Many of you are now in the latter part of what has been called the decade of decision. Today marks a significant and remarkable day and time in your lives. You are facing choices which President Russell M. Nelson has called defining moments, even hinge points to your futures. I have pondered and prayed much to know what I could share that, through the power and gift of the Holy Ghost, would provide refined direction and more focused vision as you walk out of the door on this memorable graduation day into your very bright and promising futures…something I wanted to share of eternal importance and significance.
At your age, I grew up on scriptures, poems, and thoughts like these:
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
“Isn't it strange that princes and kings,
And clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
And common people Like you and me
Are builders for eternity?
Each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass, A book of rules;
And each must make - Ere life is flown -
A stumbling block or a stepping stone.”
“A Bag of Tools” by R. L. Sharpe
You are builders for eternity!
To have your name inscribed up there
Is better yet by far,
Than any Hall of Fame on earth
Or any manmade star.
This crowd on earth, they soon forget
The heroes of the past.
They cheer like mad until you fall,
And that's how long you last.
I tell you friend, I would not trade
My name, however small.
If written there beyond the stars,
In that Celestial Hall.
For any famous name on earth,
Or glory that they share,
I'd rather be an unknown here,
And have my name up there.
God's Hall of Fame – Anonymous
What will be most important for us…which will you choose?
Alma taught, and so has President Russell M. Nelson, “For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all—for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people” (Alma 7:7).
One Thing of More Importance
So, we do believe that “With God nothing shall be impossible,” and, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” among other visionary scriptural truths…
As a possible takeaway and special invitation for each of you today, I would now share that I believe there is ‘one thing of more importance than they all’ for you on the very day…
It is to “walk with God!”
When the Lord invited Enoch to walk with Him, He said, “Behold my Spirit is upon you…and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me” (Moses 6:34).
Did you know that the great Prophet Enoch, the one who founded Zion, was also a quite-unsure-of-himself young man? If we can rewind the clock back thousands of years to somewhere possibly near his graduation day and hear his self-proclaimed state of insignificance: Enoch saw himself as inconsequential, and as one without much potential, with a ‘not-so-bright’ futures awaiting. In this self-doubting response to an invitation from the Lord, which may sound familiar to some here today, the young Enoch questioned, “Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?”
In other words, “God, are you sure you want me on your team!” And among other instructions to him, God responded with these words, “walk with me.” Can you imagine the Almighty God of heaven desiring to team up with a most unlikely young man? Can you believe that? Enoch apparently didn’t, at least at first. Yet, in time, so great was the blessing of speech upon Enoch that the scriptures teach us, “so great was the afaith of Enoch that…he bspake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the cmountains fled, even according to his command; and the drivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so epowerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him.
God invited Enoch to walk with Him and made him great among men. Thus, a very important question(s) I hope you will answer for yourselves today. Has God invited you to walk with Him? And, have you accepted? The answer to the first question is a resounding, ‘Yes, He has made the offer!’ But the ball is in own courts to respond to the second question of ‘Have I accepted?’ ‘Am I walking with Him?’
To walk with Him requires we have His Spirit upon us, as the Lord taught Enoch in the verse we read earlier. Let’s read it again, “Behold my Spirit is upon you, and…thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me” (Moses 6:34).
President Benson / Nelson
(The Holy Ghost, our greatest asset in life) - While playing basketball at BYU back in the days of those really short shorts before you were born, one night before a game at the Marriott center, President Ezra Taft Benson, the living Prophet, came to visit us in a reception room. It was a very special 15 minutes. Just before we were headed out to play our coach asked the Prophet if he had any words of wisdom for us. In response, President Benson took about 60 seconds and, for me, taught one of the most important lessons in my life at that time when I was 23, and today in my fifties. Among other things about the Holy Ghost, he said, “The Spirit will be your greatest asset in life. If He is with you, you will achieve all your righteous desires. If He is not, you won’t!” To my best recollection, he went on to say that we can fool a lot of people, but not ourselves. We know if we have the Holy Ghost in our lives, and we know if we do not. He then invited us to do whatever was needed to have the Spirit in our lives.
“The Spirit will be your greatest asset in life. If He is with you, you will achieve your righteous desires. If He is not, you won’t!” - President Benson
So, on this day, as President Benson did on that night, and as President Nelson has recently invited us to do in our most recent general conference, I would echo their words, (RMN quote here…about daily repentance)…
“Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance. Repentance is not an event; it is a process. It is the key to happiness and peace of mind. When coupled with faith, repentance opens our access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.7
Whether you are diligently moving along the covenant path, have slipped or stepped from the covenant path, or can’t even see the path from where you are now, I plead with you to repent. Experience the strengthening power of daily repentance —of doing and being a little better each day.
When we choose to repent, we choose to change! We allow the Savior to transform us into the best version of ourselves. We choose to grow spiritually and receive joy—the joy of redemption in Him.8 When we choose to repent, we choose to become more like Jesus Christ” April 2019 General Conference, ‘We Can Do Better And Be Better,’ President Russell M. Nelson)!
So, remarkably, just this past week I was privileged to spend a few minutes alone with our living Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson’s office. I told him I was preparing a message for you here today (BYU-H) and mentioned that I had been thinking about his insightful and remarkable statement, “If there is anything I’ve learned in my 94 years of living, it is that a life with God is far better — more filled with hope — than one without Him.” He positively responded, “That is the bottom line, don’t you think?” After responding, “Yes,” I then mentioned that I had been also pondering this intimate and friendly invitation from the Lord to Enoch, “walk with me,” and asked if President Nelson had thoughts about this phrase that he might share with them [you]. He thought for a moment, and then exclaimed, “It’s the covenant path!” Continuing he went through our covenants starting with baptism and on through the ordinances in the temple, explaining that “we come unto Him and walk in His ways, taking His name upon us, thereby.” Then he exclaimed, “As we remain faithful during this very brief period of mortality, which just goes ‘whoosh,’ then we have a little interview, which will be a wonderful, glorious experience, and receive a big welcome!” Finishing on a serious note, he said, “If you have chosen the covenant path, you get all that! If you choose otherwise, you miss all that!”
Can you imagine, you [we] can either choose to walk with Him in the covenant path and, “get all that,” or, “if you choose otherwise, you miss all that!”
President John Taylor so prophesied as he emphasized his words with this directive:
“You mark my words, and write them down and see if they do not come to pass.
“You will see the day that Zion will be far ahead of the outside world in everything pertaining to learning of every kind as we are today in regard to religious matters.
“God expects Zion to become the praise and glory of the whole earth, so that kings hearing of her fame will come and gaze upon her glory. …” (Sermon, September 20, 1857; see The Messenger, July 1953.)
How can this happen? Really, the way is choosing to walk with God and living such that His Spirit, the Holy Ghost, will always be with us [for without me ye can do nothing…and with me, all things are possible! This is a great truth in life, and your life will be defined by either living a life with God and having the Lord’s Spirit with you, abiding in Him, and walking with Him, or choosing to go it alone. It has been said, “If, in the end, you have not chosen Jesus Christ, it will not matter what you have chosen.” I am a witness that this is true.
Witness of my Savior - D&C 84:88 - “I will go before your face…” - Also, “Father, all things are possible unto Thee, remove this cup from me….” I invite you to walk with Him everyday of your lives from the moment you walk out this door today into your very bright and inspiring futures. I promise God does walk with us on the covenant path through our prayerful pleadings, our scriptural searchings and our obedient strivings.
I know He will be for and with you, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.