Brothers and Sisters, Malo e lelei!
First and foremost, I would like to send my love and aloha to the McQuivey family and also to all who are mourning at this time. We are all in this together. We love you all.
Brigham Young University–Hawaii is a special place to me. It has blessed me and my family in many ways. My father is from Tonga, and after completing his full-time mission, he came to the Church College of Hawaii in 1964. My mother, originally from Wichita, Kansas, also attended Church College beginning in 1965. In 1969, they were married and sealed for time and all eternity in the house of the Lord here in the Laie, Hawaii temple. Both graduated and returned to teach at Liahona High School and helped build the kingdom of God in Tonga. Myself, my eleven siblings, and my eternal companion have all had the privilege of attending this university. I also have many aunties, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and two of my children who have attended or are currently attending BYU–Hawaii. As you can see, we have deep ties to this special place, and we love it.
“The mission of BYU–Hawaii is to prepare students of Oceania and the Asian Rim to be lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ and leaders in their families, communities, chosen fields, and in building the kingdom of God.” [1] How do we become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ? We become disciples of our Savior when we seek and solidify our connection to God through the Holy Ghost, this connection helps us receive personal revelation. And then, when our connection is secure, we act! Why is this connection to God so essential? President Russell M. Nelson taught, “... in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost. My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation.” [2]
I work in the construction industry and am an electrician by trade. I love working with and running jobs that involve medium and high-voltage underground cables. These large cables range from 5000 volts all the way to 138,000 volts. These voltages are the ones that we use here in Hawaii. To put this into perspective, the outlets and lights that you use in the dorms or at home are 120 volts. These high-voltage cables are the main conductors that carry electricity to transformers that then step down the voltage and carry the energy to homes, hospitals, the temple, and even this auditorium. In preparing these cables to be put into service, they need to be connected following very specific instructions so that the power can pass through without failure. When high-voltage cables are prepped for connection, there are exact lengths and depths of cuts that are used to expose the inside, and specific cleaning procedures are needed before the ends are placed together, crimped, and protective sleeves seal the connection. These instructions have to be followed in order for the electricity to flow freely. If cuts are made at improper lengths or cut too deeply, damage can occur to the cable’s conductor or insulation. When this happens, the connection fails. Another vital part of the preparation includes cleaning the cable. This cleaning is done with a specific cloth and denatured alcohol to remove moisture, dirt, or other particles. Even though the cable may look unblemished to the naked eye, wiping the connections clean is imperative. Even the smallest amount of dust can cause connection failure. Once the inside is clean, multiple protective sleeves are placed over the connection, heated, and sealed.
I would like to compare this high-voltage cable connection to our connection with God. Our connection to Heavenly Father comes as personal revelation through the Holy Ghost. Just like the careful protocol in preparing high-voltage cables, we need to prepare ourselves in order to receive personal revelation. The particular cuts made to the cables could be compared to our deliberate obedience as we carefully follow the Lord’s commandments. In being obedient, we are blessed with the ability to connect to the Lord through the Holy Ghost.
Elder L. Tom Perry taught that obedience is a choice to trust God’s unlimited wisdom and power, rather than trusting our own limited knowledge. [3] Nephi, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, states, “...I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. Nevertheless I went forth…” [4] Nephi was obedient to the commandments that he received from the Lord, although his knowledge was limited. He couldn’t foresee what he was walking into, but he trusted God. Helaman, a prophet and military leader, had the charge of leading 2,000 brave young men who volunteered to fight to protect their families. These young soldiers knew that the Lord would protect them regardless of their inexperience. These men were faithful and obedient to the commandments of the Lord and trusted what their mothers taught them. Under Helaman’s leadership, the stripling warriors fought bravely in several major battles. Though many were wounded, not one of them was killed, a miraculous sign of God's protection. Their faith, obedience, and unity made them a powerful force, even against larger and more experienced armies. [5] President Russell M. Nelson said, “Obedience brings blessings; exact obedience brings miracles!” [6] Just like Nephi and Helaman, as we choose to be obedient and follow the Lord’s commandments, we will be able to establish a connection to the Lord through the Holy Ghost and receive the personal revelation that we need to navigate challenges successfully.
