Enjoy Every Day--Live This Day

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"Enjoy Every Day - Live This Day"
Elder Larry W. Gibbons

April 9, 2002

In preparing for this devotional, I have been thinking a lot about my own days in school. I loved being in school. I loved being a student. I trust that you understand what a wonderful part of your life this is. I hope you treasure every day, every week, and I hope that you would never have the attitude, "I can't wait to be finished with school". That would be unfortunate. Remember, "Live this day-today is the very life of life". Too many students are looking for a better set of circumstances to really be happy. Don't wait for a different time of life when you have graduated, when you are engaged or when you live in a place where the winters are warm. Don't fall prey to the "things will be better when" syndrome. School is wonderful. Graduation will have its' own challenges. George Plimpton, in a talk given to the Harvard Seniors in 1977, said "Stop now. Tell them you won't go. Go back to your rooms. Unpack!" So-enjoy every day-live this day-these are golden days.

This item once appeared in the lost and found column of a small Midwestern newspaper: "Lost dog-brown fur. Some missing due to mange. Blind in one eye. Deaf. Lame leg due to recent traffic accident. Slightly arthritic. Goes by the name Lucky." You are "lucky" to be here. This is true. However, BYU-Idaho is much luckier to have you here. This is true! Just look at who you are.

You are literally a son or daughter of God. That is reality. In other words, we might say that you have a sort of spiritual DNA that is divine within you. That is your true nature. Furthermore, we know that you were among the most faithful and valiant in the pre-existence. That is clear from a proper understanding of the scriptures and statements of modern prophets.

Therefore, your spirits know what it is like to be in the company of God and Christ and to be righteous, honorable, and virtuous.

That is one reason, by the way, why, for you, wickedness never can be happiness. You know too much to be happy or comfortable with any degree of sin or wickedness.

Yes, you know too much. Your spirits have experienced too much to be happy with anything less than total honesty, total virtue, and total integrity. You will not be comfortable and at peace inside with anything less because of who you are.

Moreover, you have your freedom. You are bright. You are healthy. Your potential is unlimited. What a magnificent foundation for achievement. Yes-BYU-Idaho is indeed lucky to have you.

With that promising pedigree, it is surprising to me that so many students lack confidence in themselves. It is surprising that so many of you don't understand how good you really are.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said "What lies behind you (in other words, mistakes that you may have made in the past) and what lies ahead of you (in other words challenges that may lie ahead) pale beside what lies inside of you."

In thinking about my own college experience I have thought about what was going on inside of me when I was where you are. I believe I spent way too much time worrying about my own abilities, my mistakes, the long-term future, and even what was going to happen to me tomorrow. I was fearful about a good many things. I hope that you are better than I was, but I believe that too many of you worry that someone else is smarter, better looking or just plain better than you. I felt that way.

I believe that too many of us let fear influence our feelings about who we are and about what we are capable of accomplishing. This isn't right. This isn't healthy. This isn't as the Lord intends. In 2 Timothy 1:7, the Lord says "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

God has not given us the spirit of fear-it comes from another source. And, the Lord has said that there is no need for us to fear.

Some of you may be fearful, for example, about past mistakes: "How good am I really if I do things like that" you say to yourself.

Some of you worry about your ability to handle future challenges that you see on the horizon and this makes some of you fearful.

Now brothers and sisters there are serious challenges and significant trials that may come along. These are real. I understand how some of you might have some fearful moments. We don't know for sure what is around the corner. Uncertainty is indeed part of the fabric of life.

One of the greatest adventures that I have had was riding a raft on a five day trip through the Grand Canyon. I was fascinated by the wild scenery, the awesome rapids and the whole adventure of it all. I was also very interested as we traveled through the canyon to read excerpts from the diary of John Wesley Powell, who lost his arm in the Civil War and was the first man in modern times to take a boat through the Grand Canyon.

One of the excerpts from his diary, dated August 13, 1869, portrays his apprehension about what lay ahead, but in truth is not a bad summary of the uncertainty that is a part of all of our lives. He wrote, "We are now ready to start on our way down the great unknown. We have got a month's rations remaining. We have an unknown distance yet to run, an unknown river to explore. With some eagerness, some anxiety and some misgiving we enter the canyon below and are carried along by the swift water."

Isn't that a pretty good description of life. We have some eagerness and we have some anxiety and we really don't know what is up around the next bend. It is a frightening experience to be on a raft in a canyon and hear the low powerful roar of what you know are going to be huge rapids just around the next canyon bend. One of the rapids "the Crystal Rapids" had a 40 foot standing wave at the time we ran it.

