My dear, young brothers and sisters, it is wonderful to be with you today. I am honored and humbled by this opportunity. In my preparations for this devotional, I have sought the guidance of the Holy Spirit and felt his influence regarding the message I should speak about today. I am thankful for the prayers on my behalf, and in turn pray that the Holy Spirit may be with us this hour, that we may each be taught by the Spirit and know of those things we can and must do to make our lives better.
You are a magnificent sight. I am always inspired by who you are and what you represent. As we sang at the beginning of this devotional, you truly are the Hope of Israel, Zion's Army, and Children of the Promised Day. You have likely heard many times that you are a Royal Generation. You are the future, and from where I stand today, the future looks bright and glorious. These titles are often applied to the rising generation, but my question to you today is: Do you believe them? Do you believe that you actually are a Royal Generation? And do your outward actions and appearance reflect your inner belief in those appellations?
As you ponder on who you are and what you are, I want you to know that I believe in you! I see the goodness you exhibit and know that you have a strong desire to serve the Lord with all your heart, mind, and strength. So, I truly believe that the future is bright, because of you, the Hope of Israel. Now, that is not to say that you will not see struggles and difficulties in your life; on the contrary, you will be tested to the limits of your endurance because your Heavenly Father wants to know what you are willing to do. He wants to know if you will serve Him at all times, in all places, and in all things. Are you willing to do that, now and in the future?
In a few days, some of you will be graduating (hopefully) and leaving this very unique university. Where you are going and what you will be doing have probably already been determined. My hope is that being here has made a difference in your life, that you have allowed the BYU-Idaho experience to change you and the Spirit of Ricks to permeate your life. For others of you, this experience is still very new. My advice is that you take full advantage of being here, and allow yourself to be molded and directed and guided into becoming what the Lord wants you to become.
In this life, it is the decisions we make, the ideas we embrace, the attitudes we uphold, and what we choose to do each day that will in the end define the success of our mortal sojourn. Life truly is a journey, a pathway that each of us must walk. You only get one shot at it, so be cautious in how you spend your time in this life. When we are young, as you are, the end seems a long ways off; we perceive that there is an abundance of time at our disposal and that we can attend to more serious matters later. It is difficult to see very far down the road at what lies ahead.
It is because of that limited vision that it is all the more important to make good choices now, to follow the counsel and advice of our prophets and leaders, who have traveled further down the mortal path and know the pitfalls that lie in your way, and to seek daily to live worthy of the Holy Spirit, so that we may be properly guided and nurtured through mortality. Let the Lord direct you in your life. Trust in Him, seek to do His will, choose to be good, and He will kindly, lovingly, and gently lead you. Your journey may take some unexpected turns, but accept them and trust in the Lord.
Sometimes, especially when we are young, we fear that if we don't participate in certain activities, act in a certain way, or go and see certain events that we are missing out on what life has to offer. But I promise that if you will submit yourself to the Lord and always do His will, He will bless and enrich your life in ways that you cannot see at this time. You will find greater joy and happiness in following the Lord than you will in any earth-bound experience.
To illustrate the importance of making good choices in life, I will use a personal experience. When I was a younger man, not much older than you are now, I enjoyed hiking and backpacking into remote areas. I have always found the beauty and grandeur of nature inspiring and renewing. A number of years ago, two of my friends, Larry and Dave, and I decided to hike the Thunder River Trail off the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This is not an easy hike and it requires very careful planning.
The trail starts at Monument Point, at an elevation of 7200 ft., while the elevation of the Colorado River at its confluence with Thunder River is only 2000 ft. That is a one mile vertical change in elevation over a horizontal distance of only four miles. The hike requires three significant vertical drops, each about 1200 ft., before reaching the Colorado River. Food and water must be carried and cached on the way down, so that you can safely make the hike back out (there is no water above Thunder River).
Our journey began at 4:00 in the morning so that we could reach Monument Point at dawn, just before making the first descent to a flat expanse of slickrock called The Esplanade. My pack was exceedingly heavy with necessary supplies, which made climbing down the steep canyon wall difficult and hazardous. But the panoramic views of the Grand Canyon were spectacular. The next major descent was from the edge of The Esplanade down into Surprise Valley. By the time we had crossed Surprise Valley and were nearing the last major descent, it was late afternoon. It was very hot and there was no shade or breeze to provide relief from the afternoon sun.
