Good Morning and Aloha,
Introduction
As I begin this morning, I express my deep appreciation to all those who help to make BYU-Hawaii the special place it is. In particular, I express gratitude for President Shumway for his leadership of this great university. He displays always a wonderful combination of competence, optimism, energy, humility, and love. What a grand blessing it is for me to be associated with him and all of you in such a great cause the literal fulfillment of the inspired missions of these unique sister institutions.
During this Jubilee year, I pray a special blessing to be upon us all that we might more fully understand and appreciate the blessing, which is ours to be associated with the Lord's work here. I hope my remarks today will blend well with the upward direction and vision the Lord has foreseen for each of us as we contribute to the weaving of His tapestry in this part of His vineyard.
Although, Sherri is not able to be here today, as Pres. Shumway mentioned, I am thrilled to have my mother here visiting with us. She's approaching her 88 th birthday and finds inspiration in President Hinckley's marvelous example of "being anxiously engaged" no matter one's age. My mother has lived as much a Christ-like life as anyone I have ever known. I am and always will be grateful for the way she has nurtured and taught me. If you want to meet a real angel, all you have to do is introduce yourself to her. What I share with you today in words, she has exemplified by her every action. I love you, Mom.
Time for Reflection
It's truly an honor to be with you today. The beginning of each new year, for most, tends to be a time for reflection...a time for contemplating the blessings we enjoy. It is also a time for re-examination ... a time for considering who were are, where we are, where we are really going, and how well we are doing along the way. It is a time for committing and recommitting ourselves to being better, to doing better.
This year, partly because of events in Southern Asia, with the earthquake and tsunamis and the resulting devastation, perhaps we are all a little more contemplative, more reflective, and more sensitive to what is truly important in life. Perhaps we're all a little more willing to reach beyond ourselves to help others in all of the ways we can. I trust that along with our prayers, we all are giving what we can to help alleviate the suffering of so many.
It has been painful to witness on television news reports of the literal tearing apart of families. Surely, one of the greatest blessings we can enjoy in life or in eternity is that of a wholesome, righteous, close-knit family relationship. The thought of being torn away from those we love, to lose them to some disaster is heart-wrenching to even consider. Yet, the thought of losing them in eternity is far more devastating, and far more frightening.
Perhaps we find ourselves, rightfully, reflecting again and again upon the reality of the gospel and its crucial importance, the Plan of Salvation, and the standards that the Lord has set for us all.
What Must I Do to Qualify?
Isn't this our common lot --- the desire to live with and be with, in this life and through the eternities, those we love the very most? It certainly is for me. We might then want to ask ourselves, "What must be done to qualify for such a high honor, for such a bounteous blessing, for such a paramount privilege?" This will be the eternal reward only for those who inherit the Celestial Kingdom.
Let us remind ourselves of the Lord's teachings on this matter as we read from the Doctrine and Covenants 76 ---
50. And again we bear record--for we saw and heard, and this is the testimony of the gospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just--
51. They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment, which he has given--
52. That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power;
53. And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true.
54. They are they who are the church of the Firstborn.
55. They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things--
Overcoming Ourselves
In part, what these verses tell us is that those who are worthy of the Celestial Kingdom may be "sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise". In other words, those who inherit the Celestial Kingdom may not only be sealed or "ratified" as heirs of that kingdom personally, but may also be sealed together as families, as they keep the commandments, and overcome by faith.
As we continue to read in this section of the Doctrine and Covenants, we learn in verse 60 that "...they shall overcome all things." And in verse 68, "These are they whose names are written in heaven..."
If we want to be heirs of such eternal blessings, we must, with God's help, "overcome all things" and, thereby, have our own names "written in heaven."
