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Photos
of President Monson can be found on the Church Website at http://www.lds.org/newsroom/biography/0,15609,3959-1----38,00.html
REXBURG,
Idaho – President Thomas S. Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gave graduates at
Brigham Young University-Idaho four guideposts to live by during a
commencement speech Aug. 22..
A
total of 436 graduates received degrees following the summer term that ended
Aug. 21. There were 265
bachelor’s degrees and 179 associate degrees awarded.
President
Monson said, “First, glance backward. Second, look heavenward. Third,
reach outward. And fourth, press onward.”
He
said, “May each of us learn to appreciate the gift of life that we
have been given. And may the lessons we learn as we glance backward help us
to live more fully each day of our future.”
As
people look heavenward, President Monson said, “We have not been left
to wander in darkness and in silence uninstructed, uninspired, without
revelation.”
He
added, “Looking heavenward should be our lifelong endeavor. Some
foolish persons turn their backs on the wisdom of God and follow the
allurement of fickle fashion, the attraction of false popularity and the
thrill of the moment.”
By
reaching outward, a person can have an impact on the lives of others.
“To
find real happiness, we must seek for it in a focus outside
ourselves,” he said. “No one has learned the meaning of living
until he has surrendered his ego to the service of his fellow man. Service
to others is akin to duty, the fulfillment of which brings true joy.”
And
finally, “while we reach outward, we have the responsibility to press
onward,” he said. “Great men have not been merely dreamers;
they have returned from their visions to the practicalities of replacing
the airy stones of their dream castles with solid masonry wrought by their
hands. Vision without work is daydreaming.”
Elder
Henry B. Eyring, Church Commissioner of Education and former Ricks
College president, told the
graduates: “I hope you remember that you are a finisher and that you
were encouraged in this special place with the Lord’s help. . . . The
Lord is your faithful friend.”
BYU-Idaho
President David Bednar also spoke to graduates, saying, “Today you
graduates become official alumni of BYU-Idaho – and you now have the
responsibility to help the world better understand who we are and what we
do at this remarkable institution. You have been called to assist in
fulfilling the prophesies about this remarkable institution. How you live,
what you do, and what you become will ultimately define this
university.”.
President
Bednar added, “Whether you are going from BYU-Idaho into the world of
work or continuing in the world of higher education or pursuing some other
endeavor, I believe each and every one of you will need to be blessed with
the gift of courage.
“We
will live in sobering and trying times, but we need not fear. Our lights
will shine ever brighter in a world that grows ever darker. I testify that
you will be fortified and blessed with courage as you pray earnestly and
consistently study the Book of Mormon.”
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