Joaquin: Thank you, President and Sister Eyring. Thank you to the choir; we loved the music. It is a privilege and a great responsibility for us to speak with this audience. Thank you for your comments on the discussion board; they are wonderful. We hope everybody can read them; they are a wealth of practical and insightful information that can make your college experience better. We wish we had a discussion board when we were in college!
Renee: You will find great advice, like: Learn to manage time and balance life better; prioritize. Your experience is unique; don’t compare yourself to others. Enjoy college life and get involved; this is not a competition. The Lord wants you to succeed; involve him in your schooling. Be your own friend; you don’t need to be perfect. It’s okay to fail; we learn from failure. Education is precious, and it is never too late to seek the blessings of education. Paraphrasing the board comment of President Eyring, we are not here to compete or just to get good grades in order to go to graduate school; we are here to learn and lift others. Oh, and you will also learn that chicken wings at the Crossroads are only $3.
Before we begin, we’d like to tell you a little bit about ourselves. We were both born and raised in Argentina. We both have very different backgrounds; Elder Costa grew up in a very traditional Catholic family and was baptized at the age of 24, and I was raised in the Church only by my mother, who was a convert raising five children alone.
We have been married almost 30 years, and, together with our four children, we have lived in 20 houses, in 6 countries, and in 3 different continents. We are also the grandparents of the most adorable, cutest, and smartest four-month-old boy. We are very normal, very imperfect people—ordinary people called to do something very extraordinary—and sometimes we are stretched way outside our comfort zone, and we do our best because we love the Lord and love His work.
Joaquin: And we love you. When we receive an assignment to speak to such an important audience, we try to follow Moroni 7:48: “Pray unto the father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with [his] love.” As we prayed unto the Father with all the energy of heart, we felt love for you. We hope you feel that we are sincere when we say this!
We want to extend a warm welcome to any in attendance that are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We hope you will feel here the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and you feel welcomed and respected and hope, too, that you may feel a desire to know more about Jesus Christ and start the journey of discipleship.
Renee: We also want to give a warm welcome to all the online students. As an online student myself, you are close to my heart!
Joaquin: Yes, I recently learned that more than 10,000 students enjoy the blessings of education via online classes.
As we thought of you and prayed about what to share with you today, a feeling came to my mind: What are some of the things we wish we had known when we were in college?
To give you some background: I studied in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the Universidad de Buenos Aires.
I could not walk to my classes. I would have a daily 45-to-90-minutes’ ride on a bus—very different from your experience here at BYU-Idaho.
Bishops
I was living with roommates like many of you. My parents lived far away. Surrounded by new friends and overwhelmed by the stress of school and life in a new city, there was no one for me to go searching for advice and counsel. Let’s not forget that we did not have cell phones at the time and communication was expensive and limited. I was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ then.
I wish I had known that in May 1829, Priesthood authority had been restored and that there was someone near me that held the keys of the priesthood—the keys of repentance restored by the hands of John the Baptist: “Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance.” [1]
I wish I had known that those keys were available for me. As any young man my age, my choices were not always the best. I did not know then that I could go to visit with my bishop—someone ordained and set apart with special rights to give me counsel and love—to unleash the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in my life.
I didn’t have personal experiences with a bishop during college, but I was a branch president once and bishop twice, and I have had many sweet experiences that are a confirmation to me of the power of priesthood keys. I was unskilled and untrained as bishop, busy all day with numbers working for a bank. Every Tuesday I had a long drive, sometimes a two-hour commute from the office to the chapel. I testify that I have seen miracles happen as a very imperfect man like me would look into the eyes of the people in the bishop’s office and give them power to overcome addiction, illness, struggle, discomfort, and pain.
The bishop has the keys to repentance, it is an act of faith to see your bishop.
As D&C 58:43 says, “By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.”
As college students in a Church university, you may fear that confessing your sins to your bishop is an exit door to your academic dreams. Do not fear meeting with your bishop. You will never find peace without the keys to repentance. He will help you apply the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in your life.
As President Dallin H. Oaks said in the October 2018 general conference, “Our Church leaders love you and seek spiritual guidance to help you.” [2]
A word of caution: maybe you feel your bishop is not the best or is less than perfect. You are right; no one is perfect, and we all make mistakes, even with the best intentions. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf spoke on this subject:
There have been times when members or leaders in the Church have simply made mistakes. . . .
. . . I suppose the Church would be perfect only if it were run by perfect beings. God is perfect, and His doctrine is pure; but He works through us—His imperfect children—and imperfect people make mistakes. [3]
Trust the keys of the priesthood and give your bishop a chance. I wish I had had a bishop when I was in college.
