Dear Brothers and Sisters, I am delighted to be with you today and to have the opportunity to visit with you in your devotional. Life offers many wonderful surprises to us, and this is one of them for me. Never, in my wildest imagination would I have thought I would speak to students at BYU-Idaho. I am so grateful to be here and appreciate the invitation to speak.
My husband, Dean, and I have been reading the Book of Mormon this year--not only because it's the course of study for Sunday School--but because we are actively engaged now in preparing to leave in September for our mission. As we have read the accounts of the people given by the Book of Mormon prophets, we have once again been amazed at the patterns of living exhibited by these individuals. You've seen it too: humility and blessings; pride and apostasy. Sometimes I just want to say to them, "Don't you get it? Can't you see what you're doing? Why don't you stop!"
During one of our reading sessions, we came to the chapter in Helaman where we first learn of Helaman's sons, Nephi and Lehi. In Helaman, chapter 3, we read: "And it came to pass that he had two sons. He gave unto the eldest the name of Nephi, and unto the youngest, the name of Lehi. And they began to grow up unto the Lord."[1] In later chapters, we learn, of course, why these boys were given these names by their father: "Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good. Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them"[2]
As we read further into Helaman, we learn that not only did these boys grow to adulthood knowing, loving, and serving the Lord, but that they stayed in the same path throughout their lives. It is to this idea--this staying put, staying true, enduring--that I want to devote my visit with you today.
I imagine that many of you here today--perhaps even most of you--have grown up in homes where you have been taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even if you are the first generation in your family to have embraced the gospel, I imagine that you grew up knowing about and/or feeling spiritual yearnings. But now, you are on your own. All of us, sooner or later, grow up and leave the places that have nurtured and cared for us. I lived at home while attending college, and it was only when I began teaching school and my parents moved, that I had to start being grown up and live on my own. Candidly, it was a hard time for me. I lived in an apartment with very few creature comforts, a roommate who went home every weekend, and a car with standard shift that scared the wits out of me to drive! I had very little money, no friends close by, and had it not been that Dean and I became engaged and married during that fall, I am not sure if I would have endured the situation very well at all. My church experience occurred regularly, but it came because I went back to my old home ward each weekend. Sundays were my lifeline to friends and to the Lord. Maybe I wasn't as grown up as I thought I was.
This growing up time--transition time, some would call it--often is a defining experience for us in our commitment to the Gospel and to remembering what we know and have been taught. Those of you who are returned missionaries, have prolonged to some degree, the time when you must make the decision about your gospel commitment. Obviously, a mission enhances your commitment, but frankly, does not always guarantee that you will endure; that you will continue to grow up unto the Lord. The world, as you know, offers both blatant and subtle enticements. The subtle sirens are the ones I fear most. Television, movies and the internet are where I have most observed the ability of these sirens to entrap us. For example, television comedies frequently depict individuals--often single--who are engaging in a life of "me-ness" and in a lifestyle that is by the standards of the Gospel and Church, immoral. And yet, many watch them. And when asked why they watch them, their response is, "They're funny." But I must challenge that answer. As we are trying to live close to the Church and continue our growing up to the Lord, is this kind of show something the Lord would be pleased with? I frankly, don't think He would. I feel the same about shows and activities that enthrone violence and profane behavior as well.
Now, perhaps you say, "Sister Hughes, those shows are only make believe. I don't do things like that, nor would I." Well, in today's world, when many call evil good and good evil, I wonder if we can or even should take those kinds of chances. We need always to ask what we are doing to our spirit. Is the divine within us being nurtured and is it growing or do our actions prevent the spirit from becoming the predominant force in our lives? Living unrighteous lives doesn't take much effort or time, if we observe what happened to the Book of Mormon people. By the time we reach the first chapter of 3 Nephi in our reading of the Book of Mormon, we can see what has once again happened to the people. The Nephites are, for the most part, corrupt; the Lamanites who have become the more righteous group, are falling away as well. Nephi records this, starting in verse 29: "There was also a cause of much sorrow among the Lamanites; for behold, they had many children who did grow up and began to wax strong in years, that they became for themselves, and were led away by some who were Zoramites, by their lyings and their flattering words. . . . And thus the Lamanites were afflicted also, and began to decrease as to their faith and righteousness, because of the wickedness of the rising generation."[3]
We must, all of us, be on guard so that we do not, "become for ourselves." That's an interesting phrase. It implies to me that they looked to themselves first and indulged desires that prophets had warned them to avoid. They yielded to Satan's enticements and allures: his lies and flattering words. At some point in each of our lives, we must make the choice to embrace our faith or to "dwindle in unbelief..." or "willfully rebel against the Gospel of Christ."[4] I am sure the stripling warriors, taught well by their mothers, had to choose to live the gospel; we know that Lehi's children had to choose--and we know what some of them chose.
