I would like you to take a minute and look around. Really, look around you. Have you ever sat here in this space and just marveled at the people around you? The size of the BYUI center itself is noteworthy, to say the least, but I marvel at the people. Since the day Elder Eyring came to dedicate this building, and I was sitting right back there with an incredible panorama of all the people (it was just a little more full that day), I have not been able to look around this space and not be deeply moved by the potential power to do good in the world. The impact that all of you will have on the world is literally awe-inspiring.
As I have thought about the impact you will have, three of Christ's parables or analogies have come to my mind. These three analogies all seem to speak to the same topic, but have very interesting and insightful variations between them. I have been interacting with students here at BYU-Idaho for over five years and have become more and more convinced of the applicability of these analogies to you specifically. I would like to talk with you about Christ's parables of salt, light and leaven.Let me start with salt.
Salt of the Earth
In Matthew 5: 13, Christ tells his gathered disciples:
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
The Lord needs us, his disciples, to be the salt of the earth. But what does he mean by this? What really is he asking of us? I think the second part of his statement helps us understand better what it is he needs. He refers to the salt losing its savor or its flavor or losing its usefulness. When salt loses its flavor, it is no longer distinguishable from other minerals. It has lost its distinctiveness and becomes similar to the other elements it is surrounded by. When this happens it can no longer be used to impart flavor to other food items and no one wants it.
So it is with us. When we allow ourselves to lose our distinctive flavor, the Lord can no longer use us to attract his children to his gospel. When we become indistinguishable from the world that surrounds us, we become less effective instruments in the Lord's hands. This happens when we look the same, dress the same, speak the same, act the same, think the same, and entertain ourselves the same as the rest of the world; we have lost our flavor and the Lord cannot effectively use us for his purposes.
Elder Robert D. Hales said, "As Latter-day Saints we need not look like the world. We need not entertain like the world. Our personal habits should be different. Our recreation should be different."[1] As the world moves further and further away from the standards the Lord has set, we have the opportunity to hold our own course, to set ourselves apart, to be different. The Lord needs us to be different so others can sense or "savor" that difference and desire to follow.
Light of the World
Just after directing his disciples to be the salt of the earth, Christ used a different analogy and directs them to be the light of the world.
In Matthew 5:14-16 He says:
"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."
"Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house."
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Here Christ speaks of two different effects this light has. He speaks of a city on a hill; a city that can be seen at a distance. A landmark that people can use to find their way. Something that draws people to itself. If any of you have been camping you know the comfort and help a lantern can be when left lit in a campsite. On numerous occasions I have been somewhat disoriented on a dark night while camping and have felt comforted by seeing our camp's lantern burning off in the distance. I use that light to find my way back to my camp. We are to be that kind of light. The Lord needs us to be that kind of light. It is interesting that in 3 Nephi 12:14 the Lord varies "Ye are the light" and says "I give unto you to be the light." The Lord is not just describing something that is; he is telling us something that he needs us to be and something he needs us to do.
Elder Quintin L. Cook said, "The moral foundation of our doctrine can be a beacon light to the world and can be a unifying force for both morality and faith in Jesus Christ."[2] The Lord needs us to be a beacon light to attract those that seek the truth.
The other aspect of light Christ referred to was that of a candle illuminating all those that are in the house. This is also our opportunity and responsibility. As we act in accordance with the Lord's teachings, we bless the lives of others by allowing Christ's light to be reflected in our lives so others can see that light and be blessed by it.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said, "The most effective way to preach the gospel is through example. If we live according to our beliefs, people will notice. If the countenance of Jesus Christ shines in our lives, if we are joyful and at peace with the world, people will want to know why."[3] As we share with them the gospel, their lives are then filled with light and they enjoy the happiness, comfort and blessings of the gospel--and thus the light is spread.
As the rest of the world becomes darker, we have the opportunity to be a brighter beacon to those that seek the truth--by conscientiously living our lives in accordance with the guidelines we receive from the scriptures and living prophets.
