Thank you for this special choir. It reminds me of my homeland. Thank you!
My dear young friends, Aloha!
What a privilege and what a blessing it is to be here with you.
BYU–Hawaii holds a special place in my life, even though this is the first time that I have ever been here. Now, how could that be?
Before I finished my mission, my mission president invited me to an interview with a representative from BYU–Hawaii and encouraged me to take a TOEFL exam so that I could apply to the university. I never found out the results of that exam, but a few months after returning home to Buenos Aires, you can imagine my surprise to receive a large envelope from BYU–Hawaii which contained a scholarship offer in my name. That very envelope is the one that I am holding in my hand right now.
You might be wondering why I did not come to Hawaii at that time. Well, there was only one spot, for a single young man, and I had already found my eternal companion, and I wanted to marry her in the House of the Lord. As you can see, I have treasured this admissions packet for over thirty years, as part of the history of my life. And now, the Lord in His tender mercy, has brought us here to Hawaii and has granted us the great privilege of being here with you. I express my gratitude for you being here at this devotional, to have all of us here together.
I feel such joy for the incredible blessings that the Lord has granted each of you to live here, in such a special place. You have a House of the Lord, right beside you. You have the beautiful Polynesian Cultural Center where the rich heritage of the Pacific is being preserved, and where you can find employment to finance your education. And, you have this prestigious university institution where you attend. These three places may seem to be independent of each other, but when combined they have a unique, eternal purpose which is to prepare you to become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. Can you see it? If you can recognize these blessings, with the right perspective and with a grateful heart, your spiritual lives, and your academic and professional lives will be enriched.
How can we become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ?
We do so by intentionally choosing to live His doctrine each day. It is a continuous process, not merely a series of isolated occasions. This process begins with faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, followed by repentance, and with making and keeping covenants that begin with baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, obeying the commandments and enduring to the end.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson has taught:
“… for Christ’s Atonement to have its full, transformative effect in us requires that we continue in this covenant path—the path of discipleship—to the end of our mortal lives”[1]
President Dallin H. Oaks declared:
“We qualify for eternal life through a process of conversion. [This] signifies not just a convincing but a profound change of nature. […] To testify is to know and to declare. …The gospel challenges us to be 'converted,' which requires us to do and to become. [2]
In the October 2024 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson, with love and urgency, invited us: “Brothers and sisters, now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority…It is neither too early nor too late for you to become a devout disciple of Jesus Christ. … [I]n a coming day, Jesus Christ will return to the earth as the millennial Messiah. So today I call upon you to rededicate your lives to Jesus Christ. … Come unto Christ and “offer your whole [soul] to Him.” [3]
Today I would like to echo the invitation of our beloved Prophet to each of you: “…make your discipleship your highest priority….Come unto Christ, and offer [Him] your whole souls,” and help others also to come unto Christ. If you do this, I promise you that you will feel the Savior’s love more abundantly in your lives, each day. You will have access to His saving and redeeming power to bring about a deep and complete transformation. You will have greater strength to overcome trials, avoid temptation, and learn to joyfully keep the two great commandments.
I would like to explore the story of two groups of young disciples of Christ with you; they are found in the Book of Mormon. As you listen, you will discover principles of discipleship that led them towards a full conversion to the Savior. Take notes, and later, at home, set goals and make plans to apply them to your own lives. I promise you that the Holy Ghost will speak to your mind and to your heart and will teach you how to do this, as you make efforts to put them into practice.
These young disciples are the two thousand stripling warriors of Helaman. Their parents had undergone a mighty change of heart from the preaching of the Gospel, so much so that they buried their weapons of war and made a covenant with God that they would never use them again. Several years later, surrounded by war, these young men fought with strength to protect their parents and their people.
