My dear brothers and sisters, Aloha!
I am deeply grateful to stand before you today. I want to express my gratitude to President Wheelwright for the invitation to speak, and to President Tanner for allowing me to carry out this assignment. I am grateful to the staff and personnel who work behind the scenes to make these devotionals possible. I am grateful for goodly parents that raised me well and taught me at an early age to love the Lord and to serve my fellow man. I am grateful that they are able to be here today. I am grateful for my family, for the joy and purpose they bring into my life. I've prepared for this assignment in the spirit of prayer and fasting, and I pray that you will hear the messages you need to hear, especially those messages that are not spoken across this pulpit, but are spoken directly to your heart. It is my hope that the Spirit will attend us, that we may “understand one another”, and be “edified and rejoice together”. (see D&C 50:22)
When I was a student here some twenty-five plus years ago, I used to look forward to devotionals. It strengthened my faith, and seemed to give me just what I needed to make it through the week. I must admit, however, this was one devotional I was not looking forward to. As I think back to all the great speakers and lessons that were taught, never did I ever think I'd be standing here, at this pulpit, as a devotional speaker. At the Groundbreaking Services of this great institution on February 12, 1955, President David O. McKay made the following declaration, “From this school... will go men and women whose influence will be felt for good towards the establishment of peace internationally.
“More than that, they'll be leaders. Not only in this island, but everywhere.”
Brothers and sisters, you are part of this great promise. This institution has been blessed and dedicated to produce leaders that will be vessels of light and truth throughout the world. As I look into the congregation, I see business leaders; leaders in the community; leaders in education; church leaders such as Relief Society, Primary, and Young Women Presidents; Bishops; Stake Presidents; Temple Presidents, and Mission Presidents; but above all, I see leaders in families; families being raised and rooted in righteousness. The Lord needs you to be ready to embark in His service.
The ability to embark on and complete any journey successfully takes preparation. Several months ago, I had the privilege of attending a presentation given by a good friend of mine about the worldwide voyage of the Hokule'a.
The Hokule’a is a double-hulled canoe that was conceptualized and built in the 1970’s by the Polynesian Voyaging Society. Their mission is to “perpetuate the art and science of traditional Polynesian voyaging,” and to revitalize and perpetuate language and culture. As I listened to the presentation, I saw many parallels and connections to gospel principles. I will share some of these similarities in my thoughts today.
The Hokule’a is led by a Master Navigator, who has spent years and years of learning, practicing, and studying the elements of ancient navigational practices. The crew begins by learning the basics of building, cleaning, and maintaining the canoe. They learn to recognize and understand the fundamental elements of nature, such as the wind, ocean, stars, sun, moon, and animals. Eventually, they set out on small and simple voyages, which gradually increase in distance and difficulty. Each journey is carefully planned and organized with origination and destination firmly in mind. Just as the Hokule’a prepares for their journeys, we too must be prepared as we embark in the service of God.
In the April 2015 General Conference, Elder M. Russell Ballard extended his previous counsel to missionaries to all young adults. He said, “...what we need now is the greatest generation of young adults in the history of the church. We need your whole heart and soul. We need vibrant, thinking, passionate young adults who know how to listen and respond to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit as you make your way through the daily trials and temptations of being a young, contemporary Latter-day saint. In other words, it’s time to raise the bar not only for missionaries, but also for returned missionaries and for your entire generation.” (M. Russell Ballard, “The Greatest Generation of Young Adults,” Ensign, May 2015, 68)
The Lord made a simple declaration, “Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work” (D&C 4:3). I invite you to ponder a few questions. Do you have desires to serve God? If God “called you to the work” today, would you be ready? What type of tool or instrument would you be in His hands?
When I was a young missionary serving in the Dominican Republic, my Mission President taught the principle of being instruments in the Lord’s hands with an object lesson that has stayed with me to this day. He held up an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper and said the objective was to cut this sheet of paper in half, and success would be measured in two ways. First, the cut had to be straight and clean. And second, it had to be completed in the least amount of time. He called on several volunteers and had, hidden under a sheet, a tool for each person to complete their assignment. The first Elder was confident and eager to get started, until he received his tool.