Leaven in the Loaf
The third analogy that I would like to refer to is that used by Christ as found in Matthew 13:33:
The Kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Christ is referring here to yeast being placed in dough. If you have ever made bread you know that a very small amount of yeast is placed in a relatively large amount of dough and the yeast causes the loaf to rise, sometimes lifting the loaf to four or five times its original size. This is another opportunity and responsibility that the Lord give us. President Joseph Fielding Smith said, "While it may be said...that we are but a handful in comparison with...the world, yet we may be compared with the leaven of which the savior spoke, which will eventually leaven the whole world"[4]
Did you hear that last part? We will leaven or lift the whole world! Wow. How do we do that?
The first and most critical element that allows leaven to function effectively is to be in the loaf. How can the leaven lift, if it is not in the loaf? Many of us might think, during these times of increasing evil, that we should take our families and hide out in some small town in Idaho, surrounded by other Mormons. But remember, the world needs us.
M. Russell Ballard gave us this great guidance regarding the topic:
In spite of all the wickedness in the world, and in spite of all the opposition to good that we find on every hand, we should not try to take ourselves or our children out of the world. Jesus said, "the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven," or yeast. We are to lift the world and help all to rise above the wickedness that surrounds us...
The Lord does not need a society that hides and isolates itself from the world. Rather, it needs stalwart individuals and families who live exemplary lives in the world and demonstrate that joy and fulfillment come not of the world but through the spirit and doctrine of Jesus Christ.[5]
So taken together, what might all of this actually look like; being the salt, the light and the leaven? I found a short film made by a church member in New Jersey in November of 2012 that does a pretty good job of demonstrating what this might look like in action. It may not be exactly what you expect.
What a powerfully made video of a powerful example of being the salt, the light, and the leaven. You could see the impact it had on the recipients, they were lifted, they were lit. I was so touched by the video when I first saw it a year ago that it has stayed with me ever since. What a wonderful example of how we can be the salt of the earth, a light to the world, and the leaven in the loaf. We know how to do this--and we do it well.
I also realized that there was meaning here beyond the immediate, descriptive message. I see the events portrayed in this film as symbolic of the spiritual storms we live in and will live in. Many of our inspired leaders use storm symbolism such as the "latter-day storms of darkness and evil" and "darkening clouds of wickedness" to describe these latter days. And to those of us looking, the storm clouds are fairly obvious. One response to the threat of the gathering storm is to be fearful. To attempt to take refuge in our emotional storm cellars. But I would argue that we are not supposed to be hunkered down, cut off from the world. As in this video, we are to be out and helping those more effected than we are by the storm. We are to be the light in the darkness. Elder Boyd K. Packer has said, "We are not to be afraid, even in a world where the hostilities will never end. The war of opposition that was prophesied in the revelations continues today. We are to be happy and positive. We are not to be afraid. Fear is the opposite of faith."
By the way, I'm not sure if you noticed, but there were a few BYU-Idaho t-shirts in that video and it would not surprise me if there weren't a few people sitting in the audience right now that were actually there. That does not surprise me. This is why you are here at BYU-Idaho. This is why BYU Idaho exists--to be a place that teaches us to be disciples of Jesus Christ--a "Disciple Preparation Center" as Elder Bednar described it.
You, we, are in training here to be better disciples of Jesus Christ, better salt, brighter light, stronger leaven. And the ultimate purpose is not so we can say we are better and it is not just for us to be better, but it is so we can better bless the lives of those around us--wherever we are or wherever we are sent. You've all heard the quote by Jacob Spori, "The seeds we are planting today will grow and become mighty oaks, and their branches will run all over the earth." I have such a strong personal testimony of this: you will be sent from here out into the world to do good, to make good, to be a light, and to be the leaven.
As I was interviewing here back in 2008, before I had read Jacob Spori's quote, and I was seeking guidance from the Lord before I made such a significant change in my career and the image crossed my mind of acorns being cast all across this country. And in the place that each acorn landed a tree sprouted and grew. In my mind's eye, I saw these trees grow and become pillars of strength all across the country. Hundreds and thousands of strong, stabilizing trees spread throughout the world.
Brothers and sisters, this is what you will be. I don't mean that as some conceptual, undefined, future possibility. I mean you will be called on to be a stabilizing pillar of strength in less than four years. For some of you it will be in the next three months. You will graduate from this university and you will start your careers, you will start your families, you will be planted throughout this country and throughout the world. I know this because I have seen it every semester for the last five years. You will leave Rexburg and the Lord will plant you in another place and will ask you to be a light in that place, to lift in that place, to be a pillar of strength in that place.
