Aloha, my sisters and brothers. I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to share with you my testimony of Heavenly Father’s Plan of Happiness, the Savior’s central role in that plan, and your eternal identity.
You students are the youth of the noble birthright and are the rising generation. You are sons and daughters of God, our Heavenly Father. During our last general conference, we said goodbye to our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson. Since then, we have sustained a prophet, seer, and revelator. President Dallin H. Oaks is the newest president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He now has the sacred mantle to lead us as our beloved prophet.
During the last general conference, we had the great opportunity to listen to, and hear from him, as well as from other apostles and general authorities of the Church, teach and testify of these same principles and doctrines. Please re-read the messaged and listen to them over, over, and over again. Study them, ponder them, and imprint them into your hearts and minds. For they truly testify of your divine heritage and eternal identity.
I have had the sacred privilege to serve as a patriarch and to participate in and witness patriarchal blessings where the Lord has declared that you members of the rising generation have been reserved to come forth in this most important time in the history of the world to prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior. Why have you been given this privilege and noble birthright? It is because you, prior to coming to earth, stood beside the great Jehovah and chose our Heavenly Father’s Plan of Happiness.
Abraham 3:22 states, “Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;” [1]
Today, I stand here and ask you, do you know and understand who you are? Do you know your eternal identity? You were among those noble and great ones. You are the Youth of the Noble Birthright. My sisters and brothers, it is not by accident or chance that you find yourselves here in Laie, Hawaii on the beautiful campuses of Brigham Young University–Hawaii, the Polynesian Cultural Center, or the Laie Hawaii Temple. We have each been called here as students, professors, staff, employees, but most importantly as saints. We are here at this specific time to prepare ourselves and the world for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
You are in a very special community that the Lord has established so that you can receive a higher secular education while also gaining a higher education of the gospel of Jesus Christ, all while you serve and worship in wards and in stakes and in His holy house. You are here to prepare yourselves spiritually.
Just as the Laie Hawaii Temple stands as a beacon of light to this community, whether you know it or not you are a light unto the world. You are here to learn how to be the light to the rest of the world. We are beings of light because we have the Light of Christ in our souls.
The Lord declared, Doctrine & Covenants 93:2 “And that I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world;” [2]
My brothers and sisters, every one of us that enters mortality, are born with the Light of Christ within us.
Doctrine & Covenants 50:24, “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.” [3]
My brothers and sisters, while you are in this special community receiving your higher education, working at Polynesian Cultural Center or Brigham Young University–Hawaii or serving in the Laie Hawaii Temple, you are a light unto the world through the way you share the Aloha Spirit. Here on campus and in this community, you have a chance to learn and experience other cultures as you share your own. Here you are learning how to become peacemakers as you share the Aloha Spirit, and the pure love of Christ.
After his resurrection, while he was visiting the righteous Nephites and Lamanites in America, Jesus Christ said, “Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” [4]
All the prophets, since the beginning of this world and the Savior himself, have taught us that we are to be a light and a shining example to the world, leading with our good works. President Russell M. Nelson, called upon us to become an army of peacemakers. He shared.
“True disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers...”
“Contention is a choice. Peacemaking is a choice. You have your agency to choose contention or reconciliation. I urge you to choose to be a peacemaker, now and always...”
“Charity is the antidote to contention. Charity is the spiritual gift that helps us to cast off the natural man…Charity defines a peacemaker...”
“As we follow the Prince of Peace, we will become His peacemakers.” [5]
We live in a world that is full of chaos, hate, war, sickness, and suffering. You cannot watch any news or social media without being exposed to it. You might even cry in your prayers, “Why Lord, why must this happen to the good and innocent?” All the prophets, both current and old, have taught us that it is important that we have this adversity in our lives. “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things…” [6]
In Doctrine and Covenants 29:39, reads, And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet—” [7]
This is why we were given agency as the first great gift, so that we could experience the bitter to know the sweet. Our all-knowing and loving Heavenly Father understood this principle that we could not comprehend nor appreciate His sweet blessings unless we had tasted the bitterness and experienced adversity in our lives. As ugly and as hard as these adversities and trials of life appear to us, they are there to bless our lives and to strengthen us. Facing opposition is a necessary part of our mortal experience. From the beginning, agency and opposition were central to our Heavenly Father’s Plan of Happiness.