Brothers and Sisters, I wish I could tell you that there was one magic bullet or a one-time fix to make sure we do not fall prey to these enticements; that our choice would be easy to make and once made, we would never have to think about it again. If there were, we would be set for life. But, there isn't. However, there is a pattern, which if followed, can assure that once we have chosen our Father's plan--regardless of where we might be or what our circumstance might be--we can stay safe; we can stay true. The pattern is not new. Rather it is and always has been the same. You have heard it in every Primary, Sunday School, Young Men or Young Women, Seminary and Institute class you've ever attended. You learned the pattern in your home.
In 4th Nephi, we learn about those who "stayed put" and whose testimony grew: "[They] continued in fasting and prayer, and in meeting together oft both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord."[5] So prayer and fasting is the first part of this pattern. For me, one of the most comforting and assuring parts of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the opportunity and blessing it is to pray. Frequently, we are not in a place where we can vocalize our prayers, but as Amulek teaches us in Alma 34, verse 27: ". . .let your hearts be drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare and also for the welfare of those who are around you." And often, when we read about prayer, fasting is attached with the conjunction "and." These two acts are the means by which we build our testimony.[6] And both of these acts require our time and thought.
I confess that in my life that my prayers have not always been of the kind that required much time or thought. For example, are we sometimes so tired when we kneel at night that we either go to sleep on our knees or simply utter a prayer in which we multiply words and repeat the same phrases we learned in childhood? I have been guilty of both these mistakes. On the other hand, our bishop told us recently about his grandfather who joined the church late in his life and did not, as the Bishop said, "have time to learn the pat and stock phrases of prayer" we so often use. Rather, said Bishop Hight, his grandfather gave thanks for simple things he loved and revered--like the organ in the chapel he met in each Sunday.
In the Priesthood and Relief Society course of study for this year, there is a chapter on prayer and personal revelation. I loved this quote from chapter 10: "A Church member recalled hearing [the Prophet Joseph] pray during a time of great personal difficulty. 'Never until then had I heard a man address his Maker as though He was present listening as a kind father would listen to the sorrows of a dutiful child....There was no ostentation, no raising of the voice as by enthusiasm, but a plain conversational tone, as a man would address a present friend.'"[7] Can't we do the same? Will you also remember President Eyring's counsel to us in October 2007 General Conference to ask ourselves each day, "Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children?"[8] We can recognize and acknowledge these blessings, and give thanks for them in our prayers each day, but that does require us to be observant and thoughtful as we pray.
As we remember our experiences and blessings from prayer, we will also come to more fully understand the power of prayer as a means to keep us growing up toward the Lord. I have invited my husband, Dean, to share with you today his experience with prayer as means to keep us growing toward the Lord.
Dean: When I returned from my mission back in the 1960's, I was going to Weber State, majoring in English and minoring in Philosophy. Two of my favorite professors were men who had grown up as Latter-day Saints but had now "outgrown" their beliefs. They loved to poke fun at the logic or what they considered the logic of the foolish "local culture", as they liked to refer to Latter-day Saints. I struggled with that, but they were brilliant, charming men, and I thought I was strong enough to handle anything they threw at me.
Skepticism seems to come naturally to me, my middle name is Thomas, and under their influence, doubt about my testimony began to grow. I started to wonder whether any of my reasons for believing were valid. I attended Institute classes, but those teachers seemed all "sweetness and light," not nearly so tough-minded and erudite as the two professors on campus.
I came to a time when I wondered whether I believed anything, even whether I believed in God, and I began to admit to myself and ask myself whether I shouldn't really disassociate myself from the Church if I had no more testimony than that. It was the most frightening experience of my life. But a number of experiences helped me at that very point: I met a brilliant professor who was a believer; I met Kathy, and I loved her goodness. And I reviewed my mission and asked myself whether some of those experiences I called "spiritual" were real, and I found that I did believe in them- without trying. I reestablished my trust in what I'd felt, first-hand. But the great realization for me was that if I disclaimed God, and turned toward disbelief, I wouldn't be able to pray. And that's when I knew that I did have a testimony. Prayer was absolutely real to me. I had established a relationship with God that lasted since my childhood. I believed in prayer, and I didn't have to talk myself into that belief. I knew I couldn't live without praying, and that meant I couldn't live without God.
