My dear brothers and sisters, there is a special spirit here at BYU-I. I have marveled at the spiritual maturity of
As President Nelson told you and all of us on Sunday evening, I know that the Lord is raising you up as a righteous and powerful generation to be His faithful and chosen servants to help to prepare the world for His Second Coming.
My great-grandfather George F. Richards was a humble farmer who raised his family of 15 children on hard work and willingness to follow the Lord. When he was a young man of 23, he was, like all young men of his day, struggling to make a life for his family. He was just starting out. As sometimes happened in those days, he received a letter of inquiry from the secretary of the First Presidency about whether he was available to serve a mission. He didn’t then know his future. Like you, he arose early and faced the challenges of each day, working hard and rejoicing in each small success. Listen to his words and note the expressions of his young heart as he responded to the First Presidency:
I am 23 years of age, I have a wife and one child, have never been on a foreign mission. Financially, I am in poor circumstances at present, being in debt more than 400 dollars.
I have no ready means and all the property I have is a set of harness, wagon (both been in use more than five years), six head of horses, a cow and two calves and not quite two acres of land worth from
While I feel that I am poor, I do not wish to let that stand between me and my duties as a Latter-day Saint. That which I have is upon the altar and subject to the direction of those in authority, as is also my time and life if necessary.
Your obedient servant, George F. Richards. [1]
A few short years later, at age 45, he was called to serve as an Apostle. Soon after his call to the Twelve, George wrote a letter to his brother in response to his question—did he really need to serve a mission?
I can tell you your services will be needed…if when the occasion presents itself…when you could be more useful in the Lord's hands, some little thing such as a non-observance of the word of wisdom, a neglect of your prayers, or anything of the kind may block your way. It is by the observance of these little things that we show whether ours is an obedient and willful spirit….A straw thrown up indicates the direction of the wind, even so the small things of our lives indicate largely our future destiny.
Later, he taught:
"We know better now than we [act]. Let us keep our covenants by keeping the commandments as fast as made known unto us, attending to the little things and prove our spirits to be willing. Obedience to the gospel, to simple things, shows our spirits.”
Those expressions of my great-grandfather helped me to form the decisions of my life as a young man. I wanted my heart to be pure and to focus on the daily, little things to keep myself ready and worthy to do whatever the Lord wanted.
When my wife and I were just a young couple a few years out of medical training—and parents of lots of little boys—we heard our beloved prophet, Spencer W. Kimball, say:
"[T]he Church is at a point in its growth and maturity when we are at last ready to move forward in a major way. . . .[T]he basic decisions needed for us to move forward, as a people, must be made by the individual members of the Church. We have paused on some plateaus long enough. Let us resume our journey forward and upward. . . . We have been diverted, at times, from fundamentals on which we must now focus in order to move forward as a person or as a people. Seemingly small efforts in the life of each member could do so much to move the Church forward as never before.
"Are we ready, brothers and sisters, to do these seemingly small things out of which great blessings will proceed? . . . Let us trust the Lord and take the next steps in our individual lives. He has promised us that he will be our tender tutor.
"He will not ask us to bear more than we can bear nor thrust upon us that for which we are not yet ready. But likewise, we must not tarry too long when we are ready to move on.” [2]
The year was 1979. It was 21 years before the Y2K transition. Many wondered if the year 2000 would herald the opening of the millennial day. And now we are another 18 years past that milestone year. The Church has seen remarkable growth and change. I know you felt the power and vision of our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, at our recent general conference. We can trust him and we can trust the Lord. The question for each of us is, Am I willing to do my part? If it was important for us to step up 40 years ago, we can only imagine what the Lord has planned for you to accomplish in the next 40 years—in your lifetime of service.
There will be much for you to do. Can you feel the Lord’s urgency stirring within you? I believe that you have feelings deep inside that whisper to you of your premortal preparations when you, standing with the “noble and great ones [were among the]...many others [who] received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men.” [3]
In the early days of this dispensation, one of the Lord’s prophets, George Q. Cannon, made some profound statements about you and your role today:
I know that the Lord, for a wise purpose, has called the noblest spirits that he had around him to come forth in this dispensation. He called them to come in humble circumstances, that they might receive the experience necessary to try and prove them in all things. [4]
Later, he added:
God has reserved spirits for this dispensation who have the courage and determination to face the world, and all the powers of the evil one, visible and invisible, to proclaim the Gospel, and maintain the truth, and establish and build up the Zion of our God, fearless of all consequences. [5]
My message to you today is that it is in the “seemingly small things of our lives” that our deep desires and personal character are formed. The Lord needs you. He wants to lift you, teach you, and help you. The Lord wants your heart first. He knows you and knows your path. He calls you and prepares you to succeed. It is critical to pay attention to the little things as a measure and a guide to you personally in your progress along your own path.