He was given a pickaxe. While a pickaxe is certainly a tool, it is not the best tool for cutting paper. The Elder tried his best to figure out how to use this tool to accomplish the task. He tried cutting the paper with the pick end, then using the axe. He even tried using the handle. It was awkward and cumbersome, and despite his best efforts, his paper was simply ripped into shreds. The next volunteers were a little cautious, but were told that their tools were actually made for cutting.
They were made for cutting alright, they received a nail clipper, a pair of wire cutters, and a hand saw. While all of these tools were made to cut something in some way, none were effective at fulfilling the mission. The volunteers tried to get creative. The Elder with the nail clipper extended the handle and tried to use it as a straight edge. The missionary with the hand saw tried using the back edge of the saw to carefully tear the paper in half, trying to make as clean a cut as possible. All of this extra maneuvering took extra time, and produced meager results at best.
Finally, the last volunteer was given a pair of scissors. As you might expect, he quickly and easily made a clean, straight cut. Abraham Lincoln is credited with the saying, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” The right tools in the Master’s hands can craft beyond comprehension, and establish even eternal designs.
As you embark in the service of God, what type of instrument will you be? Are you an instrument that the Lord can use to hasten His work, or would the Lord find the effort to be awkward or cumbersome? Will you be a sharpened, well-honed tool, or a nail clipper, trying to do a job that requires scissors? The standard of service set by the beloved Elder Robert D. Hales is a shining example of a sharpened tool in the Master’s hands. “When Robert D. Hales was a graduate student at Harvard University, he was called to be the president of his Elders quorum. He was willing to accept the call. But he also knew that because of the intensity of the courses required in his Masters of Business Administration program, professors discouraged students from participating in outside activities. He and his wife, Mary, prayed for guidance and discussed the calling together. As they did, Mary said, “I’d rather have an active priesthood holder than a man who holds a master’s degree from Harvard. We’ll do them both.”
The next day when Robert came home from school, he discovered that Mary had walled off a section of the unfinished basement in their apartment to create a small office. The office would give Robert a place where he could concentrate on his studies, so that he would be better able to fulfill his Elders quorum calling. As Elder Hales stated, “I put myself in the Lord’s hands when I made that decision [to serve]” (Hales, Robert D. “Prophets and Apostles.” Lds.org. N.p., n.d. Web)
President Monson gave the following guidance. “My brothers and sisters, we are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness. We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us.” (Thomas S. Monson, “Serve the Lord with Love,” Ensign, Feb. 2014)
May I share three simple things you can implement now to be more effective as you embark in the Lord’s service. But I must warn you, you’ve heard this counsel before.
Simple thing #1: Search the scriptures daily. President Harold B. Lee taught that if we are not studying the scriptures daily, “our testimonies are growing thinner” (“Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee”, Ch. 7, 66). The iron rod that guides us through the mists of darkness and the temptations of the world is the word of God, and will “tell you all things what ye should do” (see 2 Nephi 32:3). The scriptures will open our minds to our true and everlasting heritage, “for in them ye think ye have eternal life” (see John 5:39). When I was set apart as a Stake President by Elder James B. Martino of the Seventy, he told us of a Ward Primary that challenged their children to read the scriptures for 100 days in a row. If a day was missed for any reason, that child would have to start the 100 days all over again. It was a difficult challenge, but those who were able to complete it, have developed a habit that will bless their lives in an eternal way.
Today, brothers and sisters, I would like to issue you that same 100-day challenge. There are no requirements as to how much you need to read each day or for how long. The only stipulation is if you miss a day for any reason, you have to start all over again. You don’t have to answer out loud, but will you accept the 100-day challenge starting today? And for those who might be thinking this is too hard, might I remind you that this was initially issued to Primary children. I hope you will take the challenge. Simple thing #1, search the scriptures daily.