All my life someone had been responsible for me, checking my spiritual readiness. But at that point, I had to grow up. There comes a time in our lives when it's no longer good enough to believe because our parents do, our bishop does, our mission president. We grow up when we accept responsibility not only for our careers, and our goals, our worldly choices, but for our faith. For me--for everyone, really--the first source of faith is the Holy Ghost, whose influence we find in humility and prayer.
And what about fasting? Coupled with mighty prayer, fasting has the power to move heaven in direct and significant ways. Sometimes fasting can bring a renewal of health and strength to bodies weakened by illness; sometimes it can open up minds and hearts to give assistance to individuals who are in need of help; sometimes it can cause droughts and famines to be broken; sometimes it can enlarge our understanding of our lives so that we can begin to change things for the better. And always, fasting can bring us peace--the peace to know that the Lord knows us and understands our needs and hearts. But fasting is not to be done with casualness. As we prepare to fast, we should clearly know why we are fasting and what we desire as a blessing from the Lord. The more specific, the better, because then our prayers can be more focused and our words more clear. Becoming serious in our fasting also makes it easier to fast. Our bodies become subservient to our spirits. And this is what the Lord wants to have happen to us. Used together, prayer and fasting humble us, teach us, and draw us closer to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. They are wonderful acts of faith that will keep us growing up to the Lord.
The next part of the pattern is that "they met together oft both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord." You are so blessed as women and men to be able, here at BYU-Idaho, to have the opportunity to meet together every day in an environment that builds faith. Your professors and friends can speak freely about the gospel and testimony in your classrooms; you have religion classes where testimony is shared; your church meetings are close at hand. Not all people who attend a university have so supportive a situation. And someday, you, in all probability will not be in such a tightly-knit environment of people of your own faith. In some places that I have visited, just getting to church is very difficult and requires a great sacrifice of time and resources. A few years ago I met a woman in Texas who, with her husband, were living only on their Social Security check, and for her it took a lot of budgeting just to have the money each month to buy gas so that they could make the 80-mile round trip to church each week. And yet, they did.
In many areas, the situation is even more difficult because transportation is limited and finances scarce. Sisters Parkin and Pingree and I had the unique experience of being part of a Relief Society teleconference with women who live in the Bush District of Alaska. These women and families, who often live on islands in the Aleutian chain or in remote areas of the state, have food and home supplies flown into them a few times a year. There is not a Smith's food market or Target in their towns. Where there is more than one family who is LDS, they meet together in a home; but most often, they are the only family in their area, and they meet together each week to partake of the sacrament and to hear the word of God. They must do it themselves. The sisters visit teach and share the gospel messages with women they have never met. The internet or a phone is their connection to each other and to the fellowship or sisterhood with the Saints. And yet, in spite of these difficult circumstances, they have made the choice to continue to grow toward the Lord and desire that their children have this same blessing and opportunity.
Now, I want to add something else to this pattern--something that I believe can do much toward keeping us within the embrace of the Gospel and help us to endure and grow. I'm speaking of the temple. This past year I have had the blessing of being an ordinance worker in the Provo Temple. As I have had the experience of being a part of this great work, I have come to realize more fully how important it is to us to participate frequently and regularly in those ordinances. Just as we partake of the sacrament each week to renew our baptismal covenants with the Lord, I believe that participating in the ordinances of the temple reminds us of the importance of our covenants and strengthens us in our power to overcome the evils of this world. Doctrine and Covenants 109 is the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple. Listen to words of the Prophet Joseph as he asks the Father's blessing on those who participate in the temple endowment: "And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants [that's you and me] may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them; [a]nd from this place they may bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ends of the earth, that they may know that this is thy work. . ."[9] Just think of it, brothers and sisters! We can be armed with the Lord's power, the Lord's name will be upon us, the Lord's glory around us, and angels will have charge over us--all of this because we participate in the ordinances of the temple. Certainly, with frequent temple attendance as well as continued righteous living, we are assured of these blessings. I have also been struck this year at how many of the ordinances workers are young college-aged men and women. How wonderful to be united with them in performing this great work! I serve in the early session each Tuesday morning, and sometimes these women are late for prayer meeting and look a little sleepy, but they bound up the stairs, while the more mature ones of us have to hang on tight to the stair railings so we don't trip over our dresses! Their minds, unlike some of us who are more seasoned with age, are more agile, but their smiles and commitment to service is no less sincere and joy-filled. It is a blessing to me to hear the young women I serve with telling me about their lives, their hopes and desires. Age is not an issue among us because we are united in the same endeavor.
