Elder Richard E. Cook, managing director of the Perpetual Education Fund and a former member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke to Brigham Young University-Idaho in Tuesday, February 5 devotional address about living by the true points on our compass of life.

The four points of the compass are: chart your life's course now, get all the education you can, live a seamless life, and learn and master the power of love. The first point, chart life's course now, has much to do with planning life beyond the college years. "Right now, you're on your way and when you graduate you'll be in an elite group of the nation's population," Elder Cook said. "It is my belief, however, that in 10 to 15 years, if you don't chart your life's course, many of you will have varying degrees of unhappiness with what you have accomplished."

Elder Cook taught that we cannot foresee every circumstance in life. But we can see most of the important decisions we need to make - decisions that, if made correctly now, will ensure happiness and success. "These decisions are straightforward and uncomplicated. President Kimball calls for driving down ‘stakes.' The ‘stakes' are of two kinds: ‘this I will do' and ‘this I will not do.' These ‘stakes' involve such things as dating, temple marriage, the family and time for gospel living, honoring church covenants, honoring marriage covenants," Elder Cook said.

The second point as closely connected with the first: get all the education you can. Elder Cook reminded students that life is difficult. "It may surprise you, but what most of you will be doing for many years after you graduate will be selling yourselves," Elder Cook said. "It doesn't take a genius to understand that the better educated you are, the better prepared you are, the more likely it will be that you will achieve your goals," he said.

Emphasizing the importance of higher education, Elder Cook promised students the sacrifices made for education will be worthwhile as students graduate and find themselves in much better circumstances than if they had never obtained an education at all. "I have told my children that they can do any reasonable thing in this life if they are prepared to sacrifice to achieve it. I say to you that if you want to graduate, then do it! In the words of the prophet: ‘If it means sacrifice, then sacrifice,'" he said.

On the third point, living a seamless life, Elder Cook said, "Learn to live your religion without embarrassment and without apology seven days a week, 24 hours a day." Using common fabric as an example, Elder Cook taught students to be seamless: "Don't be one person at church and another at home, at work or with your friends. Be the same person every day of the week, whether you are at church, at work, at home or enjoying yourself with your friends," he said.

Elder Cook concluded with the fourth point, learn and master the power of love. "As a physician who has been deeply privileged to share the most profound moments of people's lives including their final moments, let me tell you a secret," he said. "People facing death don't think about what degrees they have earned, what positions they have held, or how much wealth they have accumulated. At the end, what really matters is whom you loved and who loved you. That circle of love is everything, and is a good measure of a past life. It is the gift of greatest worth."

Next week's devotional speaker will be Elder Joe J. Christensen, former president of BYU-Idaho and emeritus member of the First Quorum of Seventy. Devotionals are held every Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Hart Auditorium with additional seating in the Hinckley Chapel, Taylor Chapel and Kirkham Auditorium.  Devotionals are broadcast on KBYI-FM 100.5 at 2 p.m. and rebroadcast Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m.