Renee, you were a member of the Church in our 20s. Do you have any other experiences you can share with us?
Renee: Yes, two very sweet experiences come to mind when I think of the bishops of my youth.
When I was 19, I also traveled far from my family for the very first time to Utah. I attended a YSA ward. My English was limited, and I didn’t know anybody. I felt lost. I will never forget my dear Bishop Moody. I grew up without a father, but as soon as I met him, he became a father figure to me. I am not sure we communicated very well (because of language barriers); but I remember the power of the sanctity of his office. I remember feeling so strongly that he was my bishop. I looked up to him, and I never wanted to do anything that would disappoint him. In fact, one time on a group date my friends took me to a place that was clearly the wrong place to be in. I felt bad being there but didn’t want to be the first to say anything. As time passed and no one said anything about leaving, the thought came to my mind: What would Bishop Moody think if he saw me here? I then had the courage to stand up and say, “I want to leave. If no one is willing to drive me, I’ll just walk.” I never told him this, but I will thank him forever.
And years later when I was back in Argentina, I was dating Joaquin, and he was not a member of the Church, I had long talks and support from my bishop that gave me the strength to always put the gospel first and stick to my eternal goals. He was always there to listen and help me figure things out, or to give me a blessing and the encouragement I needed. Thanks to all that, I had the strength to say no when Joaquin proposed, because I had made the decision to marry in the temple.
Joaquin: Thank you, Renee.
One last piece of advice: we have noticed among the young adults something called “ward hopping,” meaning changing the ward you attend almost every Sunday. Please, stop! If you don’t attend your own ward, you are not aligned with priesthood keys. Stop the ward hopping. You can do activity hopping to search for your eternal companion!
Temple
Bishops also have the keys to your temple attendance.
I did not know about temples. I wish I had known that there was a place I could go for peace, to share my yoke with Him, to learn about the plan of salvation.
To have a better perspective of my challenges, when I take my big challenges to the temple and present them to the Lord, I can see the problem with a greater perspective. I can see my place in eternity. With an eternal perspective, my big challenges become smaller, more bearable. I wish I had known this.
The Buenos Aires temple was two hours from my classroom.
Here, the temple is only a short walk away.
The temple is the Lord’s classroom. Please, make the temple part of the campus and temple attendance part of your education.
Let’s hear what President Russell M. Nelson told us last October:
Our need to be in the temple on a regular basis has never been greater. I plead with you to take a prayerful look at how you spend your time. Invest time in your future and in that of your family. If you have reasonable access to a temple, I urge you to find a way to make an appointment regularly with the Lord—to be in His holy house—then keep that appointment with exactness and joy. I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples. [4]
Renee, come join us and tell us about your experiences with the Temple.
Renee: The first temple in Argentina was dedicated when I was 21. And even then, it was pretty far from my house. But I did think of the temple, and I learned about the temple. I saw families selling their homes to be sealed in the closest temple, which was in Mesa, Arizona. The value of temples was of great impact, because we didn’t have a temple. We longed for one. I had wonderful bishops and leaders that helped me set goals, that taught me the importance of temple covenants, and the temple was my highest and first priority.
I am not sure I understood this at the time, but just like in Bible times when people attended a temple, they brought a sacrifice to the Lord; I, too, was going to have to bring a huge sacrifice to the Lord.
Buenos Aires in the ‘80s was not like Rexburg today; the list of eligible bachelors was pretty short! Imagine then how hard it was when this amazing young man that melted my heart asked me to marry him and I had to say no. It was painful and heartbreaking. It was a sacrifice, an act of faith. When he spoke of marriage, I told him about my goals, about how important temple marriage was for me. I knew he probably thought I was crazy; and, there was a pretty good chance I would never see him again!
The Bible Dictionary says about sacrifice, “Sacrifices were . . . instructive as well as worshipful. They were accompanied by prayer, devotion, and dedication, and represented an acknowledgment on the part of the individual of his duty toward God, and also a thankfulness to the Lord for his life and blessings upon the earth.” [5]
We all have to make sacrifices to bring to the Lord to the temple. What are you going to sacrifice? Say no to something you really like and go to the temple. Leave your Netflix show for another day and go to the temple! Say no to video games for one day and go to the temple! Wish you had a date and you don’t? Go to the temple! Temple covenants are part of the plan of salvation; and, temple worship is part of our earthly education. Bring to the temple your greatest joys, your biggest sorrows, and your deepest questions. I had to make a sacrifice and say no to a wonderful boy, no matter how handsome, kind, or how good of a catch he was!