It is so easy to get caught up in the distractions of life. Perhaps your generation’s greatest challenge is to manage the draw and attraction (and distraction) of electronic media and gaming. But whatever it is that is pulling you, your life and your future are at stake. Why do you think President Nelson invited us to participate in a
A few years ago when I was serving in the Europe Area Presidency, I was assigned to a stake conference in Lisbon, Portugal. As part of the agenda for Saturday morning, I invited the stake president to identify some families that we could visit briefly together. As we drove to one particular home by appointment, the president told me of this wonderful man and his family. The father had served a full-time mission, had married a wonderful woman, and had four precious children. But he had slipped away from activity. He had been distracted.
The president explained how much this man was needed in leadership in the ward. When we arrived for our visit, we found a beautiful family, all dressed in Sunday best on a Saturday morning, waiting for us. We gathered in a circle in their living room. Their oldest son, age 15, was the
As we were closing our visit, which was a mixture of English, Spanish, and Portuguese, I taught the parents through the children three words in English as a reminder of the little things they needed to do as a family each day: “Read, pray, and obey; read, pray, and obey; read, pray, and obey,” we chanted together.
The following morning, the family came to stake conference, sought me out, and wanted a picture of their family with me. Today, the son is on a mission, and the father is a counselor in the bishopric.
Reading, praying, and obeying are little things. Add whatever the Spirit whispers to you personally. You have a formula where little things help great things come to pass.
I learned a critical lesson as a young man. Life became very busy, very quickly. I was married to my dear wife 14 months after I returned home from my mission. The next month, I started my four years of medical school, which were followed by five more years of surgical residency training. I had to make each day succeed on its own and not put off my spiritual needs for even one day. I came to love my private time early in the morning—very
May 30, 1847: In the morning I shaved, cleansed my body, put on clean clothing . . . read a chapter in the Book of Mormon, humbled myself before the Lord, and poured out my soul in prayer before Him, and His Spirit descended upon me and I was blessed and prepared for the service of the day. [6]
My young brothers and sisters, we become who we will be by taking daily steps and by little experiences.
In my fourth year of medical school, I was doing a surgery honors program, and I was working as an intern at the hospital. You heard President Nelson in conference tell about his own experience as a surgical resident. I was required to work every day and then stay all night every other night—for about 120 hours or more a week. I had a sweet, supportive wife at home and our first two little boys wanting to see their daddy. And, I was the Elders Quorum president. I hadn’t even been to church for three weeks. I was in turmoil. How could I fulfill my calling under such circumstances? Was it even right? I was sure that the stake president wasn’t aware of my situation. In fact, my bishop counseled me to call the stake president and ask to be released. But I couldn’t bring myself to call him. We prayed, fasted, and went to the temple. Still no answer.
I can remember in vivid detail being in the chapel on a Wednesday evening, listening to a speaker at a prospective elders seminar in our stake. The speaker made the promise that if we were sincere, our prayers would be answered. I remember thinking, We have done everything. Why haven’t I received an answer to my prayer? And in that instant, it came. I don’t think that the words were audible to anyone else, but I heard in my mind, “I called you, I will teach you.” I literally had a revelation of understanding come instantly. I knew what I was to do. The burden was lifted. I felt joy and such peace. I couldn’t wait until after the meeting to tell my counselors what I had learned.
Probably the most important thing I learned is that Heavenly Father knew me personally and was guiding me. That experience became foundational for many subsequent calls to serve, all of which required some element of sacrifice and a willing heart. The Lord said, “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me.” [7]
The Lord knew that these last days would be fraught with many challenges for us. He knew that evil would abound and that Satan would be doing his best to overcome even the chosen. The Lord taught the Prophet Joseph Smith in a revelation how each of us could be safe in His power:
And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations—wherefore he that prayeth, whose spirit is contrite, the same is accepted of me if he obey mine ordinances. ...And again, he that trembleth under my power shall be made strong. ...Wherefore, by this pattern ye shall know the spirits in all cases under the whole heavens. And the days have come; according to men’s faith it shall be done unto them. [8]
Pray, be humble and meek, and obey his ordinances. Keep your covenants. We simply must have faith to do the simple things for our own peace and growth. Our actions are a clear and definitive way for us to measure our own faith. “And the days have come; according to men’s faith it shall be done unto them.” [9] “[A] nd thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.” [10]
It has always been so. The Lord will lead us through the wilderness of life’s journey—if we are willing. He provided for Lehi and his family the Liahona. It was a miracle. It was a new revelation every day to show them the way to go. But it worked only according to the heed and diligence which they gave each day to Him and to the instructions of the Liahona.
It was a daily test of their faith and willingness. I have often wondered what happened on that day that they “forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey.” [11] Were they extra tired? Was it bad weather? Had they had discord in the family? Did they have sore feet? Whatever the distraction, it almost cost them their physical and spiritual lives. Do you have small distractions that have quieted your Liahona?
