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Elder
David A. Bednar, president of Brigham Young
University-Idaho, spoke about the importance of being steadfast and
immovable in life’s journey during the first devotional address of
the fall semester Sept. 9.
Elder
Bednar said a “state of being” is
described several times in the Book of Mormon as “steadfast and
immovable.”
Describing
what this state of being means, he said, “A person who is steadfast
and immovable is solid, firm, resolute, firmly fixed and incapable of being
diverted from a primary purpose or mission.”
He
used Aesop’s fable “The Tortoise and Hare” to illustrate
the importance of making consistent and steady progress towards a
prescribed goal, noting the tortoise’s determined sense of direction
and discipline as a model of being firmly fixed and resolute in the race
against the hare.
As
for how to obtain this state of being, he said, “A building or
structure that is stable and steadfast and immovable must be built upon a
strong foundation . . . if you and I desire to become disciples of the
Master who are steadfast and immovable, we must be built appropriately and
effectively upon Him as our foundation.”
Elder
Bednar then spoke about the blessings associated
with being a steadfast and immovable disciple of the Savior.
“First,
as we become more spiritually mature and increasingly steadfast and
immovable,” he said, “we focus upon and strive to understand
the fundamental and foundational doctrines of the restored gospel of Jesus
Christ. Disciples who are steadfast and immovable do not become fanatics or
extremists, are not overzealous and are not preoccupied with misguided
gospel hobbies.”
Comparing
the hare in Aesop’s fable as one who gives short bursts of effort
followed by frequent and lengthy periods of rest, he said, “As we
become more spiritually mature and increasingly steadfast and immovable, we
are less prone to zealous and exaggerated spurts of spirituality followed
by extended periods of slackness.”
He
continued, “A spurt may appear to be impressive in the short run, but
steadiness over time is far more effective, far less dangerous and produces
far better results.”
He
then compared steady spiritual development to the technique of drop
irrigation that involves dripping water onto the soil at very low rates
over a long period of time.
“If
you and I are focused and frequent in receiving consistent drops of
spiritual nourishment, then gospel roots can sink deep into our souls, can
become firmly established and grounded and can produce extraordinary and
delicious fruit,” he said. “In a gospel sense, brothers and
sisters, you and I need to become intelligent drip irrigators and avoid
sporadic and shallow spiritual spurting.”
He
concluded, “In our desire and determination to keep and honor covenants
and commitments, in our desire and determination to live worthy and pure
lives, in our desire and determination to become valiant disciples of the
Savior, truly we can become steadfast and immovable.”
Susan
Bednar began by relating how an experience she
had hiking to a Teton glacier with a natural science class compared to life’s
journey, especially to those just entering their first semester at
BYU-Idaho.
She
spoke about the common anxieties felt while beginning a difficult journey
that at times may seem formidable. To aid in this journey, she encouraged
students to look to caring adults who will offer walking sticks of support,
and assist them by having them follow in their footsteps as they make their
way up the “mountain of educational pursuits.”
She
also counseled students to have joy in the journey by taking time to pause
and enjoy friendships, activities and rewarding social experiences.
Continuing
her analogy of the hike, she spoke next of a moraine they came to with
large boulders and angular rocks. The members of the group had to spread
out across the moraine to prevent dislodged boulders from coming down on
others in the group.
She
warned the students to avoid becoming a “stumbling block” to
others by being disobedient, and counseled them to be “an example of
the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith,
in purity”(1 Tim. 4:12).
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