Brothers and Sisters, aloha.
I’m thankful to be here among choice men and women of God. When I was first invited to speak at this devotional, I realized I had never been to a BYU Devotional before. My sweetheart, on the other hand, having graduated from BYU-Hawaii and also having attended BYU-Provo, has been to many of these. This is my first devotional on a BYU campus and it is an honor to be here. I am thankful to President Wheelwright for this blessing of being with you. Devotionals are a wonderful opportunity for college students to be strengthened spiritually during the week. Being here reminds me of the years that my wife and I lived in married student housing, drove a car that broke down regularly, and accounted for every penny, nickel and dime we earned. It was a time in our lives that was challenging, as you very well know. We tried to balance time needed to go to school, work full-time, serve in church callings, welcome newborn babies, and strengthen a marriage relationship.
You are men and women who have much hope in your lives. Some of you are fulfilling hopes and dreams of parents and extended family members. Just by being here as students of this great university you are fulfilling your own hopes and dreams. I’ve done many interviews as a Bishop and Stake President for young men and women who have desires to attend this university. Some have come or are here now, while many have not had the opportunity you now enjoy. I realize the hard work and discipline it takes to become a college student and remain so. Having graduated from a high school in the South Pacific, I realize the sacrifices that are made in order for a family member to come and further their education in a place far away from home. It is the power and patience of hope that can sustain us as we pursue our goals in life. I commend you and I congratulate you for making it this far in your lives. I have an Uncle, Fotu Aiono, who was the first in our family to graduate from college. He is my mother’s younger brother and left Samoa in the early 60s to attend then Church College of Hawaii. He graduated in the mid-60s with a degree in Business Finance. He was the first from either side of my extended family to come to America. With his help, my family immigrated to America. So, this university has brought much hope to my family. I’m sure it has brought hope to many of you and your families as well.
It is hope that builds us individually and also collectively as families and as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our faith is strengthened by hope, particularly in things that we have not seen. In the New Testament, Paul teaches: “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”
Shortly after high school, I served a full-time mission in my home country of Western Samoa. As a missionary serving in Samoa, we would sometimes teach about faith by using the analogy of going to America, knowing that it exists and yet, for most of the people we taught, having never been there. Since I lived in Utah most of my young life, it was interesting to our investigators to hear about America. So it was a good way to teach faith. This helped us teach that we knew there was a God, even though we had never seen Him. It builds our faith to hope for righteous things. One of the reasons we came to this life is to increase our faith. But, in order to have faith, we need to have hope. The prophet Mormon taught, “Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.” As we have hope, we build and increase our faith. As our faith increases, so does our hope. Faith is essential in our mortal progression, and hope provides us with the confidence that all things, even things unseen, will work out. In our recent General Conference, President Dieter Uchtdorf spoke on the importance of hope and said, “Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time.” There are many references of hope in the scriptures and many descriptions given: lively hope, good hope, better hope, assurance of hope, rejoicing of hope, blessed hope, excellent hope and sufficient hope.
Today, I would like to discuss some aspects of hope that are pertinent in our lives. They are:
- Patience of hope
- Protecting hope
- Christ, our perfect brightness of hope
Patience of Hope
We live in a fast paced world. We are not required to wait long for what we want or need. Being a software engineer, I know the importance of speed and performance for computer programs to be user friendly and acceptable. Processes are measured in the milliseconds and performance is constantly being enhanced to meet the needs of computer users. While the coding and implementation of an application requires a lot of functionality and error handling, if performance and through-put are not acceptable, that computer program will not likely be used. Since we live in a world that expects immediate response and results, we need to cultivate patience.
Why is patience so important for hope? I love how the Apostle Paul teaches us about patience in hope. He says, “[W]e glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope.”
