At this long awaited and very important rite of passage in your life, Sister Clark and I extend to you our congratulations and our love.
My purpose today is to look ahead briefly at the opportunities before you and to give you three principles to guide you in the years ahead.
Brothers and sisters, because you live in the dispensation of the fullness of times, you will have many wonderful and many very challenging experiences. With that future in mind, we have sought to prepare you to become disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ and leaders in your families, in the Church, and in the world around you.
As I think about your future, I rejoice! I know all about the problems out there, but I know you have been prepared for “such a time as this.”[1] This is your time. The Lord Jesus Christ is moving in power all across the earth to prepare His kingdom for His return. You will play important roles in the homes and wards and stakes of His kingdom. You will play important roles in your communities and in your work. This is your time.
In your time, the gap between the world and the Church will grow. he differences we see today in morality, values, and behavior will get bigger. In light of what is coming and in light of the great work the Lord has for you to do, I would like to give you three guiding principles for your time:
Don’t let the world get into your heart.
The world and all it offers can be very, very attractive. But don’t be fooled. Don’t let pleasure, or thrills, or money, or career, or position, or power, or toys, or the honors of men get into your heart. They can get there very easily if you are not careful. Follow the counsel of the great prophet Jacob:
But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.
And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.[2]
In your time, build your life around the Savior, His church, and His holy temple. Build it around your family, prayer, scriptures, and service in the kingdom. Don’t let the world get into your heart.
Follow the Prophet.
Many of you learned this in Primary. You sang: “Follow the Prophet; he knows the way.”[3] That is not just a nice thing for Primary kids to sing. It is true, and it will be very, very important in your time.
Do you remember the story of Naaman, the Syrian general stricken with leprosy? He went to Elisha the prophet to be healed:
And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.[4]
Elisha told Naaman to do something that made absolutely no sense—go wash yourself seven times in the River Jordan. Naaman resisted until his wise servant persuaded him it was worth the effort. Naaman, of course, was healed. Prophets know the way.
In your time following the Prophet may sometimes be like the story of Naaman. The Prophet may ask you to do something or to go somewhere that doesn’t make sense to you. My counsel is not complicated: Follow the Prophet. Pray about it, and then follow the Prophet.
Keep the Spirit with you.
When you become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. As the Savior taught:
. . . unto them I have given power that they may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost. . .[5]
The Gift of the Holy Ghost means that the Holy Ghost may be your constant companion. You must be worthy; but if you are, the privilege is yours.
In your time, the power of the Spirit will be essential to everything you hold dear in your life. You will need the guidance, strength, and comfort that comes through the Holy Ghost. You will need the gifts of discernment, wisdom, and knowledge (and all the other gifts and powers of heaven) that come through the Holy Ghost. And you will need the purifying, sanctifying, healing, cleansing, and strengthening power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ that comes to you through the ministry of the Holy Ghost.
Brothers and sisters, the Spirit is so important in your time and in your lives. Keep it with you. Don’t do anything or go anywhere that would drive the Spirit away. Do everything you must do to keep the Spirit with you.
In closing, I want to leave you with a request: When you leave here today, please take the Spirit of Ricks with you. Please take BYU–Idaho and what it means and what it stands for with you.
You now represent the university. I hope and pray that wherever you go, whatever you do, people around you will see in you the principles, the purposes, and the spirit of BYU–Idaho.
My dear brothers and sisters, I know that God, our Heavenly Father, lives. His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. This is His work, His church, and His Kingdom, restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Thomas S. Monson is the Prophet of God today. You have a great work to do in the kingdom. This is your time. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Esther 4:14
[2] Jacob 2:18-19
[3] Children’s Song Book
[4] 2 Kings 5:10
[5] 3 Nephi 12:1