"We are not bound by tradition, nor are we limited to our own understanding or to the wisdom of men. In short, this is a very unusual university."
- President Kim B. Clark
Idaho Falls Temple president speaks to
BYU-Idaho students
John H. Groberg, president of the Idaho Falls Temple, encouraged Brigham Young University-Idaho students to increase their faith in the Lord during a devotional address given Sept. 30.
"We want to achieve eternal life - or God's life," he said. "The question is: How do we get from here to there? There is only one way and that is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ."
President Groberg emphasized that faith requires action.
"Faith is not a passive thing, but a vibrant living thing," he said. "It is trust in His confidence, it is doing. The greater our faith, the greater our action and obedience. We start where we are and move towards the light, which is Jesus Christ. Each one of us has some degree of faith already or we wouldn't be here."
He also spoke about the purpose of BYU-Idaho.
"One of the main purposes of this great institution is to help you increase your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If it does that, which I am confident it will, whatever else it does though valuable will be of secondary importance," he said. "The same is true of our being here on this earth. If our experiences here increases our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, our lives have been worth it no matter how long or short, or filled with mortal challenges they may be.
President Groberg spoke of his experiences as a young missionary and showed a clip from "The Other Side of Heaven," a movie made about his missionary service in Tonga. The video clip depicted the missionary struggling to learn Tongan, and succeeding through his faith in the Lord
"People often ask: ‘Did you really learn the language in four days?' Yes and no. ‘No' in that I still made mistakes and only knew a few additional words and phrases. But ‘Yes' in this all important sense: Before that odyssey I was not sure I would ever speak the language. After it I absolutely knew I would. I had perfect confidence, for the Lord had promised me! I knew it would take lots of hard work, but with His help I knew it would happen - and it did," President Groberg said.
The devotional speaker on Oct. 7 will be Val R. Christensen, president of the Rexburg Temple. Devotionals are held every Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Hart 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
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Brigham Young University-Idaho is a four-year private university located in Rexburg, Idaho. The university, which is affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, offers both baccalaureate and associate degrees; integrated degrees and internships that are tailored to fit students' interests; a year-round track system allowing more students to attend; and an extensive Student Activities Program that provides leadership and growth experiences. It is the largest private university in Idaho, with more than 13,000 students enrolled for Winter Semester 2008.
Style Note: When reporting about Brigham Young University-Idaho, please use the complete name of the university in the first reference. On second reference, BYU-Idaho is preferred.