The Savior speaking through Moroni said that if we would humble ourselves, “then I will make weak things become strong unto them.” [8] This is the same principle we can see throughout life. A diamond is enhanced and made more valuable through a grinding and polishing process. Steel is made harder, stronger, and more valuable through a tempering process. Those who excel in sports, music, the arts, and in education only do so after much effort, countless hours of practice and study, and after many failures. The athlete learns from his or her losses and defeats. To master any of these skills, the participants must grow and develop through the opposition they face. Thus, opposition and adversity in life give us opportunities to build faith and forge strong character.
In my experience, those who are the happiest seem to have a way of learning and growing from the most difficult trials. They become stronger, wiser, and happier because of the way they respond to adversity. I personally believe that the way you react to adversity will be a major factor in how happy and how successful you can be in life. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin stated, “If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be the times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead to times of greatest happiness.” [9]
You students are the rising generation, as you stand up and become peacemakers, you become a light unto the world. You professors, staff, and saints are here to teach and inspire this rising generation as we prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior. There is no better place to prepare yourself for the Second Coming of the Lord than by spending time in His holy house worshiping and serving. The Laie Hawaii Temple is to be our light to guide us. A place where we can receive more light and enlightenment.
Many of you worship and serve in His holy house regularly. We have a large contingency of students, professors, staff, and community members that serve as temple workers. We love and appreciate your faithful service. I love watching your spiritual growth and development as you serve as representatives of the Lord in His holy house.
I love visiting the baptistry in the temple. I love meeting and shaking the hands of all that come to serve and worship there, our youth, young adults, and new members of the Church. I can see you as you begin to develop your love of serving and worshiping in the House of the Lord.
Soon after I began to serve as the president of the Laie Hawaii Temple, during one of these precious visits to the Baptistry, I met a couple of students from this campus (Brigham Young University–Hawaii). I was introduced to a young man, John Komotios who had been coming all week with his wife and other students. I was informed that he had recently joined the Church through baptism. As I welcomed him, I extended an invitation to him, to come back to the temple often and regularly. I also invited him, that in a year to please let me know when he would come to the temple for his own endowment so that I could join him in that future special event in his life.
About three months ago John contacted me and invited me to attend the temple when he would receive his own endowment. I had the great privilege of being able to perform the new patron instructions for John. John and his wife, Addison, shortly after he received his endowments, traveled to the mainland to be sealed. A few weeks ago, John and Addison became temple workers.
Temple worship and service have played an important part in the spiritual foundation in the lives of John and Addison Komotios. Their story of temple worship and service is not uncommon, but rather it is quite a familiar story that we see time and time again, that involves students and others from this special community. I see many of you spending time in the Lord’s holy house as patrons, worshiping and then again in that same week I see you as temple workers, serving others. I am sure that Addison and many of you were the light and the righteous examples to John. Now, John is being a light and a righteous example to others around him. This is a major part of our Heavenly Father’s plan. This is what the Lord wants us to do. Once you have received the light, you are to become the light to others.
Russell M. Nelson, during his seven years that he led the Church as our president, made many specific promises to us as members of the church regarding the time we spend worshiping and serving in the temple. As I review a few of these specific promises that he made, I invite you to consider how your life could benefit and be blessed from spending more time worshiping and serving in the House of the Lord. I want you to ponder how spending time in this sacred edifice of light will bring light and enlightenment into your life.
