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Matthew Grow Stephen K. Woodhouse
Aloha! I am grateful to speak with you. I am impressed with the global vision of BYU–Hawaii. You come from countries around the world and many of you have served missions outside of your homeland. When I joined the Church History Department a decade ago, my specialty was in the religious history of the United States. In terms of Church history, I had studied mostly what had occurred in the United States during the Church’s early days.
What a great privilege it is to be together with all of you in this beautiful Hawaiian setting. Sytske and I are enjoying the Aloha spirit and the opportunity to get to know you. We have recently been called to serve as ward missionaries. This has given us a renewed interest in the “Preach My Gospel” manual that many of you are familiar with. Just as a matter of curiosity, please raise your hand if you have served a full-time mission. As we reflect upon the spiritual guidance we have received from the Holy Ghost, we are a bit overwhelmed by the many blessings that are coming our way. We are promised that if we follow the Lord and keep His commandments, the blessings will flow. I would like to quote from Elder Keith Hilbig of the Seventy. The beckoning invitations of the world attempt to divert our attention from the strait and narrow path. The adversary labors to dull our sensitivity to the promptings of the Spirit, whether we are teenagers, young adults, or mature men and women. The role of the Spirit, the Holy Ghost, is essential in every season of our mortal lives.