"Joy in the Journey"
Susan Bednar
September 9, 2003
About 2 years ago Elder Bednar came home with what he thought was a great proposal. Brother Ed Williams had invited us to accompany him, other colleagues, and students involved in the Natural Science Field Expedition program on a hike to the Teton Glacier.
I wasn’t too keen on the idea at first. Do I look like an expert hiker to you? After checking with several people about the skills required and the physical rigors involved, I reluctantly told my husband I would go with him.
Now that I’ve had time to ponder this difficult yet wonderful experience, I have discovered that many aspects of this hike are analogous to your situation here at BYU–Idaho. Let me explain.
The evening before this most excellent adventure began, President and I drove over to Jackson Hole. The sun was setting, and as I gazed up at the Tetons from the road to Jenny Lake, my heart started to pound as I realized where that glacier was. It was so far up there on the mountainside that I questioned my ability to ever complete the hike. What on earth was I thinking when I agreed to do this?
Well, I didn’t sleep very well that night. Tossing and turning in the motel bed, I could just envision myself nauseous from the altitude, with a twisted ankle, abandoned by the side of the trail, only to be devoured by a hungry grizzly bear.
Many of you new freshman students may be experiencing some of the same anxieties in relation to your educational hike here at BYU–Idaho. Your mind may be whirling with concerns such as: “Can I excel in these college classes? Will I be able to get along with my roommates? What if I flunk a test? I don’t know how to cook; I’m going to starve! Will I be able to balance the demands of school and work and a social life? Will this homesickness ever go away? What on earth am I doing here in Rexburg, Idaho?”
My 12-hour hike began on a well marked, gently sloped, and easy-to-follow trail that gradually turned into a game trail which zigzagged across the mountain. As the incline became steeper, Brother Williams picked up an old tree branch and gave it to me to use as a walking stick. His helpful suggestion that I stay right behind him and place my steps where he placed his enabled me to keep the pace.
After each rest break, Brother Williams boosted our confidence by saying enthusiastically, “I want you to know we have just finished the hardest part of the hike,” even though we hadn’t. Impressive students continually increased morale by encouraging and assisting one another.
You, too, will have caring adults who will offer you walking sticks of support and will have you place your footsteps in theirs to assist and guide you along as you make your way up the mountain of your educational pursuits. Students on campus will warm your hearts with their friendly hellos and genuine smiles. They will strengthen you with their kind acts of service as they strive to exemplify the Spirit of Ricks.
Though my hike was strenuous and exhausting, along the way we stopped to admire the beautiful, blue-green water of glacial-fed Delta Lake, nestled down in the bottom of a deep ravine. We slowed down at times to study the formation and composition of huge boulders that dotted the mountainside. We learned about alpine plants and animal habitats and about the power of glacial ice to carve and create canyon crevices and valley floors. We observed a miniature, rabbit-like pika preparing a pile of greens for winter food storage. I marveled how this determined little creature built this gargantuan haystack grass blade by grass blade.
You, too, will need occasional breaks from the rigors of your academic hike. Don’t become so bogged down in your studies that you forget to have joy in your journey. Take time to pause and enjoy friendships, activities, and rewarding social experiences. There will be times when the requirements of a heavy class load will become overwhelming, and you may feel there is no way you can achieve all that is expected of you. When those stressful times come, and surely they will, remember the pica. You, too, can persevere in the huge task before you if you will not procrastinate and just take one step at a time.
Above the tree line, my hike became more strenuous and difficult to navigate. The power and force of the glacial ice inching its way down the mountainside had produced a huge moraine in front of it. This ridge of debris and angular rocks stacked on top of one another created a steep and unstable face on which we had to climb to reach the glacier. Members of our group were staggered across the moraine to prevent dislodging a large boulder or rock that could fall and injure a hiker below.
Climbing that moraine reminded me of the importance of never creating a stumbling block for someone else. Several years ago, President Bednar and I met with a group of students who were new converts to the Church. They had come to BYU–Idaho believing that all the students at this institution would keep the commandments and would live the gospel honestly and with full purpose of heart. Some of these converts with tender testimonies had been sadly disillusioned by the poor examples of a few of our students. May we all remember the words of Paul and the responsibility we have to be “an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).
Just so you know, with a few pushes and pulls from my husband, I finally made it to the top of the moraine and the impressive edge of the Teton Glacier. President Bednar and I stood there, surrounded by the stunning and majestic view of the pinnacles of the Grand Tetons. They were so close you could almost reach out and touch them. The joyful feelings I experienced are somewhat indescribable. I perceived that I was standing on holy ground, and I sensed the profound love of our Father in Heaven. I knew I had received assistance from others and strength beyond my own to be standing on the glacier I had seen the night before from the road.
For those of you nearing graduation from this institution, picture yourself standing in this auditorium, dressed in your cap and gown, relishing the accomplishments of your hard work in your educational pursuits. May the spirit whisper to your heart that you are in a special place, a set-apart place, even a sacred place here at BYU–Idaho. May you feel our Savior’s love and know that in the strength of the Lord you have attained much. And may you leave here equipped with the spiritual and academic tools necessary to climb the rest of the way to the summit of your life’s mission.
As a young girl growing up in Wyoming, I always viewed the Teton Peaks from what I call the “front side.” But many times during the past six years, Elder Bednar and I have driven the road from Rexburg to Driggs and I have seen the Tetons from the “back side.” Each vista is beautiful in its own way.
I love these mountains. These three peaks remind me of priesthood government and organization, particularly the three members of the First Presidency. I testify that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is led today by a living prophet and apostles.
These three peaks also signify the three pillars of eternity. I know that the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ are key elements of our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness for us.
And lastly, to me these three majestic peaks represent the Godhead. I bear witness of the reality of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. These mountains characterize their power and strength. Just as a glacier has the power to carve a canyon out of a hillside, our Father in Heaven has the ability to mold and change us if we allow Him. And through the grace of the Savior’s atonement, we can be lifted to the grand summit of exaltation and eternal life.
May the Holy Ghost guide us in our life’s journey is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.