President and Sister Clark, we express to you our thanks our love and appreciation for the incredible work you are doing here at BYU-Idaho. This University has become and will continue to be an example to the education communities around the world of innovation, teaching, learning and creating. Thank you for your willingness to leave the Harvard School of Business and bring your creativity and revelation to this beautiful campus.
Marcia and I consider it a great blessing to be on the campus of BYU-Idaho today. I have very fond memories of this campus. This is probably ancient, Old Testament type history for you, but you may not know that the MTC was on this campus in the mid 1970's, for the languages of Scandinavia. I was called at age 19 to serve a mission in Finland. I came here, to a much smaller campus, for eight weeks to learn the Finnish language. This is a picture of my MTC group outside the Manwarring Center. I was joined by missionaries going to Sweden, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands. These grounds are sacred to me because of that experience. It was here that I learned my first Finnish word. It was here that I learned hard work and dedication and what I needed to change to become a missionary. During those days, as a 19 year old, walking the paths of this campus, I didn't know what my future held. I never imagined then, that I would be standing here today speaking with you. When I was 19 and on this campus, I have another memory. I had apprehension about the future. I didn't know what Finland would be like. I often worried about my future education, employment, finding a wife and beginning a family. Today, as you look towards your future, you might also have apprehension about the unknown.
It is about your future that I would like to speak today. My wife Marcia has a very unique trait that she has allowed me to share with you today. She loves to read and she has read many good books. Before she was able to load a book on her iPad, she bought books the old fashioned way. They were made of paper and glue and cardboard. You might remember those days. As we were traveling together, or as she was at home reading, I would notice that she was beginning a new book. Within a very short period of time I would notice that she was all of a sudden reading the very last chapter of the new book. I would say to her, "I know you are a fast reader, but that is really fast. How did you get to the end of the book so quickly?" Over time, and over 36 years of marriage now, I know that as soon as Marcia gets interested in a book, and especially the lives of the characters, she is drawn to the last chapter because she is so anxious to see if the characters she now loves find happiness. She will continue to read the book and loves the book, but she wants to know how it ends before she can go back to the beginning.
Your generation has a phrase for that. You call it a "spoiler." My kids think I am the worst when it comes to spoiling a movie or a book. They tell me that if I have seen a movie or read a book before they have, that I am so anxious to share with them the ending that I spoil the experience for them. If I ever begin to tell them about a movie they have not seen or a book they have not read, they say to me, "Dad, stop! Don't say another word. I haven't seen that movie or read that book yet."
I have wondered how this idea of a "spoiler" applies to you and your future. If I said to all of you today, I can tell you how your life story ends, would you be like my wife Marcia and want to skip to the end of the book and read the last chapter? Or, would you be like my kids and say, "Stop Elder Nielson, I don't want to know the ending yet, you will spoil it for me."
Because my kids know that I cannot avoid sharing the end of a good movie or good book, even before they have seen or read it, I am about to tell you the wonderful ending of your life story. I believe that if you know how your life story ends, you will be much better equipped to face the challenges that come to you every day. This is a major "spoiler alert".
There are certain things I know about each of you. You are wonderful, faithful, young men and young women who have kept the commandments of God and have qualified yourselves to attend this University. You have been recommended by your Bishop and your Stake President. They have certified to the University that you are an exemplary, righteous young man or young woman. You are on the path to eternal life. The Savior taught in Matthew 7:14: "Strait is the gate and narrow is the way and few there be that find it." You are among the fortunate few who have found the path.
Lehi describes you this way in the Book of Mormon:
"And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree."[1]
You are these valiant people who have found the straight and narrow path, who have caught hold of the iron rod and who have made your way to the tree and have partaken of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Describing your current state in the Book of Mormon, Nephi says to you:
"And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.
"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: (are you ready for the spoiler) Ye shall have eternal life."[2]
As you continue to press forward with faith in Christ, you will have eternal life with the Father. It is this restored knowledge of the plan of happiness that has attracted new converts for centuries.
Let's see if we can get an even better description of your future. This is another spoiler alert:
"They are they who received the testimony of Jesus and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given-
"They are they who are the church of the Firstborn.
"They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things.
"These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever.
"These are they who are just men [and women] made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood. These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all..."[3]
I promise you who are here today, who have been baptized and confirmed faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who have received or will receive the ordinances of the Temple; and who will endure to the end; that is your future. I really can't say that is how your life ends, because that is really how your eternal life begins.
You might say to me, "but, I have a lot of living to do. I am still really young. How do I know that this will be my future? What if I make some mistakes? What if trials come to me in my life?"
My response would be that I know that you will make mistakes and I guarantee you trials will come, but as you continue to repent and endure faithfully, the promises are sure.
Let's assume then that you continue on your current path and you faithfully endure to the end. By doing so, the Lord tells us that he is bound when we do what he says.[4] If my spoiler is correct and you know how your mortal life ends; if you understand that you are promised eternal life with the Father; then I have an important question for you to ponder today: With the knowledge of your future safely in hand, how will you now live your life from day to day?
