Thank you for those who have shared prayers and scriptures and their musical gifts with us this morning and for that beautiful musical number.
Good morning, my brothers and sisters and friends. I humbly stand before you today with a prayer in my heart that the Spirit will attend us and speak to us individually what we need to hear.
As was mentioned earlier, I started working on campus over 23 years ago; what a blessing this has been for me and my family. I started working on campus as a painter in the maintenance department. I have enjoyed making many friends within the facilities shops and have gained a lot of satisfaction in helping maintain the appearance of this beautiful campus.
I have also had the blessing of being able to go back to school and finish what I started so many years ago. With patience, a lot of effort, and support from family and friends, I graduated in 2020 with a degree in Construction Management.
I currently work in the Construction Services Department and truly enjoy applying what I have learned while I continue to learn more about the process of construction on campus.
I have had the blessing of working with so many talented and dedicated men and women who work tirelessly to make a place where you and I can come and enjoy all that benefits us on this beautiful campus.
I have had opportunities to build relationships with full-time employees of BYUI and outside contractors that I cherish. Much of what these great people accomplish is often unheard of and unseen, but the fruits of their labors bless all who come to this campus.
My experiences on this campus started many years before my employment here. Let me explain. My parents came to this part of Idaho in 1962 with the oldest two of their six children. My father was a recent graduate of BYU in Provo and took an opportunity to move to Southeast Idaho to work as a seminary teacher. With guidance from a loving Heavenly Father, my father was given an opportunity to work at what was then Ricks College. He worked for over thirty years in the Austin Building as a professor in Construction Management.
Dad was a skilled carpenter and woodworker; he loved working with his hands and creating all kinds of things out of wood. He especially loved working on the lathe and created some very unique and beautiful pieces of art. I recall spending many hours as a youth in the wood shop of the Austin building, where I watched, admired, and learned so many things by watching him.
Dad had an eye for potential, I was always amazed at what he could see in a piece of wood that may not have been noticed by an untrained eye. He had a vast knowledge of what species or grade of wood could potentially produce the most durable product or the most eye-catching grain pattern.
As I returned from my mission and experimented with my first college classes, some of them, of course, being taught by my dad, I thoroughly enjoyed once again being mentored by him in the wood shop and attempted to learn some woodworking skills.
At that point in my life, I had my eyes opened to see other qualities that my dad possessed: he saw the potential and beauty within people, students and co-workers alike; Dad loved people. It became more obvious to me that the time my father had spent working on this campus had helped him become a better disciple of Jesus Christ.
As I watched my father eventually finish his career on this campus and also his earthly mission, I reflected on the words of King Benjamin in Mosiah 2:17: ”I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” [1]
Dad loved building things out of wood, and Dad loved building people. He served many students over the years and gained lifelong friendships with them and the other people he was blessed to work with. More importantly, my father set a lifelong example of the importance of always building upon good things, with discipleship of Christ as the goal. My Dad understood the mission statement of BYU-Idaho “to develop disciples of Jesus Christ who are leaders in their homes, the church, and their communities.” [2]
Brothers and sisters, I have always been interested in the process of building or constructing. It brings me joy to see projects, large or small, come together and leave something tangible that can be enjoyed or benefit others. I see so many similarities in construction and the process of journeying through our mortal experiences here on earth while striving to live the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Brothers and sisters, we are all builders. For as long as God’s children have inhabited this earth, there has been a need and a commandment to build. We each are witnessing God’s kingdom increasingly being built upon this earth. With over 300 temples dotting the globe, new churches, and a continual flow of remodels and updates to Church properties all over the world, we are builders.
Some of the greatest builders that come to my mind are found in the scriptures: Noah built an ark, [3] Nephi built a ship, [4] the brother of Jared built barges. [5] I can imagine Noah on a bright sunny day, without a cloud in sight, looking at the raw materials he had available and the crude tools he had to work with and trying to fasten boards, or planks, or possibly even trees together to build what would become the ark—what a daunting task.