Simple thing #2: Kneel in daily, fervent prayer. “As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely that God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive” (Bible Dictionary, “Prayer”, 752). We are commanded to pray always to the Father in the name of the Son (see 3 Nephi 18:19-20), and to counsel with Him in all our doings (see Alma 37:37). Simple thing #2, kneel in daily, fervent prayer.
Simple thing #3: Live the Law of the Fast. In my experience as a Bishop, and now as a Stake President, I have observed far too many Latter-day Saints who miss out on the blessings and miracles that can come from fasting. “Fasting is a principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ for developing spiritual strength” (Bible Dictionary, “Fasts”, 671) and increased blessings from the Lord. A generous fast offering helps us to develop compassion and empathy, and to love our neighbor, just as the Savior did. Simple thing #3, live the Law of the Fast.
The sons of Mosiah were some of the best missionaries in recorded history to ever embark in the service of God, and showed what can happen when these three small and simple things become part of our daily lives. “Yea, they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy and revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God” (see Alma 17:2-3). These are just a few simple things we can do as we embark in the Lord’s service.
In the course of any journey, there will be dangers and detours to avoid. One of the things that impressed me about the crew of the Hokule’a, was their mastery of identifying and following the correct elements to chart their journey. At night, amongst a myriad of flickering stars and planets, they learned to recognize the stars that were constant and true in their orbital path. These celestial bodies, just like the sun, always rise in the east and set in the west giving the Hokule’a a steady course to follow. When the stars were covered by clouds and/or during the day, the crew would use ocean swells to determine their direction. This can be quite challenging as there could be as many as nine distinct swells hitting the canoe from all different angles, at different speeds and different intensities. Amidst the chaos and confusion, the Captain finds the one or two swells that are constant and will help them keep their direction and stay the course. Amid the swirling tides of this world, we must look to the source of all that is constant and true. “And I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever, and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith” (see 2 Nephi 27:23). We must become masters at recognizing and rejecting “that cunning plan of the evil one” and the “vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men” (see 2 Nephi 9:28). We see examples of societal ills all around us where the devil persuades man to “call evil good, and good evil” and to “put darkness for light, and light for darkness” (see Isaiah 5:20).
Elder Quentin L. Cook taught in this most recent General Conference, “The restored gospel gives us the blueprint of the plan of happiness and an incentive to understand and exercise self-control and avoid temptation. It also teaches us how to repent when violations have occurred” (Quentin L. Cook, “Shipshape and Bristol Fashion: Be Temple Worthy—in Good Times and Bad,” Oct. 2015 General Conference). Essential to our happiness in this plan is the principle of obedience, the first law in Heaven. The Savior made a simple and heart-felt invitation when he said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). If keeping His commandments shows Him that we love Him, what do we show Him when we disobey? What message do we send when we show disinterest or disregard for the counsel of His prophets? “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (see D&C 1:38). May we heed His voice and the voice of His servants to avoid unnecessary heartache and sorrow.
Trials and adversity are an essential part of our mortal journey. It is the process that refines and strengthens us. If you will allow me, I’d like to share a personal experience of a trial that was a defining moment for our family. May 2001 started off as a promising month. Our second daughter, Mehana, was born on May 2nd, and I had just been offered a new job on May 3rd. As my wife was released from the maternity ward, she complained of some tingling in her ear. We didn’t think anything of it and proceeded for home. As the day progressed, the tingling started in her fingertips and toes and got a little stronger. By the next morning, it had progressed through her hands and up her feet. We went to the Emergency Room to seek some answers. After a battery of tests, nothing was found and we were about to be sent home. Luckily, a neurologist heard about our case and came down to the ER to investigate. Within minutes, Moana was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder that causes the body’s immune system to attack the nerves. Within two days, she lost her ability to control her muscles which affected her capacity to walk, swallow, and breathe. She was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and put on life support. Her situation continued to worsen and she eventually became paralyzed from the neck down. In a matter of days, we went from feeling on top of the world, to having our world turned upside down.
