It is a joy to be with you today. I pray that the Spirit will be our guide as we listen to what the Lord would have us know, feel, and do.
In his first worldwide address to members of the Church, the Lord’s Prophet stated, “As your leader, I pray for what our Heavenly Father wants for each of us—and that is to be or become active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, proceeding forward on the covenant path into the eternities.” [1]
I love and sustain President Dallin H. Oaks and rejoice in his teachings. There are two words in his recent address that have been a focus throughout President Oak’s ministry: “To be” and “to become.”
To highlight this point, in the October 2000 general conference, President Dallin H. Oaks shared a remarkable message titled, “The Challenge to Become.” For me, his timeless counsel has shaped my path of discipleship, reminding me that becoming is at the very heart and purpose of our mortal experience.
Among his powerful teachings in that message, President Oaks shared, “In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.” [2]
Here at BYU-Idaho, you are experiencing the best of both worlds: learning and coming to know something, and learning by study and faith, helping you to become something. Academically, you are all pursuing a chosen field of study that will help you in your professional aspirations. Eternally, your time here at BYU-Idaho can strengthen a foundation that allows the gospel of Jesus Christ to transform you into the sons and daughters of God you were created to become.
As the title of President Oaks’s message intentionally teaches, “becoming” is not a walk in the park. It is a challenge!
As fallen mortal men and women, we often feel the gap between who we know we are supposed to be, and who we are today. We fall short, we make poor choices, and the adversary works tirelessly to convince us that we’ll never measure up.
When our progress is slower than expected, or when we feel like we take more steps backwards than we take forwards. It can be easy to feel like the challenge to become is beyond us, let alone joyful. I have felt that. Perhaps you have, too. When those thoughts enter my mind, I take comfort in a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph where the Lord declares, “I will be merciful unto your weakness.”[3]
With this assurance, I have learned something beautiful: Becoming is not only a challenge; it is a joyful challenge, and one that fills my soul with gratitude.
Think of it: at the heart of God’s fabulous plan of happiness is our eternal progression and the opportunity to become like Him. He sees infinitely more in us than we can possibly comprehend, and He yearns for us to trust His plan.
At the center of the Father’s plan is His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. The Savior not only invites us to become as He is, but He also pleads with us to receive Him, to take His yoke upon us, and to walk with Him. [4] The joy of becoming is never a path we walk alone. Through His Atonement, we receive His grace—His divine help and strength [5] —and throughout the scriptures we are reassured that His grace is sufficient.
To illustrate the joy and process of “becoming,” I would like to share a personal experience. As I share this experience, I invite you to ponder how the Savior’s divine help is strengthening you in your joyful challenge to become.
Years ago, I was invited to participate in a local triathlon. A triathlon consists of three disciplines: swimming, cycling, and running. Having been a runner, and an occasional cyclist, I thought, “why not?” and accepted the invitation.
The race was a few months away, so I organized my schedule to make time for training. Running and cycling came more naturally, but I quickly discovered that I was not a swimmer. While others glided effortlessly through the water, I felt like I was swimming uphill.
Just a few laps in the pool left me feeling exhausted, and the thought of swimming more than half a mile in my first race felt overwhelming, even impossible.
I could almost imagine the headlines: “Man who couldn’t swim drowns in local triathlon—what was he thinking?”
Still, I pressed on. I kept going to the pool. After months of consistent training, my fitness and technique began to improve. When the race day arrived, I felt as ready as I could be.
My first triathlon experience was far from easy, but I completed the race. I wasn’t the fastest, but I learned and found it to be something I enjoyed.
After a few years of competing in shorter races, I set my sights on something far more challenging.
I had watched Ironman races on television and was captivated by stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things: swimming 2.4 miles, riding 112 miles, and then running a full 26.2-mile marathon, all within a 17-hour time limit.
Each year, Ironman race organizers spotlighted a few athletes who shared inspiring stories of overcoming adversity, injury, illness, and doubt. Their commitment, grit, and determination were incredibly inspiring.
You may have seen videos of exhausted competitors crawling on hands and knees, or rolling across the finish line, with only seconds to spare.
As each participant crosses the finish line, the announcer calls out their name and proclaims, “You are an Ironman!”
Inspired by their stories, I signed up for my first Ironman race in sunny Panama City Beach, Florida. I set goals, created a plan, and committed to a rigorous training program. To prepare, I enrolled in an adult swim class to improve my technique, bought a better bike, and endured mile after training mile. Some days felt great, others were pure misery. But the weeks and months passed by, and before I knew it, I stood at the starting line with 2,600 new friends.
The swim portion of the race was a mass start, meaning everyone enters the water at the same time. Chaos is the only word to describe it, and there is really no way to prepare for it. Gone are the lane lines at the bottom of the pool and the comfort of calm and clear water. For the first 500 meters, athletes swam over my back and kicked from every direction as we all tried to find space.