In a similar way, the degrees, careers, and life goals we each are pursuing may appear to be as overwhelming as the ark was to Noah. Some of us in this room are finishing our first semester or our last; some are starting a new job, here or elsewhere; and some of us may be finishing out our careers and feel that we still have something more that we can build. The opportunities to build seem to be endless.
We, like Noah, are builders. And with faith, patience, and continual communication with and trust in our Heavenly Father, we can keep building, one piece at a time, “here a little and there a little,” [6] taking courage in the words of President Russell M. Nelson to “let God prevail.” [7]
We have also been taught by Elder David A. Bednar to anchor our foundations of what we build on Christ: “The sacred covenants and ordinances of the Savior’s restored gospel can be compared to the anchor pins and steel rods used to connect a building to bedrock. Every time we faithfully receive, review, remember, and renew sacred covenants, our spiritual anchors are secured ever more fully and steadfastly to the ‘rock’ of Jesus Christ.” [8]
I believe Noah, Lehi, the brother of Jared, and each of us are examples of being anchored in Christ but being prepared and willing to test our work of faith. We launch into unknown territory and prove that what we have built with the Lord's help will surely float, facing waves like mountains and, at times, being swallowed up in the depths of the sea. [9]
Physically building new buildings or remodeling is a constant in the Church, and that is evident on our campus as well. The physical structures of our campus are vital to creating space where learning can take place and the Spirit can be felt. I hope we can all feel the love and the trust that our Heavenly Father has in us as we share our time here at BYUI.
Similar to what I mentioned about my dad seeing potential in different pieces of wood and the students he was able to teach, our loving Heavenly Father knows each of us individually and has given us so many tools to help us reach our full potential.
Elder Deiter F. Uchtdorf has taught us, “ When Heavenly Father looks upon us, His children, He sees us for who we truly are. He knows everything about us—our fears, despair, and our loneliness. He also knows and rejoices in our faith, righteous desires, and triumphs. He celebrates the times we have overcome obstacles—whether those be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. But mostly, He knows our infinite potential. He sees the best version of us, the glorious person we have the potential to become. … As you follow our beloved Savior, your faith will grow. Your confidence will wax strong. And, one day, you will surely know that your efforts were worth the journey. You can do this. Believe. Choose to follow the Savior. Draw near to your Heavenly Father, and He will draw near to you.” [10]
Brothers and sisters, one of the most rewarding outcomes of what I have the opportunity to help with on campus is to see thoughts and ideas turn into designs and blueprints and ultimately transform into physical things that can be seen and touched with our own hands. Some of these projects may seem simple or insignificant, but all have a special purpose.
One of the projects that I have been blessed to be involved in was completed at the end of the last semester. Located just east of our roundabout between this building and the Taylor Building stands the BYUI monument. Working with an architect and talented contractors was a pleasure as I watched this monument go from a design on paper, to a hole in the ground, to a beautiful finished product that can be enjoyed by all who come to this campus.
I would like to share a small video clip of the day that we were installing the letters of this monument. This was the moment that all involved were waiting for, the moment of truth, when all the design and measuring and building would be tested for accuracy and precision. It was the icing on the cake.
Brothers and sisters, I believe it was no coincidence that the last letter to be placed that day was the letter U. I know that letter stands for the word university, but for a small moment that day, I had a great impression of that letter representing YOU, representing each one of US. This was the letter or piece of that project that made it complete. I was given confirmation that day of the value of each person who has come, is currently attending, or will continue to come to this campus seeking to build in spirit and wisdom. Heavenly Father loves us so much and gives us so many opportunities to be builders and help in making his plan complete.
One crucial aspect of building that I notice as a common thread throughout successful projects is the constant need for good communication. In construction terms, there is a document called an RFI. This stands for Request For Information. There are always things that come up during construction that were unknown or unseen at the time the project was designed. These challenges must be addressed and worked through with all parties involved in order for progress to continue. Thanks to many talented professionals who are focused on solutions, RFIs are a starting point to transform what may appear as stumbling blocks into stepping stones that help us achieve a better-than-expected finished product.
