Earl S. Swain, director of the Utah Salt Lake Valley East Area of the Church Educational System, spoke to Brigham Young University-Idaho students about reverence in a devotional address given Tuesday, March 18.

Swain began his address by relating an experience of the young Prophet Joseph Smith, in which he asked for forgiveness for his levity, to which many are prone today. Swain explained that today's world is in need for more genuine reverence.

Quoting President Howard W. Hunter, Swain said, "In the process of moral decline, reverence is one of the first virtues to disappear, and there should be serious concern about that loss in our times."

"When we think of the word ‘reverence,' what comes to mind?  Reverence is much more than we may think-it encompasses and affects every part of our lives, particularly our lives as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Swain continued.

He focused first on reverence in dress and grooming. He encouraged students to dress as they would in the presence of the Lord when meeting with his called servants.

"Since our Church leaders represent the Lord, how should we dress during an interview with a member of our bishopric or stake presidency? We each would do well to show them the respect that accompanies their sacred calls and consider the importance of dressing in our Sunday best when meeting with these leaders," he said.

Swain also taught that sacred things must be reverenced through our behavior.  Members of the Church are counseled to reverence sacred times and situations with quiet, sustained respectful behavior. He advised students to reverence hymns and not make light of sacred text and music. 

"Humility and remembering," Swain continued, "are key ingredients in a reverent heart-true reverence can only exist in a humble heart and in the mind that does not forget who he or she is or who God is. Like mold in the walls and foundation of a home, pride and defensiveness grow in the irreverent heart and will cause spiritual damage to the soul."

Turning to the blessings of a reverent heart, Swain taught that revelation and reverence are inextricably combined and members will not receive much revelation in irreverence. 

"More than once prophets have said that ‘we live far below our privileges.' If I understand this statement correctly, it means that we are not receiving revelation as we might otherwise because we are not doing or becoming what the Lord expects of us. A major reason we live far below our privileges in receiving revelation is due to our lack of reverence. There must be no doubt that to receive the delicate and quiet whisperings of the still, small voice one must be reverent," Swain taught.

Encouraging students to make the necessary changes to attain a reverent heart, he outlined a number of ideas to enhance the process. Most important is to continue to read scriptures and pray daily, which will change our mindset towards the Father.

Swain again related the thoughts of President Hunter, who said, "If prayer is only a spasmodic cry at the time of crisis, then it is utterly selfish, and we come to think of God as a repairman or a service agency to help us only in our emergencies. We should remember the Most High day and night-always-not only at times when all other assistance has failed and we desperately need help. If there is any element in human life on which we have a record of miraculous success and inestimable worth to the human soul, it is prayerful, reverential, devout communication with our Heavenly Father."

Swain closed by cautioning students against taking these concepts to the extreme. "Do not be impatient to gain great spiritual knowledge. Let it grow; help it grow, but do not force it or you will open the way to be misled. The same is true with reverence-if we are not careful we will take it to the extreme and will become holier-than-thou Latter-day Saints who are judgmental and intolerant," he said.

Next week's devotional speaker will be Elder James M. Dunn, a member of the Second 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.