To add to the challenge, we were met with two-foot ocean swells that pushed against us, all while we tried to stay within the racecourse.
In the midst of it all, I repeated to myself: I can do this. Just keep swimming.
The swim was divided into two laps, 1.2 miles, a short run along the beach, then back into the water for the final 1.2 miles.
My training and swimming lessons had paid off, and despite the unexpected challenges, I gratefully completed the swim. I remained in the race—and I was still alive!
I invite you to ponder with me for a moment: In your joyful challenge to become, do you find yourself swimming in deep water? [6]
How has the Savior helped you to “just keep swimming?”
Next up was the 112-mile bike ride under the warm Florida sun. I felt strong, fueled well, and was right on pace—until my joyful challenge to become happened. Eighteen miles in, I felt my back tire begin to wobble. I knew immediately what that meant: a flat tire.
My bike was equipped with tubular tires—reliable, but unforgiving if something goes wrong. If you can’t get air back into them, your race day is over. Prepared for this possibility, I stopped and reached for my CO₂ cartridge. As I began to inflate the tire, the adapter broke in my hand, instantly releasing all the air. In that moment, horror filled my soul. I had no way to fix the tire.
Athletes speeding by offered sympathy but couldn’t share their supplies any more than the wise virgins could share the oil in their lamps.
Understanding the reality of my situation, I faced a decision: my day could be over, or I could run with my bike, nearly two miles, to the next aid station, and hope for a miracle. I chose to race on and began running with my bike.
When I reached the aid station, I offered up my thousandth prayer and began pumping air into my tire. Miraculously, the tire pressure held. Relieved and grateful, I was back in the race.
After this unexpected test, I assumed the hardest part of the day was behind me. But my joyful challenge to become was far from over.
Ninety-six miles into the ride, my seat suddenly shifted and broke, angling sharply upwards. I could no longer sit comfortably or ride in an aerodynamic position. I had passed the last aid station and was now riding straight into coastal headwinds.
The race was already hard, but this seemed ridiculously unfair.
Again, I had another decision to make. I had not come this far to only come this far—I would keep pedaling, I would finish. I would ride the next 16 miles uncomfortably.
Take a moment again to ponder with me: In your joyful challenge to become, are you experiencing moments that feel like flat tires, broken seats, or relentless headwinds? In those times, how has the Savior helped you to keep pedaling on?
They say the swim and bike are simply a warm-up for the run.
Running is my strength, or at least it was for the first few miles. Soon, cramping, exhaustion, and heat took their toll. The race is meant to be hard, but this was a new level of suffering for me.
But in my suffering, there was help: aid stations, fellow athletes, spectators, and family who became the wind in my sails.
My sweetheart, Kim, knows that there is one simple thing that helps me reset during a race: brushing my teeth. It sounds strange, but washing away the taste of gels and sports drinks gives me a fresh start and a new beginning. Halfway through the run, there she was, toothbrush in hand. That clean, minty feeling renewed me.
To quiet my mind and keep going, I ran with other athletes, I walked through aid stations, hugged spectators willing to hug me back, and kept putting one foot in front of the other. I knew that if I focused on others, I would forget about myself and keep going.
Again, I invite us to ponder this question: In your joyful challenge to become, how has the Savior, and others, cheered you on, lifted you, comforted you, and helped you keep running?
As I approached the finish line and heard the cheers of the crowd, Alma’s words took on new meaning: “And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!” [7]
The pain was real, but the joy of finishing the race completely swallowed it up.
As I crossed the finish line, the announcer shouted, “Aaron Hall, you are an Ironman.” It was an emotional, unforgettable, and joyful moment. Every hour of training, every setback, every ounce of pain had been worth it. I had become an Ironman.
I have since gone on to do many more races—all with their unique challenges, but no less gratifying.
Through these racing experiences, I have learned that there is joy in training, joy in the unknown, joy in stopping at aid stations, joy in being lifted, joy in lifting others, and joy in the entire journey of becoming. The finish line brings joy, but the process of transformation is where real joy is found.
I will admit, in my joyful challenge to become, there are days where I would much rather have an easy path: Calm waters, smooth roads, and the wind at my back.
My reality, and yours too, is that our joyful challenge to become is meant to try us, prove us, and help us prepare for the eternities to come.
So, I ask this question: If we have any hope of coming “unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ,” [8] do we really want a path of comfort and ease?
President Eyring shared this counsel from his mother, “If you are on the right path, it will always be uphill.” [9]
With those words in our minds, please take comfort in knowing that when your joyful challenge to become includes waves crashing against you, flat tires, broken seats, strong headwinds, and the heat and exhaustion of the day, these experiences are shaping you into who the Lord knows you can become.