I am convinced that our overcoming "all things" gets hung up, way-layed, side-tracked, side-lined, stopped, or otherwise slowed down, because we so often struggle with overcoming NOT all things, but merely OVERCOMING OURSELVES. We fail to master our desires, our appetites, and our passions. We, too often, place other things above the things of God, and therefore, we do not find ourselves "overcoming all things" as much as we find ourselves treading the same bumpy ground over and over again --- making the same mistakes, or at least similar ones, time and again, rather than rising above the temptations, and bringing the fruits of the atonement more fully into our lives.
Terrestrial Kingdom
Let us now call upon this incredibly valuable piece of inspired scripture again as we look at and contrast those who will inherit the Terrestrial Kingdom, rather than the Celestial Kingdom, and consequently, will not enjoy the supernal blessing of being sealed to their families in the eternities --- again, in Section 76, beginning with verse 71, then skipping to verse 75 ---
71. And again, we saw the terrestrial world, and behold and lo, these are they who are of the terrestrial, whose glory differs from that of the church of the Firstborn who have received the fulness of the Father, even as that of the moon differs from the sun in the firmament.
75. These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men.
76. These are they who receive of his glory, but not of his fulness.
77. These are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fulness of the Father.
78. Wherefore, they are bodies terrestrial, and not bodies celestial, and differ in glory as the moon differs from the sun.
79. These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God.
Please note verse 75 --- "These are they who are HONORABLE men (and women) of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men." And verse 79 --- "These are they who are not VALIANT in the testimony of Jesus..."
Honorable and Good vs. Just and True and Valiant
How intriguing is this description. It seems being HONORABLE, which is obviously a good thing, is somehow not enough, if we want to dwell where God and Christ dwell, and if we want to be with our families in the eternities, there are more requirements to which we must adhere. We must be better than good, more than honorable. We must, as we have previously read, overcome all things by faith. In the process, we must be people who are just and true. We also must needs be "VALIANT in the testimony of Jesus."
The dictionary defines these terms in part as follows:
(1) Good : a favorable character or tendency
(2) Honorable : consistent with an untarnished reputation
These are descriptions of what we should want to be and what we should strive towards. Yet, is there more?
(3) Just : faithful to an original, conforming to a standard of correctness, acting or being in conformity with what is morally upright or righteous.
In our case, the "original" is our Father and his Son. It is their "standard" to which we should be conforming?
(4) True : steadfast, loyal, honest, truthful, without deviation, without variation.
We should be steadfast and loyal and without deviation to whose plan? It is the Father's plan as outlined and implemented by the Son. It is that plan we need pursue, without deviation, without variation.
(5) Valiant : to be of worth; to be strong; possessing or acting with bravery or boldness; carried out with courage or determination.
And it is with boldness, courage, and determination, we ought to share our testimony of Jesus in all we say and in all we do.
Faifekau Tauhikolo
Let me illustrate with a story. Some 34 years ago, I was serving as a missionary on a small island called Niuatoputapu in the Friendly Islands of Tonga. At that time there was a faifekau tauhikolo, or missionary branch president, who was also serving on the island. He and his wife had two children, a boy and a girl. I believe the girl was about 10 years of age and the boy was perhaps 7 years old.
Their little boy was rather typical for his age, filled with energy, always running around. It seemed he was perpetually smiling and cheerful.
On one sunny, beautiful day, he was playing with his friends. He became thirsty, ran to the small fale or house, where they lived. He reached inside and grabbed a dark brown colored bottle. The family kept water to drink in such bottles, as they did soda, and also benzene to fuel their lantern. On this occasion, because he was in such a hurry and not paying close attention, the little boy grabbed the bottle filled with benzene thinking it was the one filled with water. Anxious to get back to his friends, and as quickly as he could, he put the bottle to his lips and took several large gulps.
In but a few moments, he was lying on the ground, his body in convulsions. His mother's screams brought the father running. As my companion and I came upon the scene, we saw approx. 50-60 people from the village gathered around. All looked terribly worried. The father was sitting, cross-legged on the ground in front of their home. He held his son on his lap. The son's face was beginning to turn a sickeningly blue-purple color. I found myself praying silently for both the father and his son.
