My young brothers and sisters, Aloha. It is an honor for me to be able to return to BYU- Hawaii. Thank you President Wheelwright for inviting us.
Five years ago, it was my privilege to serve as a volunteer in the employment center here and also teach a class in accounting. I came to better understand the special privilege it is to be part of this marvelous university.
My journal from five years ago notes students in the accounting class named Khasherdene Bold, Aruiuneaa Buyantogtokh, Hui Chuan Chou, Soana Ta'ake Cocker, Nomura Domingo, Peijhih Fong, Elijah Kaka, Young Kyung Ko, Mei Sio Lam, Telusia Latu, Pok Man Lee, Sung Bok Lim, Temalisis Ma'u, Juniro Makise, Wisa Nantajak, Kahila Minora Numanga, Jung Won Oh, Krishn Kumar Prasad, Katoa Kakoa Sailusi, Takayuki Takagawa, Maruia Tauira, Goonjae Um, and Shuxiang Zhang.
They were from China, Chuuk, Fiji, Hawaii, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Macau, Mongolia, Somoa, Taiwan, Tonga, and Tavalu . Perhaps there could not have been a more diverse class with a more international flavor at any university on this planet.
Katoa was one of my favorite students. At the time, he was the only student in this university from Tuvalu. I was greatly embarrassed at my ignorance, as I had never heard of one of the smallest countries in the world with a population about the size of my hometown in rural Utah. Today Sister Watson and I make our home in Hong Kong where more people live in only one apartment block:more than the number of people living in Tuvalu.
Toa came to me to talk about his plans after graduation, asking where he should go. My answer at the time: "Go where you have the best opportunity." I have had five years to reflect upon that counsel. I now have additional perspective gained from further opportunities. Today, I would like to respond in a more thoughtful way to the question that Toa asked me five years ago:
Whither Shall I Go?
The question is not unusual. In an uncertain world, it is a question that each of us will ask and each of us will need to answer. It is interesting to me that there are several key decisions we make when we are seemingly least experienced. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve calls them turning points in life and quotes Sir Winston Churchill:
Those "sharp agate points, on which the ponderous balance of destiny turns," They make all the difference in our lives if we get it right when we ponder, "What comes next?"
Here are a few examples for BYU-Hawaii students. Perhaps you have made some of the choices already.
Should I serve a mission?
What will be my choice of study?
What will be my choice of work or profession? How will I support my family?
Where shall I live:for most BYU Hawaii students, even in which country?
Whom should I marry? When will I be able to afford to have children?
What will be my response when invited to accept a Church calling?
And, this most penetrating question: Do I intend to keep all of God's commandments?
Due to age and generation differences, I may not be the best qualified to address some critical turning points in your era. On the other hand, answers to some key questions will always be the same and 50 years of experience might be beneficial to you.
Let me reflect on a few generational differences. When I was in college, computing was something new. One machine filled an entire room. When I began my career, there was no such thing as a personal computer. The electric typewriter was our most complex tool. We did not have copy machines or printers. We had carbon paper. The internet was barely a dream. We could not even imagine all-in-one hand-held devices. Social media was not in our vocabulary.
I worked for the same employer for 35 years. I was fiercely loyal to my firm:and my firm was very loyal to me. That type of loyalty has changed. In today's market place, employment has become much more portable. Employers do not feel that same loyalty toward their employees. Likewise, employees frequently change jobs and are no longer able or willing to give long-term loyalty to their employers.
I realize each day how technology and other things have accelerated, creating broad possibilities for each of you, along with many choices and an amazing array of opportunities.
There are some constants, however:actually eternal principles that are unchanging and can help us answer the question that Toa asked me five years ago, "Whither Shall I Go?" May I share six:
First, be obedient:keep all of the commandments and be "reconciled unto Christ"
The Israelites were taught this as a condition to entering the Promised Land.