Next, the cleaning of the inside of the cables, even the things we cannot readily see, represents repentance. When we reflect, humble ourselves, and repent, even of the smallest infractions, we open the conduit for the Spirit to guide and protect us. As we repent daily, our connection to God through the Holy Ghost can be reestablished when broken and made even stronger.
In 1996, I received my mission call to serve as a full-time missionary and was assigned to the Philippines Bacolod mission. I was excited for my call and assignment and had to look on the globe at my sister’s house to find out where the Philippines was. In the Missionary Training Center they taught us Cebuano, one of the many dialects. Learning a new language was not the easiest for me. To my surprise, when I entered the mission field, I was assigned to an area where I had to learn and speak Hiligaynon, a totally different dialect than what we learned in the MTC. In my second area, the dialect was Aklanon, a third and completely different dialect from the first two. In my third area, I was to teach in Cebuano. Then, in my fourth and last area, I spoke and taught in Hiligaynon once again. Needless to say, the many dialects that I had to learn kept me humble and on my toes. One day, toward the end of my mission, our schedule for the day was full with teaching appointments and Book of Mormon readings. I was excited for the day and couldn’t wait to meet with the friends we made who were interested in learning about the gospel. At our first appointment, I felt something was missing. I realized I did not feel the Holy Ghost [as] I had felt it other times. I felt uneasy during our lessons as my connection to Heavenly Father was lost. I realized that I had become too comfortable in my own abilities to speak the language and was not relying on Heavenly Father as I taught that day. I prayed in my heart, begging the Lord to forgive me for my pride, and bless me with His spirit. At our next appointment, the same thing happened again. The Spirit was gone. I prayed even harder, asking the Lord to bless me with the Holy Ghost. I remember through the rest of the day having that same empty feeling. I was ashamed of my ego, which led to damaging my connection to the Spirit. Finally, I humbled myself deeper and told the Lord, I knew that I was nothing without Him, and I could not continue to do His work without His Spirit. When I got home that night, praying on my knees, I asked Heavenly Father to bless me with even a portion of His Spirit so I could be a better instrument in His hands. The next day, I continued to have that prayer in my heart, and as my companion and I taught, I was filled with joy as I could feel the Holy Ghost witness to the truth of what we were teaching.
Elder Neil L. Andersen reminded us that repenting is not so much a chastisement as it is an invitation to return to the Lord. He said, “The scriptures speak of His arms being open, extended, stretched out, and encircling. They are described as mighty and holy, arms of mercy, arms of safety, arms of love, ‘lengthened out all the day long.’” [7]
We have each felt to some extent these spiritual arms around us. We have felt His forgiveness, His love, and comfort. The Lord has said, “I am he that comforteth you.” [8] The Lord’s desire that we come unto Him and be wrapped in His arms is often an invitation to repent. “Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.” [9]
President Boyd K. Packer said in his last general conference address, “The Atonement leaves no tracks, no traces. What it fixes is fixed. … It just heals, and what it heals stays healed. [10] The Atonement, which can reclaim each one of us, bears no scars. That means that no matter what we have done or where we have been or how something happened, if we truly repent, [the Savior] has promised that He would atone. And when He atoned, that settled that…The Atonement…can wash clean every stain no matter how difficult or how long or how many times repeated.” [11]
What a wondrous gift we have been given by our Father in Heaven, who desires to maintain a connection with each of us. I know that as we repent sincerely, we can have the Holy Ghost to be our constant companion.