Once or twice a year, a government doctor would visit this tiny island from the main island of Tongatapu. Coincidently, the boat carrying the doctor had been visiting the previous day. The boat was at anchor just beyond the reef as its captain and crew were preparing to depart.
A man, standing in the crowd surrounding the branch president and his son, said something like, "Look, the boat with the doctor is still here. How fortunate. I'll bring the doctor to help!" This man and another standing nearby then raced for the beach towards a canoe lying on the sand. They quickly began pushing the canoe towards the ocean.
To everyone's surprise, the branch president called out to the two men and asked them to return. With a total sense of calm and in quiet humility, he spoke to everyone present, uttering as nearly as I can recollect the following, "We will have no need of the government doctor today, for we will call upon the Master Doctor, who is the healer of us all."
No one moved. No one spoke. Everyone's eyes were fixed upon the man, this faithful missionary branch president, and his son, who was by now twisted and looked nigh unto death.
The father began to share with the gathered villagers the message of the restoration. He bore testimony that there were prophets and apostles again upon the earth, and that God's power, the Priesthood, had also been restored. He described the ordinance of blessing the sick. He held up a small container of consecrated oil his wife had handed to him. He asked everyone to pray and exercise faith as he first anointed his son with the oil, and then sealed that anointing by the power of the Priesthood.
Some bowed their heads, others remained transfixed and incredulous that this father was not taking advantage of the availability of the government doctor.
The father blessed his son that he would be completely healed and that he would suffer no lasting effects from the benzene he had ingested.
As he concluded the blessing there was total silence still. Everyone's eyes were now fixed on the young son. Immediately there was a lessening of the convulsions until they totally stopped. Just as quickly the ghastly color of his face transformed to its natural and normal color.
The little boy then opened his eyes, looked at his father, and looked around at all the people who were starring at him. He clearly did not know what had just happened. He jumped up, saw his friends standing in the crowd, ran over to them, and said, "Let's go play!" And they ran off together.
The rest of the villagers remained where they were. The branch president again bore his testimony of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and of their power to heal us all from our sicknesses, whether they be physical or spiritual. He said that he was a missionary, and along with the other missionaries on the island (my companion and me) that we had come to share with them the message of the restored gospel.
After a time, the crowd dispersed. My companion and I had then an opportunity to visit with this wonderfully faithful missionary branch president. I told him that I marveled at his great faith. He seemed surprised, even perplexed. He asked, "Why would you be surprised? Are we not missionaries? Haven't we come to bear witness of the Father and the Son? Don't the scriptures say 'Ask and ye shall receive'? That is all I did! Wasn't this a great missionary opportunity? Shouldn't I have recognized it as such? Why would you be surprised? Elder Orgill where is your faith?"
That day, on that tiny island, in that humble village, I learned something about what it means to be 'valiant in the testimony of Jesus', to be 'just and true', to 'overcome all things by faith'. I learned that there was a higher level of living and acting than just being good and just being honorable, even with all the positive meaning embodied by those words.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie on Being Valiant
Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated the following: "Now what does it mean to be valiant in the testimony of Jesus?
"It is to be courageous and bold; to use all our strength, energy, and ability in the warfare with the world; to fight the good fight of faith...observing to do all that is written in the law of the Lord...The great cornerstone of valiance in the cause of righteousness is obedience to the whole law of the whole gospel.
"To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to believe in Christ and his gospel with unshakable conviction. It is to know of the verity and divinity of the Lord's work on earth.
"But this is not all. It is more than believing and knowing. We must be doers of the word and not hearers only. It is more than lip service; it is not simply confessing with the mouth the divine Sonship of the Savior. It is obedience and conformity and personal righteousness...