"Keep all of the commandments...that ye may be strong and go in and possess the land whither ye go to possess it...if ye shall hearken diligently to my commandments...to love the Lord...and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul...I will give you the rain of your land in his due season."
Soon after Lehi and his family arrived in the land of Bountiful, the Lord spake unto Nephi saying: "Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner that I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters." Nephi"™s response was interesting. He did not ask why or seek clarification about where they would end up after crossing the waters. His direct response to the Lord was:
"Lord whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me? And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I should go."
Later, when Nephi had lived a lifetime of obedience and had been a great influence upon his people, he taught, "...for none of these can I have hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the straight path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation."
For college students of every generation, the greatest benefit from being reconciled to Christ by keeping God's commandments is that you will surely receive promised blessings. Personal direction and guidance are portions of those blessings. Our Heavenly Father keeps His promises.
In today's world, your LDS values are what employers seek in an employee. From my experience as an employer, I can assure you that LDS values are highly marketable. For many years, it was my opportunity as an employer to recruit entry-level college graduates:both in the US and in China.
On thousands of resumes, I have seen a wide range of experiences creatively listed by young people who hoped their experience would be most valued.
One had deep experience as a sanitation engineer. In other words, he had a night job on campus cleaning lavatories.
One had been a retail representative, meaning they had worked at the MacDonald's drive-through window.
Or how about a waste removal officer; meaning emptying garbage cans.
There was one frequently listed experience that raised an eyebrow among associates: Full-time humanitarian service volunteer for two years. The inevitable question was "what is a humanitarian service volunteer?" One applicant replied, "Well, I supervised 14 other service volunteers and I speak fluent Chinese."
My question to these applicants was always, "why didn't you say you learned to speak Chinese as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan and that you were a zone leader?" Your values as a Latter-day Saint are what an employer is looking for. They are marketable. Anything I ever achieved professionally can be directly attributed to my service as a missionary. It is the most valuable bullet point on my resume.
I like this quote from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:
"Live the gospel as conspicuously as you can."
Always be proud of the fact that you were, and that you are worthy to be, a missionary representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It may just be the most important experience citation on your resume.
Now second, if I were responding to Toa today, I would invite him to follow the pattern that the Lord has set for us, which is to
Pray earnestly:with real intent, having faith. Be diligent as you inquire of your Heavenly Father where you should go. That is what the brother of Jared did when he was asked to
"Go and inquire of the Lord... whither shall we go." And it came to pass that the Lord did hear the brother of Jared and had compassion upon him. He said, "I will go before thee...and there will I bless thee and thy seed."
May I remind you of an important principle when you are seeking God in prayer. That principle is our moral agency and it is a wonderful blessing.
"Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves:to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life." Sometimes it is not easy. God does not command us in all things. That is someone else's plan. Our Father's plan is that "men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given unto them which are expedient." We are "free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."
The Liahona worked from time to time according to faith and diligence. Sometimes the answer for us may not be clear. We must first study it out in our mind and trust the Lord. The Heavenly expectation is that we will act for ourselves, but when we do our part, we will also have the sweet assurance that we can make correct decisions.
Students at BYU Hawaii have the added benefit that many do not have:a temple within walking distance, where you can go to commune with the Lord and to feel the sweet Spirit that permeates every room. One of my fondest memories of BYU Hawaii is the privilege my wife and I had of going to the temple every week. She would meet me on campus, bringing along my Sunday clothes. I would trade my Aloha shirt for a white shirt and tie, and we could take the questions of our souls to the House of the Lord.
Third, Listen carefully to the still small voice, if we are diligent (thrust in your sickle with all your soul is a phrase used in the scripture), if we are patient, meek and steadfast, the promise is to "go your way, whithersover I will, and it shall be given you by the Comforter what you shall do and whither you shall go." Interestingly, the Holy Ghost is a still small voice that both whispers and pierces.
