To stand at this pulpit in the presence of such a concentration of devoted, righteous graduates, parents, and loved ones is to be filled with gratitude and appreciation. I am deeply moved as I contemplate what can occur in the coming years from what you graduates will do with what you have learned at this unique university. You have the potential for making critically important contributions throughout the world. You can form eternal families, orient and raise righteous children, strengthen a host of professions, give caring service, and be a potent force for good in a world that desperately needs it. You can share the message of the Restoration by precept and example.
With profound feelings of thankfulness I warmly greet each one of you we honor at this commencement service. Each has met the lofty standards of personal worthiness and academic achievement to qualify to be at the Brigham Young University in Idaho. You have kept strict standards of righteousness. Through many long, arduous days and nights of devoted study, exacting testing, and other rigorous qualifying effort, you have well earned the degree that will be conferred. You have not only attained an outstanding secular education, but you have done it while meeting the highest standards of integrity and spirituality. I am truly humbled to be in your presence.
You are unique among graduating students in the world for having been schooled in this Church university. Therefore, we expect of you future accomplishments far beyond those asked of a graduating class elsewhere. We are extremely proud of you. Your presence here indicates you are a singular man or woman of great value and potential. You have found among your fellow students enduring friendships with others of noble characteristics similar to yours. Your preparation here has provided an exceptional foundation for you to accomplish worthwhile ambitions and realize much good.
Most of you have been supported by noble parents and family and some by a loving spouse. You have been encouraged by a most competent faculty where individual instructors have become impressive sources of professional knowledge as well as worthy role models. Often the devoted staff has eased the way through the bewildering challenges of a college education. All of this activity at BYU—Idaho has been guided by an exceptionally gifted university president, Kim Clark.
I will use an example familiar to each of you to emphasize the importance of what is now occurring in your life and how to benefit the most from it. Consider the impressive launching of a spacecraft. This is the culmination of a tremendous combined effort of planning, training and hard work. It is likewise the beginning of a journey that will place its astronaut crew at their destination where they will fulfill their worthwhile assignments. When the mission is completed the spacecraft will facilitate their return with honor.
An enormous structure, called the gantry crane, supports and aligns the rocket. It provides essential functions as the rocket is prepared to begin its path into space. A vital umbilical cable connects the rocket to the control center and monitors the readiness of critical systems and performs functions essential to the safe launching of the astronaut into the desired orbit. As the countdown proceeds, fueling is completed, support systems are checked out, and the operational condition of every significant system is carefully verified. As the moment of launch approaches, the gantry crane is moved aside, the umbilical cord disconnected, so that, at launch, the pilot is virtually in complete control of his destiny.
In recent weeks you have been experiencing a similar countdown to a very real launching into the orbit of life, where you have substantially increased control of your destiny. Your parents, loved ones, university professors and priesthood leaders have performed support functions similar to those of the gantry crane. For the obedient, the Holy Spirit has provided direction from the Lord as from a divine control center. With this commencement program, you are launched into the trajectory of life. You have increased freedom as well as increased responsibility for your decisions.
Consider an astronaut programmed for a launching to the moon to accomplish a vital mission there. What would you think if, as he begins his journey impressed by his personal control of the power of the gigantic rocket that propels him into space, were he to radio to earth saying: "I am in command now. I don't want to listen to anymore of your directions. I am going to do what I please. By the way, I'm not going to the moon, I'm going to Mars." Certainly that decision if not rectified, would prove fatal. All his preparation and training together with the tremendous direction and support of others would be wasted unless he follows the trajectory for which he has been prepared. Be certain that the freedom of choice you now have is used wisely, productively by continuing to live righteously to enjoy the guidance of the Holy Spirit to achieve your worthy goals in life.
In the early days of the space program, skeptics often criticized the plans to place a man on the moon by observing that no matter how carefully executed the launching, the smallest deviation from the true path would cause the astronaut to miss the target by enormous distances. The project engineers responded that the astronaut would be given the ability to detect even the smallest deviation from the true course as well as the power to take corrective actions to return to it.