"To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to bridle our passions, control our appetites, and rise above carnal and evil things. It is to overcome the world as did he who is our prototype and who himself was the most valiant of all our Father's children. It is to be morally clean, to pay our tithes and offerings, to honor the Sabbath day, to pray with full purpose of heart, to lay our all upon the altar if called upon to do so.
To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to take the Lord's side on every issue. It is to vote as he would vote. It is to think what he thinks, to believe what he believes, to say what he would say and do what he would do in the same situation. It is to have the mind of Christ and be one with him as he is one with his Father." ( "Be Valiant in the Fight of Faith," Ensign, Nov. 1974, p. 33)
Being Valiant vs Honorable in Daily Living
If being valiant in the testimony of Jesus means to "preach of Christ", to "testify of Christ", and to live Christ's teachings to their fullest extent, we might well then ask ourselves, "Can we live a life that is more than good, more than honorable? What is the higher standard God expects of us that could be described as 'just and true,' that could be described as 'valiant in the testimony of Jesus?' What would such a standard look like in our everyday living?
If it is good and honorable, I am sure it is, to "say our prayers morning and night," what then would praying valiantly look like? Would it be something quite different? Would it truly be communion with our Father in Heaven? Would it take more time, thought, effort to truly converse with Him in the most meaningful of ways? Would it be carrying around a prayer in our heart always? Is this what we are being asked to do?
It is good and honorable to attend our Church meetings, and yet what might happen if we approached these meetings praying before hand that we might learn and be instructed by the Spirit, that we might be edified, renewed, and more committed and faithful in living gospel principles. What if we took more time to prepare for the meetings we attend? Could we learn and grow, even when the teacher or speaker is not that well prepared, not that accomplished in the way they communicate, perhaps even boring? Could we still be uplifted and instructed by the spirit of God? Is this closer to the standard that would help qualify us for that eternal reward of which we speak?
Surely, it is good and honorable to read the scriptures daily. What then would a valiant standard be? Is it more like "feasting upon the words of Christ?"
It's appropriate for us to do our home and visiting teaching. It is so much better to do it in a way that uplifts and inspires, in a way that brings all closer to God.
Cameron Davis Story
A number of years ago, I was assigned as the first home teacher to a man who had the missionary discussions in our home. He was in his mid-thirties, had lived a life almost devoid of the spirit. He had been through many trials. His wife had left him. He was a heavy drinker and big into drugs. He had no purpose, no meaning, no direction in his life. He had contemplated suicide. He had been recently in a serious accident that had almost killed him. He had been driving under the influence of alcohol and a number of different drugs. One Sunday, after being released from the hospital, and as a last effort to save himself, he walked into one of our chapels. He did so because he had reflected upon the warm feeling he had when he met and lived with a Mormon family for a short time as a teenager. He recalled that there was a special feeling, a special spirit in their home, and he wondered if they had what he needed in his own life.
In my first home teaching visit with him, he asked me if we could meet more often than once a month. He said he wanted to learn and knew he needed to learn so much more and he didn't want to waste any time. I responded, "Sure, how often would you like to meet?" He said that if it wasn't too much to ask, he wanted us to get together once a week to study the gospel together. I gulped a little bit, but agreed to his request. We put together a schedule of topics, committed to prepare for each successive meeting by studying the scriptures and the words of the prophets on that particular topic.
Our second meeting lasted for nearly three hours. He had a hunger that would not quit. He wanted not only to understand the principles of the gospel, but he wanted to know how to apply them in his life the very next day. He would always ask how he could apply each gospel principle in a variety of situations. He worked in a tough neighborhood and owned a business where his employees and customers would regularly try to "rip him off." He wanted to know how to develop and share the pure love of Christ, how to be patient, understanding, and forgiving in a place and with people who lived very differently, and whose values were almost the opposite of what the gospel teaches.
