Rexburg and BYU-Idaho
It is a wonderful blessing for my wife and me to be with you today. I will never forget coming here 34 years ago. It was a few weeks after a devastating flood had surged through this area as a result of the Teton Dam failure. A large group of us from the Salt Lake area came to Rexburg to help. When we arrived we were assigned to help clean up houses.
As we traveled to Sugar City, I saw mud caked on buildings. Topsoil had been stripped from farmland. Large power poles had been swept away from a pole yard by the raging flood and were laying around everywhere. They had become like torpedoes and damaged buildings in their path.
We spent the day cleaning up the basement of a home. As we pulled paneling off of the walls, water and mud trapped behind the paneling gushed out. It was an unbelievable and unforgettable mess.
At the time, I wondered if this region would ever be restored to what it was before the flood, and even if it could, be how long it would take.
Today, it is so impressive to me to see how this community and the surrounding area have flourished. Ricks College has been transformed into a vibrant university. This campus is beautiful. You have a magnificent temple.
Learning Model Endorsement
You are so blessed to be students at BYU Idaho. You are blessed to have someone with the wisdom and vision of President Clark guiding this university. We see great things happening here.
I have been impressed with your learning model. Your learning is truly deepened as you follow the model. I wish that it had been part of my college experience. You are developing valuable skills that will benefit you for the remainder of your life. Learners do much better when they are actively engaged in the learning process and the BYU Idaho Learning Model is all about engaging learners.
Engagement
I would like to share some thoughts with you today about becoming engaged - why it is important to be engaged and how to become engaged. This is not a talk for you returned missionaries about your responsibility to get married. That is a great idea and a high priority but when that happens and who it will be with is obviously not completely within your control.
Perhaps you have heard about the young man who was immediately smitten when he met an attractive young woman. After a couple of dates, he was certain that he had met his true love. Even though they hardly knew each other, he decided to buy an engagement ring. At the end of their next date, he excitedly pulled out a little box with the ring inside and said, "If you can guess what's inside this box, you can have it along with an unforgettable kiss." She said, "Ok, let's see... how about an elephant?" Obviously, this couple was not on the same page.
Even when you are on the same page, there can be surprises. The story is told of a London floor installer named Lefkos. The unlucky man's dream of giving his chosen one, Leanne, the perfect engagement proposal literally vanished into thin air. Lefkos, had concealed a $10,000 engagement ring inside a helium balloon. The idea was that she would pop the balloon as he popped the question. (very creative right?)
Unfortunately, as he left the shop, a gust of wind pulled the balloon from his hand and he watched the engagement ring begin to sail away over the rooftops.
"I couldn't believe it," he said. "I just watched as it went further and further into the air. "I felt like such a fool. It cost a fortune and I knew my girlfriend would kill me."
Lefkos spent two hours in his vehicle trying to chase and find the balloon, without success. "I thought I would give Leanne a pin so I could literally pop the question," he said. "But I had to tell her the story - she went absolutely mad. Now she is refusing to speak to me until I get her a new ring." He is hoping the ring will still turn up. "It would be amazing if someone found it," he added.
Seriously, finding the right one and making the decision to get engaged to be married will be a great time in your life. Today, however, I want to focus on your personal engagement in doing meaningful things.
What does it mean to be engaged? To be engaged is to be interested, involved and committed to something.
The list of activities and interests that people engage in is endless. They range from consuming work to pure recreation and everything in between. Some of them can be very exciting yet less significant than others. For example, the Sports Entertainment and Merchandise industry alone generates over $110 Billion annually from sports fans. That amount does not include the value of spectators' time spent sitting in stands or in front of a TV watching sports.
World Cup
Nothing in sports engages more people than the World Cup. This Friday, the 2010 World Cup begins in Johannesburg South Africa. This is the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world, exceeding even the Olympic games. 32 soccer teams representing their countries will participate in the competition. Cumulative TV viewership will approach 30 billion during the month-long tournament. In the past, the final match alone has had a TV viewership in excess of 1 billion people.