“Now they had never fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.” [4]
“Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually.”[5]
“… they stand fast in that liberty wherewith God has made them free; and they are strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day; yea, they do observe to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments continually; and their faith is strong in the prophecies concerning that which is to come.”[6]
Through the goodness of God, and because of the faith, diligence and obedience of these young people, they were miraculously preserved. Helaman tells us “… not one soul of them who did perish;…while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain.” [7]
Let’s go further back in the story to learn how they came to be such powerful disciples of Christ. These young men, just like many of you, had been born into families with a knowledge of the Gospel, in peaceful circumstances; they did not have experience as warriors. Their parents had taught them “…to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.” [8] They “…[did] not doubt that [their] mothers knew it” [9] But they also knew it for themselves. We can see this from their willingness to remember the Lord each day, obey His commandments, and look forward with faith to the coming of the Savior. Surely, they had not seen angels nor a pillar of light, but their testimony, like yours, would have likely been gained one drop at a time. If they were living today, perhaps they would have prayed and studied the scriptures daily, attended Institute, participated in home evening, and serving and loving God and their neighbor. For we know that they strived constantly to obey and to keep the commandments with exactness, with certainty that God was with them, and that He would not let them fall. And so, they went forward with incredible bravery, and they did things never done before: fighting against experienced warriors. Just like you today serving full time missions or even forming eternal families. The Lord preserved them, and He granted them success—and He will give you success too, through His marvelous power, if you do not doubt.
This group of young people, started their path of discipleship in a very different way than the first group. These are Alma and the sons of King Mosiah, who went about, to and fro, rebelling against God and seeking to destroy His church. But then, an angel of the Lord appeared unto them, along the road, and he spoke with a voice of thunder which caused the earth to shake: “Alma,… why persecutest thou the church of God? For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it; …” [10] “…Alma, go thy way, and seek to destroy the church no more, …” [11]
After this angelic visit, they had no more doubts about what they had been taught by their parents and by their leaders. How is it that they had strayed so far away? Is it perhaps that they had forgotten to live the doctrine of Christ so that they might have their own experiences, their own conversion? But now, the Lord, in His great mercy, extended His arm again to them, to rescue them.
Alma shares his conversion: “And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, … I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.
And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!”[12]
I testify that the forgiveness that the Savior longs to give to us is as intensely sweet as it was for Alma. It brings light, peace and immense joy to our lives.
President Nelson teaches us: “Nothing is more liberating … or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance. …
When we choose to repent, we choose to change! …. When we choose to repent, we choose to become more like Jesus Christ!” [13]
Alma and the sons of Mosiah allowed Christ to transform their lives and then they did not want to ever go back. They labored “zealously…to repair all the injuries which they had done…”[14] and they preached the Gospel for the rest of their lives.
Let’s see what other principles of discipleship we can learn from them: “… they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; …”[15]
“…they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God … they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God.”[16]
As we have learned from both stories, discipleship is not defined by where we begin. Becoming a devoted disciple of Jesus Christ, throughout our lives, is the result of choosing and committing to make Christ the center of our lives; it is allowing His doctrine to be the path that we walk. It means submitting our will to His will, and because of His Atonement, allowing Him to transform us into new creatures.
I thank the Lord for allowing me to be here with all of you. You are precious sons and daughters of God. Heavenly Father loves each one of you. He earnestly desires to bless you. I invite you to pray daily, to have personal interviews with Him. Express your challenges to Him and ask for His help. He will listen, and He will answer.
Consecrate your lives to serving God and your neighbor; go to the temple each week. Don’t just go when you have extra time; dedicate time to visiting the House of the Lord. President Nelson has promised: “…Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple. You will feel His mercy…find answers to your most vexing questions, [and]… better comprehend the joy of His gospel.”[17]
I testify that Jesus the Christ has risen. He lives. Because of His infinite love, He gave his life so that we can return to our heavenly home. I testify that President Russell M. Nelson, the First Presidency, and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles hold the keys of the priesthood and are prophets of God.
In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes:
[1] D. Todd Christofferson, “Lifelong Disciples of Jesus Christ” [Church Educational System Religious Educators Conference Devotional, June 12, 2025] broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org
[2] Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge to Become,” Liahona, October 2000; emphasis added
[3] Russell M. Nelson, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2024, 121-122
[4] Alma 56:47
[5] Alma 57:27
[6] Alma 58:40
[7] Alma 57:25-26
[8] Alma 57:26
[9] Alma 56:48
[10] Mosiah 27:13
[11] Mosiah 27:16
[12] Alma 36:17-20
[13] Russell M. Nelson, “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 67
[14] Mosiah 27:35
[15] Mosiah 28:3
[16] Alma 17:2-3
[17] Russell M. Nelson, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2024, 121-122