My dear brothers and sisters:
It is wonderful to be here at BYU–Idaho! You see, this place and I go back a long way. In the fall of 1978, a bright-eyed young man from southern Nevada came to Rexburg looking forward to being away from home for the first time. My brother had recently returned from his mission and was attending Rick’s College. He had nothing but wonderful things to say about his experience. He invited me to room with him at the Bunkhouse Apartments. To tell you the truth, I am shocked to see it is still standing today. In fact, I was surprised it was still standing after my brother and I, and our roomates, lived there!
Before coming to Rexburg, I thought I knew what cold was. But I had no idea what I was getting into. For the first time in my life, I felt the inside of my nose freeze as I walked to class in the morning. Bless you, my dear friends, for braving the elements to come to this sacred place to learn and grow.
“How Beautiful Are They”
Throughout your life, you will find yourself in places and situations that surprise and challenge you. Sometimes the challenge may be the climate, but more often it will be a stressful job, a strained relationship, or difficult personal circumstances. I invite you to do the best you can to be a light wherever you go. “There is beauty all around,”[1] even in the middle of life’s challenges. With Christ, you can shine His light and see the beauty.
While serving as stake president, I had the blessing of helping prepare many young men and women to serve the Lord as full-time missionaries. From time to time, I would check with their families to see how they were doing in the mission field. I would also see some of their posts on social media. One missionary, who was nearing the end of his mission, posted this:
When President Newman set me apart, he said something that has puzzled me my entire mission. He said, “You will find beauty and marvel at the people you meet.” Well, sure I marvel at these people, but I haven’t exactly served in the stunning parts of Montana. . . . It wasn’t until I was driving from Fort Benton to Belt that I realized it was beautiful to me, and this is why:
“And now it came to pass that all this was done in Mormon, . . . yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever.”[2]
Just like the people of Alma, this missionary considered those places in Montana beautiful because that is where he came to know the Savior. Maybe you have a place like the Waters of Mormon in your life. Maybe it’s your mission—it might even be Rexburg!—or some other place that is beautiful to you because of what you felt and experienced there.
When my wife, Lucia, and I were called to serve as leaders of the Nebraska Omaha Mission, we had a young family. Five of our six children would be going with us to the mission field. They would be leaving behind friends and familiar surroundings in our home in Elk Ridge, Utah. Lucia and I prayed diligently that the Lord would help each of them know that things would be okay. We also prayed to know the best way to share the news with our children. We finally decided we would talk to them individually.
The children’s reactions to the mission call varied from sadness to “Are you serious? They called you?” When breaking the news to our youngest son, who was nine years old at the time, we reminded him of the story of the Lord commanding Lehi to take his family into the wilderness because Jerusalem was going to be destroyed. We had recently taught a lesson about this in family home evening, and hoped it would build his faith that the Lord would bless our family as He blessed Lehi’s family.
It seemed to work. Our son said he was willing to go with us. It took him a little while for it to sink in, but over the next several days, he didn’t say much and seemed to grow sadder with each passing day. I finally went to his room one evening and asked him if we was okay. He said, “Dad, I am okay with going with you and leaving my friends if that is what the Lord wants us to do, but is Elk Ridge really going to be destroyed?” We should have been clearer in our use of Lehi’s experience. Oh, the faith of a child!
The Nebraska Omaha Mission became a sacred place to us, in large part because of the sacrifice and consecration of my wife and children. We went forth and did what the Lord had called us to do.
What Is the Lord Calling You to Do?
A sure way to find places of beauty and holiness in your life is to humbly respond to what the Lord wants you to do. He will lead you to sacred experiences and holy places. And one of the best ways to discover His will for you is to listen to His voice through the voice of His servants, the living prophets and apostles.
So, what is the Lord teaching you? What is He calling you to do? Your answers will vary, of course, but allow me to mention something that seems to be coming up a lot recently. I’ve noticed the Lord’s prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, has been urging us to strengthen ourselves spiritually. He has spoken of sanctuaries of faith, of spiritual fortifications, of reinforcing spiritual foundations. And just three weeks ago, he gave this warning and promise:
We have never needed positive spiritual momentum more than we do now, to counteract the speed with which evil and the darker signs of the times are intensifying. Positive spiritual momentum will keep us moving forward amid the fear and uncertainty created by pandemics, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and armed hostilities. Spiritual momentum can help us withstand the relentless, wicked attacks of the adversary and thwart his efforts to erode our personal spiritual foundation.[3]
How do we create and maintain positive spiritual momentum? There are many ways. But rather than try to address all of them, I’ve felt impressed to apply a principle I learned in Nebraska.