I have been in Brazil during four world cups. Soccer in Brazil is the national past time and passion. Only if you have been there can you fully appreciate the level of interest and enthusiasm. During the World Cup, banners are strung across the streets and even the pavement is painted. People wear clothing with the green and yellow colors of the country. Festivities are everywhere. When Brazil plays, the country of 190 Million people virtually stops.
When a goal is scored, there is an eruption of firecrackers, horns and noisemakers. You would think World War III had begun. If the national team wins the match, the celebrations go on throughout the night.
I enjoy watching world cup matches just like billions of other people do. However, I have dreamed about what would happen if all of this interest and excitement, all of this energy and collective engagement were directed toward some effort that was really meaningful. Doing so would certainly change the world.
The Lord's Expectation
The Lord knows that and He shared His expectation that we be meaningfully engaged in a revelation given to Joseph Smith found in Doctrine and Covenants section 58. He said:
"For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward." "Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;""For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward." (D&C 58: 26-28)
Joseph Smith's Example
Joseph Smith is an excellent example to the world and especially to busy young adults like you that no matter that you are young and busy, you can be anxiously engaged in a good cause and bring about much righteousness. Let's review some of the things Joseph Smith did as a young adult.
Age 21
* he married Emma Hales
* he received the golden plates
* he and Emma moved from Manchester, NY to Harmony, PA to escape the persecution they were experiencing
Age 22
* he began translating the Book of Mormon
* Martin Harris lost the 116 pages of the translated manuscript and in that same month
* Joseph and Emma had their first child - a boy but they were devastated when he died within a few hours of birth
Age 23
* he completed the translation of the Book of Mormon with the help of Oliver Cowdery
* He and Oliver received the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood that year
Age 24
* he oversaw the printing of the first copies of the Book of Mormon
* he organized the church and he began translating the Bible
Age 25
* Joseph and Emma moved to Kirtland, Ohio.
* they had twins that year and suffered great heartache again when both their babies died the same day that they were born
* Joseph traveled to Missouri and dedicated a site for a temple in Missouri
* he printed the Book of Commandments
* he and Sydney Rigdon went on a missionHe did all of this and many more things by age 25
By the time he turned 30
* he had received 107 sections of the Doctrine and Covenants
* established the church in Kirtland and Missouri
* a temple was near completion in Kirtland
* Quorums of the 12 and 70 had been organized
What Joseph Smith accomplished during his young adult years is unmatched in the history of the world. The great things he did could not have happened without being anxiously engaged. All of us will be forever indebted to him. We can be blessed in our life's mission as we reflect upon and strive to emulate his example of engagement.
Believe that you have within you the power to do great things
One of the great blessings of attending BYU Idaho is that you not only get a first class education but you get it in a first-class environment. You are surrounded by so many great examples of people who are anxiously engaged in a good cause.
Last week, several extraordinary BYU-Idaho students were interviewed to see what could be learned from them about being anxiously engaged. It was no surprise to learn from these interviews that these students don't do things half-baked. When they do something it will be their best effort. Mediocrity is foreign to them.
They recognize the many blessings and opportunities that they have been given and they want to make the most of them. They know that pursuing a good education and doing well in school is an important way to be anxiously engaged in a good cause.They also recognize that during your college years there is a real risk in becoming immersed in your own interests, your studies and other personal activities. You can begin to turn inward and become selfish. This inward focus can lead you to neglect doing things that will bless others and spiritually strengthen yourself.
To counter that in their lives, they strive to be anxiously engaged in a good cause and help others.They suggested doing some of
They suggested doing some of things that they do:
* Get involved in ward and extracurricular activities.
* Go to the temple once a week.
* Be friendly and go out of your way to meet people.
* Smile. Pull the earbuds out and say hi when you pass someone.
* Be proactive in your learning because that is what the learning model is about.
* Appreciate the sacred funds that subsidize your tuition and seek to give back to the university through service in school organizations.
* Start each day with a positive and anxiously engaged attitude.
* Strive to be prepared and engaged in everything you do. Your effort will influence roommates and classmates to do the same.
These are some great ideas. I was also impressed how they repeatedly mentioned how important it is to do "small things."