President Eyring also recently taught, “Proving moments are not evidence that the Lord has abandoned you. Rather, they are evidence that He loves you enough to refine and strengthen you.” [10]
In 2 Nephi, the words of the Lord fill us with encouragement in our joyful effort to become: “I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more.” [11]
I have experienced the Lord’s willingness and patience to teach me line upon line, and precept upon precept.
One of the most joyous experiences Sister Hall and I had as parents, and now as a grandparents, was helping our children take their first steps. Step by wobbly step, our little ones learned and became walking toddlers.
Our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, are helping and guiding us—and guiding you—in the same way.
Sometimes the Lord is waiting to catch you when you fall. Sometimes He is patiently waiting for you to act and learn from your choices. Sometimes He sits and cries with you. Sometimes He is giving you counsel, even chastisement, to help you improve and repent. And always and forever, He encircles you in the arms of His eternal love to help you know you can do this—you are His work and His glory! [12]
God’s plan is a plan of hope and joy. As we turn to Him, make and keep covenants, and trust Him, we cannot fail.
In the joyful challenge to become, we can press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, [13] regardless of the unexpected difficulties and trials we face.
During this precious time at BYU-Idaho, give your best to become who the Lord knows you can become. Stay in the race, do all you can, and in the moments when you’re unsure, trust in the Lord, be patient, and remember that He is merciful in your weakness.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland expressed it best, “Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever.” [14]
Remember there are aid stations, family, friends, bishops, and living prophets to help us on our journey to become.
And let us be patient. As President Oaks recently taught:
“We are all a work in progress. We are all at different places on what President Nelson called ‘the covenant path.’ We need to be patient with one another and, occasionally, even with ourselves.” [15]
Above all, remember that the enabling and cleansing power of the Savior and His Atonement will help you do what is seemingly impossible. I share my witness that Jesus Christ is the reason we can joyfully take on the challenge to become. It is only through Him and His Atoning sacrifice that becoming is possible.
In Moroni’s words, “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him.” [16] His grace is sufficient, and it is by His grace that we will become as He is.
What I hope for as I run the race of mortality is not to be remembered for the races I’ve run, but how I’ve been transformed through the process of running the race.
As President Oaks taught, “The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts— what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become.” [17]
I invite you to find joy in your BYU-Idaho experience—not only in what you come to know, but in who you are becoming. In the end, through the Savior Jesus Christ, we are all striving to become better sons and daughters of God, better disciples, and more like Him.
When we finish our joyful challenge to become, I hope we will hear the crowds cheering, feel life’s challenges and pains swallowed up in the joy of Christ, and—most importantly—find that through His grace, we have become who He wants us to become.
It is my prayer that we will recognize that becoming is a joyful challenge, and that one day we will hear our names lovingly called, feel arms open to receive us, and the tender words, “You are my beloved child. Welcome home.”
Notes
[1] Dallin H. Oaks, “Coming Closer to Christ,” Brigham Young University devotional, Feb. 10, 2026, speeches.byu.edu.
[2] Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge to Become,” Ensign, Oct. 2000, 32.
[3] Doctrine and Covenants 38:14.
[4] Matthew 11:28-30.
[5] Gospel Topics, “Grace.”
[6] Doctrine & Covenants 127:2.
[7] Alma 36:20.
[8] Ephesians 4:13.
[9] President Henry B. Eyring, “Raise the Bar,” Brigham Young University-Idaho devotional, Jan. 25, 2005, byui.edu.
[10] Henry B. Eyring, “Proved and Strengthened in Christ,” Liahona, Oct. 2025.
[11] 2 Nephi 28:30.
[12] Moses 1:39.
[13] 2 Nephi 31:20.
[14] Jeffrey R. Holland, “Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders Among You,” Ensign or Liahona, Apr. 2016, 127.
[15] Dallin H. Oaks, “Coming Closer to Christ,” Brigham Young University devotional, Feb. 10, 2026, speeches.byu.edu.
[16] Moroni 10:32.
[17] Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge to Become,” Ensign, Oct. 2000, 32.
About Elder Aaron T. Hall
Elder Aaron T. Hall was sustained as a General Authority Seventy at the April 2025 general conference. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a member of the Twelfth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Area. Elder Hall has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Chile Osorno Mission, bishop, counselor in a stake presidency, mission president, and Area Seventy.
Elder Hall received a degree in professional sales from Weber State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Utah. He worked as an executive for technology and private equity firms. At the time of his call, he was working for the Church as a director in the Missionary Department and had spent four years overseeing the Giving Machine efforts which began with 10 machines to 130 by 2025.
Aaron Tracy Hall was born in Provo, Utah, on March 4, 1971. He married Kimberly Wade in 1993. They are the parents of four children.