Sister Jensen and I are so very pleased to be here today to honor you who are graduating. At the same time we honor your parents and family, the administration, the faculty, and the staff. These wonderful people and your efforts make your graduation possible.
There is power in quoting the words of the Latter-day prophets and apostles. President Boyd K. Packer’s illustration of the parable of the pearl and the box is cited often in our messages and training. The context for it is the dedication of the Church’s magnificent Conference Center in Salt Lake City ten short years ago.
“Do you think it possible for those of us who are called upon to speak to draw attention away from this wonderful building long enough to focus on the purpose for which it was built?
“Perhaps it can be done with a parable and a poem.
“The parable: A merchant man seeking precious jewels found at last the perfect pearl. He had the finest craftsman carve a superb jewel box and line it with blue velvet. He put his pearl of great price on display so others could share his treasure. He watched as people came to see it. Soon he turned away in sorrow. It was the box they admired, not the pearl.
The poem:
“We are all blind, until we seeThat in the [universal] planNothing is worth the making ifIt does not make the man.“Why build these [buildings] glorious,If man unbuilded goes?In vain we build the [world], unlessThe builder also grows.”[1] The parable and the poem are uniquely applicable to these graduation exercises today. I believe that the beautifully printed graduation certificate, made of quality paper and placed carefully in a folder, is the box. You and all that you have in you—your skills, your knowledge, your eternal spirit— are the precious pearl. Paraphrasing President Packer, if we can draw your attention away from your diploma, we are here today to honor you, “the builders who have grown.”
The first two verses from the book of Abraham are remarkably relevant for our commencement services today. Abraham said that “it was needful for [him] to obtain another place of residence.”[2] For Abraham that change of residence was motivated by his desire to seek the blessings of his fathers, the righteous patriarchs from Adam to his day. Note these relevant phrases: “I sought for the blessings of the fathers…desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge and to be a greater follower of righteousness, to possess a greater knowledge…and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir."[3]
Like Abraham, most of you have obtained another place of residence and will likely do so again in the coming months motivated by your desires to obtain the blessings of your fathers and to obtain or possess greater knowledge. Today I wish to focus on becoming a rightful heir to the blessings of the fathers, your own fathers as well as the Old Testament prophets and patriarchs. I emphasize five truths, each a pearl of great price:
- Becoming an heir to faith and testimony,
- To a life of service,
- To moral purity,
- To temporal self-reliance, and finally
- Becoming an heir to the Abrahamic covenant.
Becoming an heir to faith and testimony
As with earlier generations, there is a variety among young adults in their spiritual strength and testimony. That you are seated here today is evidence that you are strong in your faith and testimony of the Father and the Son and Their restored gospel. However, this is also an age when doubts may enter and the creep of worldliness penetrates so subtly into some, resulting in a loss of faith and testimony.
I found that my faith and testimony of the doctrines and principles of the Restored Gospel came first during my childhood with a testimony of faith—faith in the words, the testimony, and the examples of parents, teachers, and leaders. Next it came intellectually as a missionary. I immersed myself in the scriptures, especially in the Book of Mormon, and found a symphony of divine doctrine—so logical, and so satisfying. Third, the testimony of experience—experiences such as answers to prayer, priesthood blessings, payment of tithes and offerings, and fourth, the absolute assurances witnessed by the Holy Ghost, revelations that came directly to my mind and my heart.
Sister Jensen and I dated in high school and graduated together in 1960. In January 1961, we decided to marry and that I would not serve a mission. We attended sacrament meetings together, either her ward in Springville or mine in Mapleton. In mid-January we attended my ward and listened to a returned missionary report on his mission to Mexico. Following that meeting, I turned to Lonie and said, “We have made a mistake. I want to serve a mission.”
I experienced what President Hinckley described from his mission to England: “Something happened inside me in England that was so significant and deep-rooted that I have never gotten over it. It is the same thing I have seen happen to thousands of other young men and women who commit themselves to the Lord, and their faith in Him becomes their anchor. Everything good that has happened to me is a result of what happened while I served in that land.”[4]
Sister Jensen said she would wait for me, and as you can see, she did; although during the mission I did detect some apostasy on her part when I learned that she was dating another man. A few well-worded letters from me had their desired effect. I am thankful she listened. We married in the Manti Temple 33 days after I returned home.