Sometimes the rapids we encounter are of our own doing-and at other times the Lord gives us rapids that Elder Neal Maxwell calls "customized tutorials" to help us grow in certain ways. And sometimes, the rapids are simply a result of being in the midst of mortality.

But, there is no reason to be afraid. There must be some uncertainty in life to allow us to use our agency and grow. Remember, there is no growth without agency. Without free agency we are puppets. But, there is no free agency without risk. Therefore, there can be no true growth without risk. The uncertainty is necessary; it's part of the plan. We can't keep both feet on the ground and move forward.
A psychiatrist friend of mine described life this way "We come from a climate controlled, warmly cushioned womb where we are fully protected and every need is met automatically. From which we are thrust out rudely into a cold, harsh world where the first thing that hits us is a firm slap on the fanny and from thence forth we have to fight for our own air. Many of us spend the rest of our lives with our thumb and blanket in hand, wandering around looking for a place to plug in our umbilical cord."

As we face some of the harsh realities of life and the real obstacles that are there for us to overcome, we often make matters much worse by imagining difficulties that never materialize. We are afraid of what might happen in the future, but it is unproductive to spend time fretting and worrying about what "might" go wrong. I love the story of Abraham Lincoln and the Fox River. Abraham Lincoln, as a young lawyer, was traveling through Southern Illinois on the circuit. In his own words, he tells the story "Many years ago when I was a young lawyer and Illinois was little settled, I and other lawyers used to ride the circuit; from county seat to county seat in quest of business. Once after a long spell of pouring rain which had flooded the whole country, transforming small creeks into rivers, we were often stopped by the swollen streams which we with difficulty crossed. Still ahead of us was the Fox River, larger than all the rest, and we could not help saying to each other, if these streams give us so much trouble how shall we get over Fox River? Darkness fell before we had reached that stream and we all stopped at a log tavern, had our horses put out, and resolved to pass the night. Here we were right glad to fall in with Methodists' presiding elder of the circuit who rode it in all weather, knew all its' ways and could tell us about Fox River. So we all gathered around him and asked him if he knew about the crossing of Fox River. Oh yes he replied, I know all about Fox River. I have crossed it often and I understand it well. But, I have one fixed rule with regard to Fox River. I never cross it until I reach it."

Good advice.

Some of us are afraid of failure. Donald Kennedy, a former President of Stanford, said at commencement in 1986, "Nothing is so corrosive to the spirit, nothing is so discouraging to the development of human potential, as the fear of failure. And conversely, nothing is so liberating as the knowledge that failure and its most feared consequences are not so very dangerous to your health after all. That is the most reassuring single bit of experience that I have to share with you. Please believe it because more than any other single attribute, controlling the fear of failure will allow you to control your destiny. So, go for it."

"Wherefore be of good cheer and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you..." (Doctrine & Covenants 68:6)

President Kennedy also said, "Believe firmly in your own excellence"-Actually, he said "Believe firmly in your own excellence-but keep it strictly to yourself." Confidence in yourself is a wonderful trait. It will help you to avoid the fear of failure.

I went to school with a young man who taught me a great lesson about self-confidence. He was not the smartest person in the class by any means. He was not the hardest working member of the class. He had fun and I think probably wasted some time like the rest of us did. But, he had wonderful self-confidence. I recall one day he said to me "Larry, if I don't believe I can do it-if I do not have confidence in myself-how can I expect others to believe in me and have confidence in me." This student, who did not start out as a brilliant academician-went on to an outstanding career in Academic Medicine, became Dean of the school and has risen to a very high office in the church-a sign of the confidence that the Lord has in his abilities.

So, overcoming fear has a lot to do with building confidence in yourself. "Therefore be ye strong from henceforth. Fear not for the kingdom is yours." (Doctrine & Covenants 38:15)

Don't feel sorry for yourself if you have a few trials and a few setbacks along the way. It will make you better. If you realize what the Savior went through-a sinless man who never hurt anyone and who never said anything wrong, but suffered the most incredible persecution and torture-none of us ever have the right to say, "I don't deserve this."

And, don't compare yourself with others. They may have had more or less opposition, more or less trial, more or fewer hurdles than you. Your mission is different than theirs. Life is a mission, not a career.

