Brothers and Sisters, it is good to be with you today. Before I get started though, I need to confess a secret little hope that I had today. It probably wasn't a good hope, but in the back of my mind I was kind of hoping for it anyway. My hope was that when you woke up this morning, you would log onto the web site and you would have saw that I was speaking today. And my hope was that as you read that I currently serve as the Chairman of the Dept of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, and my hope was that you would have said to yourself, "Oh, Bro Karl must be the biggest nerd on this campus. I think I will skip devotional today." So my hope was that no one would show up today and I would be off the hook.
But Brothers and Sisters, you are here. And actually it is really good that you are here. There is great strength that can come by being here. In the last couple of months, I have felt the promptings of the Spirit and as I have prepared this message. And I am sure this message is what my Heavenly Father would have me give today. And I hope and pray for the presence of the Holy Ghost to be with us today and I hope that we will all walk away from this today being uplifted and with a little stronger desire to become better people.
To start out, I would like to relate an experience I had several years ago. When I first moved to Rexburg about 6 years ago, I was called to be the 2nd counselor to a new Bishop here in Rexburg. This new bishop, even though he was young, he was very wise. Well it just so happened that we had a member of the quorum of the seventy in our ward at the time of our call. And this young Bishop, he being wise, asked this member of the seventy to give some personalized training to us in the bishopric. So this Elder graciously agreed. As part of this training, the Elder talked directly to the other counselor and me for a while. He talked about the need of counselors to support the Bishop and how we could lighten his load. It was really good counsel. After speaking with us, he turned to the Bishop to give him his council. And to the best of my recollection, this is what he said. "Now Bishop, your job is really easy." And then he paused and then continued "Bishop, your job is to be perfect." And I remember sitting there thinking, oh yea, I knew I did not want to be Bishop.
Of course you all know where that commandment comes from. In a couple of places in the scriptures, our Savior said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."[1]
Now Brothers and Sisters, I don't know about you, but every time I read this, or hear this commandment, I always cringe a little bit. Actually I cringe a lot of bit. I know I am so far from perfect, it's not even funny. And I will be honest with you brothers and sisters, I have struggled with this commandment a few times. In some parts of my life, I am a bit of a perfectionist. When I didn't measure up, sometimes I would get down on myself. Fortunately, over the years, I started to understand just what this commandment means to me. In the October 2007 General Conference, Elder Bednar explained it very well this way:
"We will not attain a state of perfection in this life, but we can and should press forward with faith in Christ along the strait and narrow path and make steady progress toward our eternal destiny. The Lord's pattern for spiritual development is 'line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little.'[2] Small, steady, incremental spiritual improvements are the steps the Lord would have us take. Preparing to walk guiltless before God is one of the primary purposes of mortality and the pursuit of a lifetime."[3]
There is a great lesson in what Elder Bednar said. Brothers and Sisters, we do not have to be perfect. And we should absolutely not expect perfection in ourselves, or in anyone else. That includes, neighbors, friends, roommates, spouses, your children, your professors, and even your church leaders. Brothers and sisters, we are all flawed - every last one of us. We all make mistakes, we all need improvement.
Now as I say this, there is a caution in this. Realizing that we cannot become perfected in this life is absolutely not a justification for wrong behaviors. The commandment is clear we are commanded to be perfect. When we transgress the laws and commandments of our Heavenly Father, we sin. And when we sin, we absolutely need to repent. Bro Peck taught that principle really well last week - if you remember, he encouraged all of us to repent regularly.
Now brothers and sisters, realizing that we all make mistakes and all need improvement, Elder Bednar outlined how we should make these improvements in our lives. He said, we should "press forward with faith in Christ," and make "small, steady, incremental spiritual improvements in our lives." Brothers and sisters that is what the Lord would have us do. We all need to honestly and earnestly try to become a little better each day.