Out of small things proceedeth that which is great (Don't be overwhelmed)
The Lord said:
"Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great". (D&C 64:33)
Elder Aoyogi story
Elder Koichi Aoyagi of the 2nd Quorum of the 70 spoke in April General Conference about his life changing as a result of a seemingly "small thing" that someone did for him. In his talk, he told of his conversion at age 17 in Matsumoto Japan.
He said:
"The next year I entered the university in Yokohama. Living alone, far from my hometown and the people I knew, I became lonely and strayed from the Church. One day I received a postcard from a Church member back home. She wrote that she had heard I was not attending Church meetings. She quoted a scripture and invited me to return to church. I was overwhelmed by the words of the scripture. This helped me realize that maybe I had lost something important, and I pondered and struggled for many days..."
"I realized that I was not praying with all of my heart and decided to do so. ...Through the power of the Holy Ghost, I learned that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, live and that They truly appeared to Joseph Smith. I made a commitment in my heart to repent and faithfully follow Jesus Christ for the rest of my life." "This spiritual experience changed my life completely! I decided to serve a mission out of gratitude to the Lord and to the Church member who rescued me. Following my mission, I was sealed in the temple to a wonderful girl, and we have been blessed with four children. Not coincidentally, this is the same girl who saved me by sending a postcard to that lonely apartment in Yokohama many years ago. I remain ever grateful for the mercy of the Lord and the help of this Church member, who invited me to once again come unto Christ."[1]
What a powerful example of out of small things proceedeth that which is great. Can you think of someone who could use some encouragement? All it might take is a postcard, text message or email to rescue them. Could you give a few minutes out of your busy day to lend a listening ear to someone who needs to share a burden? These may seem to be small and inconsequential things, but always remember that great results can come from small acts.
Gifts we have been given to help us be anxiously engaged in a good cause.
We have been given gifts that can help us to be anxiously engaged and to bring about much righteousness. This is an ideal time in your life to recognize how precious these gifts are and to embrace them. I would like to emphasize three of them.
First, the gift of a Church Calling.
A calling in the church is a wonderful gift from the Lord to be anxiously engaged in a good cause.
In D&C 107:99-100 the Lord said:
" Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence." " He that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand. Even so. Amen."
The duties of our callings are not all spelled out. Remember, that God does not command in all things. He leaves for you to find the ways to learn your duties and to fulfill your callings. This encourages initiative and personal growth.
When we are anxiously engaged, we will be diligent and seek to do our best and magnify our callings.
When I came home from my mission, my bishop called me to be the priests quorum adviser. He said, "I want you to teach on Sunday and attend mutual every week." I thought at the time that he was asking a lot of a young returned missionary who was working a lot of hours, carrying a heavy load in school and running hard to catch up to his future wife. I soon realized, that my bishop was inspired. The Lord knew that I needed the spiritual balance of a significant calling during those years. I am so grateful today for the gift of that calling. I was engaged and I received so many blessings because of it. Subsequent callings have also been a source of great blessings for me. Church service is a gift given by a loving Heavenly Father who knows where true happiness is found.
If you do not have a calling in the church, talk to your bishop about your hope and desire to have one. If you already have a calling, seek to be anxiously engaged and do your best to magnify it.
The Sabbath Day is a wonderful gift for spiritual, mental, emotional and physical renewal. It is a day to balance our lives. We can dedicate ourselves to our church callings. We can take time to seek opportunities to help and edify others.
When I was in college, I realized what a gift the Sabbath Day was in accomplishing that. I committed that I wouldn't do any homework on Sunday. There were more than a few Monday mornings when I got up very early to prepare for the coming week. I can tell you that I looked forward to Sunday. It became the highlight of my week. I was blessed in my schoolwork by striving to keep the Sabbath day holy. I have a personal testimony of the many blessings that come as we honor the Lord's day.
As members of the church, we have received the precious gift of the Holy Ghost. God has given us this companion to be with us at all times, as we are worthy. The Holy Ghost connects us to the powers of heaven. It inspires us and prompts us to become engaged and to be an instrument in God's hands to bring about much righteousness. As we learn to act on promptings we receive, our lives will be richer and it will be easier for us to be more engaged with things that God wants us to do.