There is an interesting revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants to a man named Jared Carter. The Lord said:
"I will send upon him the Comforter, which shall teach him the truth and the way whither he shall go." Unfortunately, Jared Carter did not continue in diligence. He himself said, "The Spirit of God in a measure has left me," and he eventually fell away.
May I share with you from a personal experience: I was granted a leave of absence by my firm to serve as a mission president; we completed our mission at the time the People"™s Republic of China was opening its doors to my profession. I was then invited by my firm to begin our practice in China. When we won our first major engagement, it was a cause for celebration. The Minister of Finance of the People"™s Republic of China attended. I sat with him at the head table. The celebration opened with a dignitaries toast. There were TV cameras. Flash photographers. They brought out a silver tray of crystal goblets filled with enticing champagne for the toast. I was there as the senior partner in China representing a global enterprise that had a sterling reputation. The biggest win in the market place in my career:several million dollars. I had been briefed on protocol beforehand, so what was I to do? Would it be OK to lift the glass in celebration, raise it to my lips, but not swallow, or even taste any of the forbidden liquid?
One thing I have found out in this life is that when we make a mistake or are about to make a mistake, we are usually the first one to know it. Just picturing the action in my mind was like an electric shock. I was pierced. I pictured in my mind what that would look like on television. I wondered how Connie and my children would feel. How would my dear mother feel if I sent her, or someone else sent her, a picture?
Early on, I made a career decision that I would not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I decided before the event that the values I had been taught by my mother would take preference over any cultural differences. Commandments and covenants must trump customs and business practices in the market place. That decision did not affect my career where expectations of others may have been different than LDS values. It only enhanced my opportunities.
In asking the question whither should I go, seek to listen to the still small voice, the voice of the Comforter, "it will show unto you all things what ye should do."
Fourth: Magnify your callings.
Every man is obliged to provide for his own family. Every man is also instructed to
"Labor in the Church...be diligent in all things. Then it will be made known from on high, even by the Comforter, whither he shall go." Over the years, I have been frequently asked the question: "How can I achieve the expected balance with my family, ecclesiastical, and professional responsibilities?"
Elder Dallin H. Oaks tells of a turning point that occurred in his life when, as a young hard working associate in a law firm, he was called to be a stake missionary. It was explained to him that this calling would require forty hours of proselyting per month in addition to other meetings and would take three to four evenings per week. With faith, he accepted the call. He discovered that by responding to a Church calling,
"I received no reduction in my accomplishments or advancement in my firm. Indeed, my success in my work and advancement in the firm seemed to accelerate rather than decline."
The Lord has promised: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Surely, it is then that we can know from on high, even by the Comforter, whither we shall go.
Fifth, Honor your parents and be loyal to your family
Remember, in any critical decision regarding where you should go, it is not about you. The prophet Nephi provides a wonderful example. During a very difficult time his brothers criticized him because he had broken his steel bow, their bows had lost their spring, and they had no way to obtain food. Even his father murmured.
Yet Nephi honored his father. "I said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food? And it came to pass that he did inquire of the Lord."
I have the privilege of serving with a great Church leader from Indonesia, Subandriyo. He joined the Church as a young man. He is from a poor home without many of the material things of this life. When Subandriyo fell in love with Steffi, he went to ask her mother if they could marry. He had no money, nothing for a traditional wedding party. But this is the promise he made to Steffi's mother. "I have no money for a wedding, but I promise you that I will make your daughter the happiest woman on earth and I will always take care of her." He has kept that promise.
In my own life, it was my good fortune to have met Connie while I was still in college. We married and were blessed with a beautiful daughter when we were still in school. We had barely enough money to pay our bills. Our baby slept on a pillow in a cardboard box and we slept on a mattress on the floor. Following graduation, our first purchase after a few months of saving was to buy a bed for our daughter. The floor was good enough for us. The baby crib lasted for five wonderful children. We are now in our 45th year together. Our first purchase of a baby crib is a wonderful memory associated with starting our family.