At this point in our journey, I noticed that my friend Dave was having problems. A quick evaluation revealed that he was dehydrated and overheated, becoming disoriented and irrational, and in serious trouble. Larry and I knew that we needed to get Dave cooled down and that we needed to do it soon. We knew that we were near the edge of the last steep descent to the Colorado River and that the source of Thunder River was not far away. So, putting Dave between us, Larry and I urged and assisted him along, over the edge of Surprise Valley and down to Thunder River.
The cold water of the river cooled the surrounding air significantly and the trees growing along its banks provided much needed shade. We decided to make our camp here, rather than continuing on to the main campground further down the canyon. We spent most of the next two days near the Thunder River and Dave was able to recuperate before we made the hike back out.
In talking to Dave, I learned that he had gotten into physical trouble because of some choices he had made, both in his preparation and during the hike. The basic problem was two-fold: he wasn't drinking enough fluids and the fluid he was drinking did not contain the necessary salts and electrolytes needed to replace those being lost through perspiration. Although we had all been instructed and warned on this issue ahead of time, he had not followed those instructions, thinking instead that he could get by doing it his own way; a decision that resulted in very serious consequences.
As I have pondered about my experience hiking the Thunder River Trail, I have come to realize that there are a number of similarities to our mortal experience, and I would like to share five things I learned from this experience.
Life is a journey, full of different pathways, and each of us is walking a path of our own choosing.
Our journey actually began long before we were born, while we lived with our Heavenly Father. There we were prepared for mortality and we each chose to come to Earth in the hope of becoming like Him. And our journey does not end when this mortal experience has come to a close. Our time on this Earth is but a brief moment in our eternal existence, much like my time on the Thunder River trail was but a relatively small moment in my life. However, the significance of our time on Earth to our final destination cannot be overstated.
The choices we make here and the path we chose to follow now will determine where we end up after our experience on Earth has concluded. God's desire, purpose, and very existence are centered on helping us return to Him and become partakers of Eternal Life. Each of you has been blessed to come to Earth at this time when the fullness of the Gospel has been restored to Earth, and have chosen to be part of the Lord's Church and Kingdom. Your time here on Earth is not accidental or random, but rather you are here at this time so that you may do the most good in building the Kingdom of God and furthering your own eternal progression.
Of all the trails we may choose to follow in this life, the Gospel Path is the only one that will lead us back to our Father. It is good to stop from time to time and ask ourselves, is that the path that I am currently on? Am I smack-dab-right-in-the-center of the Gospel Path? Or am I straying to the edge of the path, or have I made choices that are leading me off the path? Am I fully embracing His Gospel and teachings, or have I become involved in anything that will take me away from Him?
In his vision of the Tree of Life, Lehi saw and described the Gospel Path. "[I] beheld a strait and narrow path....And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path."[1]
Nephi observed that "...[God's] paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel."[2]
Alma counseled to "walk in [God's] paths, which are straight."[3]
And the Savior said, "...strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."[4]
In these verses the Gospel path is described as being both "strait" (s-t-r-a-i-t) and "straight" (s-t-r-a-i-g-h-t). The words mean different things. The word strait (s-t-r-a-i-t) is a synonym of narrow and is often used to describe a passageway or channel that is bounded or limited in its width, so that individuals or vessels traversing such a passage often must do so single-file. There were places on the Thunder River trail that were very narrow or strait, and required that we walk it carefully. One misstep or the loss of balance, in places, could have resulted in serious injury
Another meaning of the word strait is strict or rigorous, and is often applied to the observance of doctrines or principles. Thus the Gospel Path is often called the "strait and narrow way," implying that the course we are to follow has bounds or limits that must be strictly and rigorously observed. The perfect example of how this is to be done was provided by the Savior, who observed all the laws and obeyed all the commandments required in mortality with exactness. We should strive to do the same, regardless of our imperfections.
The other word used to describe the Gospel Path is straight (s-t-r-a-i-g-h-t) which can mean to follow a direct course without deviation. One of the more challenging portions of the Thunder River trail was crossing the Esplanade. This is a relatively level span of rock that extends for some distance from the base of Monument Point to the precipitous drop to Surprise Valley. The Esplanade posed no immediate dangers; there was no direct risk of falling or being injured.