I am fascinated by a statement made by Nephi in the Book of Mormon. He and his family along with his brothers Jacob and Joseph and their families separated themselves from Laman and Lemuel and they established a righteous life together. Nephi describes this choice and their life in very simple terms. He says in 2 Nephi 5:27 "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."
Is it possible for you be happy in your life and still face sin and trials? I would say to you that once you understand the end of your mortal life story and that you have been promised life with the Father, you become free from the worries of this world to act for yourself. To move forward with faith, no fear and to accomplish all that you desire in righteousness. The Savior taught his disciples, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."[5] How does knowing the truth about God and His Son Jesus Christ and the end of your mortal life make you free and allow you to move forward with no fear?
What does this look like when you wake up tomorrow and start a new day?
Marcia and I have been young single and young married adults just like you. We have watched our six children go through high school, missions, dating, college, marriage, employment and kids. Two of our sons are still seeking degrees. We have seen the obstacles that stand in your way of living after the manner of happiness. May I offer a few suggestions to help you along the way?
In our premortal life the Father explained his plan to us. He told us we would come here and receive one of these bodies. We learned that we would have appetites and passions that would be difficult to control and that we would sin. We also learned that in order to make it back to the father we had to be clean. We had a serious dilemma, how could we sin and also be clean? The Father promised us that he would provide a Savior for us who would come and atone for our sins. We shouted for joy. The Savior came in the meridian of time and he has atoned for your sins if you will repent. Do you want to be free? Do you want to live after the manner of happiness with no fear? Let the Savior take your sins. Too often we profess a belief in the Savior and His atonement, but we don't think it will actually work for us. We carry our own sins. We worry, we doubt and sometimes face despair. That is not God's plan for you. From the very beginning He told us the Savior would atone for our sins if we would repent. Let him do it. There is no reason for you to carry your own sins any longer. If you will do this, you will be free to act for yourself.
I learned this lesson from a faithful missionary that I interviewed during a Mission Tour a few years ago. His President told me that this missionary was one of the hardest workers in the Mission. He was obedient and strong, but he was carrying with him every day some things that he had done in his past and he could not get happy. As I spoke with him I asked him what he had done. He shared with me a past, serious transgression. I asked if he had confessed this to his Bishop and Stake President before his mission. He had done that. I asked him if he had asked forgiveness from those he had hurt or offended. He had done that. I asked if he had sought forgiveness in prayer from his Heavenly Father. He had done that. I then asked him, "Why do you want to pay for your own sins when the Savior has already paid for them?" He is standing at the door and knocking. He is inviting you to come and partake of the fruit of His atonement. Turn it over to him. Let it go. Let Him take it. I shared with him that the very message of the gospel he was teaching each day was the message he needed to hear. "Go thy way and sin no more."[6] "Thy sins are forgiven."[7] As we talked and shed some tears, he finally got it and I felt like he left behind in the office that day a huge burden he had been carrying. He left like he was floating. He was free. He was living after the manner of happiness.
My young brothers and sisters on this campus, if you are still trying to pay for your own sins, understand that you are missing the very essence of God's plan for you. The Savior has paid the price already. It is only Satan who wants you to think you can't be forgiven and that you have to pay for your own sins. Let them go and do it today. Because you know how your life story ends, your daily happiness comes as you free yourself from thinking and worrying about your past sins. You might ask, but what if I sin again? Then you repent again. Let the Savior take your sins. Let the redeeming power of the Atonement work for you.
What else might stand in your way of living after the manner of happiness? Most people would tell you that it is the difficult trials that will confront you throughout your life. These trials may be physical or emotional illness, family difficulties, school work, dating, employment, not enough money. What about trials? How can you possibly live after the manner of happiness and be faced with trials?
In the premortal life the Father explained to us that we would come here to earth to be tested and tried. You knew that when you accepted the plan. Trials are not only a part of our earthly existence, they are essential to our progression. It is how we become. I had a General Authority tell me years ago that if I didn't have any trials in my life, the plan wasn't working for me.
When I was your age, the Prophet was Spencer W. Kimball. As he became older he had many challenges with his health. He suffered from heart problems; he had cancer of the larynx and had to reteach himself how to speak. He had a subdural hematoma, which is fluid on the brain. After all of his trials and difficulties, do you know what he taught as he returned to General Conference? He said, "Give me this mountain, give me these challenges."[8] I remember being stunned. Why after all he had been through would he ask for another mountain, for more challenges? He taught us with the example of his life that we grow through trials.