During the mission I made conscious decisions to ensure I would become an heir to faith and testimony. I group these
Commitments into daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. They continue to bless my life and our marriage and family.
Daily:
- Never let a day go by without reading and studying the scriptures.
- Never let a day go by without personal and family prayer, night and morning.
Weekly:
- Never let a week go by without attending Church and worthily partaking of the sacrament.
- Never let a week go by without Family Home Evening.
Monthly:
- Never let a month go by without ministering through home/visiting teaching.
- Never let a month go by without attending the temple.
- Never let a pay period go by without paying tithes and a generous offering.
Yearly:
- Never let a year go by without renewing your temple recommend. Now this is done at two-year intervals.
- Never let a year go by without attending tithing settlement.
Sometimes we say that there are great people in this Church. In a way this is correct; however, I believe it is more accurate to say that we have ordinary people who consistently do great things. Always do the things that lead you to become an heir to faith and testimony.
Becoming an heir to a life of service
Your generation may be known as the “validation generation.” You have grown up with constant feedback from parents, teachers, peers, and others, generally validating your worth and importance. This is often done today through social networking including texting, twitter, Facebook, e-mails, telephone, and other. All of this suggests friendship and a means to reduce isolation and loneliness.
Young single adults are generally perceived as a very mobile group. Whether you attend Young Single Adult or conventional wards, we urge you to stay connected to your spiritual roots through a judge in Israel, a bishop. One of his purposes is to safeguard your worthy access to the ordinances of the Church, including the sacrament, priesthood advancements, and temple blessings.
Accept Church callings and participate in activities, Sabbath classes, and Institutes of Religion. Lose yourself in the service of others, such as temples, Family History centers, and community programs. We urge you to become an heir to a life of service.
Becoming an heir to moral purity
Concerning morals and a morally polluted environment, the Apostle Paul described our day: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter-times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron.”[5]
These prophetic views describe the evils of degrading television, movies, and music, some of which is explained away with this deceptive comment, “It was really good except for….” Powerful, pervasive, and persistent is the plague of pornography. It is an addiction as serious in magnitude and scope as an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or tobacco.
Our society has more leisure time than perhaps any other society in history. This is manifest sometimes with a preoccupation for sports and entertainment along with inordinate amounts of time on video games or the internet.
To truly become an heir to moral purity requires us to put on the whole armor of God, which is found in the ordinances and covenants of the restored gospel. To worthily partake of the sacrament each week ensures you are an heir to moral purity and you are on the path to eternal life.
Becoming an heir to temporal self-reliance
Education is vital for both men and women. Abraham said he desired “to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge...desiring to receive instructions.”[6] Citing the words of the Savior, “you have put your hand to the plow” and you are not looking back, for when you look back, as Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, you are holding back.[7]
You have your hand firmly on the plow of higher education, which parallels the university’s purpose statement to “prepare students for lifelong learning, for employment, and for their roles as citizens and parents.” I commend the administration and faculty of this extraordinary university for the appropriate emphasis on lifelong learning.
At BYU-Idaho you have been at the center of a learning process involving teachers, others, and yourself. Here you have had experiences beyond repeating information back to teachers. You captured information under the direction of a teacher, expanded or changed it for your purposes, and then used what you learned to bless others. This may be summarized with this truth, we teach to learn.
A mentor in my life instilled in me as a young seminary teacher this governing principle— “Keep a growing edge.”
In this fast-paced world there is so much to learn. Always read, study, and ponder the scriptures and the words of the prophets, ancient and modern, but beyond this keep a balance by reading other good books and publications. Read, study, mark, capture, expand, digest, assemble, clip, cut, paste, file, and organize what you are learning. Visit, travel, observe, listen, ponder, question, analyze, synthesize, and then teach what you have learned.
