Welcome to everyone here in the BYU-Idaho Center and to our online students and instructors. Even if you're far away, you are part of who we are and the important work we're doing.
BYU-Pathway Worldwide
Most of you have probably never heard of BYU-Idaho’s Office of Online Programs, where I work. Many of you have taken online courses, but our department doesn’t create online classes for campus students. We build courses for students in BYU-Pathway Worldwide.
BYU-Pathway Worldwide plays a unique role within the Church Educational System. For many years, our Church leaders and BYU-Idaho presidents have sought to extend the blessings of education to our sisters and brothers all throughout the world. Today, BYU-Pathway Worldwide is making that dream a reality, serving 75,000 students in over 180 countries—including Brazil, Zimbabwe, India, Honduras, Canada, Ukraine, and even the United States to name just a few. After completing PathwayConnect, online students can matriculate into one of BYU-Idaho’s online degree programs. They are BYU-Idaho students, earning BYU-Idaho degrees.
Let me introduce you to two of your fellow students Kathy and Daniela from El Salvador. Kathy was among the first 20 students from her country to enroll in BYU-Pathway Worldwide, while Daniela’s mother inspired her to enroll. "Thanks to BYU-Pathway," Daniela said, "my English improved, I was given a leadership role, and my pay doubled." Both earned BYU-Idaho degrees and traveled here for graduation.
Elder Deiter F. Uchtdorf has said, “For members of the Church, education is not merely a good idea—it’s a commandment.” [1]
Kathy and Daniela are powerful examples of this truth. They show us that pursuing an education isn’t just a personal goal—it’s a spiritual act. Let’s talk about why that matters.
Here’s a scripture that applies to you: “O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.” [2]
We often bring this scripture out to share with missionaries when they leave for their missions—but it applies to you, too. When you seek an education, you are serving God. You are preparing to serve Him for your entire life.
Service to God doesn’t start with a mission call or end with a homecoming talk. It begins with your first kind words and never ends. Serving God is part of our baptismal covenant. One of the qualifications for baptism is “having a determination to serve him to the end.” [3] You are preparing to become Relief Society presidents, stake presidents, nursery workers, ministers, wives and husbands, moms and dads.
So when the scripture says, “See that ye serve Him with all your heart, might, mind and strength,” [4] it includes this phase of life—your education. Right now, you are serving God by striving to get the best education you can.
And here’s something important to remember: a great education doesn’t depend much on the school you attend or the professors you have. It depends far more on how you choose to engage in your learning.
Overview
Today, I want to share some powerful principles I've learned as a curriculum designer that connect learning science with the gospel of Jesus Christ. My hope is to inspire you to become both better students and better disciples of Jesus Christ.
Here’s what we’ll explore together:
- The “line upon line” principle
- Desirable difficulties
- Internal vs. external motivation
- Our secret weapon: the Holy Ghost
The “line upon line” principle in school and in life
One of the principles I’ve seen confirmed both in research and in the gospel is this: growth happens gradually. In a world where we desire instant gratification, this is sometimes hard to accept.
When I was in college, a classmate once told me they didn’t need to study the night before a big test; they went out to the movies instead! That caught my attention. I asked how they did it, and their answer wasn’t a secret—they simply studied a little each day. [5]
That idea lit a fire in me. In college, I was a crammer, and I didn’t like it. As a freshman, I scheduled all my classes back-to-back like I was in high school. Afterward, I went home and crashed—so much for my good intentions to study. But by my junior year, I had learned to schedule my classes in a way that worked better for me: class, break, class, break. After each class, I used the next hour to study what I had just learned and all the material from earlier in the semester.
When test day came, I didn’t have to cram. I went to the movies instead—and the test was easy. You can be that person, too.
This idea of studying a little at a time also applies to how we learn gospel principles.
Nephi taught us, “For behold, thus saith the Lord God: 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.” [6]
Just like we spread our academic learning over time, we can do the same with spiritual learning. Add a drop at a time. I try to find ways to invite the Spirit throughout my day, by listening to podcasts, reading a scripture, or listening to a song.
“By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.” [7] Consistent, small efforts—both academically and spiritually—lead to deep, lasting growth.
(After each major section of my talk, I’m going to give you questions to think about. Listen to them, and if you find one question inspiring, consider acting on the prompting you receive.)
Here is a first round of questions for you to consider:
- Do you give yourself grace, knowing that it takes time to become perfect?
- Where are you wasting small bits of time that could add up to something meaningful?
Desirable difficulties in school and in life
Now that we’ve talked about steady, consistent effort, let’s explore why learning doesn’t always feel easy—and why that’s actually a good thing.
There are good and bad study techniques. Bad techniques fool you into thinking you’re learning when you’re not. These are called illusions of competence. [8] Good study techniques, on the other hand, move information into your long-term memory—that’s what we call learning.
As a freshman, I often "studied" in ways that felt productive but left me unable to recall information by the end of the semester. Have you ever felt that way?
