Aloha my dear brothers and sisters. It’s wonderful to be with you today, in this beautiful setting. Aren’t we fortunate to live in this great day of promise—the greatest of all dispensations? I testify that the true Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in our day, and that we are led by some of the greatest prophets and apostles who have walked the earth. I also testify that you wonderful students are among some of the most valiant of our Heavenly Father’s children whom He has reserved to come forth in these last days. I pray that we may all be taught by the Spirit as we visit about our own individual journey on this road of mortal life.
In Ghana, Africa, where my wife and I recently served a mission, they have a special expression when bidding farewell. To the person leaving they say, “Safe Journey!” That’s what I would like to express to you today: “Safe Journey” to all of you on this road of mortal life that we are all on! As a college freshman, many years ago, at BYU-Idaho (then known as Ricks College), I remember sitting in a meeting similar to this one and listening to a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when he said this,
“There is an old man up there ahead of you [on this road of life] that you ought to know. … Whether he is [happy] or sad depends on you. For you made him. He is you grown older.” (Elder Richard L. Evans, Improvement Era, September 1969, p. 63)
I remember thinking to myself, “I’ll never get old!” That’s the way we feel, I guess, when we are young, but here I am! I want to visit with you about what is happening on your road of life, and share a few thoughts that may be helpful to you since we are pretty much at opposite ends of the road! The scriptures tell us that we shouted for joy when we first learned that we would have the opportunity to come to this earth and experience mortality. From where I am now at this point in my journey, I must say that it has been a marvelous experience, not without its challenges and heart-aches, but I feel like shouting for joy today because I’ve actually experienced much of the journey, rather than just anticipating it. There are five things that I would do if I were in your place near the beginning of my journey on the road of life, and I promise you that if you will do them, they will bring you great joy and satisfaction. I must add that I am far from perfect myself in these things, as my sweet companion can attest, but they will make all the difference in your life none-the-less.
1. Always put the Lord first! For example:
Pay your tithes and offerings first, regardless, and you will always have peace of conscience and protection. You will be able to sleep at night! Speak with the Lord in prayer every day, and listen with your heart for his direction. Prayer to Father in Heaven was the mainstay, even in the life of the Savior. Read, study, and pray over the Lord’s words first before you read and study other things—every day—regardless—so that His words may fill your mind and heart with wisdom and good judgment, and you will always be ready to withstand worldly and secular doctrines, and not be tossed to and fro. Nephi said it so well, “… feast upon the words of Christ; for behold the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.” (2 Nephi 32:3) Again, the secret behind the greatest life that has ever been lived, that of Jesus Christ, from pre-mortal realms, through mortality, and continuing into the eternities, is this very point— He always sought first to know the will of his Father, and then he did it.
2. Cultivate genuine love for people!
Begin with your spouse, your family, then reach out every day to someone. Listen to people. Look into their eyes. Seek for opportunities to serve every day. Look for someone who needs encouragement, for the one who seems lonely, and you will discover a whole new world! Never forget that every person you meet is a literal son or daughter of Heavenly Father, regardless of who they are! A prophet of God has counseled:
“On this day, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter [or an email]. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again. Speak it still one more time!” (Author unknown – quoted by President Howard W. Hunter)
Let us follow the example of the Master who “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38).
3. Seek to enjoy daily the fruits of the Spirit!
The Gift of the Holy Ghost is probably the greatest gift that God can give to mortal man. As you know, through Him we can be taught, comforted, guided, be given power, and be cleansed and purified from sin and all unrighteousness, just to name a few. What a marvelous gift! The Savior instructed His disciples thus:
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26)
Wilford Woodruff, fourth president of the Church, recounts the following experience, which occurred in the 1890s, over a hundred years ago. They were traveling in the southern part of the state of Utah by horse and buggy—there were no trains or airplanes in those days:
"During my travels in the southern country last winter I had many interviews with President [Brigham] Young and with Heber C. Kimball, and Geo. A. Smith, and Jedediah M. Grant, and many others who are dead. They attended our conference, they attended our meetings. And on one occasion, I saw Brother Brigham and Brother Heber ride in a carriage ahead of the carriage in which I rode when I was on my way to attend conference; and they were dressed in the most priestly robes. When we arrived at our destination I asked President Young if he would preach to us. He said, 'No, I have finished my testimony in the flesh, I shall not talk to this people any more. But (said he) I have come to see you; I have come to watch over you, and to see what the people are doing. Then (said he) I want you to teach the people—and I want you to follow this counsel yourself—that they must labor and so live as to obtain the Holy Spirit, for without this you cannot build up the kingdom; without the Spirit of God you are in danger of walking in the dark, and in danger of failing to accomplish your calling as apostles and as elders in the church and kingdom of God.'" (Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses, vol. 21, 318 – General Conference – 10 October 1880)