The protective sleeves that seal the high-voltage cable connections represent the sacred covenants we make with the Lord. In the book True to the Faith, we read, “…an ordinance is a sacred, formal act performed by the authority of the priesthood. [The] ordinances [that] are essential to our exaltation … are called saving ordinances. They include baptism, confirmation, ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood (for men), the temple endowment, and the marriage sealing.” [12] As we make and keep sacred covenants with Heavenly Father, we are protecting and strengthening our connection to Him.
Elder David A. Bednar taught, “The ordinances of salvation and exaltation administered in the Lord’s restored Church … constitute authorized channels through which the blessings and powers of heaven can flow into our individual lives.” [13]
My auntie Solia was a spiritual giant. Before she passed away, she served three missions, worked in the temple, and served at the FamilySearch center. She had a strong testimony of covenants and ordinances and the power that they brought into her life. She knew that her covenants with Heavenly Father turned that relationship into a binding contract, yoking [with] the Savior and solidifying her connection to them. As she endured to the end, she told us, “Go to the temple. Make and keep your covenants and watch the blessings pour down that hill from the temple into your homes.” Brothers and sisters, this is the time to prepare to meet God and make sure that we have a solid connection to Him while on this earth. To have a relationship with Him that continues to grow until that great day when we will see His face and feel His embrace.
President Russell M. Nelson said, “Keep on the covenant path. Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere… [14] My brothers and sisters, I plead with you to make time for the Lord! Make your own spiritual foundation firm and able to stand the test of time by doing those things that allow the Holy Ghost to be with you always.” [15]
With these things in place—being obedient to the commandments, repenting daily, making and keeping sacred covenants, and participating in ordinances—we have access to continual personal revelation through the power of the Holy Ghost, which will guide and protect us throughout our lives. Unlike the high-voltage cables, if there is damage, cuts are made too deep, or debris is left behind, we are able to rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ to fix any impurities or missteps so that we can reestablish our connection to God. There is no damage inflicted, cut too deep, or stain so great that the Atonement of Jesus Christ cannot fix it through sincere and true repentance.
Now that we have prepared and secured our connection to our Father in Heaven, it’s time to get to work! Whether we are going about our day and the Lord prompts us about something we aren’t aware of yet, or we are actively seeking His counsel, we need to act and trust in His timing. In James 2:17 it reads, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead…” [16] When we receive personal revelation from the Lord, we should act on it immediately.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson told this story: “…I worked closely with President Reid Tateoka of the Japan Sendai Mission. As part of his usual mission routine, President Tateoka planned a meeting for missionary leaders in the southern portion of his mission. A few days prior to the meeting, President Tateoka had an impression, a feeling in his heart, to invite all missionaries of that zone to the leadership meeting, instead of the prescribed small number of elder and sister leaders.
When he announced his intention, he was reminded that this meeting was not designed for all missionaries but only for mission leaders. However, setting convention aside in order to follow the prompting he had received, he invited all missionaries serving in several coastal cities, including the city of Fukushima, to the meeting. On the appointed day, March 11, 2011, the missionaries gathered together for the expanded mission meeting in the inland city of Koriyama.
During this meeting a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami struck the region of Japan where the Japan Sendai Mission is located. Tragically, many coastal cities—including those from which the missionaries had been gathered—were devastated and suffered great loss of life. And the city of Fukushima suffered a subsequent nuclear event.
Although the meetinghouse where the missionaries were meeting that day was damaged by the earthquake, through following the promptings of the Holy Ghost, President and Sister Tateoka and all missionaries were safely assembled. They were out of harm’s way and miles from the devastation of the tsunami and the nuclear fallout.
As you heed promptings from the Holy Ghost—impressions most often quiet and still—you may be removed, without ever knowing, from spiritual and temporal danger.” [17]
When we seek personal revelation and ask God for His counsel, the way that we act is to study it out in our minds and then approach the Lord with the option we think is best, and let the Lord confirm or deny.
