (Alma 37:37) Counsel suggests two-way interaction. Also remember President Hinckley’s often quoted statement:
“...the trouble with most of our prayers is that we offer them as if we were picking up the telephone and ordering groceries – we place our order, and then hang up. We need to meditate, contemplate, think of all we are praying about and for, and then speak to the Lord as one person speaketh to another. And then we must listen to how he will speak to our feelings.”
For me one of the high points of last General Conference was Elder Larry R. Lawrence’s promise that our prayers improve when, instead of asking Heavenly Father for blessings—that is, bless me, bless me, bless me--we ask questions, the fundamental question being “What lack I yet?” Who is it I should help? What is it I should do now? Often through the Holy Ghost, the Lord answers with words in our minds and feelings in our heart. Sometimes these words can be startling, words like “stop complaining” or “apologize to your roommate” or “get up and clean your room” or “cancel the movie and study.”
Sometimes in the temple, people will ask me, “What is the meaning of this symbol?" Or "What is the significance of that gesture?” I have learned to say, “That is a great question. When you come back to the temple, bring that question with you and ask Heavenly Father, and if you ask with real intent and sincerity, he will reveal the meaning to you through the power of the Holy Ghost. For the Holy Ghost is the great teacher in the temple.”
We must recognize and eliminate as much as possible the impediments to sincere prayer. Speed is a problem sometimes. We often talk too fast in our prayers. We rush through our list and even speed up when we pronounce the name of Jesus Christ. We must learn to speak the name of Jesus Christ slowly, with reverence and with sincere worship – in the name of Jesus Christ. Noise can also be a severe distraction, the pounding of rock music, the preoccupation with entertainment of all kinds, the endless engagement in social media. It is a kind of brain clutter. Even Christ left the company of his disciples and the multitudes to pray in the stillness of the hills of Judea and in quiet gardens. This in a small way might be equivalent to turning off your cell phones, closing your laptop, and seeking His Father and your Father. Brother Paleka sought him in the hills behind the campus. Victor, Nina, and Lucas Alves sought him in their own dorm rooms.
As we sincerely seek the Father in prayer, let much of our thoughts and petition be focused outward from ourselves. We pray for others. We have great evidence that faculty and supporting staff here pray for their students. Students must also pray for their faculty. But one of the great leaps of faith which we take in prayer is to pray for a so-called enemy, someone who has hurt you; someone who has resented you or whom you have resented; someone you may dislike or who may dislike you. Can you think of someone in that category? Speak the name of your adversary to Heavenly Father. Ask forgiveness for your own feelings toward him or her. Something wonderful happens to us when we ask a blessing upon someone we might consider an adversary.
Related to this, I remember a supernal learning experience when in my role as university president I was offended and angered by a person who seemed to cultivate a knack for offending people. “This was the last straw,” I said to myself, “he can’t get away with this.” In my so-called justified indignation, I crafted a stinging reprimand, which I practiced in my mind, and made an appointment to see the man in his office. Fortunately, I knelt down in my office just before the fateful appointment and pleaded for the Lord’s spirit to be with me as I delivered my prepared speech. The prayer was answered in a way I wasn’t expecting. Shortly, I faced my adversary, but when I opened my mouth, totally different words came out from the ones I had practiced - words of apology for my feelings toward him, words of love and appreciation for his contribution to the University, words that asked forgiveness of my own attitude, words that requested a respectful conversation in working out his issues. The man was as shocked, I believe, as I was by these words for he too was expecting a tongue lashing. So instead of an angry confrontation and perhaps a permanent breach in our personal and professional relationship, there were tears of reconciliation and an affirmation of friendship and cooperation. In the months that followed this man performed a major service that had immediate ramifications for good in strengthening the University, something that probably could not have happened if the Lord had not rescued me from destroying a relationship and in this case complicating the progress of the University.
There is another aspect of prayer which we learn in the temple, which is also corroborated in scripture. It is just how important your prayers are to Heavenly Father. I have heard some zealous preachers declare in effect: “God does not need you, but you need him. God can get along without you, but you are nothing without him. It makes no difference to God.” This seems to be the tone of much hard-line religious doctrine. I believe it is patently false. I testify that your choices, good or bad, do make a difference to him, especially your choice not to seek him constantly in prayerful conversation. Heavenly Father’s love for you is beyond your ability to comprehend. He wants your fellowship. He wants you in his presence for eternity. His heart is set upon you. Your happiness is at the core of his great plan of mercy. Every one of Heavenly Father’s commandments is designed for your protection, your progress and ultimately your eternal joy. His work and his glory are to bring to pass your immortality, eternal life and exaltation. He wants you to choose him to be your Father and your God. He will not force you. He will not take away your freedom to choose his way of light or to choose other ways that lead to darkness; but he yearns to hear from you, rejoices when you choose to embrace spiritual things and sorrows when you choose differently.
This is the truth that amazed the prophet Enoch who, in vision, witnessed the weeping of God, the Eternal Father over the wickedness of his children on earth. (Moses 7:28-41) Enoch’s initial response to Heavenly Father’s tears was complete bafflement. For how could the all-knowing, all-powerful, all holy, all glorified creator of the universe and all the worlds within – how could such an exalted being weep over what might be called scum of the earth? Because they are his! He created them. They are his children. He gave them their agency, their precious privilege to choose for themselves what they would follow. They were in the world to follow a plan of mercy that would bring them back into his presence, but they chose to follow Satan as their father and a way of life full of hate and violence. Enoch’s astonishment at Heavenly Father’s tears opened both his eyes and his whole soul to how important, how precious God’s children are to him. This universal truth finally dawned on Enoch. He understood deeply and completely this compelling character trait of deity. As the scriptures state, wherefore “Enoch knew, and [he too] looked upon their wickedness [of the world], and their misery, and wept and stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook.” (Moses 7:41)
With all my heart I testify that Heavenly Father wants you to call upon him regularly. He wants you to achieve happiness. His gospel and the covenants we make with him are the avenue to happiness. Again, his heart is set upon you. He not only desires your happiness but desires your fellowship. He wants you in his presence as you pray for his presence in your life. That message is central to all that we learn in his church and especially in the temple, to which I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.