In Section 11 the Lord said:
"And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good--yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit." "Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy;" (D&C 11: 12-13)
When you are blessed with the companionship of the Spirit, divine enlightenment blesses your studies and your personal decisions. Think of the life-defining decisions that you will make in the next few years, such as: Who to marry, what to study, your choice for a career and where you will work and live. If there was ever a time in your life when you need the revelatory influence of the Holy Ghost, it is when you make these critical decisions. I would counsel you to pray each day for the guidance of the Holy Ghost to help you know what God would have you do.
Blessings - Bring to Pass Much Righteousness
The students that were interviewed last week were asked to share some of the blessings that they have received as they anxiously engaged. Here are some of their answers:
* Having the satisfaction of knowing that you helped someone.
* I increased my testimony and gained a greater love for my fellow man.
* When I am feeling down and not having the best day, service is that best way to feel better.
* I am a better disciple of Jesus Christ.
* Because you sacrifice, you have more time. You become more focused with the time that you have. When you have deadlines you are focused to get things done.
* I have been blessed and have done well in all of my classes.
* My mind is clear.
* I am having fun.
Blessings abound when you are anxiously engaged.
I would like to mention one other important blessing.
That blessing is protection against the adversary.
1 Nephi chapter 15 tells about Laman and Lemuel asking Nephi to interpret their father's dream. In verses 26 and 27 we read:
"And they said unto me: What meaneth the river of water which our father saw?" "And I said unto them that the water which my father saw was filthiness; and so much was his mind swallowed up in other things that he beheld not the filthiness of the water."
The river was right next to the path that Lehi was standing on but he didn't see the filthiness of the water. He didn't stare at it. He did not think about it. He really wasn't interested in it. His mind was elsewhere. What were those other things that his mind was swallowed up in? They were undoubtedly good and righteous things including the concern that he had for his family and their spiritual well-being.
Today, we are surrounded by rivers of filthiness such as pornography. An idle mind is the devil's workshop. We strengthen ourselves from seeking or seeing that filthiness when our minds are swallowed up in good things. To be anxiously engaged in bringing to pass much righteousness will help us to swallow up our minds in righteousness and protect us from the adversary.
Testimony
I hope that those who feel overwhelmed will pay close attention to what I am going to say now. As a busy college student, you may look longingly for the day when you will be done with college and can then have enough time to really be engaged in a good cause.
I remember well getting back into school following my mission. I was rusty in math and other subjects after having been away from school for 2 years. I felt over my head. I found myself looking forward to my college days being over so I wouldn't feel so much pressure. I also longed for my days in the mission field where I was anxiously engaged in serving and helping people change their lives. Life seemed more fulfilling and enjoyable during my mission.
One day during this time, I came across a poem that hit me like a lightning bolt. It says:
Yesterday is but a dreamTomorrow is only a visionBut today - well livedMakes every yesterday a dream of happinessAnd every tomorrow a vision of hope.
I knew then that I couldn't return to my mission and I knew I couldn't fast-forward through my college years. I knew that I needed to focus on today and make it a day well-lived. That required an attitude adjustment. I made that adjustment and I have been blessed. You can make that adjustment if needed and be blessed.Being anxiously engaged does not need to nor should it wait until tomorrow.
President Monson has said, "If we live only for tomorrow, we'll have a lot of empty yesterdays today."[2] I bear witness that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. I have had the privilege to get a closer glimpse into his life this past year. I don't believe any of us can fully comprehend the weight of the burden that he carries as President of the church and as God's prophet to the entire world. His responsibilities are immense. His schedule is packed with meetings and other appointments. Yet, we hear over and over from others about President Monson visiting rest homes, hospitals, viewings and funerals.
We read in the New Testament that "Jesus of Nazareth ...went about doing good." President Monson follows the Savior's example in doing good. His life and ministry is a shining example of one who is anxiously engaged.
I pray that each of you will be anxiously engaged in a good cause and do many things of your own free will and bring about much righteousness during this time of your life. I testify that it will bring you joy and I testify that the power is in you to do so,
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Koichi Aoyagi, "Helping Hands, Saving Hands" Ensign, May 2010, 36
[2] Thomas S. Monson, "Now Is the Time," Ensign, Nov 2001, 59