4. Keep a record!
Keep a record of those moments when you see the hand of the Lord in your life, with all of His tender mercies toward you, and ponder it continually in your heart. Mortal life is like climbing a mountain. It is hard work and makes us sweat, especially in the heat of the day when we face the difficult challenges and discouraging moments. It is, therefore, very important for each of us to stop now and then and turn and enjoy the panoramic view and the satisfaction that comes from seeing where we have been, and how far we have actually come—to take counsel from our strengths and accomplishments, and especially in seeing the hand of the Lord in our lives. I know for me personally I often see the hand of the Lord more readily when I look back than when I look forward, or even at the present moment. When I look back I often think “Oh my goodness, why didn’t I recognize that?”
If we don’t keep a record, we lose sight of, and forget, these wonderful treasures. There are few things in life that are more satisfying than to know what your true purpose and destiny are, and to be able to look back as well as forward, and see your life unfolding as you know it should. In the words of Moroni, “…I would exhort you …that ye would remember how merciful the Lord has been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it [emphasis added] in your hearts.” (Moroni 10:3) If we don’t record them, we lose track of them. If we record them and ponder on them, they build and strength us. Again in the words of Alma, “…I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day.” (Alma 38:5)
5. Go the second mile!
I want to share a story with you that you are all pretty much familiar with, but this time I want you to become part of the story, if you don’t mind. Imagine the following:
Imagine that you live at the time of Christ. You work in the city of Jerusalem but live four miles outside the city, and so you have to walk to and from the city every day. You also understand that it is the law that when any citizen of Palestine, which you are, meets a Roman Soldier, and there are plenty of them around, that he can legitimately compel you, the citizen, to carry his belongings for one mile, regardless of where you are or in what direction you may be going. So, here is the scenario that I want you to picture in your mind: Are you ready?
It is Friday afternoon at the end of a long week of work. You are tired and anxious to get home. You decide to stop at the market before you leave the city, to pick up a few food items. You do so and put them in a sack, and fling it over your shoulder. As you go out of the city gate and begin your journey home, you have this feeling come over you—that just because it’s Friday and just because you are tired, and just because you have four miles to walk, it is going to be just your luck to run into a Roman soldier on the way home. Do you ever get those kinds of feelings, that just because of how things have been going on a particular day, something crazy is going to happen? You just know it! Well, that’s the way you are feeling today. You walk a couple of miles. It’s dusty and hot. The bag over your shoulder is kind of heavy, and you can’t wait to get home, get a cold drink, and put your feet up to rest. You keep walking and you begin thinking, “Oh, I’ve come over two miles already! Maybe I’ll be lucky after all. Maybe that was just one of those crazy thoughts I get because I am tired!” Then you see an object off in the distance on the road. You can’t tell exactly what it is, but you keep walking, hoping that it isn’t what you think it is. As it gets closer you can see that it is clearly a Roman soldier, and he’s a big one! You keep walking on the opposite side of the road from him, of course, and look down at the road pretending not to notice him. But, you know that he is looking right at you, and you know exactly what he is going to ask you to do! Finally you can see his feet. You pretend not to see him, then you hear a big voice roar at you, “You—come and carry my stuff!” You have only a half mile to go before you get home, and he is going the other way! He has a huge metal shield and heavy iron sword, plus a large sack on his back, and he throws them down in the dust at your feet! Of course you don’t want to leave your own sack at the side of the road, so you have both his things and your sack to carry! Picture yourself picking up his sword and shield, and his sack, as well as your sack, and trying to get them situated on your shoulders. This isn’t going to be easy. Now, brothers and sisters, would you mind closing your eyes and picturing yourself walking with the soldier while I ask you some questions about how you might be feeling as you make this journey? Would you do that?
You begin walking—just picture it in your mind. Question: Who is in control in this situation? What might be some of your thoughts and feelings toward the soldier as you walk? We all know how anger, frustration and resentment can build up within us at moments like these. Another question: Where would you walk—beside him, in front of him, behind him—and why? Would you be talking with him? Would there be any conversation at all between you? Now, after walking for some time lost in your thoughts and feelings, you notice the mile marker is coming up on your right. There is just a short distance to go to complete your obligation to him, and he cannot force you to go any further! But then you have this crazy thought come into your mind and heart—“I think I’ll go another mile, just to see what happens!” And the more you think about It, the more excited you become. Your heart begins to beat faster within you. You get a big smile on your face. Your step quickens, and you feel new energy flow into you; you can’t wait to step across that line! Now you’ve had these kinds of thoughts and experiences haven’t you—to go an extra mile, to do something good that no one is expecting you to do? It’s so fun! You decide that you won’t say anything; unless he asks, you will just keep going! Joy fills your heart. This is one of the most exciting moments you’ve had recently! At the very moment you step across the line into the second mile, everything changes! He stops in his tracks with a look of unbelief on his face, and yells, “Hey you, what are you doing?” You look back at him, and tell him you just decided to go a little further with him, and turn and keep going. He starts to follow you; he actually hurries to catch up with you and walks beside you. He then stops you—puts his hand on your shoulder and looks you in the eye—he wants to know why you are doing such a crazy thing? Yes—things are very different now in this second mile—you are now in control—and you now have great opportunities and privileges that you didn’t have before during the first mile!