Bad study techniques include rereading textbooks, redoing homework, and skimming notes. When you reread, your brain recognizes the material and assumes you know it. But this familiarity only uses short-term memory, leaving you empty-handed on test day.
Real learning happens when you practice pulling information out of your brain. This is called retrieval practice. [9] It’s not comfortable, but it works. Here are some techniques that build long-term memory:
- Flashcards (and yes, you can make flashcards for every class, even math)
- Quizzing someone and having them quiz you
- Working with a tutor
- Taking practice quizzes (using AI to quiz you is a great way to do this)
As you use these methods, your brain might rebel. It may say, “Wow, this is uncomfortable. I don’t like this! This isn’t working.” But that discomfort means you’re learning. You’re doing the hard work of building long-term knowledge.
Learning scientists call these challenges desirable difficulties [10]—and they don’t just apply to school.
Spiritual learning works the same way. When life gets hard, it’s tempting to think we’re doing something wrong or that God is far away. But just like a good study session leaves your brain stretched, the trials of life stretch your soul. And that stretching—that spiritual struggle—is how God helps us to become more like Him.
When life feels hard, it’s not a sign that God has abandoned you. It’s a sign that you’re in the middle of learning something eternal. He’s helping you move knowledge from your head to your heart, and He’s changing you.
The Lord spoke to Joseph Smith about this truth while he was suffering in Liberty Jail. In Doctrine and Covenants 122:7, we read, “And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers … if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; … and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.” [11]
Look around your classes—most people are dealing with something hard, probably even you. That’s why we need to show patience and treat each other with grace.
We also need to show that same patience to ourselves. When a new challenge shows up in my life, I say, “Buckle up—it’s time to learn some more!” Knowing that trials help us grow makes it easier to be patient with them. And remembering that we can turn to Jesus Christ for help makes it possible to get through even the hardest trials.
I love how Sister Linda S. Reeves put it: “It is my personal feeling that the reward is so great, so eternal and everlasting, so joyful and beyond our understanding that in that day of reward, we may feel to say to our merciful, loving Father, ‘Was that all that was required?’ … What will it matter … what we suffered here if, in the end, those trials are the very things which qualify us for eternal life and exaltation in the kingdom of God with our Father and Savior?” [12]
Struggling through hard things isn’t a sign of failure—it’s a sign that you’re learning and becoming more like your Father in Heaven. A friend in my ward, when I ask him how he’s doing, always answers, “Struggling wonderfully.” So please, keep struggling wonderfully!
Here are some questions to consider:
- What bad study techniques can you get rid of? What good study techniques can you start using?
- Do you turn to the Lord when life is hard? Or do you turn to yourself?
Internal vs. external motivation in school and in life
Alongside how we learn, it’s important to understand why we learn. Let’s look at what motivates us, and how that affects both our education and our discipleship.
In learning science, we talk about two different kinds of motivation: external and internal motivation.
Grades are a great example of external motivation. You might work hard to earn good grades, but do grades truly reflect what you’ve learned? Sometimes. Only you and God really know whether you learned something or just went through the motions.
Internal motivation is different. Being motivated internally means you want to learn because you enjoy it, because you’re curious, because you want to know. We all have things that we enjoy learning or that come naturally to us. For me, it’s math. For some of you, it’s definitely not math, but there’s something else that lights you up. Figure out what those things are and lean into them!
Internal motivation is a much stronger force for learning than external motivation. If we compare the power of external and internal motivation, external motivation is like riding a scooter to class, while internal motivation is like driving a sports car to class and parking on the sidewalk outside the Taylor Building!
Sometimes we expect our professors to motivate us. But if you’re waiting for someone else to excite you, then you’re giving away your agency. You’re letting yourself be acted upon instead of acting. [13]
Sure, professors will try to motivate you with grades, deadlines, energy, and dazzling lessons. But if you’re waiting for them to entertain you, you’re relying on a weaker motivation. When you choose your own motivation, you’re choosing the more powerful path.
So, how do you find your own internal motivation?
- Connect learning to your purpose. Why are you here? What kind of person do you want to become?
- Adopt a growth mindset and stay curious. Say, “I don’t know this yet, but I will.” Ask questions and chase ideas that interest you.
- Take ownership. Don’t wait for someone to push you. Choose to engage.
- And most of all, find the joy in learning. It really can be fun.
I love the story Jesus told about the prodigal son.
The son wanted adventure and a good time, so he took his inheritance and left for a distant country. There, he wasted everything in “riotous living.” When the money ran out, he found himself starving—feeding pigs and longing to eat the food they were eating.
That’s when something changed, something clicked. This is one of my favorite scriptures. It says, “He came to himself.” [14] It’s like a light turned on. Before that, he was just going through the motions, led by his natural desires. But at that moment, he started listening with his spiritual ears. I believe the Holy Ghost was teaching him because he was finally ready to learn.
Are we like that sometimes? In life or in school, are we just going through the motions, driven by pressure, deadlines, or fear? Or are we tuning in to the Spirit and asking not just, “What does God want from me?” but, “What do I want to give to God?” That’s where your true “why” begins.