Father in Heaven has given you incomparably powerful gifts of discernment. Our Father’s plan of salvation marks the trajectory to growth, fulfillment and happiness in life. As a worthy member of His Church, you have the promise of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. I testify, therefore, that you can be inspired to know what to do in every important-phase of personal and professional life. Moreover, I know that you can receive power from God to expand your faculties and strength to accomplish His inspired will. I have repeatedly enjoyed such blessings.
You may remember, that on one occasion, the crew of a spacecraft in return flight toward earth encountered a severe challenge. They had extended solar panels to convert energy from the sun into electrical power needed for the re-entry. This equipment jammed as they tried to store it. They realized that unless the panels could be retracted, the resistance they would create in the earth's atmosphere at reentry would cause their capsule to veer out of control and be destroyed. Unable to correct the situation themselves, they communicated with the control center. Through the night, design engineers labored with similar equipment until the cause of the malfunction was identified and a corrective procedure developed. This information was communicated by radio to the astronauts. Their obedient compliance to these instructions corrected the error and saved their lives.
As you use the newly acquired freedoms that begin this day, you will likewise encounter challenges in your life that will test severely your strength and ability. You will find that the education you have received at this campus will provide great capacity to resolve some challenges. You will confirm that your education is a key to help you open the doors of opportunity. You will likewise prove that it is not, however, a guarantee for success. It must be coupled with hard work, consistency and, above all, inspiration and power from a loving Heavenly Father. Like the astronauts, you will find some challenges that can only be resolved by communication with Him and by being sensitive to the impressions that come as a result. Faithful obedience to those spiritual promptings will protect, guide, motivate, strengthen, and crown your efforts. You will find success, joy, and happiness for yourselves and great blessings for those whom you serve.
I close with a few concrete suggestions for you who graduate today. They are simple yet profound. They are drawn from the doctrine of the Lord and personal experience that has brought happiness and success to my dear wife, Jeanene, and to me.
Use Correct Principles. From the teachings of Jesus Christ, establish a set of guiding principles for your life, and never compromise them. Difficulties in life begin when small deviations from true standards are made to justify a quick move to a greater accomplishment. Over time, that pattern brings failure. Strength comes from making no exceptions to foundation principles. Without such guidelines, an individual lives for the moment, making decisions according to current circumstances. Such an one is doomed to violate eternal truths and lose by rationalization many of the marvelous opportunities of life that bring great achievement and happiness.
Exercise Faith in Jesus Christ. It is understandable that you feel some anxiety about your future. Because you are exceptional young men and women the Lord will accelerate your growth by giving you experiences that will stretch your current capacity to the limit. Let your predominant attitude be faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, confidence in His teachings, trust in His ability to keep His promises and reliance on His capacity to inspire, motivate, and guide you. Stay close to Him through faith and obedience. Then, through the Holy Ghost, He will help you find the solution to every perplexing problem you will face. The answers to major challenges will likely come after considerable prayer and pondering. Usually, portions of the answer will be given a piece at a time until the full answer is received.
Have an attitude of continuing happiness. The challenges you face, the growth experiences you encounter, should be like temporary scenes played out on the stage of continuing peace and happiness. Don’t become so absorbed in a single event that you can’t think of anything else. Challenges are not intended to be the substance of life. It is by understanding and the teachings of God that your life will fulfill its glorious purpose. That perspective keeps challenges confined to their proper place—stepping stones to further growth and attainment. Life should be wondrously beautiful.
Establish a home and family. Make your home a haven of peace free of conflict and dissention. It is in your own home where the gospel is most effectively taught and lived. Make the place where you live, no matter how humble or temporary, the embodiment of a clean and righteous environment where the Spirit can dwell and guide you.