The challenge was that it all looked the same. The trail was clearly marked but required close attention to stay on it. As we were crossing the Esplanade, we suddenly realized that we were no longer on the trail. Somewhere we had missed the trail markers. Our getting off the trail had happened subtly, most likely because we were not paying attention or because we were distracted and unaware that we had stepped off the path. What followed was a period of intense and diligent searching to find the path again. Once re-found, I marveled at how easy it was to see and follow the path while I was on it, but how difficult it had been to see the correct way while wandering off the path.
So it is with the Gospel, once we have entered it through baptism, we must follow the gospel with strict obedience. We must give constant, daily attention to what we do. We must not be distracted by activities or pursuits that can cause us to step off the path. Deviating from the Gospel Path can have eternal consequences. Nephi warned,
"And now...after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay....Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."[5]
Sometimes we do get lost and end up wandering wrong or forbidden paths that take us away from God, rather than to Him. In the Tree of Life dream experienced by Lehi and Nephi, they both observed that many people left the path because they let go of the Iron Rod, or because they became ashamed of being on the path, and many people were so intent on seeking the things of this world that they never got on in the first place. The key to success in walking the Gospel Path is to listen carefully and give heed to the words of God, which is like holding onto a guardrail made of iron. If we never let go, we will not get lost.
We must also not give heed to the voices of the world that mock and ridicule those who are trying to live righteously. In our world today, those voices are becoming ever more loud and vicious, yet at the same time they are ever more subtle and persuasive. Brothers and sisters, do not listen to them, ignore them, rather heed the whisperings of the Holy Spirit and the words of the prophets, which will lead and guide you in the paths of righteousness. I invite you to make the decision today that you will stay on the Gospel Path for the remainder of your mortal life.
As you walk life's path, make good choices.
Sometimes we make unwise decisions that can have serious consequences. This is what happened to my friend Dave. He made choices, both in regards to his preparation for the hike and his behavior during the hike, which resulted in life-threatening repercussions. He had been instructed beforehand what to do, he just didn't follow those instructions and thought he knew better what he should do. He was trying to do it his own way. Had someone not been there to help him get to safety, his decisions might well have cost him his life.
So it is with each of us as we walk the Gospel Path. We sometimes do not make good choices or we simply rebel against the counsel of those who are in a position to instruct us. The consequences of such actions can put our eternal life in peril, unless we recognize our mistakes and repent of them. That is not always an easy thing but it is vital that we do it. Our poor choices can cause us to become disoriented or confused, and may result in our losing our way. This is especially true if we have let go of the Iron Rod, or the Word of God.
In Dave's case, had he been taking in proper fluids regularly and frequently, it is unlikely he would have suffered physically as he did. Likewise, if we daily feast upon the words of Christ and drink in the truths of the Gospel, it is unlikely that we will let go and wander off the path. But if we rationalize and tell ourselves that daily scripture study and daily prayer are not really essential, or we just don't want to be bothered, it is much more likely that we will become spiritually dehydrated. It is then very likely that we will become disoriented by the things of the world and wander off the Gospel Path.
Is it possible to recognize if we are becoming spiritually dehydrated and disoriented? Yes. Ask yourself some probing questions, such as: Do I have a willing attitude to serve where called, or do I grumble about the things I am asked to do and shrink from doing anything extra? Am I quickly obedient to the quiet, gentle promptings of the Holy Spirit, or do I tell myself that those thoughts and feels are unimportant, silly, or just my own thoughts? Do I diligently abide by the rules and commandments, even if I don't fully understand them or agree with them, or do I make excuses as to why I am not doing what I should be doing? The BYUI Honor Code serves as an example of our willingness to obey, even though we may not understand, comprehend, or agree why it is the way it is. Adam was asked to offer sacrifice after leaving the Garden of Eden, which he did faithfully for many years before learning why he did so. Do you exhibit that same degree of obedience? Do you willingly adhere to the conditions of the Honor Code, or do you look for opportunities and excuses to shed the Honor Code and do it your way? Remember that in this life our Father in Heaven is testing us, to see if we will do all things He asks us to do. There may be times He asks us to do things we don't really understand. Will we be obedient? Will we submit to His will, or try to follow our own desires? The choice is ours.
In this life, everyone is packing heavy burdens.