I recall one late Sunday afternoon during my service as a bishop; I was leaving the chapel and felt prompted to visit the home of an inactive brother in the ward. His parents had called me from the mainland and later visited our ward in hopes of reactivating their son in church. A couple of attempts to visit this less activate brother were made by my counselor and myself, but to no avail. One time we went together, had a brief visit at the door, inviting him to church, and then left it at that. So, it had been about a month since our brief visit and suddenly I had this prompting to visit his home.
When I arrived he and his wife were emotionally distraught. They had decided their marriage was over. She had packed her belongings that day and booked a flight to return to her home country that night. I suddenly realized that I was sent to their home at that specific time to help this couple find hope in preserving what they felt was a hopeless marriage.
As I talked to them, I shared how much hope the gospel could bring into their lives if they would listen to and apply the teachings and principles. We were patient with each other as we discussed ways gospel principles could help strengthen their marriage. I committed them to have the missionaries teach them in their home. From that day and for several weeks they willingly met with me for counsel. He began attending church, she was soon baptized, and together they became active members of the ward.
What initiated this change was the hope and patience of a mother. I could only imagine that she had many tribulations in this experience of hoping for her son to become active. Many prayers had probably been offered for her son to return over the many years. I don’t remember her exact words when she first called and made a plea for help with her son, but I remember the compassion I felt for her. Although her son and his wife of a few years initially lacked patience in their relationship and felt little hope in maintaining their marriage, patience and hope were increased as they applied the principles of the gospel in their lives.
It is my hope that we are enduring and cultivating patience in all our relationships. Whether you are adjusting to a new roommate, stretching your income, or whatever your seemingly hopeless situation may be, you will find greater hope in your righteous desires as you endure and patiently apply the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Protecting Hope
In the hymn, “Hope of Israel”, we sing the words “Hope of Israel rise in might with the sword of truth and right.” It’s uplifting and exhilarating as we sing these words. We are the people of Israel and we are singing with hope that we might rise with might. With this hope, we have the armor of God and the sword of righteousness to battle our foes. What can we do to protect our hope in the battle of life?
The Apostle Paul teaches how we can battle the foes of our mortal life. He describes hope as part of an armor. As Paul preaches to the Thessalonians, he says, “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” I think of a helmet as a hard shell covering that protects the head. We can think of hope as something that is sustained in our visionary minds. We can have hope because we can envision righteous desires. When heavy objects or blows are thrust on a helmet, we may feel the pressure but our heads are protected. That helmet or hope protects our righteous thoughts and vision.
My father did not come from a traditional family and was raised by his aunt. He had nothing more than a third grade education. However, once he married and had children, he wanted more for his family. He envisioned a better future for his children than what he had. While he had little secular education, he had great hope that his children could have a better future in America. With this hope for a better future, he left Samoa for America. Although he was a skilled businessman, he did not speak English, which made finding comparable work in America quite challenging. Rather than securing a similar job as a businessman, as his first job, he was a dishwasher. He eventually found a career as a machine operator for a mattress company. Throughout the years he often worked more than one job at a time. All was accomplished because he protected the vision or hope of providing a better life for his family.
Our thoughts and vision are sometimes dulled or deterred when we don’t wear the helmet or hope of salvation. Without the protection afforded by a helmet, we may become discouraged or fearful. We may feel lost or alone, discouraged, or even experience despair. We may want to give up or just quit. Having the protection of a helmet or hope gives us the courage to go on even when we might not see the end. We might feel the pressures of life, but we are protected with hope that we will be saved.
After being in college for about four years, I remember not being able to pass one of my classes. It was a requirement for my major and there was no way around it. It was a discouraging time. At that point, I was working full-time, going to school, and raising a young family. I was already into my career as a computer programmer, and obtaining a degree didn’t seem as necessary as it did when I first began college. It was hard to envision getting beyond that trial. I shared with my wife that I felt hopeless and wanted to quit school. I’m so happy for her love and encouragement. She reminded me of my vision of receiving a college education. We spoke of the sacrifice my parents made to give us a better future. With hope renewed and refocused vision, I ultimately made the decision to continue. By the way, it didn’t take me the traditional four years; it took eight years to finish a bachelor’s degree. Quite a long time to finish, I admit, but I did finish.