I am grateful for bishops that taught me the importance of temples, for goals that raised my vision, for the faith to say no to someone I really loved, and, above all, I am grateful that he stuck around to find out for himself and did marry me in the temple!
Joaquin: Thank you, Renee
Atonement of Jesus Christ
I wish I had known about Bishops. I wish I had know about temples. Now, let me share one more thing I wish I had known: bishops can be your first big step into repentance—but not like other religions see repentance with a somewhat negative and hurtful connotation. Elder D. Todd Christofferson said, “The invitation to repent is an expression of love.” [6]
Repentance is an act of faith; and forgiveness, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, is an act of love.
I knew about Calvary when I was in college. I knew Jesus had died on the cross. But I wish I had known more about Gethsemane.
I wish I had known about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We need to learn about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, speak about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and apply the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives.
Now, please let’s turn to the scriptures.
We saw you had brought your scriptures; can you show them to us again?
Let’s go to Jacob 4:12 in the Book of Mormon.
And now, beloved [BYU-Idaho students], marvel not that I tell you these things; for why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come?
Why not speak of the Atonement of Christ? And he did; he taught about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, especially to his son Enos.
Now let’s read in Enos.
Renee, can you read from verse 2, please?
Renee:
2 And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins.
3 Behold, I went to [BYU-Idaho]; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.
5 And there came a voice unto me, saying: [ place your name here], thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.
6 And I, [ your name], knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.[7]
Joaquin: Wouldn’t you like for your guilt to be swept away?
I wish I had known Jesus better through the words of the Book of Mormon.
Now, let’s please go to 2 Nephi 25:23:
For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.
I wish I had known that “after all we can do” includes visiting a bishop as one of the ways to access godly power.
President Russell M. Nelson explained this in his message in April 2017:
God so loved the world that He sent his only begotten Son to help us. And His Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life for us. All so that we could have access to godly power—power sufficient to deal with the burdens, obstacles, and temptation of our day.
Today I would like to speak about how we can draw into our lives the power of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.
We begin by learning about Him. “It is impossible for [us] to be saved in ignorance.” The more we know about the Savior’s ministry and mission—the more we understand His doctrine and what He did for us—the more we know that He can provide the power that we need for our lives. [8]
We need to know Him, just like any other relationship. The more we know someone, the more we love him or her. This year we all have the opportunity to learn more about Jesus Christ as we study the New Testament using Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families. And we have now an extra hour every Sunday to gather with friends, roommates, and ministering brothers and sisters to learn more of Him—to speak about His life, to remember Him, and like Jacob said, why not speak of the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
The invitation from the prophet is to get to know our Savior so we can draw power from Him.
Do you need extra power to study? Remember Him. Are you seeking inspiration to choose a major? Remember Him. Need to make an important decision? Remember Him. President Nelson declared recently, “There is nothing easy or automatic about becoming such powerful disciples. Our focus must be riveted on the Savior and His gospel. It is mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every thought. But when we do, our doubts and fears flee.” [9]
As we invest time in learning about the Savior and His atoning sacrifice, we are drawn to participate in another key element of accessing His power: we choose to have faith in Him and follow Him.
It was after I graduated when I first learned about the gift of repentance and the gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
It was a missionary, through the words of Alma, that first called me to repentance. And I felt the strength of the Spirit confirming I needed to repent. I wept, I prayed, I pleaded. And like Enos, my guilt was swept away.
Joaquin: Dear BYU-Idaho students, both here and online students, I wish I had known about bishops and priesthood keys when I was in college. I wish I had known about temples. I wish I had known about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Renee: And I am grateful for bishops that guided me and gave me strength when I needed it. I am grateful to have had the temple as my goal; and, above all, I am grateful for the knowledge of the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ that brought meaning to my life. I testify He is my Savior.
Joaquin: I am striving to get to know Him better every day. I know He lives. I know He is my Savior and my Redeemer. I know He is my best friend. I love Jesus.
We hope you feel His love for you.
We love you.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
[1] Doctrine and Covenants 13:1.
[2] Dallin H. Oaks, “Truth and the Plan,” Ensign, Nov. 2018.
[3] Dieter F. Uchdorf, “Come, Join with Us,” Ensign, Nov. 2013.
[4] Russell M. Nelson, “Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints,” Ensign, Nov. 2018.
[5] Bible Dictionary, “sacrifices.”
[6] D. Todd Christofferson, “The Divine Gift of Repentance,” Ensign, Nov. 2011.
[7] Enos 1:2-3, 5-6; emphasis added.
[8] Russell M. Nelson, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,” Ensign, May 2017.
[9] Ibid.