My brothers and sisters, what a great privilege it is to be here with you today. I'm grateful to be here with my beautiful wife and with a number of our children and our grandchildren. We are delighted to be here.
I'm getting old. When we talk about grandchildren and great grandchildren, President Clark, that tells something about someone. And as you get older you forget a number of things and so as I got up, just prior to getting up, Sister Hammond leaned over to me and said, "Don't be stiff."
I'm not sure what that means. It reminded me, however, of a time when Henry Moyle was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Brother Moyle had a tendency to be a little strict, and a little bit straight and stiff, and very seldom joked.
And his beautiful wife said to him one day, "Henry, now you are speaking at conference. And I want you to get up and tell a joke. All the brethren on occasion tell a joke, and it's your turn." And he said, "Well, I don't think I can do that." And she said, "Well, yes you can. You tell a joke."
So conference rolled around and he got up and he told a joke. The first time in his existence. And he came home afterward and waited for the accolades and she said to him," Henry, don't ever tell another joke." And I don't suppose he ever did again. But anyway, I will try not to be "too stiff and straight today" and yet I have a message to give to you.
I have stood at this pulpit many times. I want you to know that at the outset. And I never cease to feel the spirit that comes from all of you wonderful students, and today I salute you. I take my hat off to you. I want you to know that we love you and we are proud of you; and we know of your struggles and your accomplishments. And so today as you are here, we congratulate you.
I don't know how I can possibly convey to you, dear students, the feelings that enter my heart as Sister Hammond and I return to this remarkable campus.
Almost everything has changed since that incredible Fall of 1951. There were really only two structures of any significance here then, the old Gym and the Spori building.
I was completely intimidated by the ponderous size of the student body, a whopping 384 eager bodies, scattered through the four academic levels. Some of you might smile at my timidity, until I reveal to you that there were only six of us in my graduating class from high school. My children were very impressed with the fact that their father was the salutatorian of his graduating class- then they found his yearbook.
Although slightly nervous with the prospect of entering college, I still felt great surges of exhilaration and anticipation because I had come to play basketball! I live for basketball! After a rather remarkable high school career, Ricks College gave me a scholarship to do the thing that I loved most - play ball. Nothing could have been better! I was on top of the world!
That summer I had worked on a section crew for the Union Pacific Railroad swinging a spike mall and shoveling gravel. I felt strong and healthy, besides the pay was good and I had saved nearly every penny that I had earned - more than $1500.00.
It was in late October. Another athlete and I had found part-time work loading beets onto railroad cars at a facility just south of Rexburg. We had finished our shift, jumped on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and started back toward town. I sat behind him on the bike. The night was stormy, windy and cold. Rain with intermittent snow blew into our faces making it extremely difficult to see anything ahead of us. Then it happened!
A car traveling south on Highway 91 began a left turn at the Lyman junction. It was not his fault. He could not see us. We slammed head-first into the grill of that car. Still to this day, I sometimes see in my minds eye those two head-lights getting closer, closer and closer and hearing that horrible mind-shattering crash.
As though from a sling-shot, I was catapulted over that car. My right foot was thrust through the wind-shield, nearly cutting the foot off. Then, I flew more than seventy feet through the air, finally landing on my back in the middle of the highway. I tried to get up! I wanted to run! Frantically, my arms lifted my body slightly up from the wet pavement, but it was no use, my pelvis was broken and my back and legs battered and twisted. I slumped back down. I was cold. I began to slip in and out of consciousness.
At the hospital the doctors debated whether to amputate my injured foot or try to save it. An inspired priesthood blessing was given by my father and my bishop. In that blessing, I was told that my foot would heal and that eventually, I would be able to walk and run again. Following the blessing, my wonderful mother informed the physicians that she would not allow them to amputate, that they were to sew the torn foot together and the Lord would do the rest. I am so grateful today, for the power of the priesthood and the absolute faith of a mother. In the days that followed, the reality of my horrible situation became shockingly apparent.
For two months I lay, virtually immobile, in a hospital bed in St. Anthony, Idaho. Just before my eighteenth birthday in mid-December I returned home. Christmas that year was not a happy one. My basketball scholarship was revoked. I had missed a full semester of school. All the money I had saved was gone. The prospect of six months on crutches had left me discouraged and miserable.