Make one of the highest priorities of life the formation of an eternal family. Then live to permit the Lord to guide you to that objective while accepting His timing. Some of you have begun to reach that sacred objective as wife and husband. Others are in the process of finding that special eternal companion. Some of you may have feelings that you will not have such a blessing. Do not cheat yourself that way. Decide now to live to be led to an eternal companion.
Trust in the Lord. Be obedient to His counsel. Follow His commandments, and you will be filled with inspiration and power. You will obtain goals beyond your personal capacity. Do not judge your potential by what you are today, but by what you can become under the guidance of the Lord.
Material things do not of themselves produce happiness and satisfaction and the joy of attainment on earth. Nor do they lead us to exaltation. It is nobility of character, that fabric of inner strength and conviction woven from countless righteous decisions, none of which is difficult to make, that gives life its direction. A consistent righteous life produces an inner power and strength that can be permanently resistant to the eroding influence of sin and transgression. Your faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His commandments will strengthen your character. Your character is a measure of what you are becoming. It is the evidence of how well you are using your time on earth in this period of mortal probation.
Be honest and loyal. Keep your word and keep your commitments. If your responsibility is to provide an income for a family, acquire work with good leadership in a field that really matters. Give more than is expected. With your background from this university, minimum or average work is not acceptable. Admit mistakes when you make them, for we all do. That act builds character and also respect. Accept full responsibility for your actions.
Live so as to be trusted. Trust opens wide the gate to exceptional opportunity and success. Seek to be challenged in what you do. Don’t look for a safe haven where you have no risk, for you will not grow nor have real satisfaction. Do not compartmentalize your life into segments that apply to profession, Church, and family with different standards for each segment, as is done in the world. Live uniform high standards of truth, integrity, and hard work. That pattern will bring success in every aspect of life.
Follow Proper Traditions. Some traditions fortify families others severely challenge them. Let the traditions you make part of your home bring blessings by making your first priority your membership in the Church of Jesus Christ and His teachings the foundation of your life. Where family or national traditions or customs conflict with the teachings of God throw them away. Where traditions and customs are in harmony with His teachings, cherish and follow them to preserve your culture and heritage.
Smile. Everyone has problems, but nobody wants to know about yours. Smile a lot. It’s a beautiful way to let sunshine into your life and to spread it to the joy and benefit of others.
Don’t complain. There will be times when life just isn’t fair. Some others may make unfair decisions that affect you professionally or otherwise. Don’t waste time complaining. Life is charged with opportunity when you seek the help of the Lord to find it. Look for the gold nuggets of opportunity around you, mine them, and use them.
Serve others. Immense happiness comes from serving others selflessly. Always have a Church assignment. Always. Don’t request specific callings but ask to be used so that you are constantly connected to the reality of eternal truth. That effort will keep your life in balance.
Express Gratitude. The Lord has declared
“And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments” (D&C 59:21).
Give thanks for the Atonement. Peace and happiness are the precious fruits of a righteous life. They are only possible because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
I testify that with unimaginable suffering and agony at an incalculable price, the Savior earned His right to be our Intermediary, our Redeemer, our Final Judge. Through faith in Him and receipt of the required ordinances and covenants you can earn your right to the blessings of eternal marriage made possible through His Infinite Atonement and qualify through continuing obedience for the glorious privilege of eternal life in the Celestial Kingdom with qualified loved ones.
Today as you commence the balance of your life, recognize that the Lord has placed divine influence in your life that will lead you along the individual plan He would have you fulfill here on earth. Through much prayer and pondering seek through the Spirit to identify and carefully follow that influence. It is most easily identified by humbly seeking the will of the Lord.
I have spoken from my heart because of the appreciation and love I have for each one of you. My desire is that the counsel given will not only benefit you who graduate, but you who continue your education at this exceptional university.
As an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ I invoke a blessing upon each one of you, conditioned on your faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His commandments, that the Lord will guide you through the Holy Ghost to make the correct choices in important decisions you now face, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.