But it is not just those who work in the temple who are blessed and whose lives bless mine. Each week I also see and serve sisters who live in one of our local retirement homes. They regularly come by bus, already in their white dresses, to participate in endowments. One of these women is 102 years old. She is amazing! Her happiness and joy at being able to attend the temple is palpable and she blesses everyone she meets. My life has been greatly enriched as I have watched and served with her. The sister missionaries are also an incredible sight to see each week. On their preparation day they come and spend the morning in the temple doing baptisms, initiatories and endowments. Some of them I have gotten to know by name. They are happy, excited, and humbled to serve, but as the time for departure for their field of service draws closer, they also seem to become more serious. The covenants that are reaffirmed to them in the temple each week will help to sustain them when they are discouraged or feel alone. You now have a beautiful new temple here in Rexburg, just-dedicated in February of this year. Use it; enjoy it; let your lives be blessed by it and because of it. There is something each of you can do in the temple. Let temple visits become a regular and frequent experience for you. The temple will then be part of the pattern that will help you to continue to grow up to the Lord.
Prayer and fasting, meeting together often to pray and hear the word of God, temple attendance, (and I hope it goes without saying--studying the scriptures) these, my dear brothers and sisters, are a pattern we can and should follow if we are to remain true and steadfast and grow up to the Lord. And what are the blessings that await us for our faithfulness and our continued devotion to the Lord and His kingdom? Let's go back to the story of Nephi and Lehi, but now let's read in Helaman, chapter 10. In this chapter we see Nephi returning to his home, "downcast" because of the wickedness of the people. In earlier chapters he had revealed to the multitude the name of the person who had killed the high priest. Many had come to believe on Nephi's words because of this knowledge; most had not and had reviled him and scoffed at his message. Now, as he walked toward his home, pondering on what had happened, a voice came to him saying: "Blessed art thou Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou has with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou has not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but has sought my will, and to keep my commandments. And now, because thou has done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will."[10] If you follow the footnote citations for these verses, you discover that unwearyingness means devotion. And devotion means that we stay put; that we endure in faith to the end. But Nephi's blessing is also our blessing as well. We can and will have, just as Nephi, all that the Father has. He is a generous and gracious Father to all who love and keep His commandments. Nephi and Lehi did, and so we can and must. And then the Savior will say of us, as He did to the Nephites during His sojourn among them, "[M]y joy is great, even unto fulness, because of you, and also this generation; yea and even the Father rejoiceth, and also all the holy angels, because of you and this generation; for none of them are lost."[11]
Nephi did not grow weary and he didn't, as the Lord said, "seek his own life." He didn't "become for himself." You will leave college, and you will set out in careers and in building your own families. You'll seek the dreams the world holds out for you, and that's as it should be. But if you seek what the world offers and dismiss what the Lord has in store for you, you'll miss the greatest joys of this life and the life to come. So seek the Lord's will for you, not only your own, and find it in prayer and fasting, find it in temple service, and as the Lord's will is made known to you, stay fast, endure. Grow up unto the Lord.
I bear testimony that Christ lives; that this is His gospel; that we are part of the marvelous work and wonder that is now going on among the children of men. May we desire to and may our actions always keep us faithful and enduring--may we not "become for ourselves," rather may we be the cause of our Father's joy and rejoicing in His children. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Helaman 3: 21
[2] Helaman 5: 6-7
[3] 3 Nephi 1: 29-30
[4] 4 Nephi: 1: 38
[5] 4 Nephi 1: 12
[6] Alma 5:46
[7] Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, p 127
[8] "Remember, Remember," Ensign, November 2007
[9] D&C 109: 22-23
[10] Helaman 10: 4-5
[11] 3 Nephi: 27: 30