Our path in life can be strewn with many obstacles or questions that would require us to submit an “RFI” to our loving Heavenly Father asking for clarification, a complete change of direction, or confirmation that we are headed in the right direction for our best final outcome. Brothers and sisters, prayers to our Heavenly Father are directly connected to the success we will have not only as students or employees, but also as wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, and builders in the kingdom of God.
Sister Tracy Y. Browning gave a beautiful description of the process of seeking answers from the Lord in her October conference talk: “The Lord’s method of teaching is ‘line upon line, precept upon precept.’ We may be required to ‘wait upon the Lord’ in the space between our current line of understanding and the next yet to be delivered. This sacred space can be a place where our greatest spiritual conditioning can occur—the site where we can ‘bear with patience’ our earnest seeking and renew our strength to continue to keep the sacred promises we have made to God through covenant.” [11]
Brothers and sisters, I have noticed a pattern in the scriptures that accompanies those who have been tasked to build great things. The brother of Jared is a great example of this pattern. In Ether 3, we read of the brother of Jared climbing to the top of the mount to “cry” unto the Lord. The brother of Jared recognized and expressed his weaknesses before the Lord. He showed humble gratitude and pleaded for continued mercy from the Lord as he presented the stones that, with the Lord’s touch, would become the sources of light in the barges that soon would travel across the great seas.
We each have been so blessed right here in Rexburg to have the opportunity to humbly go to “higher ground”—the higher ground I’m referring to is the temple.
Our prophet, President Nelson, promised each of us in our last conference, “Regular worship in the temple will help us. In the house of the Lord, we focus on Jesus Christ. We learn of Him. We make covenants to follow Him. We come to know Him. As we keep our temple covenants, we gain greater access to the Lord’s strengthening power. In the temple, we receive protection from the buffetings of the world. We experience the pure love of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father in great abundance! We feel peace and spiritual reassurance, in contrast to the turbulence of the world.” [12]
Some of the greatest physical buildings we will ever see with our physical eyes will begin with breaking ground and signing contracts, but the greatest of all buildings that will last into the eternities begin with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
We have been taught that the Lord loves effort and he loves to communicate with us through the Holy Ghost. Prayers produce promptings, and promptings produce actions.
Brothers and sisters, I would like to leave each of us with an invitation. We have a golden opportunity right in front of us. General conference will be this weekend. Today, and every day, is the time to submit our RFIs or questions to our loving Heavenly Father that we may have about things not seen, or direction, or confirmation. As we humbly petition the Lord through prayer, we will receive answers through the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
We have an opportunity to be taught by brothers and sisters who are seasoned experts in all aspects of spiritual building; they are special witnesses of Jesus Christ. I know that we each have a work to do and that the Lord sees our potential and finds joy in helping us build testimonies of things that stand the test of time, things of an eternal nature, that will bless future generations.
In closing, I testify that God loves us perfectly and knows our divine potential. I testify that God hears and answers prayers, and that, through daily prayer, we can receive promptings from the Holy Ghost to guide us on our covenant path. I testify that by entering and serving in the temple, we are on that “higher ground” where we can be closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and gain confidence and direction to continue to be builders in the kingdom of God. I testify that there are messages waiting for each of us from the Lord that we can hear this weekend during general conference.
Brothers and sisters, we are builders, building our discipleship in Christ. I leave you with this revelation that was given to Joseph Smith in September of 1831 that applies to each of us today: “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.” [13] In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Mosiah 2:17.
[2] BYU-Idaho, “Mission Statement.”
[3] See Genesis 6.
[4] See 1 Nephi 17,18.
[5] See Ether 2.
[6] 2 Nephi 28:30.
[7] Russell M. Nelson, “Let God Prevail,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020.
[8] David A. Bednar, “Be Still, and Know That I am God,” Liahona, May 2024.
[9] Ether 2:24–25.
[10] Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Freedom to Become,” BYU-Idaho Speeches, March 1, 2020.
[11] Tracey Y. Browning, “Seeking Answers to Spiritual Questions,” Liahona, Nov. 2024.
[12] Russell M. Nelson, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” Liahona, Nov. 2024.
[13] Doctrine and Covenants 64:33.