But, miracles do happen! The tender mercies of Jesus Christ are extended to His children! In the succeeding months my mangled foot did heal! I returned to Ricks in the Fall of '52' and actually I played ball on the Junior Varsity team. I met a beautiful girl who changed the entire prospect of my life. She encouraged me to serve a mission, assuring me that she would wait faithfully for those two and half years while I preached the gospel to the Spanish-speaking people in Texas and New Mexico.
My whole attitude changed in the mission field! Out of tragedy and pain, depressed, and beaten there emerged in me an inner Spirit of excitement - a desire to move forward and upward, to learn, to progress, and to accomplish something of worth to the Lord and to His Church. The Holy Ghost came into my life. I discovered that I loved to teach the gospel. I found immense joy in my interaction with the Mexican people.
After returning home, that wonderful girl, who by the way had waited faithfully, and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple. And so began our journey in life together, not without its bumps, but an UPWARD journey of joy and gladness.
Now we are in the year 2010. There is a tendency for each one of us to look back at the past years of our life and to make a critical evaluation of what we have accomplished. There is nothing wrong with making such a personal evaluation. Nor is there anything wrong comparing the PAST to the NOW. However, I am constrained to suggest that each one of us look to the FUTURE. For as we gaze ahead we also tend to LOOK UP and that is where our focus should be during the next hundred years--not backward and DOWN, but forward and UP. All of you will remember this amazing inspired pronouncement by the Prophet Joseph Smith, "Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory!"[1] This has to be without question, one of my favorite scriptures.
I have always been intrigued by a very interesting account in the Old Testament. As the House of Israel wandered in the wilderness during those forty years of waiting, they were attacked by poisonous serpents. Many of the people suffered and died. The Lord commanded Moses, the great prophet of deliverance, to construct a serpent of brass and to raise it high on a pole. If those who had been bitten would simply lift up their eyes and behold the brazen serpent, they would be healed and live.[2]
Speaking of this remarkable phenomenon, Nephi, the great prophet of the Book of Mormon, said:
"And after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished."[3]
It is certain to the members of this Church that the brass serpent was a type or symbol of Jesus Christ. With all of His love and concern He stands above us ready to heal our wounds, if we will just cast our eyes UPWARD to see Him. But because the way is so simple, there are very few souls today who will make the effort to turn their eyes and their attention from the handmade gods of this world to see the Eternal Christ who can save them.
So examine the PAST, but look to the FUTURE! We need to let old things go! I have learned from long experience that there are some things which afflict us that are just too difficult to cast off by relying solely upon our own efforts. Think for a moment of your personal challenges: that habitual sin which you have tried over and over again to repent of, but which seems to return again and again to afflict you; some painful, reoccurring remembrances from the distant past, which try as you might to erase from your memory, keep coming back to torment your tender heart; that dark emotional stress which grips your mind, from which there seems to be no escape. Is there no escape for you? Must you be forever bound by such awful snares? To you I say, emphatically, NO! There is a way! It is simple and frankly, it is simply wonderful!
We, everyone of us, must simply raise our eyes upward to the One perfect source of infinite help, the Savior, Jesus Christ, He who was lifted up upon the cross to relieve us of our pain, our suffering, and bring us all to Him.[4] "For it is by grace that we are saved," Nephi said, and then to emphasize our own feeble nature, our complete reliance on His grace, he added the telling phrase, "after all we can do."[5]
As you look UP to the Savior to heal you, here are a few things I would suggest you do:
- Turn off your television at the least hint of sensuality. Don't just close your eyes for a moment. And if there is vulgarity or profanity, don't just plug your ears, but act decisively and turn off the TV.
- When you date, and please date, go together with the intent of having a good time. Also, get to know each other. Discuss your plans and your aspirations. Strictly maintain the Law of Chastity. Then the time will surely come that you will experience a surge of pure love that will carry you into the Holy Temple and forever UPWARD to Eternal Life.
- Put down your I-pod or your Blackberry and stop your continual texting. Get together and have a real conversation. There are some young people who do not feel comfortable around a real person, because they only know how to communicate with texting.