Remember, “God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost.”[8]
With this educational foundation of learning and teaching and keeping a growing edge, you now embark on a journey leading to employment, stability, and temporal self-reliance. This pathway is not free of obstacles. Compared to our generation of 50 years ago— who graduated from high school, served a mission, married our high school sweetheart, found employment, and settled down to raise a family—you are more likely to come home from your mission, spend a number of years getting more education and training, and prepare for careers. This includes an increasing number of young women who pursue a career instead of homemaking because opportunities to marry do not come or are being postponed. We encourage you to follow the faith of your fathers and not postpone marriage, which is a prophetic priority.
Prophets and apostles teach us to establish our priorities on a gospel foundation for “when your priorities are out of order you lose power.” When they are in order you obtain power. These priorities are to build on the rock of our Redeemer, a sure foundation to withstand the temptations of Satan. His teachings are to become self-reliant through suitable occupation or self-employment so as to provide for your own and your families’ needs. Be skilled, diligent, trustworthy, and give honest work for the pay and benefits you receive. Pay tithes and offerings and avoid unnecessary debt. Do not follow the worldly thinking to obtain “things” by borrowing now and paying later. Use a budget and live within a plan. Save for a rainy day.[9] Have faith, faith in God and His Son and Their eternal promises as you become an heir to temporal self-reliance.
Becoming an heir to the Abrahamic covenant
Becoming an heir to the Abrahamic covenant in its fullness is marriage for time and eternity. A central purpose of the temple is “that they may grow up in thee, and receive a fullness of the Holy Ghost, and be organized according to thy laws.”[10] Every temple marriage is being organized according to His laws.
The adversary opposes marriage and family. He fosters disorganization. Divorce, same gender attractions, abortion, and adultery are typical of his efforts. Apostles today have spoken in favor of the “dating culture” and have spoken against the “hang out” culture resulting in postponing marriage.
“Marriage is ordained of God."[11] It is a high priority for all able LDS young adults. The sealing ordinance, along with the covenants we make, is the pearl and a temple is a magnificent box. “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.”[12]
The bearing and rearing of children is a primary purpose of marriage. Lehi taught “that his sons should take daughters to wife, that they may raise up seed unto the Lord.”[13] The only scripture reference cited in “The Family—a Proclamation to the World” is “Children are an heritage of the Lord.” It goes on to say that children are like arrows in the hand of a mighty man— and, I add, a woman— and “happy [are] the man [and the woman] that hath [their] quiver full of them.”[14]
To summarize our fervent prayer is that you will become rightful heirs to the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, including faith and a testimony of the Father and the Son and this holy work, a lifetime of service, moral purity, spiritual and temporal self-reliance coming from honorable employment and income to meet your needs, and a marriage in the holy temple and children to follow to whom you will pass on this heritage as rightful heirs to the blessings of the fathers.
I attended a meeting for religious educators in September 1978 in which then Elder Gordon B. Hinckley of the Quorum of the Twelve spoke. I shall never forget his concluding message, a clipping he found from the Deseret News, which I quote to conclude my message:
“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. “Most putts don’t drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. “Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. “The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”[15]
When the Savior appeared to the people in the Americas He said, “And behold, ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the [families] of the earth be blessed.”[16] You are becoming rightful heirs of the blessings of the fathers.
I witness to you that God lives, He is our Father, and we are His spirit offspring. Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world, and through Him we may be made clean through the infinite Atonement. The Father and the Son appeared to Joseph Smith. I bear witness that the Book of Mormon is true. Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of the Living God and he, his counselors, and the Twelve Apostles are all prophets, seers, and revelators holding all the keys of the kingdom. I pray that you will be blessed and magnified to become a rightful heir; in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] “The Cloven Tongues of Fire,” Ensign, May 2000, p. 7
[2] Abraham 1:1
[3] Abraham 1:1-2
[4] Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 64
[5] 1 Timothy 4:1-2
[6] Abraham 1:2
[7] Luke 9:62
[8] D&C 121:26
[9] Providing in the Lord’s Way, pp. 1-2
[10] D&C 109:15
[11] “The Family—A Proclamation to the World"
[12] ibid
[13] 1 Nephi 7:2
[14] Psalm 127:3-5
[15] Gordon B. Hinckley, “Four Imperatives for Religious Educators,” Meeting of Religious Educators, September 15, 1978, p. 4
[16] 3 Nephi 20:25