As a teacher, I can only do so much to motivate my students. I can encourage, I can guide, but I can’t make them engage. It’s their choice. It’s hard to watch students who don’t try, because there’s nothing I can do except love them and pray for them. They need to “come to themselves.” And when they do, everything changes.
This applies to all of life: how we live the gospel, how we connect with others, how we serve God. Are we just checking boxes, or are we truly present and wanting to grow?
When your “why” comes from within—and aligns with God’s purpose—you unlock powerful learning and true joy in your life.
Here are some questions to consider:
- When was the last time you felt true joy when learning something? What made that moment different?
- Why are you here at BYU-Idaho? And what does God want you to become?
Our secret weapon: the Holy Ghost
We’ve talked about strategies and mindsets, but none of it compares to our greatest resource in learning: the Holy Ghost.
What a blessing it is to be at BYU-Idaho! Here, we begin class with prayer. We invite the Spirit to teach us. And we talk openly about something that learning science doesn’t study but heaven does: learning by the power of the Holy Ghost.
When I was a student at BYU, I had the opportunity to study abroad at the Jerusalem Center in Israel. We went on some incredible field trips. East of Jerusalem, the hills are dry and bare. Bedouins live there, raising sheep and goats, much like their ancestors in Jesus’s time … except now they have cell phones.
Our teachers told us to watch for a Bedouin leading his sheep by walking in front of them. It would make a great photo—and a powerful image of the Savior, the Good Shepherd.
During one bus ride, we saw a long line of sheep moving in single file up a hill. We all scrambled to one side of the bus with our cameras, ready to catch this perfect photo opportunity.
But when we reached the top of the hill, we were surprised to see the Bedouin walking to the side of the line of sheep. Confused, we looked for who the sheep were following. As we came over the ridge, we all laughed—the sheep were following a donkey!
That moment made me ask: Who am I really following? Am I following the Good Shepherd, or just the crowd in front of me? It’s easy to move through life on autopilot, doing what everyone else is doing, what makes me feel good, assuming we’re heading in the right direction. But sometimes, like those sheep, we might be following a donkey and not even know it.
To truly learn by the Spirit, we need to be intentional about who and what we follow. The Holy Ghost is always ready to teach us, but we have to be listening. That doesn’t always mean sitting quietly with scriptures in hand, though that’s important. It also means filling our lives with things that invite the Spirit: music that lifts, conversations that matter, service that stretches us, and meditative moments where we ask sincere questions. When we live like that, we aren’t just learning for a test or a grade, we’re learning to become better disciples of Jesus Christ and become better able to serve Him.
The Spirit is the ultimate teacher, and He will point you to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the ultimate source of truth. He is “the way, the truth and the life.” [15] The job of the Holy Ghost is to teach us of Christ. He will lead us to follow Christ if we will let him. The one thing I want to say to everyone, the one thing I want to shout from the rooftops, is that Christ saves: He saves you; He saves me; He saves everyone who is willing to be saved. And He does this because He loves us with a love that we cannot comprehend. If you’ve ever felt lonely or unloved or lost or hopeless, He’s reaching out to you; He wants to help you. He’s there for you; you just need to reach up and accept His help.
Here are some questions to consider:
- Are you choosing actions that invite the Spirit to guide you, or are you doing things that drive the Spirit away?
- Are you following others who follow Christ?
So remember, in your educational journey, you are embarking in the service of God. Serve Him by being patient with your learning, embracing difficult things, finding your internal motivation, and seeking after the Holy Ghost.
Whether you’re a campus student, online learner, single, married, or a parent returning to school, don’t do it halfway. Don’t give half your heart or half your mind. Serve Him with all your heart, might, mind, and strength, and He will bless you for choosing Him. I know these things are true. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Two Principles for Any Economy,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2009/10/two-principles-for-any-economy.
[2] Doctrine and Covenants 4:2.
[3] Doctrine and Covenants 20:37; see also Mosiah 18:10, 13.
[4] Doctrine and Covenants 4:2.
[5] Althea Need Kaminske, “Time Management: What is it, who has it, and can you improve it?,” Learning Scientists April 15, 2020, https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2020/4/16-1.
[6] 2 Nephi 28:30.
[7] Alma 37:6.
[8] Coursera. “Overcoming the Illusion of Competence: Effective Ways to Retain What You Learn,” https://www.coursera.org/articles/illusion-of-competence.
[9] The Learning Scientists, “Learn to Study Using Retrieval Practice,” https://www.learningscientists.org/retrieval-practice
[10] Melissa Pound, “Hard Isn’t Bad—the Science of Desirable Difficulties,” The Institute for Performance and Learning, https://performanceandlearning.ca/blogpost/1880447/381614/Hard-isn-t-Bad-the-Science-of-Desirable-Difficulties.
[11] Doctrine and Covenants 122:7.
[12] Linda S. Reeves, “Worthy of Our Promised Blessings,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/worthy-of-our-promised-blessings.
[13] Mosiah 2:26.
[14] Luke 15:17.
[15] John 14:6.