About 11 years ago, President Hinckley taught the same principle in a little different manner. He said:
"I speak of the need for a little more effort, a little more self-discipline, a little more consecrated effort in the direction of excellence in our lives.
"This is the great day of decision for each of us. For many it is the time of beginning something that will go on for as long as you live. I plead with you: don't be a scrub! Rise to the high ground of spiritual, mental, and physical excellence. You can do it. You may not be a genius. You may be lacking in some skills. But so many of us can do better than we are now doing. We are members of this great Church whose influence is now felt over the world. We are people with a present and with a future. Don't muff your opportunities. Be excellent."[4]
In this quote, President Hinckley outlined three areas where we should focus on becoming more excellent. He said:
"Rise to the high ground of spiritual, mental, and physical excellence."
Let's look at each of these areas separately.
Physical Excellence
First, what does it mean to be excellent physically?
I think there are a couple of aspects to this. One aspect I think many of us can work on in our adherence to the word of wisdom. In Doctrine and Covenants section 89 versus 10-12, it says:
"And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man-- Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving. Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly."[5]
This is something I need to work on. I really enjoy a good steak, and when I eat steak, I am not really a sparingly kind of guy.
So brothers and sisters, one way to become excellent physically is to eat good food. And I really encourage you, to get proper nutrition, and to take care of your bodies. And as you know, getting regular exercise goes hand in hand with eating well.
And I know being here in a university setting, it is so easy to get caught up in the day to day assignments that you have and day to day stresses that come along with it, that it is easy to forget to eat properly and get regular exercise. And to make it worse, I know that many of you work either part time or even full time to support your families. For those who are in that boat, my heart goes out to you. I have been there, and I know it can be a really big struggle. For those just holding on, I say keep holding on. Don't give up. And in the process, try your best to eat well and get regular exercise - even if that exercise is just a short time. You have to make it a priority in your life. I really do encourage you to make it a pattern in your life now.
Now I also know that there are many of you who have a little more time on your hands, time that you could spend in regular exercise. For you, I absolutely encourage you to get involved with the activities here on campus. Turn off the video games. Turn off the computer. Turn off the TV. Go join an ultimate team, or a volleyball team, or go swimming. Go join one of the service activities going on. There are lots of way to get involved if you want to.
But whatever it is Brothers and Sisters, get out of your apartments, get your blood moving, and get involved with some of the really cool activities going on around you. I promise you that you will make new friends, you will develop social skills, it will help to relieve some of the day to day stress that you have. And you will develop talents you may not even know you had. In short, and this is a promise that I can make to you, it will absolutely enrich your university experience.
Now brothers and sisters, there is a caution here also. It is so easy when you are having fun to spend more time doing that activity than is really wise. Obviously, you do have many requirements and responsibilities, and those do need to be kept also. But in keeping those, remember to try to be excellent physically.
Mental Excellence
Now, let's look at the second area where President Hinckley counseled us. He said we should be excellent mentally. So, what does mean?
When I think of being mentally excellent, this concept conjures up many ideas. One I would like to share with you is from an experience I had while working in industry. Prior to coming to BYU-Idaho, I had a great career in the high technology industry. In the last company I worked for, as part of my responsibilities, I had the opportunity to interview and hire a number of new college graduates to work in my teams. Unfortunately, as part of my responsibilities, I had the great displeasure of firing just a couple of them.
You know brothers and sisters, it was always interesting to watch these new college graduates when they entered my organization. And I will tell you brothers and sisters, within the first 2 weeks, I could always tell just what kind of engineer those new graduates would be. It was always evident as they completed their first assignments. For most of the new graduates I hired, they would put their heart and soul into that first assignment and do it to the best of their abilities. And the output, was nearly always good. However for a few of my new hires, and it was definitely a minority, they just did not do a good job. And in each of these cases, there were always excuses. Some may have been valid, but definitely some weren't. But either way, it was apparent from that first task which of my new employees had a sense of quality and excellence. And who really did not care that much about it.