The Lord promised Nephi and He promises us that if we would “hold fast to [the iron rod, the word of God, we] would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower [us] unto blindness, to lead [us] away to destruction.” [12]
The Holy Ghost is our personal Liahona. Elder David A. Bednar taught us about having the Holy Ghost to be our guide:
I recognize we are fallen men and women living in a mortal world and that we might not have the presence of the Holy Ghost with us every second of every minute of every hour of every day. However, the Holy Ghost can tarry with us much, if not most, of the time—and
...The Spirit of the Lord can be our guide and will bless us with direction, instruction, and spiritual protection during our mortal journey. [13]
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf recently urged the young adults not to get overwhelmed by the “many large, difficult tasks of life” but to focus on the small things instead. “Some of these ‘small and easy’ things you could do perfectly are daily prayer, studying the scriptures, living the Word of Wisdom, attending church, praying with real intent, and paying your tithes and offerings…. Your ‘small and simple’ sacrifices are the dots of daily living that make up the masterpiece painting of your life.” [14]
This is the most critical decade of your lives, wherein you are establishing the patterns of your faith and future. You are carefully constructing the very path that will lead you to eternal happiness.
Do you think that the Lord cares about the little decisions that you make? I know that He does. I saw it firsthand as a mission president. One young elder was a fine young man, who was good, but he had just a couple of little things that he was struggling with—he loved music, some of which was not missionary-oriented, and he loved his pillow, especially in the early morning hours. I invited him and his companion to
I remember learning as a young man: “The measure of a man is how he uses his discretionary time.” I don’t know who said it, but even the Lord said: “Thou shalt not idle away thy time,” [15] and “Cease to be idle.” [16]
One of my students last semester here at BYU-I wrote this on our discussion board:
"I feel that the trick is for us to tune into the spirit. There [have] been many times even in my life where I think I am on the right path but then get a gentle knock on the side of my head for me to realize that I need to hop off my path then back onto the path that the Lord would have me be doing."
Perhaps right now the Spirit is giving you a gentle knock on the side of your head or your heart. Another student wrote:
"I have already noticed a huge impact that doing the little things has had on my life. I am happier and more focused throughout the day. I can feel the spirit’s guidance as I go throughout my day. I feel as though I am a better husband to my wife and that I am fulfilling my role as a priesthood leader in our home."
I wept as I heard President Nelson announce the seven new temples. I recently concluded my active service as the Executive Director of the Temple Department. I personally witnessed the power and growth of the temple work in many parts of the world. In a very real way, much of that growth is a result of the spirit of the young people of the Church—in doing family history research and in sacrificing to go to the temple frequently for temple service. I participated in discussions with the First Presidency about encouraging every young person to always hold a personal temple recommend.
In the Rexburg temple today:
- Approximately 6 or 700 of the 1100 ordinance workers are BYU-I students.
- Many young married couples serve together—often early morning shifts or evenings and weekends when both are available.
- Many returning missionaries are serving, having been encouraged by their mission presidents to immediately serve in the temple on their arrival home.
- The temple presidency will do everything possible to help young men and women who have received their mission call to serve in the temple for those weeks or months prior to their departure.
- Even if you can’t serve as an ordinance worker now, you can attend the temple as often as possible.
President Nelson invited each of us to sacrifice in serving. The Lord said: “Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command—they are accepted of me.” [17]
Now, my dear young brothers and sisters, in conclusion, may I again quote my great-grandfather George: “A straw thrown up indicates the direction of the wind.”
- Check the direction of the wind and determine which direction you are going. Notice particularly the seemingly small things of your life. Is there any slight drift occurring?
- Read, pray, obey, and whatever else the Spirit whispers to you to do. Be humble and stand strong against the distracting influences around you. Remember, the Lord himself said: “[B]e not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.” [18] Thirty-five years ago, my wife made this stitchery, and it has hung in our home ever since.
- Decide now where you are going. Plan your life’s goals, follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost, and use your discretionary time well. You are not passive observers but active participants in the building up of the kingdom of God today.
- Make the temple a central part of your life. Honor your personal covenants and feel the power of the ordinances as you provide salvation for your ancestors.
I testify that the Lord always keeps His promises. I have seen them in my own life. You will continue to rise up and shine. You will be happy and successful. He will lead you. “[H]e who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.” [19] Of this I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] George F. Richards personal journal, transcript page 34. Journal in the Archives of the Church History Department.
[2] Spencer W. Kimball, “Let Us Move Forward and Upward,” Ensign, May 1979; lds.org.
[3] Doctrine and Covenants 138:55-56.
[4] George Q. Cannon, Mar. 19, 1865, JD 11:100.
[5] George Q. Cannon, May 6, 1866, JD 11:230.
[6] Wilford Woodruff. Quoted in “Wilford Woodruff, History of His Life and Labors” by Matthias F. Cowley, p. 292.
[7] Doctrine and Covenants 88:63.
[8] Doctrine and Covenants 52:14-15, 17, 19.
[9] Doctrine and Covenants 52:20.
[10] 1 Nephi 16:29.
[11] Alma 37:41.
[12] 1 Ne. 15:24.
[13] David A. Bednar, “That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be with Us,” Ensign, May 2006; lds.org.
[14] Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Adventure of Mortality,” Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults, Jan. 2018.
[15] Doctrine and Covenants 60:13.
[16] Doctrine and Covenants 88:124.
[17] Doctrine and Covenants 97:8.
[18] Doctrine and Covenants 64:33.
[19] Doctrine and Covenants 59:23.