- We live in a casual society where dress, beautiful language and cleanliness have been replaced with sloppiness, crudeness, and filthiness. I will never forget the great line from the film "My Fair Lady", used by Professor Higgins to describe the language of Eliza Doolittle; said he, "she should be taken out and hung for the cold-blooded murder of the English tongue." (1964 Film directed by George Cukor and starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn) Will you please remember that the old adage "Cleanliness is next to Godliness" does not just apply to morality, but to everything that related to mortality as well (hair, face, body, clothes, apartment, etc.).
- Remember, remember that when you consider life with all its pitfalls, heartaches, setbacks, confusions and calamities you will still remain firm and resolute in your efforts to be courageous and true. I know it seems so difficult at times, but lift up your head. Keep your physical and your spiritual eyes open. Stay awake. LOOK UP, MOVE FORWARD and see how easy it is to find the healing balm of Jesus Christ.
- The Lord condemned the people for being 'stiff necked.' There must be a correlation between bowing our heads in prayer and being so proud that we neglect to call on the Lord. We should pray with all the fervor of our souls. In the scriptures, Enos wrestled "before God" before he received an answer to his prayer.[6] And Alma "labored much in spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer," but the proud people of the great city of Ammonihah would not repent and humble themselves before God.[7] You must never refuse to bow your head and pray!
The story is told that on one occasion the Prophet Joseph Smith saw in a vision at least nine of the Twelve Apostles in a foreign land.
"He saw them gathered in a circle, without shoes, beaten, tattered, discouraged. Standing above them in the air was the Lord Jesus Christ. And it was made known to the Prophet that Christ yearned to show himself to them, to reach down and lift them. But they did not see him."[8]
The Prophet could never speak of this vision without weeping for the awful tragedy of those that he loved so much being in such a terrible condition, and only have to look up to see the Lord to receive his tender mercies. But they would not! I believe that it is easy to LOOK UP to the Savior. As you do, you will see Him standing with His arms out-stretched trying to help you with all of your earthly challenges. He wants you to be happy whatever your situation in life!
So many of you are married, I believe about 23%. Everyday, there are worries about finding work, paying the bills, crying babies - mostly at night, getting enough sleep, studying, putting gas in the car, going on a weekly date to the Temple -funny, most of these challenges apply to married and singles alike! Anyway, the advantage those of us have who are older is that we have been there and done that. I can honestly say that those beginning years for Sister Hammond and me were among the best--filled with joy and happiness.
Do you remember, from the Book of Mormon, that period of awful war, deceit and treachery, when the Nephite dissenters under the command of Amalickiah, seized control of the Lamanite armies and wrecked havoc among the Nephite nation? The Nephites had become despised because of their belief in Christ. It was that time when a great leader, Captain Moroni, raised up on a pole, the "title of liberty". It became a standard for the believers and they covenanted with the Lord that they would maintain their rights, their religion and never forsake the Lord their God.[9] The people "came running" to support the cause, willing to lay down their own lives in defense of God, their religion, and their families. In many ways, it was one of the most miserable of all times and yet, as was recorded, "But behold there never was a happier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni..."[10]
And so it is, happiness can be found amidst our trials and troubles, our pains and suffering. It is easy! We just need to LOOK UP to our Savior, never forsake Him and let His sweetness and love wipe away all our tears and bring eternal happiness to our souls.
Before I let you go, I must bear my testimony to you as a special witness to Jesus Christ. He is our Savior. He knows us intimately. He understands your situations. He is so real, that sometimes I feel if we would just all look up, we would see Him; in reality, with His body and in His glory. But we must do it. I love Him so. I witness to you that He is our Redeemer, that His life was given to us to save us and to bless us. I have knowledge that this is very sacred to me of His reality. I bear that solemn witness to you and express my love to every one of you and do it humbly in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] D&C 128:22
[2] Numbers 21: 7-9
[3] 1 Nephi 17:41
[4] 3 Nephi 27:14
[5] 2 Nephi 25: 23
[6] Enos 1:2
[7] Alma 8:10
[8] Truman Madsen, The Highest in Us, Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, Inc., 1978, p. 85
[9] Alma 46: 20-21
[10] Alma 50:23