Brothers and sisters, it is so important for each of you to cultivate a personal spirit of excellence. And when I say this, I mean that everything you do should be high quality. Any task you have, any assignment you have, do it to the very best of your ability.
So, start now cultivating a spirit of excellence in your work. Don't wait till you graduate to start doing your highest quality work. You need to start developing the habits and the discipline now. When you get out in industry, it is readily apparent who has it and who doesn't. So, if you have a math assignment, double check it before you turn it in. Look for those blasted little minus signs that are so easy to miss. If you have an English paper, do several drafts and then before you turn it in, proofread it one last time. Absolutely don't settle for a sloppy job. Don't settle for a mediocre performance - strive for excellence in everything you do.
Now I will tell you. Quality does take effort, but if you cultivate a spirit of excellence, I promise you that it will not take that much extra effort. And just like everything else, the more you do it, the easier it becomes.
I can remember my dad trying to teach me this principle when I was a kid. He would say that if I was going to do a job, I should do it right, and do it right the first time. Growing up, one of my jobs was to mow the lawn. And as a kid, I always had much more important things to do than mow our lawn. So on several occasions, I would hurry though the task and not do a very good job. I would miss small sections of the grass, or I would not mow close enough to the fence, or whatever. I would just not do a very good job. When my dad got home, he would see the quality of what my work and he would always get after me. Now my dad was a stern taskmaster and when he had me redo the job the second time, he absolutely made sure that it was a much more unpleasant experience than it would have been if I had just done it right the first time. Now I'll tell you brothers and sisters, I am not an idiot, I might be a nerd, but I am not an idiot. And so with those very unpleasant redo's, I learned how to do a job right the first time. And I will tell you, I am so, so, so, so, so thankful to my dad for that. My dad taught me a lot of things in my life, but that one principle of doing things right the first time, has opened more doors for me and created more opportunities for me than I can count. It has absolutely helped me in my career and life.
Now students, just like my dad sometimes made life unpleasant for me, sometimes we faculty make life a little unpleasant for you. And the funny thing is, we do it for the same reason my dad did it to me. You may not believe this, but it is absolutely true, we faculty really do love you guys. We care how you turn out. We know that half-fast work does not cut it in the real world. When you graduate, you will be expected to a produce quality output in every single assignment. Your boss will have high expectations for you. Low quality work will not be tolerated. The business world is competitive, and right now, because the economy is bad, you have double whammy on you. If you are not up to the task, someone else will be and you and your family will suffer. That might sound harsh, but it is absolute reality.
Now as I say this, I do not want to be too dark and gloomy. You, students, are good, and I mean that !!! I would have loved to have hired some of you to work in my organization back in industry. But I absolutely encourage you to do, is just as President Hinckley said, and I quote again:
"I speak of the need for a little more effort, a little more self-discipline, a little more consecrated effort in the direction of excellence in our lives.
I plead with you: don't be a scrub! Don't muff your opportunities. Be excellent."
Brothers and sisters, that spirit of excellence was the key for employees in my industry. When they came into my organization, I knew they were not perfect, they did not know everything, and as a manager, I did not expect it. What I did expect were employees who tried their hardest. I needed folks who would not surf the web for hours at a time, I needed folks who would not check their facebook page all day. I needed employees who had a good strong work ethic, who were not afraid to ask questions. I needed folks who were not arrogant. I needed folks who would not get offended when they did something wrong and either I or someone else had to correct them. In short, I needed employees who had a spirit of quality about them, a spirit of excellence. As a manager, I did not always find that, but when I did, they were my treasured employees.
Brothers and sisters, whatever your assignment is, do it to the very best of your ability. As you do so, I promise you something. As you really strive for quality, your self-discipline will increase - you will feel better about yourself - you will develop habits that will enrich your life and career. And even though it takes a little more effort to create a quality outcome, I promise you that your capacity to do that level of work will increase. It really does become easier over time.
