Thank you for the musical number. We are blessed to have such talented musicians at BYU-Idaho.
President Eyring and I are so happy to welcome you to spring semester. It really is the best time to be in Rexburg. If you are here on campus, you will get to watch the spring planting of the fields across from the temple. I think it is fun to watch the wheat fields sprout, grow, and then turn yellow before harvest. You may experience a snowstorm in June; we had one last week. But the campus will bloom and will be beautiful thanks to our incredible grounds crew. It will remind me and you to be of good cheer.
If you are elsewhere in the world, you should know how happy we are that you are joining us this semester. We pray for all of you. One of my favorite things about this school is that your professors, online and campus-based, and all of the others who work here want your success and give all of their talents and time to ensure a rich experience for you.
During the pandemic, when my husband was working from home—mostly at our kitchen table—I would overhear the prayers that were offered by him and his vice presidents on your behalf. I was so touched by their dedication to our Heavenly Father, to the Savior, and to you. I have said to him more than once, “We are blessed to be working every day with such consecrated people.”
What are you hoping for this semester? I am guessing you have enrolled in this semester with the hope of getting closer to achieving your chosen degree. It is so exciting to make progress on this goal. Someone—maybe your parents, maybe your spouse, or maybe just you, yourself—has made a sacrifice financially to make it possible for you to be here. You hope to make them proud of your efforts. You may also hope that you will be with or make friends who share your values. There will be group projects, in class and online, and intramural sports on campus for you to meet people. You are probably excited and hoping to learn more about mathematics, music, exercise physiology, or whatever courses you have signed up for.
You may also be hoping that along the way you will increase your testimony of Jesus Christ and build the spiritual momentum President Nelson encouraged us to seek. I know you can realize all of these hopes and more.
I am a mother of five children. Three have graduated from BYU-Idaho. Currently I have two sons (Spencer and Matthew) at Church universities, so I thought maybe I could share my motherly advice with you too. Here are a few things that will make it more likely that your hopes for this semester will become realities.
Starting your day with a prayer of gratitude, looking for others who need a lift, and giving your best effort to all you do are the three things I hope Spencer, Matthew, and all students will focus on this semester.
What we focus on will fill our thoughts and affect our actions. I have had a funny experience lately. My daughter Emily is expecting a baby. She will be having a little girl at the end of June. Lately, I have been noticing every little baby, especially little girl babies. I want to buy all the pink baby things. There are so many new babies around here that I hadn’t noticed before. It is truly incredible how our minds can see certain things and block out others.
Prayer will be a way to focus your mind on the things that you are grateful for, and all of a sudden you will see more things to be grateful for.
Just like there are a lot of darling babies around here, there are even more things to be grateful for at BYU-Idaho. I have this quote in my room to remind me to “start each day with a grateful heart.” When I do that, it’s the beginning of a good day.
I also have this print on the wall in my room. Painted by artist Del Parson, it is titled, “She Turned to Him.” The painting depicts Mary Magdalene outside of the tomb. It reminds me to always turn to Him.
As I do, I feel gratitude and a desire to serve Him. This campus is full of people who are turning to the Savior every day, and that makes all the difference.
Next, I would hope that you and my boys would watch for people who need an act of kindness. I know how much it meant to me when, a few weeks ago, one of my children was shown a kindness when facing a difficult test in a biology class. My son found a beautiful pencil drawing slipped under his door with “know that you are loved” written on the back. I am so grateful that someone was there to be his friend and to remind him that we all have the Savior as our friend.
I hope that I can be there to slip a note of encouragement to someone who might need it. Serving each other by noticing others’ needs always makes for a better day.
Elder Uchtdorf taught in his April 13, 2013, conference address:
“Do not fear, for I the Lord am with you.”
You are not alone on this journey. Your Heavenly Father knows you. Even when no one else hears you, He hears you. When you rejoice in righteousness, He rejoices with you. When you are beset with trial, He grieves with you.
Heavenly Father’s interest in you does not depend on how rich or beautiful or healthy or smart you are. He sees you not as the world sees you; He sees who you really are. He looks on your heart. And He loves you because you are His child.[1]
It would be great to include this quote on a note of encouragement to a roommate or friend.
Finally, no one expects you to be perfect or to get 100 percent on every assignment. We can be pretty hard on ourselves by setting overly high expectations. Doing our best is all that is needed. We are all learning, and learning includes making mistakes. My children and I loved to watch The Magic School Bus when they were younger. To quote Ms. Frizzle, “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” There is always help, a tutor, a friend, or an explanation online. Seek out help if you need it and look to help others in your classes. It will be to your benefit as you re-teach the concepts you’ve learned. The learning model that President Kim B. Clark introduced at BYU-Idaho is an inspired pedagogy.
In this most recent general conference, President Russell M. Nelson, encouraged us to expect miracles. He said:
The Lord will bless you with miracles if you believe in Him, “doubting nothing.” Do the spiritual work to seek miracles. Prayerfully ask God to help you exercise that kind of faith. I promise that you can experience for yourself that Jesus Christ “giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” [2]
We can be strengthened. We can do more than just hope for a great semester. We can make it a great semester.
I hope you will use prayer to focus on all of the incredible blessings available at BYU-Idaho. I hope you will look out for and serve each other. And I hope you will give it your best effort, relying on the strength and miracles that President Nelson promised. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Your Wonderful Journey Home,” Ensign, May 2013.
[2] Russell M. Nelson, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum,” Liahona, May 2022.