Protect yourself with hope, my brothers and sisters—that very hope that encouraged you to apply for school, that very hope that propelled you to make the sacrifices necessary to come here. You will see much clearer and have greater vision despite the obstacles and pressures that may come your way. That very hope will see you through your college years. That very hope will get you over your fears and times of despair. That very hope will sustain you as you fulfill your earthly mission and what you were foreordained to do in this life.
Christ, our Perfect Brightness of Hope
In the Old Testament, the prophet Haggai boldly chastised the people of Jerusalem. They had been commanded to rebuild the temple, but they had suffered much persecution and were impoverished. Rather than sacrifice their time and means to rebuild the House of the Lord, they were interested in building personal fortunes. Haggai teaches, “Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes” Haggai’s description of a bag with holes clearly illustrates where we must not put our hope. There is no hope in amassing worldly fortunes. There will never be enough to satisfy the greed.
What should we have hope in? As students studying and preparing for careers, you can easily be lured into seeking after fortune or fame. We can obtain much education or many riches in life but we must use it to care for others and to serve others. We make covenants with the Lord through baptismal and temple ordinances that we will serve Him and help in building the kingdom. Remember that our hope is not in riches but to first obtain a hope in Christ. In the Book of Mormon, Jacob teaches:
“And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.” We must first obtain this hope in Christ. Our greatest source of hope is found in Christ. He is our Maker, our Redeemer, our Lord and Savior. He provided the principles taught in His church. He provided the plan that we chose to follow. Through His atonement and resurrection we find hope in returning to live with Him and our Heavenly Father once again. This sustaining knowledge can strengthen our desires to be obedient to His commandments. As we rely on the Lord, He depends on us in serving Him to bring about His righteous purposes for all of Heavenly Father’s children. If there is anything that I want you to remember from this talk, it is this one statement: There is nothing more lasting and more enduring or has greater sustenance than having hope in Christ. The prophet Nephi taught “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.” Our Savior Jesus Christ is our perfect brightness of hope. If He is our source of hope, how then can we obtain that perfect brightness of hope?
There are ways that you are already seeking to obtain a perfect brightness of hope in your life. You are living an important form of brightness by being a good student. Being a good student means going to class when you would rather be in the gym playing volleyball or basketball. Being a good student means studying hard when you would rather be taking a nap or playing at the beach. I remember having long hours of study in the engineering building at the University of Utah. It was time consuming and sometimes difficult. But, I also remember going to the library where it was nice and quiet, and eventually succumbing to sleep rather than study. All good intentions aside, it is not easy to be a good student. It requires effort, discipline, and perseverance.
Much has changed in the field of computer science since I was a student. My first full- time job was as a computer operator while going to college. The system I monitored took up an entire room. Information was stored on reels as a backup for data stored on the system and sometimes as the only source of data. Information stored on one of those reels was 800K or less than 1 megabyte, which is less than what your cell phone can hold today. I needed to physically be in the room to monitor the system and switch out the reels. So, when data was needed from a reel, it wouldn’t be available on the system until the next day. As a computer programmer, you would write your code and sometimes submit it as a batch process to compile overnight because the compilation process could take hours. So, if you had errors in your code, you wouldn’t know until the next day. Today, compiling a computer program takes seconds or milliseconds. Today I can carry my entire office in a briefcase and work from anywhere. Today’s computer systems are faster, smaller, global, mobile, efficient, and function in real time. What a big change!
Let me share with you what has not changed in my field of work. I remember those stressful college days of creating a program by the assigned deadline. Most of the time the program worked, but sometimes it didn’t. Most of the time I turned in my work on time, but sometimes I turned in my work only minutes before the deadline. A few times my assignments were turned in late. I learned that my schoolwork required my best effort, discipline to stay focused on the task, and perseverance. Those learned qualities have not changed over time. They are required to an even greater degree in my line of work today than it did twenty years ago when I was in your shoes.