Spiritual Excellence
Now to the third area of excellence outlined by President Hinckley - Spiritual Excellence.
Brothers and Sisters, I was impressed by Bro Pecks devotional address last week. In that talk, he taught very plainly about the need to pray frequently and fervently, the need to place more emphasis in our scripture study, about the need to repent regularly, and the need to develop charity in our lives. As I think about spiritual excellence, I thought of two areas to expand on what Bro Peck talked about.
In thinking about developing charity in our lives, I want to relate an experience that I had many years ago.
When I was growing up, my dad was not a member of the Church, well he was technically a member, but he really was not a member. My mom was very active, and she was very faithful and tried her darndest to get us kids to go to church with her each Sunday. And as a kid, I went most of the time with my mom. However as a teenager, and particularly when I was a senior in high school, I did not attend church very much. Consequently, when I graduated from high school, my testimony wasn't very strong. And in fact, I actually had a little chip on my shoulder about the Church.
Well after graduation, I started working construction on a project in the Uinta Mountains in Utah. On my first day of work, I rode up to the job site with a guy named Lynn Jarrett. Well the job site was about an hour away, so Lynn and I had lots of time to talk in the car. As we were talking, I learned that Lynn had just returned from a mission. And I could tell, Lynn was excited about it, I could tell he loved his mission and wanted to talk about it. And I remember sitting there and thinking, oh no here it comes, here is this young returned missionary, full of the gospel. I could tell he was ready to get all fired up and start preaching the gospel and call little old Eric Karl to repentance. I could see it coming. And I thought, man, I have an hour's drive with this guy today.
But an amazing thing happened. Lynn changed the subject of our conversation. He did not preach to me. He did not tell me what I should do or not do. He changed the conversation and we just had a very nice talk the rest of the ride to the job site.
Over the course of that summer, and over the course of the next summer, Lynn and I worked very closely together. And during that time, I started to trust Lynn. Lynn didn't try to preach to me, he didn't call me to repentance. He became my friend. And after he became my friend, I started asking him about the gospel. And when I asked, he didn't shy away, he taught me. He taught me by word and by example what the gospel is really about. And between him and two other people who came into my life around this time, and by the way, one of those two is sitting right there (she is the pretty one), I slowly started gaining a testimony. I started understanding why I came to this earth, and what my purpose is here.
But the funny thing brothers and sisters, and this is the point I would like to make, is that my conversion was really dependent on a friendship. Lynn exhibited a true spirit of charity of me. With the rebellious attitude I had at the time, if Lynn would have done what was in his nature, if he would have started preaching to me and thumping the bible, I would have shut him out. I would not have trusted him, and I am pretty darn sure I would not be standing here today. Lynn Jarrett befriended someone who needed a good friend. And for that I will be eternally grateful to him.
When I think of spiritual excellence, I think of our Saviors teaching to Peter. He said, "when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."[6]
And how do we strengthen our brethren? We follow President Monson's council he gave just a week ago in our stake conferences. If you remember, President Monson encouraged us to be true friends. And he said that a true friend is someone who cares, someone who loves, someone who listens, and someone who reaches out.
So brothers and sisters, I absolutely encourage you to be a true friend like Lynn Jarrett. You may have a great group of friends and that really is awesome and a great blessing. But I encourage you, don't be clickish in your friendships. I encourage you to open up your circle of friends, get to know other people. Do as President Monson counseled and be true and excellent friends to everyone you can. Because I know firsthand the blessings of having an excellent friend. Lynn Jarrett did just as President Monson counseled. And in the process, he rescued a soul who didn't even want to be rescued at the time.
And real quickly brothers and sisters, another area of spiritual excellence that all of us can become better at concerns temple attendance. I sincerely hope that everyone here, everyone in this room, and everyone within the sound of my voice is a current temple recommend holder. Whether you have received your endowments or not, I would hope that everyone has a current temple recommend, be it a limited use recommend or a regular one. It doesn't matter. I hope that each of us has one in our possession and each of us uses it on a very regular basis.