Connie has always been my support, really my helpmate. Without her indefatigable loyalty, the interesting path that has been our life together would not have been possible. Never looking back, she has supported our partnership with a willing heart and complete fidelity. Whether we have had famine or abundance, her desire has been like Ruth of old:
"Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go: and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy god my God." Her desire has always been to go where the Lord would have us go.
Sixth, God Knows You and He will be with you.
Our Heavenly Father knows each one of us. He will always be there for us. He was with us in the beginning. He knows us as we were then. He knows us as we are now. And he knows us as we are to come.
He knows our thoughts and our doings. As the Psalmist questioned, " Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" If you dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea his right hand shall hold you. He will understand your thoughts. His works are marvelous, you are wonderfully made by Him, and He will lead you.
As in many things, there is no better example than that of our dear prophet,
Thomas S. Monson. Did you know that when President Monson was going to college he also worked as a waste removal engineer? I do not know if he put it on his resume, but he did work on a wastepaper truck so he could save money to buy an engagement ring for his wife. He fell from the top of the truck and fractured both wrists, which meant he had to study from home for a semester.
When President Monson graduated from college, he interviewed with and received premium offers from major multinational companies. In deciding where he should go, he made his decision a matter of sacred prayer. He has taught us that "there are factors within you and within me, even basic principles with which we have been imbued from our creation, which seem to call out and demand of us our best. Those particular years, those cravings, and those bits of inspiration seem to be telling you and me, seek the best in life.
Look for opportunities where you can be of greatest service."
Shortly after graduation, he had the opportunity to become a commissioned officer in the US Navy, which meant he would need to be released from serving in the bishopric so that he could attend his navy drill. He made it a matter of prayer. He conferred with his former stake president, then Elder Harold B. Lee, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, who counseled him not to accept the commission as a naval officer. President Monson declined the commission and requested to be discharged. Just six weeks later, he was called at age 22 to be the bishop of his ward.
President Monson has taught us that our decisions determine our destiny. He said, "I would not be standing before you had I not followed the counsel of a prophet, had I not prayed about a decision, had I not come to an appreciation of the important truth: the wisdom of God oft times appears foolishness to men. But the greatest single lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and a man obeys, that man will always be right." Our Heavenly Father does know us. He is there for us. If we seek Him, we will find him. If we ask He will open it unto us."
In summary, whither shall I go? Be obedient and keep the commandments. Ask in sincerity, with real intent, nothing wavering. Listen carefully to the still small voice. He will help you to know where you should go. Consider those to whom you can be of greatest service and be loyal to those who love you most, specifically and especially your family. Understand that God lives and He will always be there for you.
I testify that we do have a loving Father in Heaven. He does know us. He cares for us, and when we do our part, He will more than do His in pointing the way whither we should go. He gave His only begotten Son, who is perfect, and promised us that if we believe in Him, we will not perish but have everlasting life. Our Savior atoned for our sins and provided the example and the way for us to return with our families to God"™s presence. And we are led by a living prophet still. May God bless each of you, my wonderful young brothers and sisters, as you diligently strive to answer whither shall I go? In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
References used:
Dallin H. Oaks, Life"™s Lessons Learned, chapter 11
Deu 11:8-14
1 Nep 17:8-10
2 Nep 33:9
Jeffrey R. Holland, Created for Greater Things, p.70
Eth1:38-43
2 Nep 10:23
2Nep:2:7
1 Nep 16:29
D&C 31:11
D&C 85:6
D&C 79:2
Susan Easton Black, Who"™s Who in the Doctrine &Covenants, p.51
2 Nep 32:5
D&C 75:27-28
Dallin H. Oaks, Life"™s Lessons Learned, chapter 11
Matt 6:33
1 Nep 16:23-24
Included with permission from Subandriyo
Ruth 1:16
D&C 93:23-24
Psalms 139:7-14
Heidi S. Swinton, To the Rescue, The Biography of Thomas S. Monson, p.106
Ibid., p.115
Ibid., pp. 111-112