As I started into the Grand Canyon, it was necessary to carry all the equipment, food, and water needed on the hike. The goal was to eliminate some of that weight along the way, thus making the journey easier. In our figurative journey along life's path, the loads we carry are not literal, physical weights, but rather spiritual burdens that we accumulate along the way, in the form of sinful and rebellious acts. The Apostle Paul said, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."[6] FYI I changed the word fall to come and added the reference. These burdens can spiritually weigh us down, slow down our progress, and make our journey difficult, yet we are often so hesitant to give them up, to change, or to repent.
The invitation from the Savior is to give our burdens to him and to take up His burden instead. He has promised that "[His] burden is light" (Matt. 11:30), but what is His burden? A burden can refer to a load that is borne but it can also refer to a duty or labor that we perform. It might be more accurate to say that we take upon us the Burden of Christ as we seek to perform His duties and His labors.
In describing the true followers of Christ, Alma said they are
"...willing to bear one another's burdens... willing to mourn with those that mourn...[to] comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places...even until death."[7]
I believe that to take up the Savior's burden is to put aside our own wants and desires, to forget about our own sufferings, and help those around us.
During Christ's time in mortality, he set the perfect example as to the things we should do, and the scriptures are filled with suggestions about the things we can do, such as helping the poor and needy, blessing the sick and infirm, visiting the widow and fatherless, comforting the sad and lonely, lifting the hands that hang down, teaching the gospel and bearing testimony to those seeking truth, and many other tasks. Taking up the Savior's burden can be as simple as fulfilling your calling in the Church, as humble as that might be, completing your visiting and home teaching faithfully each month, and attending the temple regularly. Certainly that is not a comprehensive list as there are many other things we can and should do.
The question we need to ask ourselves is do we do them, or do we rationalize our way out of them? As we perform our duties and labors, the weight of our own sorrow and guilt for sin is reduced and we find an increase in joy and peace in our life, despite any physical loads or challenges we may actually carry. Abraham Lincoln said, "When I do good, I feel good. When I don't do good, I don't feel good." Let's commit to doing more "good" and more fully take up the Savior's burden.
Be willing to give help when you see the need and to receive help when you are in need.
Sometimes overcoming the consequences of wrong choices requires the help of others. The problem most of us have is that we want to do it our way, without involving anyone else, and many of us don't recognize that we need help in the first place.
In Dave's case, he was largely unaware that he was in physical danger, but Larry and I both recognized the warning signs and worked together to get Dave out of that situation. To us, at that moment, it was unimportant how Dave got into that situation; the important thing was how to get him out of it. When we make bad choices, sometimes it is necessary, as part of the repentance process, to visit with our priesthood leaders and seek their help in getting us back on the correct path. They will give us guidance and counsel, and may even require specific actions on our part. If your repentance is to be successful, you must heed their advice and counsel.
If you are struggling under the burden of sinful acts, the weight of transgression, the slavery of addictive behaviors, or the sting of hurt feelings, I plead with you to visit with your Bishop. Seek the help of those whom the Savior has placed along the way to assist you. This can be a very difficult step but it is essential. The recovery period might seem long, but if you follow the advice of your Bishop and do the things he asks you to do, you will find yourself more squarely on the Gospel Path.
In addition, when we see others who are making poor choices, or who are wandering from the Gospel Path, we can reach out the hand of fellowship, in love and compassion, to help them and encourage them to make good choices and to return to the strait and narrow path that leads to eternal life. Remember that "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way..."[8] and each one of us needs the power of the atonement to return to the correct way and the right path.
Find joy in your journey and strive to be happy.
Here we are together on this Earth, and it is unlikely any of us will get out of here alive, so try to develop a positive outlook. Practice looking for the beauty and goodness that are around you. Before I started on my hike into the Grand Canyon, I knew it would be difficult and hot and dusty and tiring and long; I knew there would be dangers and possible hazards, but I also knew that it would be rewarding and beautiful, and ultimately satisfying to have completed something so arduous.
I do not believe that we have been placed on Earth to merely endure our time here. The great Creator of this world beautified it so that it might bring joy and happiness to our mortal experience. Take time to enjoy the special moments, the grand vistas, and the subtle beauty of mortality. Take time to pause and smell the flowers (and as a botanist, I mean that literally). Life is all too fleeting (you may not feel that now, but you will) and if all we ever focus on is the negative or the problems we experience, or the difficulties we are having, we will have missed out on one of the most beautiful aspects of God's love for us.
In summary, the five lessons I learned from hiking the Thunder River trail are:
- Life is a journey, and we must follow the Gospel Path without deviation if we are to return to our Heavenly Father.