I quote President Nelson: “The temple is a place of peace and power, and spending time there will literally change a person’s life.”...“This is the Lord’s house. It is filled with His power…God’s power helps us to withstand the trials and temptations of life – with joy in our hearts” close quote. [10]
“My dear brothers and sisters, construction of these temples may not change your life, but your time in the temple surely will. In that spirit, I bless you to identify those things you can set aside so you can spend more time in the temple.” [11]
Again, I quote, "My dear brothers and sisters, the assaults of the adversary are increasing exponentially, in intensity and in variety. Our need to be in the temple on a regular basis has never been greater. I plead with you to take a prayerful look at how you spend your time. Invest time in your future and in that of your family. If you have reasonable access to a temple, I urge you to find a way to make an appointment regularly with the Lord—to be in His holy house—then keep that appointment with exactness and joy. I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples. Close quote.”[12]
“Please schedule regular time to worship and serve in the temple. Every minute of that time will bless you and your family in ways nothing else can. Take time to ponder what you hear and feel when you are there. Ask the Lord to teach you how to open the heavens to bless your life and the lives of those you love and serve. … I promise that as you increase your time in temple and family history work, you will increase and improve your ability to hear Him.” [13]
“It is significant that the Savior chose to appear to the people at the temple. It is His house. It is filled with His power. Let us never lose sight of what the Lord is doing for us now. He is making His temples more accessible. He is accelerating the pace at which we are building temples. He is increasing our ability to help gather Israel. He is also making it easier for each of us to become spiritually refined. I promise that increased time in the temple will bless your life in ways nothing else can.” [14]
“Regular worship in the temple will help us. In the house of the Lord, we focus on Jesus Christ. We learn of Him. We make covenants to follow Him. We come to know Him. As we keep our temple covenants, we gain greater access to the Lord’s strengthening power. In the temple, we receive protection from the buffetings of the world. We experience the pure love of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father in great abundance! We feel peace and spiritual reassurance, in contrast to the turbulence of the world. Here is my promise to you: Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple. You will feel His mercy. You will find answers to your most vexing questions. You will better comprehend the joy of His gospel.” [15]
Conclusion
In conclusion, my brothers and sisters, you are not here by chance or coincidence. You are here in this special community to do more than to get an education, or to work. You are here to gain greater light and knowledge of the Savior, and to firmly set yourselves on the covenant path. You are here to build your spiritual foundation for your life. You are here to choose to be a peacemaker. You are here to gather Israel from both sides of the veil. You are here to spend more time in the House of the Lord, worshiping and serving there. In His holy house, you will be sanctifying yourselves and preparing to meet the Savior himself.
Testimony
I want to add my testimony and invitation to you, like those from President Russell M. Nelson and those from all of the prophets, both current and of old. I invite you to spend more time in the House of the Lord, worshiping and serving. I promise you that as you spend more time in the temple, His house will become a house of healing for you; a house of refuge and shelter from the chaotic world that we live in; it will become a house of peace and hope; it will become a house of prayer and revelation; and it will become a house of light and enlightenment, a house of spiritual enrichment. Your eyes will begin to see things from a more celestial perspective, and you will catch a vision of who you really are, your eternal identity and who you can become. “Regular temple worship will enhance the way you see yourself and how you fit into God’s magnificent plan.” [16] It will build a spiritual foundation for you, but most importantly by spending more time in the House of the Lord, you will prepare yourself and the world for the Second Coming of our Savior Jesus Christ and to meet Him face to face. I so testify of this in His sacred and holy name Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes:
[1] Abraham 3:22
[2] Doctrine and Covenants 93:2
[3] Doctrine and Covenants 50:24
[4] 3 Nephi 12:16
[5] Russell M. Nelson, “Peacemakers Needed,” Liahona, May 2023
[6] 2 Nephi 2:11
[7] Doctrine and Covenants 29:39
[8] Ether 12:27
[9] Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Come What May, and Love It,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2008, 26
[10] Rachel Sterzer Gibson, “The Prophet, age 100, dedicates the Church’s 200th house of the Lord – the Deseret Peak Utah Temple,” Church News, November 10, 2024
[11] Russell M. Nelson, “Let Us All Press On,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 119
[12] Russell M. Nelson, “Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2018, 114
[13] Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 90
[14] Russell M. Nelson, “Focus on the Temple,” Liahona, November 2022, 121
[15] Russell M. Nelson, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” Liahona, November 2024, 121-122
[16] Russell M. Nelson, “Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys,” Liahona, May 2024, 121