I would like to share with you two of the best ways I have learned in my life to build confidence in yourself and overcome your fears. (1) I remember Dave Bennion. He and I used to double date in college. We had some wonderful outings to the beach where we would make homemade ice cream or to eat at Fisherman's Wharf . Once after a double date, Dave pulled me aside and said-not in any way boasting, "When I come home from a date it is a wonderful feeling to look myself in the mirror and know that I have kept the standards of morality. It is a great feeling inside to know there has been no problem in crossing the line-that I am clearly on solid ground. It feels good just to look myself in the mirror and know that there are no problems with morality and chastity."

Remember Doctrine and Covenants 121:45 "Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly -- then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God". This is a principle with a promise.

Thank heavens for the Dave Bennions of the world.

One of the most damaging ideas of our current culture is the idea that everyone is doing it, so it is really all right.

Set your own standards -- don't let anyone else set them for you. You are different! You are the salt of the earth. How does the salt lose its' savor? When it stops being different.

Elder Robert D. Hales said in an article in the February Ensign, "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."

You have heard the story of the young man who said to the young woman "If you would lower your standards I would go out with you." She replied, "If I went out with you I would be lowering my standards."

Benjamin Franklin said "There are those who fear more the being out of fashion than being in hell."

Remember, you know what it is like to live in celestial mansions. You will never be content in the shack of "everyone else is doing it".

So, personal virtue and maintaining high moral standards, I believe, is essential to self-confidence and overcoming fear.

Secondly, I believe that personal honesty is critical to your own sense of confidence, and overcoming fear.

Early in my freshman year in college, I was feeling somewhat lost and inferior and sat down and put together a list of the people I admired most. As I looked at that list of the people I really looked up to and tried to think about what character traits that they might have that I might emulate, I came to the conclusion that the one most prominent common denominator among all these people I admired was personal honesty! We don't like to be around people who are dishonest. And, how can we like ourselves and feel confident about ourselves if we are not honest inside. Dishonesty brings about fear and then mistrust in personal relationships. Being honest builds confidence and self-esteem. To feel good inside-to like what we see inside-to have self-esteem and not be afraid of the future-we must be honest.

I remember an experience at the passport office in Dallas. I needed a passport and didn't really have time to go to the passport office, so I tried to squeeze a trip in during lunch hour. I raced to the passport office and was disappointed to see a long line. I decided that I could save time by filling out the application while I was standing in line. I filled it out completely and was aware that the line as moving fast enough that I was going to get my passport application certified and get back to the office on time. There was one blank that I had difficulty with. It said "Write in the name and phone number of someone who should be reached in case of emergency." I had already written in pen my brother's name, but realized that I didn't have his phone number with me. Fearing that an empty blank would prevent a faithful government employee from giving me my passport I took my best guess at the number without a great deal of confidence that it was true -and prepared to pay my money and hand in the application. After all, nothing was going to happen to me on the trip anyway. All went well until the passport clerk took my money and said, "Please raise your right hand. Do you swear that everything on this application is completely true." I had a deep feeling of discomfort in the pit of my stomach. I looked her in the eye and replied ,"Everything is true except my brother's phone number." She said "what." I said I am not sure my brother's phone number is correct. I didn't have it with me so I guessed. She burst out laughing and called the other clerks and said, "Hey you have to hear this." They all had a good laugh. The phone number was whited out and I did have my application approved.

You may have heard the story of the two medical students who took a long weekend to go off together and study for a final. Studying took a backseat to the fun they were having and eventually they headed back for campus realizing that not only hadn't they studied a bit, but they were going to be late for the final. The two of them concocted a good story and then went to see the professor. They explained that they had been studying hard, away from campus, but they had a flat tire on the way home. They found they were without a jack, were unable to get help and thus were late for the final. Would it be all right for them to take the final in a few days? The professor thought carefully and then agreed that it would be all right.

At the agreed time he met the two medical students and put them in separate rooms with the test booklets. The first student turned over the first page. First question, 5 points, name the two branches of the left main coronary artery. The student thought-this going to be easy-left anterior descending and circumflex. He turned over the page. Second question, 95 points, "Which tire."

Keep your word. Do what you say you will do. This will build your self-confidence. Sir Thomas Moore said, "When a man takes an oath, he is holding his own self in his own hands like water. And if he opens his fingers, then he needn't hope to find himself again."

So, be virtuous. And, be honest. And, if you do that, there is no need to be afraid and there is no need to fear. Do not let fear cloud your confidence and your vision.