As a student, a late project might cost one letter grade. That might be a concern to someone striving to maintain a particular grade point average. But in the field of computer programming, being an hour late on a project may cost the company a million dollars or more. The stakes are much higher and the pressure more intense. I remember the time as a student, when I worked for three days and nights with no sleep on a computer programming assignment for my Computer Graphics class. I was exhausted and yet I completed and turned in the project on time. I contrast that with the time when I worked in a hospital when our system was down and it took me three days and nights with no sleep to get the system back up and running. Both were challenging and required about the same amount of time and effort from me. However, of the latter, there was much more at stake with many individuals involved and especially the quality and lives of patient care. I was the one programmer that knew how to troubleshoot and find the problem to get the system back up, and all eyes and hopes were on me.
Sometimes you will feel stretched to new limits and wonder if you can handle all the demands placed upon you. Be comforted in knowing that your Heavenly Father knows you individually. He understands your righteous hopes and dreams. He knows the challenges and trials that you face as students. He will bless you as you continue to develop and increase those personal qualities that are required of a good student. These personal qualities will sustain you and qualify you for the many opportunities that will come your way.
Being a good student today will also sustain you later in life. You will be able to provide for your future family, especially as you raise children in righteousness and seek to fulfill their personal needs. It will also sustain you with opportunities to serve your community. Very importantly, it will also sustain you in serving the Lord wherever you choose to live. All in all, being a good student provides you with a brighter sense of hope now and in your future endeavors.
To increase your brightness of hope and balance your secular studies, you must study the scriptures and build your spirituality. Personal prayer and scripture study will strengthen your knowledge and understanding of the gospel. What a blessing it is that along with your general studies here you also attend required religion courses. They go hand in hand. Attend your religion classes faithfully. Consider the teachings reverently. Provide time for personal scripture study aside from your assigned study. The Apostle Paul again teaches us, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
We brighten our hope as we receive comfort from the scriptures while we feast upon the words of Christ. The prophet Nephi taught, “Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.”
Remember the schooling young Joseph Smith had? His classroom was his home. His textbook was the Bible. His formal teacher was his mother. Simple education, but what profound results it produced. When young Joseph wrestled with the many religious courtings of his time, he turned to a source of truth for guidance. Previous experience taught him that he could find comfort and hope in his study of the scriptures. Through feasting on the words of Christ, he came upon scripture that pierced his heart and resonated throughout his soul. This led him to seek God in private prayer. His prayers were answered in a way he did not expect. His feasting has eternally blessed all of us.
This, too, is how we increase our understanding of the Savior and His teachings, because He provides us hope as we search the scriptures. Again, Jacob teaches, “Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.”
As we study the scriptures, we become unshaken in our faith. We become anchored with the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We strengthen our hope such that our faith can perform miracles as we serve the Lord. We obtain this strengthened hope through the scriptures.
Now, as a caution may I remind all that we must be humble, even meek and lowly of heart as we strive to be good students and increase our spirituality. We must always remember that as we learn more and increase our knowledge, we must remain humble. Humility is the antidote of pride, and pride has been and continues to be the downfall of many. Mormon teaches us this important principle as he preaches in a synagogue to “the peaceable followers of Christ” about hope. He says, “And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart. If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart.” To be acceptable before God, we must be humble even as we grow in knowledge and truth.
In closing, I share Moroni’s plea:
“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.”
It is through our hope in Christ that will allow us to become like Him and be allowed return to His presence. For as Mormon taught his son Moroni, “[T]hat when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.”
I testify that we will be sustained with this perfect brightness of hope as we come unto Him, who is our Lord, Savior and Redeemer of the World. In His holy name, even the name of Jesus Christ, amen.