It is fascinating to me to think that our pioneer ancestors, those who lost limbs and lives and loved ones as they crossed the United States said after all their suffering, "We became acquainted with God in our extremities."[9] If you know the end of your mortal life, and I already gave you the spoiler, you are going to live life eternally with the Father, then can you and I find freedom and happiness in knowing that the trials we face in life are learning experiences? They forge our souls and help us become more like God. You may not feel you are ready to pray for a trial like President Kimball, but if you will embrace your trials and ask yourself, "What can I learn for my eternal life from this?" As you have faith in Jesus Christ, He will lift you up and direct your paths and will help you overcome. His invitation in Matthew is "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.... For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."[10]
Do you know what I was doing exactly one year ago today, November 11, 2013? I was in the Area office in the Philippines with individual pictures of 204 missionaries on a big screen in a conference room. I was surrounded by my counselors and the Philippines Area Office staff and we were trying to figure out how to rescue the 204 missionaries from a disaster zone in Tacloban. Typhoon Haiyan had just hit the Tacloban Mission. It brought with it a 25 foot tsunami wave along with 200 mile an hour winds. It is reported to be one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the face of the earth. Thousands were killed and one million left homeless. We had no communication, no transportation, no electricity and we didn't know if our missionaries were alive. Over a four day period of time two by two we located those missionaries and they were rescued from a tragic site of death and devastation. As we brought them to Manila and they were able to assimilate what had happened to them, do you know what we found? We found missionaries who were wise beyond their years. They had gone through a trial so big and so devastating and they had learned so much about themselves that as time passed they began to see this experience as a blessing both to them and the people who lived in Tacloban. Sister Nielson and I met with all of them in April as they all returned to Tacloban to finish their missions. We found a strong, resilient, faithful group of missionaries who understood that they could withstand one of the most devastating trials of their lives and they could learn from it. They were back in the exact place where they had experienced that trial, living after the manner of happiness.
Knowing the end of your mortal life story and the beginning of your eternal life can free you from despair and help you gain an eternal perspective of your trials. Don't let your trials own you. You own them. Because you know the truth and the truth has set you free, you can look in the face of adversity with faith and ask this powerful question, "what can I learn from this?" Joseph Smith was taught this lesson so well in D&C 122:7, "know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good." Embrace your trials and live after the manner of happiness. You know how the story ends, so move forward with faith, not fear.
Your next question for me might be, "Okay, Elder Nielson, I understand that I can be free from sin and I understand that I can grow from my trials, but when I am in the middle of sin and trials it feels hopeless. What can I do in the moment to obtain the strength to overcome sin and to make it through some very difficult trials?" That my young brothers and sisters, is an excellent question and is perhaps the most important thing we can discuss today.
We have spoken of the redeeming power of the Savior's Atonement. We all know that through the infinite atonement the Savior has paid for your sins. But we must know as we make our way through this life that there is also an "enabling power" that can make your burdens light and allow you to live after the manner of happiness.
Elder Bednar stated in our last April General Conference:
"...Do we also understand that the Atonement is for faithful men and women who are obedient, worthy, and conscientious and who are striving to become better and serve more faithfully? I wonder if we fail to fully acknowledge this strengthening aspect of the Atonement in our lives and mistakenly believe we must carry our load all alone-through sheer grit, willpower, and discipline and with our obviously limited capacities."[11]
Alma learned this lesson in the Book of Mormon as he and his people were faced with a trial that required them to literally carry heavy physical burdens on their back every day. Alma and his people prayed to the Lord. Interestingly the Lord did not change their circumstances at first, He did not remove the burdens from their backs, but he did something quite unexpected. We read in Mosiah 24:15, "And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord."
The key tomorrow when you wake up and face the burdens of your life is to submit cheerfully and with patience to the will of the Lord. Allow the Savior's enabling power of the Atonement to make your burdens light. As Elder Bednar taught us, you do not need to carry your load alone.
As you struggle with sin and pass through trials, can the Lord make your burdens light? Yes he can. We see it every day. How do single students who go to school, work, serve others, date and keep the commandments live after the manner of happiness? It is the Lord's enabling power of the Atonement. How do young parents who have been sealed in the Temple go to school, work two jobs, have children and still live after the manner of happiness? It is the enabling power of the Atonement. The Lord lifts us up and makes us equal to our trials. He helps us and heals us.
So, you know now, how your mortal life will end. You have heard the spoiler. If you endure to the end you will have eternal life, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God. Knowing the end now, will you free yourself from sin, embrace your trials with faith and allow the enabling power of the Atonement to make your burdens light and bring you to the point where you and your family "live after the manner of happiness."
It is my testimony to you that as you remain faithful; the Lord has promised you all that the Father hath. He is inviting you to come. He has offered you His only begotten Son who has freed you from sin and is now offering you His Atonement to help you on your journey home as you go from good to better to best to Saint.[12] May you have eyes to see and ears to hear the wonderful blessings God has promised to those who love Him.[13] In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] 1 Nephi 8:24
[2] 2 Nephi 31:19-20
[3] D&C 76:51-70
[4] D&C 82:10
[5] John 8:32
[6] John 8:11
[7] Luke 7:48
[8] October Conference 1979
[9] Relief Society Magazine, January 1948 pg. 8
[10] Matthew 11:28-30
[11] "Bear up their burdens with ease." Bednar - April General Conference - May 2014 Ensign
[12] Elder Bednar, In the Strength of the Lord, BYU Devotional October 23, 2001
[13] 1 Corinthians 2:9