Assistant to BYU president teaches BYU-Idaho students to "hold on" and "let go"

Gerrit Gong, assistant to the president of Brigham Young University, taught Brigham Young University-Idaho students how to "hold on" and how to "let go" in a devotional address given Tuesday, December 12.

Gong began his remarks by telling two stories.  The first was about a father whose safety harness broke while cleaning a window high above a Honolulu street.  The thought of how much he loved his family and the Savior's strengthening love provided the strength to hold on to the rope, causing excruciating pain.  The second story was about a father who became very angry toward the man who murdered his son.  The father soon realized that anger was consuming his family, so he chose to let go of the hate.

"Perhaps we will not have to hold on or let go like the window washer in Hawaii or the father who chose to forgive his son's murderer," Gong said.  "But, in our own varied circumstances, we too must learn to hold on, let go, and know when and how to do each. Sin, rationalization, procrastination, stereotypes and misunderstandings of various kinds can hold us captive - until we let them go."

Gong taught students how some people are held captive by misunderstandings often derived from partial or incomplete knowledge of a gospel principle.  Often those misconceptions can come from Satan.  "Satan tells us we must be perfect now, on our own, without the atonement and without Christ," Gong said.  "When we cannot do the impossible, Satan tells us we are worthless, that neither God nor the Church want us.  But neither is true.  God loves us and Christ atoned for our sins.  Sin is real, but so is the atonement's cleansing power."

Gong spoke of a nurse who learned to understand God's omnipresence and man's moral agency as she discovered "good people" and "bad things" are independent.  She learned, as did the Prophet Joseph Smith, that "all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (D&C 122:7).

The final misunderstanding Gong mentioned was how "some of us are held captive by the misunderstanding that we can hold onto Zion without letting go of Babylon," he said.  "We may want to be righteous, but not yet.  We avoid the sin, but hold onto its appearance.  Perhaps we seek to appear fashionable, extreme, edgy, cool, or push the limits in how we dress, speak, posture with each other."

Gong then discussed three admonitions from the scriptures about holding on to "the word of God," "every good thing" and "every good gift."  He also described a saving principle.  "We may not be able to hold on or let go to save ourselves, but we may be able to hold on or let go because we love others and feel our Savior's love," he said.  "Love for others and our Savior's love give courage, determination, and strength beyond our own."

To conclude, Gong returned to the story of the father who chose to hold on for his family.  "When our window washer in Hawaii fell, the rope tore through his thick work gloves and into the flesh of his hands,"  he said.   "I wonder if his hands today bear any mark or emblem of the suffering he was able to endure because of love.  Our Savior reaches out to encircle each of us eternally in the arms of His love and safety (2 Nephi 1:15; Alma 34:16).  As He reaches to us, we see in His perfect hands the tokens of remembrance that He held on until it was right to let go."

This was the last devotional for Fall Semester 2006. The opening devotional of Winter Semester 2007, with BYU-Idaho president Kim B. Clark and his wife Sister Sue Clark, will be held on Tuesday, January 9. 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.