- Make good choices each day, so we don't become disoriented and lost.
- We must give up our burdens and take up the Burden of Christ
- Be willing to get help from those who can assist us the most, and be willing to give assistance to those who need our help.
- Find joy in the journey and recognize God's love for us.
As I prepared for this talk today, I was impressed by the spirit to share with you another experience. It is a very sacred experience to me, one that I have never shared publicly and rarely in private, but I have felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit that I should relate it to you. The experience came in the form of a dream. Let me preface this by saying that it is very unusual for me to remember dreams, but this particular dream was so impressed upon my mind, that the details of it have permanently remained with me.
In my dream, I found myself in a dark void. I do not know the size of the space but my perception was that it was immense, seemingly without boundaries. In the distance, I noticed a narrow, vertical conduit of light, stretching out of sight in both directions. As I approached this conduit I found it to be filled with people, dressed in white robes, and moving upwards or downwards. Some were drifting, moving very slowly, and seemingly oblivious to where they were or what was going on. Others were moving more quickly, and a few were progressing quite rapidly upward. These last ones seemed very intent on what they were doing and the direction they were headed. In my observations, I noticed that no one was stationary. All were in some state of motion.
The scene then changed and I saw that this conduit of light extended upward to an immense and glorious mansion. It was of a golden hue and radiated light. I observed that it was composed of different parts or sections. At its core was a small section that shone with a brightness far beyond any of the other parts of the building. Entrance into that small, central portion of the mansion was through a single doorway that was watched over by a guardian. As I approached that doorway, the guardian instructed me that this was the abode of the Eternal God and of his Son, Jesus Christ. It became apparent to me that the conduit of light I observed represented the pathway to eternal life and that the purpose and objective of that pathway was to provide access to where our Father in Heaven lives. I then realized that entering into His presence is fully dependent on our choices in this life, that it is through our actions and desires that we choose, and that relatively few would make the choices necessary to qualify them to live in the presence of the Father and the Son.
In this life, we cannot ignore the commandments of God or follow forbidden pathways and then expect to be admitted into the abode of God and live with him. We cannot sneak into heaven, hoping that our poor choices and sinful acts will somehow be dismissed without having done all we can in this life to repent of them. Our progression towards eternal life depends on the daily attention we give to achieving that goal. In the pathway that leads to Eternal Life, some are merely drifting, not really paying much attention to the details of their progression. Others are making moderate progress but could be doing better. Still others are progressing rapidly by diligently seeking to incorporate gospel principles into their lives and being totally submissive to the Father's will.
As you review your life, how would you evaluate your progress? Is it upward or downward? Is it fast or slow? Sometimes it can be difficult to measure our progress, but may I suggest that if you are honestly seeking to do the things you should be doing, and are willing to shun the world and live by the truths the Father has revealed through his prophets, that you are making good progress. Your challenge is to keep living in this manner, daily seeking to do what is right, and submit to the will of the Father until He sees fit to call you home. That might be for a very long time. Are you up for the challenge? I have confidence that you can do it, and offer you my encouragement to keep moving forward, to remember who you are, and to make good choices. As you go forth from this place, you do not know and cannot see what lies ahead of you, but your Father in Heaven knows. Always have a willing heart; always be submissive to the Spirit; always seek to do the Lord's will and you will be blessed and guided in your efforts.
I conclude by returning to our opening hymn, "Hope of Israel," and reading the last verse:
Soon the battle will be over;Ev'ry foe of truth be down.Onward, onward, youth of Zion;Thy reward the victor's crown.Hope of Israel, rise in mightWith the sword of truth and right;Sound the warcry, "Watch and pray!"Vanquish ev'ry foe today.[9]
My dear brothers and sisters, I express unto you the love I feel for each of you and commend you for the righteous choices you have and continue to make. You are the Hope of Israel, Zion's Army, Children of the Promised Day. I leave you with my witness of the Living Savior. I know that he is. I know that this is His gospel, His church, and His kingdom. Of these things I testify, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] 1 Nephi 8: 20-21
[2] 2 Nephi 9: 41
[3] Alma 7: 9
[4] Matthew 7: 14; 3 Nephi 14: 14
[5] 2 Nephi 31: 19-20
[6] Romans 3:23
[7] Mosiah 18: 8-9
[8] Isaiah 53: 6
[9] Hymns, no. 259