You see, Nebraska is spanned by the Platte River, one of the shallowest rivers in the country. It is often described as being a mile wide but only an inch deep! Instead of being a mile wide and an inch deep in my remarks today, I would like to give some in-depth attention to just one of the things President Nelson counseled us to do to maintain spiritual momentum: to learn about God by studying His word. Now let’s listen to additional counsel from our dear prophet:
With frightening speed, a testimony that is not nourished daily “by the good word of God” can crumble. Thus, the antidote to Satan’s scheme is clear: we need daily experiences worshipping the Lord and studying His gospel. I plead with you to let God prevail in your life. Give Him a fair share of your time. As you do, notice what happens to your positive spiritual momentum.[4]
The Word of God
In a remarkable vision, Lehi saw a tree representing the love of God, along with a rod of iron that led to the tree. He saw that those who held fast to the rod of iron were able to reach the tree safely, while those who did not were lost in darkness and temptation.
Later, Nephi’s brothers asked him what the rod of iron represents. Nephi answered: “I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.”
Perhaps recalling that Laman and Lemuel did not hold fast to the rod of iron in Lehi’s dream, Nephi continued, “I . . . did exhort them to give heed unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always in all things.”[5]
When we hear the phrase “word of God,” we naturally think of the scriptures. But I think it’s broader than that. In fact, Elder David A. Bednar recently taught us that one of the titles of Jesus Christ is “The Word.”[6] Giving heed to the word of God, then, means giving heed to the Savior Himself. Think of the many ways He speaks to us: through the words of the prophets, seers, revelators, and other inspired leaders, our patriarchal blessings, and revelation that comes directly to us through the Holy Ghost. The Lord is willing to speak to us in so many ways if we are willing to open our hearts and minds to hear Him. Jesus Christ is our Savior; we must hold fast to Him and “live by every word” He speaks.[7]
In other words, we don’t read the scriptures just to read the scriptures. We’re seeking a daily connection with the Savior. We read the scriptures for conversion, not for coverage. Remember, don’t be like the Platte River—a mile wide but only an inch deep.
Do you remember the parable of the wise man who built his house upon a rock? Recently, a friend pointed out to me something I’d never noticed before in that parable. In Luke’s account, the Savior says that those who hear and follow Him are “like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock.”[8]
Do we approach the word of God in this way? Do we “dig deep”? Or are we satisified with the sandy and superficial? I’m not talking about delving into mysterious doctrines or speculations. I mean digging past the trivial and nonessential until you find the Savior, Jesus Christ—the Perfect Rock—upon which you can build your firm foundation.
Now, what does that look like? Here are three phrases that have helped me dig deeply into the word of God and find the Savior. I call them the ABC’s of scripture study: always be curious, always be careful, and always be courageous. Let me explain what I mean:
First, always be curious.
The best way to find answers is to ask, seek, and knock![9] We are commanded to search the scriptures,[10] and searching means we’re looking for something. When I study the scriptures, I like to ask, “Why did the Lord see fit to include that passage or that story? Why did the writer use that particular word or phrase? What is the Lord trying to teach me?” I assume there’s a message for me in what I’m reading, and I’m curious to know what it is!
I remember one time reading Ether 12:27 with curiosity and real intent. As I read, I was especially curious about the word “grace.” In this verse, what does it really mean? How is it connected to overcoming my weakness?
So I began searching. In the Bible Dictionary, I found a helpful definition of grace: “divine means of help or strength.” So I added that definition to the verse, and it totally changed my understanding of how the Lord helps us overcome weakness: “My [divine means of help and strength] is sufficient.”
I also like to do what I call Easter egg hunts. Whenever I see a footnote in the scriptures, I follow it to the ends of the earth. I have been rewarded on many occasions with additional knowledge and understanding. Section 50 in the Doctrine and Covenants contains a wonderful description of teaching and learning by the Spirit. Verse 22 says, “Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.”
This time, I got curious about the word “edify.” Since there was a footnote on that word, I clicked on it and began a journey of discovery. My first stop was the Topical Guide entry “Edification,” where I began reading other verses on this topic.
One of these was 1 Corithians 8:1. The two words at the end of the verse were interesting: “Charity edifieth.” There I noticed another footnote for “edifieth.”
I clicked on it and found this: “GR builds up, strengthens, establishes, repairs.” “GR” means these are alternative translations from the Greek New Testament. I had never thought of the word “edify” in that way. If charity is the pure love of Christ, and charity edifies, what does that mean for me as a disciple of Jesus Christ? How might I approach my calling or my relationships differently if I know that Christlike love builds up, strengthens, establishes, and repairs?
Next, always be careful.