Brothers and sisters, there is tremendous power in attending the temple often. In the temple we learn who we really are. We learn why we came to this earth. We learn about the trials and testing we all have. We learn about our Savior and the work that He performed for us.
In short, brothers and sisters the temple is a place we absolutely need to be. I would hope and pray that each of us attends the temple regularly.
Conclusion
Now, I started this talk with our Saviors injunction - Be ye therefore perfect. And as we know, every single one of us falls short of that. Brothers and Sisters, We are a fallen people - we have temptations, we have imperfections, we have weaknesses. And every one of us falls short sometimes.
We absolutely need to do as President Hinckley said and just try our very best. So, students - when working on a homework assignment, when you are writing a paper, after you finsh it, double check it. When doing a Math assignment, don't stop short and say, "ah that's good enough." That is not right, try your best, your very best in every assignment you are given. Take a few extra minutes, work a little harder. Never settle for a sloppy job. Never settle for mediocrity. Do it as best as you can.
To the faculty, administration, and staff, the same counsel goes for us. When putting a class together, don't be satisfied with just an okay class period, an okay quiz, an okay homework assignment. Take a few extra minutes and sincerely try to make it better. Spend the time necessary to strive for excellence. Don't be satisfied with mediocrity. Make the course great. These students and the Lord deserve our very best effort.
I promise you, brothers and sisters, that in those extra minutes that as you try to make it as best as you can, there is an increased blessing from the Lord. I have seen it and I have felt it in my classes. And I testify that it is true. It is in the extra effort where the Lord blesses us.
Now students, even with your best effort, you may not always get the "A" on your assignments. Faculty, even if you try your best, every class period will not come out like you planned. And all of us fall short of the commandments from time to time. We all sin.
But brothers and sisters, we have hope in and faith in and we know about the Atonement of our Savior. We know the Atonement is the central part of our Heavenly Fathers plan for us. Our Heavenly Father knew we would not be perfect in this life. He knew we would stumble and make mistakes. He planned just for those occurrences. And our Savior, as the central figure in that plan, He willingly fulfilled his part of that plan for us and for our Heavenly Father. Our eldest brother, our Savior, he willingly knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane, where in agony, he said, "Father if thou be willing, remove this cup from me, nevertheless not my will but thine be done" (Luke 22:42). And our Savior willingly allowed those soldiers to drive nails into his hands and feet. And finally, after pain and agony such that our mortal minds really cannot comprehend, he stated those final words that we cherish so much. He said, "It is finished."[7]
Brothers and sisters, our Savior did live a perfect life, he completed his work perfectly, because He knew we couldn't do it. What he asks in return is that we live excellent lives. What he asks of us is "our hearts and our willing minds."[8]
My hope brothers and sisters, is that when we walk out of this room today, we will choose to become a little more excellent. And this hope is for all of us, students, faculty, and staff. I hope that everyone of us earnestly seeks to cultivate a spirit of excellence in all that we do. Brothers and sisters, it does take effort to do that, however, as President Hinckley said, "The distance between mediocrity and excellence can be ever so small."
And as you try to do just a little bit more, to be a little bit better, I testify that your life will be enriched. You will stand taller. As you work hard to try to accomplish your goals, you will not be perfect, you still may not get a "A" however, you absolutely will feel better about yourself. I promise you that this is the case. It will happen. As President Hinckley also said, "The little extra effort we make becomes such a tremendous difference."
I know this to be true, and I testify of it, in the sacred name of our Savior, even Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes:
[1] Matthew 5:48
[2] 2 Nephi 28:30
[3] David A Bednar "Clean Hands and a Pure Heart", Ensign, November 2007
[4] Gordon B Hinckley "First Presidency Message: "The Quest for Excellence," Ensign, September 1999
[5] D&C 89: 10-12
[6] Luke 22:32
[7] John 19:30
[8] D&C 64:34