When I was first assigned to speak in devotional, I sent out an email to the students I have taught over the last five years and asked them to share with me what callings they have had and any experiences they have had in building the kingdom and I received back some wonderful stories.
To give you some idea of exactly what you will be doing in the next few months and years, I would like to share some of those stories with you.
Bradon Ballard--Charlotte, NC:
When I graduated BYU-Idaho in 2012, my wife and I moved to Chicago for a job opportunity. There we were immediately put to work in our ward. My wife was in nursery and I was the 11 year old scout leader. I am an Eagle Scout, but to be on the leadership side as a 24 year old was an interesting experience. We were so few in number that we combined two wards together for the sake of being able to actually have enough boys and leaders to have campouts and activities. There were two boys total when we started. One boy from each ward, and they rarely attended the same week. After we got the ward list of the boys in our age group we went hunting for them. There were also a few boys that were turning 11 soon and would help strengthen our numbers. We had the blessing of introducing scouting to many 11 year olds of new converts who had never been involved before and their friends came as well.
We've recently moved from Chicago to Charlotte but on my last night there we had over 12 scouts attending. One of the boys, Juan, turned 12 and became a deacon. We watched him pass the sacrament and fulfill his priesthood duties. We were able to see him grow in his abilities but more importantly his faith. My partner and I picked him up every week because his parents weren't able to get him there each week.
Derik Smith--Idaho Falls, Idaho:
We spent a year in the Boston area getting a Master's in supply chain management. I was part of a small cohort of 36 students and only one other was LDS. It was a very diverse group. The 36 of us came from 17 different countries. Most of my classmates had never heard of the Church and many did not come from Christian backgrounds. In an effort to share the gospel and in response to a prompting, I invited my entire class to our ward's Christmas program. Two classmates accepted the invitation and one was baptized a few months later. We became very close and after finishing the program, he returned to China for work.
John Pearson--Bentonville, Arkansas:
(We) have ... introduced taught and baptized two individuals and escorted them through the temple with their families. Those tories alone have been worth every minute spent here. I hope this...hasn't come across as bragging.
Luke Alley--Lehi, Utah:
Home teacher has probably been where I've felt like I've done the most good. We bought a house a year ago and both my wife and I were assigned as visiting teacher and home teacher to an inactive couple with a new infant. We felt like we should get to know them and become friends before we started visiting as a "church assignment." We started inviting them over to our house for dinner and games, my wife started hanging out during the day with her, and we became friends. Eventually they started i nviting us to dinner, golf, and to just hangout. Counter-intuitively we never brought up church. Then one Sunday about two months ago they just showed up to church! We invited them to class with us, but they declined saying they were "slowly working back into church!" Since then they've started going to all three hours of church and have received callings. They sit by us in nearly every class and seem to feel comfortable. Feels nice knowing you may have been a positive influence on helping someone return to the fold.
None of the stories I have just shared are extraordinary, nothing that most would consider miraculous. But for those few individuals whose lives are lit, lifted, and blessed, the impact is significant. Brothers and sisters, I want you to look around this auditorium again. Can youimagine the good that will come from this campus? When you multiply each of these small stories by the five thousand that are in this auditorium or the more than 15,000 on this campus and 12,000 online students, can you imagine the light that will be released on the world; the combined lifting power of this many disciples of Christ. In the growing darkness of the world, the Lord has created a place where light is condensed and magnified, where the leaven is prepared. It is my testimony that this is why this university exists; this is why the Lord dedicates so much to building and sustaining BYU-Idaho. He needs salt, he needs light, and he needs leaven. So I would ask you, with all the Lord has given us here, all the sacrifices that have been made for us to be here, the growing need the Lord has of our help in these darkening days, are you sufficiently preparing yourselves to be salt of the earth, the light of the world, and leaven that lifts. I leave this question and these words with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Ensign, Feb. 2002
[2] Ensign, Nov 2010
[3] Ensign, May 2011
[4] Conference Report, Oct. 1968, 123
[5] Ensign, May 1989