Three years ago, Sister Becky Craven gave a general conference message titled “Careful versus Casual.” Ever since then, I have tried to be more careful and less casual in my study of the scriptures. To me, being careful means, as President Nelson taught, “finding time for the Lord.” It means removing distractions from around me so the Spirit can work with me when I study. It means pausing to think and ponder about the meaning of the things I read. It means thinking about the time, effort, and sacrifice of those who wrote, protected, and brought forth these sacred records. It means coming to understand the purpose of the word of God. It means taking time to record impressions we receive while we study.
Being careful about our scripture study opens our mind and heart to spiritual impressions while we study. One of my favorite things to do is to write my thoughts about a verse or block of verses. The next time I read that verse, I am always interested to see what I learned in the past and compare that with the impressions I am now receiving. Some people record their impressions in the margins of their paper scriptures. Some use the note taking options in the electronic version. Others keep a separate study journal to record impressions.
The point is that the word of God is more important and more valuable than anything else we can read, so we treat it that way. We don’t read the scriptures the same way we read a magazine or a blog post or even a biology textbook. Our approach to scripture study should reflect our reverence for the word of God.[11]
Finally, always be courageous.
It’s normal to feel intimidated by the scriptures at times. They aren’t always easy to read. Take the Old Testament, for example. It was written thousands of years ago by people from a culture that is very different than ours. How many of us have taken a detour around the Isaiah chapters in the Book of Mormon? There was a time when I did that. But over the years, I have learned that the Lord preserved these words for so many generations for a wise purpose.[12] Because I love and trust Him, I’m willing to do my best to understand that purpose. When I get bogged down in scripture that seems hard to understand, I begin looking for Jesus Christ in the words, stories, and symbolism. The scriptures truly testify of Him. This helps me find beauty in every chapter.
While serving in a stake presidency, I met with a sister who was going through a very difficult time. As I considered what I might say to help her, to my surprise, she asked if she could share some verses from the book of Isaiah. “The book of Isaiah?” I thought. I was astonished as she shared verse after verse of powerful words that helped her to know the Lord was mindful of her and He would be with her during this trial. After she left, I made a personal commitment to come to know the writings of this ancient prophet. To this day, I worry less about cultural nuances and linguistic triffles and focus on hearing the Savior’s voice in Isaiah. I dig deeply until I find Him. Jesus himself told the Nephites, “Great are the words of Isaiah.”[13]
The Power of a Single Verse
Consider the powerful impact a single verse of scripture can make on the soul. Imagine the inspiration that came to James to write these words. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”[14] This single verse changed the course of the world!
I ask you, what is your James 1:5? What verse of scripture has changed the course of your world? What has entered “with great force into every feeling of [your] heart?”[15] I invite you to identify at least one—though you may find several—that power your spiritual momentum. Let me share with you a few that have done that for me.
From the Old Testament: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”[16]
From the New Testament: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”[17]
From the Book of Mormon: “O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.”[18]
From the Doctrine and Covenants: “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—that by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.”[19]
From the Pearl of Great Price: “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”[20]
Testimony
My dear friends in Christ, I invite you to dig more deeply into the sacred word of God. There you will find the fuel to power your spiritual momentum. There you will find your Perfect Foundation, and the scriptures will be beautiful to your eyes because, like Alma’s people, “there [you] came to the knowledge of [your] Redeemer.”[21]
I share my witness that He lives! He is God’s holy Son. He guides the Church through our dear prophet, Russell M. Nelson. Jesus Christ has atoned for our sins so that we can be forgiven on conditions of repentance. He loves us beyond measure. I testify of these things in His sacred name, even Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] “Love at Home,” Hymns, no. 294.
[2] Mosiah 18:30.
[3] Russell M. Nelson, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum,” Liahona, May 2022.
[4] Ibid.
[5] 1 Nephi 15:24–25.
[6] See David A. Bednar, “But We Heeded Them Not,” Liahona, May 2022.
[7] Doctrine and Covenants 84:44.
[8] Luke 6:48; emphasis added.
[9] See Matthew 7:7.
[10] See Doctrine and Covenants 1:38.
[11] See Doctrine and Covenants 63:64.
[12] See 1 Nephi 9:5; 19:3; Words of Mormon 1:6–7; Alma 37:2.
[13] 3 Nephi 23:1.
[14] James 1:5.
[15] Joseph Smith—History 1:12.
[16] Isaiah 1:18.
[17] 1 Corinthians 2:9.
[18] 2 Nephi 9:41.
[19] Doctrine and Covenants 76:22–24.
[20] Joseph Smith—History 1:17.
[21] Mosiah 18:30.