President Dallin H. Oaks taught: “A desire to be led by the Lord is a strength, but it needs to be accompanied by an understanding that our Heavenly Father leaves many decisions for our personal choices… Persons who try to shift all decision making to the Lord and plead for revelation in every choice will soon find circumstances in which they pray for guidance and don’t receive it. We should study things out in our minds. Then we should pray for guidance and act upon it...” [18]
When my wife and I were dating and discussing marriage, we knew that we could not blindly go to the Lord and ask Him if it was right just because we liked each other. We knew we had to study it out in our minds. Were we a good fit for each other? Did we have similar perspectives on the most important things, like the gospel? Were we willing to give marriage our all, despite the ups and downs that life inevitably would give us? After studying it out in our minds, we decided that we needed the approval of the Lord. We joined together in a full 24-hour fast to ask the Lord if what we decided was right for us. After fasting, we both had clarity of mind and a peaceful feeling. We were married in the Laie, Hawaii temple, and have been married for almost 22 years.
The last thought I want to share is to trust the Lord’s timing. You may pray for an answer and get it right away, or you may supplicate the Lord and receive an answer years later.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson teaches us, “…You can cultivate an attitude and an environment that invite the Spirit, and you can prepare yourself, but you cannot dictate how or when inspiration comes. Be patient and trust that you will receive what you need when the time is right.” [19]
Brothers and sisters, the Lord loves you. He is the Light. He wants that connection with you. Prepare yourselves and trust Him and His timing.
In Doctrine and Covenants section 11 verses 11-13 it reads: “For, behold, it is I that speak; behold, I am the light which shineth in darkness, and by my power, I give these words unto thee. And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy.” [20]
Brothers and sisters, we cannot cruise through life and expect the Holy Ghost to be our constant companion. We have to intentionally seek and, more importantly, follow those personal promptings that we receive. I know Heavenly Father loves us. He loves us so much that He gave us His Only Begotten Son to show us the way and be the way for each of us. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior, our Redeemer, and our older brother. It is only through Him and because of His Infinite Atonement that we can one day return to live with God and our families forever. I know that the Holy Ghost testifies of the truth. He is the Comforter, and through Him we receive personal revelation that can guide us throughout our lives. I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. I know that the house of the Lord is where we receive ordinances and make covenants with God that will help us return to Him one day. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes:
[1] BYU–Hawaii Mission Statement
[2] Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives”, Ensign or Liahona, April 2018, 96
[3] L. Tom Perry, “Obedience through Our Faithfulness”, Ensign or Liahona, April 2014, 103
[4] 1 Nephi 4: 6-7
[5] Alma 56
[6] Russell M. Nelson, in R. Scott Lloyd, “Elder Nelson Delivers Spiritual Thanksgiving Feast to MTCs,” Church News, December 4, 2013; M. Joseph Brough, “A Still, Small Voice among Big Decisions,” Liahona, December 2018,
[7] Neil L. Anderson, “Repent…That I May Heal You”, Ensign or Liahona, October 2009, 41
[8] 2 Nephi 8:12
[9] Alma 5:33
[10] Boyd K. Packer [general conference leadership meeting, April 2015]; Dale G. Renlund, “Repentance: A Joyful Choice,” Ensign, November 2016, 122
[11] Boyd K. Packer, “The Plan of Happiness,” Ensign or Liahona, April 2015, 28
[12] True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference [2004], 109
[13] David A. Bednar, “Always Retain a Remission of Your Sins”, Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 60
[14] Russell M. Nelson, “As We Go Forward Together”, Liahona, April 2018
[15] Russell M. Nelson, “Make Time for the Lord,” Ensign or Liahona, October 2021, 120
[16] James 2:17
[17] Gary E. Stevenson, “How Does the Holy Ghost Help You?”, Ensign or Liahona, April 2017, 118-119
[18] Dallin H. Oaks, “Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall”, [Brigham Young University devotional, June 7, 1992], speeches.byu.edu
[19] Gary E. Stevenson, “Promptings of the Spirit”, Ensign or Liahona, October 2023, 45
[20] Doctrine and Covenants 11:11-13