Every single week, for one solid year, we met and studied the gospel this way. This wonderful man, who had a passion for the gospel and for learning to live as his Heavenly Father and Savior would want him to live, pushed me to be what a home teacher really should be. He taught me what it means to be a valiant home teacher. It was so much more than I had ever done, so much more than I had ever really imagined. What a grand blessing he has been in my life and how he helped me to raise my own standards.
The rest of his life was devoted to his new family and the gospel of Jesus Christ, which had rescued him. He gladly gave away his former life as he began to "see" more clearly.
This insight was shared by President Harold B. Lee, "The greatest responsibility that a member of Christ's church has ever had is to become truly converted --- and it is just as important to stay converted...One is converted when he sees with his eyes what he ought to see; when he hears with his ears what he ought to hear; and when he understands with his heart what he ought to understand---then he is converted" (When Your Heart Tells You Things Your Mind Does Not Know, p. 3)
And Elder Neal A. Maxwell shared, "Another measure (of our conversion) is the degree to which we are giving "away all (our) sins" in order to know God better (Alma 22:18). All real disciples believe in and apply the Atonement regularly in their lives, shedding sins and shortcomings along the way ." ( Moving in His Majesty & Power , p. 49)
By these standards, my friend, Cameron Davis, was truly converted and passed from this life into the next as a true disciple of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Temple Attendance
Isn't it good and honorable to attend the Temple at least monthly? Would it be better, more just and true, more valiant, if we went as often as we possibly could with the deep desire to reap the spiritual insights and blessings waiting for us there?
When approaching one Christmas season, my wife and I were asked by our Bishop to do 12 temple endowment sessions each before the end of the year. We lived about 60 miles from the temple, which was usually about an hour and a half away from our home. We normally went once each month. This request from the Bishop was going to stretch us a lot.
To fulfill this assignment, we decided that we would have to devote one entire day to temple attendance. I took a day off from work and Sherri and I went through eight endowment sessions in that single day. What an incredible blessing that experience was in our lives. As we remained in the temple, contemplating the meaning of these sacred ordinances, and as we pondered upon and prayed for understanding, we gained more insights, and more understanding about our Heavenly Father's will and purposes than we had through all the years of attending one session each month.
How grateful we are for what that assignment and that experience taught us about a higher standard of temple worship.
More Valiant vs. Honorable
Perhaps we all would say that it is good to go to Church on Sunday, but what does keeping the Sabbath Day holy mean to one who is living a valiant standard? What would we refrain from? What would we cease to watch on television? Would our time be more occupied with service to others, with lifting the burdens of others? What would we focus on during the day the Lord has called his own?
Elder Neal A. Maxwell shared, "Being obedient is a way of life, but it is also the way to eternal life." (Moving in His Majesty & Power, p. 13)
Paying our tithing is certainly the honorable thing to do. Giving generously to the missionary fund, humanitarian aid, fast offerings, temple construction, the perpetual education fund and doing it all with a thankful heart may be a higher standard yet.
Raising our hand to sustain our Bishop or other leaders is a good thing to do. It is quite another to sustain our leaders through our own committed, dedicated, consistent efforts to build the kingdom. It is quite another to help shoulder the load and to lighten the burden our leaders carry.
Elder Richard G. Scott reminds us that, "Forced obedience yields no blessings." ( Ensign , May 1988, p. 59)
I believe it is good to acknowledge the needs of others and valiant to help meet those needs. It is good and honorable to believe, and valiant to exercise faith that results in action. It's honorable to care, but something quite different to do something about the caring.
It's good to say, "I'll try!" It's valiant to say, "I will" and then to do it! It's good to seek understanding, and valiant to truly empathize with others. It's honorable to be good, and valiant to be our best and to seek excellence in all things.
Robert Browning, the poet, said, "My business is not to remake myself, but to make the absolute best of what God has made."
Oh, how true that is!
It's good, and right, and honorable to feel love, and something more again to develop the pure love of Christ.