Brothers and Sisters (you can open your eyes now), the moment we step across the line into the second mile in living the gospel of Jesus Christ, everything changes from what it was during the first mile. The biggest change will probably be within us, but it can also have a powerful ripple effect in the lives of those around us. Some of the sweetest, most delicious, and greatest blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ are found only in the second mile, but we have to go the first mile in order to get into the second. The Lord has counseled us:
“For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.
Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.
But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned.“ (D&C 58:26-29)
Brothers and sisters, as you spend your time here, and then leave this university and go back out into the world, the Lord is counting on you to be pro-active—to initiate righteousness, to be a righteous and powerful force in accomplishing much good, and much righteousness, and many wonderful things—without having to be told!
Jesus Christ must be our model on this road of life! It is extremely important that He be on your road, and on mine! He it is who calls to us to “come follow him”, and He is the only one who can really show us the way! He is the one on whom we must keep the “affections of our hearts” and our full attention focused (Alma 37:36). He is our friend; He should be our best friend!
This beloved hymn expresses it so well:
Abide with me; ‘tis eventide.
The day is past and gone;
The night is coming on.
Within my heart a welcome guest,
Within my home abide.
Thy walk today with me
Has made my heart within me burn,
As I communed with thee.
Thy earnest words have filled my soul,
And kept me near thy side.
And lone will be the night
If I cannot commune with thee
Nor find in thee my light.
The darkness of the world, I fear,
Would in my home abide.
O Savior, stay this night with me;
Behold, ’tis eventide.
He beckons to us—to you and to me—to study his words diligently—to honestly and sincerely make and keep sacred covenants with him, and follow his example in word, in thought, and in deed. In Book of Mormon language, we must “feast upon the words of Christ” (2 Ne. 32:3), “talk of Christ” (2 Ne. 25:26), “rejoice in Christ” (2 Ne. 25:26), “[be] made alive in Christ” (2 Ne. 25:25), “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny [ourselves] of all ungodliness…and love God with all [our] might, mind and strength, then [will] his grace [be] sufficient for [us], that by his grace [we] may be perfect in Christ” (Moroni 10:32).
In conclusion, we again ask the question: Where will you be in ten years, or twenty? Remember that there are many things in this life over which you will have little or no control at all (for example; health problems, economic conditions, political affairs, the weather, and natural disasters to name a few), but fortunately you do have complete control over the eternal things—the things that matter most. For example:
You can decide today that for the rest of your life you will be at the sacrament table every Sunday worthily partaking of the sacrament. Isn’t that wonderful? You can decide that today!
You can decide today that thirty years from now, you will still be a worthy holder of a temple recommend, and still be using it as often as your circumstances will allow.
You can decide today to be happy—to radiate the joy of the gospel—regardless of your circumstances! And in doing so, I testify that you will find that the Savior will support and sustain you! One of the most important themes of His life was, “…be of good cheer; I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33)
You and I can decide these eternal things today, and, if I were you, I would do so!
An apostle of the Lord once wisely said, “There is no road that is too long or too difficult if it is the right road. And there is no journey that is satisfying, no matter how easy or short, or even how long it may be, if it is a journey on the wrong road. Consult the Spirit which our Father in Heaven has placed within each of you for your guidance and direction if you will heed it. Cultivate it and listen to it. Don’t try to tell the Spirit within what you think it ought to want you to do, but listen to it and let it tell you what you know you ought to do.” (Richard L. Evans, The Man and the Message [1973], p187)
Let us never forget that all of these wonderful, eternal blessings are possible only because our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ was willing to perform the infinite and eternal Atonement in our behalf!
I love Him, and I testify of the reality of His existence. I testify as well that he loves you—each and every one of you—and as He has promised, He will draw near unto you as you draw near unto Him! (James 4:8; D&C 88:63)
May we all, through sincere, heart-felt prayer, the study of His word, and our complete obedience, come to know Him better than we ever have before, is my humble prayer for all of us. In his sacred name, even Jesus Christ, Amen.