"Fear not little children for you are mine and I have overcome the world and you are of them that my father hath given me." Doctrine & Covenants 50:41

Chastity and honesty are two of the most important commandments, not only because they are critical in building our self-confidence and self-esteem, but because they affect others so deeply if we do not live them.

But in reality, because of who you are, the only way for you to overcome your fears and be confident and at peace inside of you is to live all of the commandments. Not living the commandments brings a deep insecurity.

The only true security in life comes from living the commandments.

Self-esteem, self-confidence, success, and happiness are all built on this simple foundation of living the commandments. In July of 1972, there was a single adult conference held in Denton, Texas. President Joseph Fielding Smith taped a message on Friday to be delivered at the conference on Monday. He died between Friday and Monday. Thus, these are some of the last words that he ever spoke in mortality. I think that they carry tremendous wisdom. "Now my young friends, as I stand at the edge of eternity I want you to know that in my years on the earth I have found great joy and happiness. I have tried all my life to be a humble servant to the Divine Master and to keep His commandments. This has brought transcending happiness into my life. As his shepherd, I counsel you to be obedient. Keep the commandments."

And, then this counsel from President Heber J. Grant-even more firm. "There is but one path of safety to the Latter Day Saint, and it is the path of duty. It is not a testimony, it is not a marvelous manifestation, it is not knowing that the gospel is true, that it is the true plan of salvation. It is not actually knowing that the Savior is the Redeemer, and that Joseph Smith was His prophet that will save you and me; but it is the keeping of the commandments of God, living the life of the Latter Day Saint. It is not a testimony, it is conversion!"

I am old enough that when I went on a mission all the missionaries were set apart by general authorities. A newly ordained apostle who had just been called to the Quorum of the Twelve in October Conference of that year put his hands on my head and said among other things, "There will be clouds-but the sun will come out." When I am faced with another patch of dark clouds on the horizon I am always grateful for that personal blessing and reminder given by Elder Gordon B Hinckley. The sun will come out. There will certainly be times when things look dark, but that is an opportunity to build your faith. Without a little bit of darkness there is no opportunity to build faith. Remember, some uncertainty is part of the plan. President Packer said "Faith, to be faith, must center around something that is not known. Faith, to be faith, must go beyond that for which there is confirming evidence. Faith, to be faith, must go into the unknown. Faith, to be faith, must walk to the edge of the light and then a few steps into the darkness."

Now back to 2 Timothy 1:7

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

The most important reason we have no need to fear is because of the atonement. We need not fear physical death. Because of the atonement, all of us will be resurrected. No one will remain in the grave. And, we have no need to fear spiritual death. Un-repented sin leads to spiritual death which is a separation of our spirits from God. Because of the Atonement, we can be as clean and pure as the day of our baptism as we repent and partake worthily of the sacrament. We have no need, therefore, to fear sin or evil.

These verses from 2 Nephi chapter 9 give us great confidence in the future.

"Oh how great the goodness of our God who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster death and hell, which I call the death of the body and also the death of the spirit. (i.e. physical and spiritual death)

And because of the way of the deliverance of our God, the holy One of Israel, this death of which I have spoken which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave.

And this death of which I have spoken which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its' dead which spiritual death is hell; wherefor death and hell must deliver up their dead and hell must deliver up its' captive spirits and the grave must deliver up its' captive bodies and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to another and it is by the power of the resurrection of the holy one of Israel." 2 Nephi 9:10-12

And, we need not fear poor health or physical disability because of the atonement. Alma 40:23

"The soul shall be restored to the body and the body to the soul. Yea and every limb and joint shall be restored to its' body; yea even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame."

I know that the atonement is a reality. I know that Christ has overcome physical death and spiritual death.

Last year we went to Israel. My wife was talking to one of her Jewish friends before we left. They were talking about some of the sites in Israel. The friend said, "Even though I am Jewish I did see some of the Christian sites in Jerusalem. For example, I saw the place where Jesus is buried." Something inside my wife literally shouted in objection, but she answered calmly "He isn't buried there anymore. He isn't there."

We visited the empty tomb in the garden. It is empty-He is not there-He has risen. I know that not because I have visited the garden tomb, but I know that because of a thousand sweet, sure, confirmations through the Holy Ghost. I do know that Jesus Christ lives and he is who he said he is, the Son of God. I leave you that witness and a fervent plea to always remember who you really are, and how good you really are, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.