It's good to do the right things, and valiant to do the right things, in the right way, at the right time, and for the right reasons. It's good and honorable to use our talents to benefit others, valiant to stretch our talents and gifts beyond their apparent limits.
Tom Foster Story
It's good to follow the straight and narrow path; it's quite another matter to do so when confronted with much opposition.
Tom Foster listened to the missionaries a number of years ago in his native Virginia. He listened, he prayed, and he received a witness of the truthfulness of the gospel. Nearly all of his family and friends were very opposed to his decision, but he chose to be baptized anyway. He found it exceptionally difficult to deal with the ridicule from so many of those he loved and cared about. He felt very alone much of the time in those early days.
Yet, he was faithful, diligent, magnified his callings, and responded instantly to the needs of everyone he knew. He encouraged and inspired others to live better themselves. He was constantly cheerful and upbeat despite the pain he felt inside. He did all this despite the lack of support from many in his family and his former friends. Over the years, he has earned the love, respect, and admiration of all who know him. When asked how he was able to keep moving forward despite the tremendous opposition he faced, he remarked simply, "I know the gospel is true and I'm willing to give up everything to follow the Savior and do what He wants me to do!"
President Ezra Taft Benson taught us, " That man is greatest and most blessed and joyful whose life most closely approaches the pattern of the Christ....The only true test of greatness...is how close a life can come to being like the Master, Jesus Christ. He is the right way, the full truth, and the abundant life." ( Ensign , December 1988, p. 2)
By that standard, Tom Foster was and is still a great man!
The Last of the Valiant vs. Honorable
It's good to accept callings in the Church, valiant to magnify them. It's good to share our time, experience, and energy with others. It's another level still to do so to the point of real sacrifice.
It's honorable to set a good example for those who do not belong to our Church. It's valiant to open our mouths, share our testimony, invite them into our homes for the missionary discussions, and take them to Church and the Temple Visitor's Center.
Brothers and Sisters, it is good to be honorable and better to be valiant. In stopping at being good and honorable we have no claim on the Celestial Kingdom nor upon our own families. For me to remain a father and husband in the eternities, I must be valiant in the testimony of Jesus, and so must each of you.
Help From Above
So is all this a challenge? Surely it is, what worthwhile isn't? Tell me what convenience, however, what fear, what project, what hobby, what past-time, what recognition, what fame, what acclaim, what position, what wealth is so important that we would be willing to risk losing what is most important now and forever? Is anything worth losing those we love the most?
So now, are we left alone in this mighty effort? Of course not, let us listen to the words of the Lord:
D&C 123:17 - "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power: and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."
D&C 84:88 - "... I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."
D&C 43:16 - " And ye are to be taught from on high. Sanctify yourselves and ye shall be endowed with power...."
D&C 112:13 - "And after their temptations, and much tribulation, behold, I, the Lord, will feel after them, and if they harden not their hearts, and stiffen not their necks against me, they shall be converted, and I will heal them."
We do all this by learning to be 'just and true' and 'valiant in the testimony of Jesus', not only good and honorable. God will help us. He will bear us up. He will open the door and show us the way. He will sustain us.
It is as our prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley has stated, "God is weaving his tapestry according to his own grand design. All flesh is in his hands...We have no need to fear. We have no need to worry...Our imperative need is to be found doing our duty ..." ( Ensign , May 1983, p. 6)
May we find hope and courage in the words of President J. Reuben Clark, "I believe that in his justice and mercy (God) will give us the maximum reward for our acts, give us all that he can give, and in the reverse, I believe that he will impose upon us the minimum penalty which it is possible for him to impose."
May we put our trust in the promises of our Heavenly Father and our Savior. Let us be valiant in every way that we may enjoy the company of our families now and forever.
May we understand the difference between being honorable and being valiant. May we each come to know, that with the Lord's help we, along with our families, can have our names 'written in heaven."
May our Father, who loves us, and His Son, our Lord and Savior, and Redeemer bless us to this end. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.