Although my wife was the one in the hospital affected by the disorder, the weight of the trial was felt by many. I felt like I was being pushed to the edge. I had a two-year old and a newborn at home, I was supposed to start a new job, and my eternal companion was lying lifeless in the ICU full of tubes, and my mind was full of unanswered questions. I remember coming home early one morning after staying at hospital all night. My parents, sister and brother-in-law were at my house taking care of my children, so my mom suggested I go to her house to get some uninterrupted rest. As soon as I entered their home, I felt as if the weight of everything that was happening hit me all at once and I literally fell to the floor and poured my heart out to my Heavenly Father. I was exhausted, scared, and overwhelmed. I don’t remember what I said other than, “Heavenly Father, please help me.”
When I awoke the next morning, I felt different. The worries and concerns were still there, but I felt a reassurance that Heavenly Father was in control, that this adversity was part of a divine plan, and things would be okay. Without realizing it, I started to notice all the blessings Heavenly Father had given us. We had two beautiful, precious children at home. Our families and friends came out in droves to offer food, money, service, and their love and support. Moana’s co-workers donated sick leave, some of whom she had never met. Her students at school wrote get well cards and we had them plastered all over her hospital room. I remembered the ward held a special fast on our behalf the day she was admitted to the hospital. One of the bishopric counselors called and asked what he could do to help. I asked him to fast and pray for us. By that afternoon, our ward had gathered at the chapel, and as a ward family knelt in prayer and started a fast. My dad was asked to offer the prayer. Though I wasn’t there, I can bear testimony that I felt their genuine love and concern for our family. I was strengthened because of it.
My new job allowed me to delay my start date a full month until things started to settle down. Though Moana was still paralyzed, she was no longer on morphine and other painkillers, so she was awake. She couldn’t move her hands and feet, but she could blink her eyes and move her head. The nurses gave us a chart with letters listed in rows and we would spell words. A head shake to the right meant “no,” a blink meant “yes.” We got to be pretty good at communicating and could actually have conversations. It became a challenge to see how fast I could guess what she was trying to say. As the nerves started to heal, and feeling and sensation slowly returned, her favorite phrase became, “I’m itchy.” She started to regain her motor skills, and movement slowly returned in her arms and legs. Soon she was sitting up and learning to breathe without the breathing machine. Within four-and-a-half weeks she was out of ICU and on to rehab. Within another two weeks she was home. She needed a wheel chair for a while, but with hard work, patience, the love and support of others, and the tender mercies of the Lord, she quickly progressed to a walker, then a cane, and eventually a full recovery. I cannot adequately express all the blessings we received from so many people. But I know without a doubt my Heavenly Father knew exactly what was happening, and knew exactly what we needed.
During this ordeal, the inevitable questions surfaced. Why me? Why us? But as soon as the questions appeared, so did the answers. Why not? Why not us? Though we are far from being perfect, we were both born of goodly parents, and taught the gospel since our infancy. If others have to suffer adversity, why not us?
“And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands or murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?” (D&C 122:7-8).
Trial and tribulation are necessary parts of the Plan of Redemption. Our growth and progression, both in mortality and in the eternities, largely depend on how we respond. The Savior revealed, “And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them” (Abraham 3:25). “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (see John 16:33).
I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows me and is fully aware of my well-being. I am grateful for a selfless, loving Savior, who descended below all because of love. I am grateful for second chances, and in my case, third, fourth, and fifth chances. May we be prepared to embark in His service through daily scripture study, daily prayer, and living the Law of the Fast. As we do so, we will be guided through the dangers and detours of life, and sustained through trial and adversity. Our Heavenly Father will bless us to enjoy the fruits of our journey, that we might delight in the blessings of our Celestial destination. O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before him at the last day” is my prayer, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.