Today, this afternoon, time is given us to use wisely. All time in a real sense belongs to the Creator of heaven and earth and is apportioned to each of us to learn-learn good from evil and with His help choose to come to Christ.
A few weeks ago, Sister Richardson and I joined with you in a Tuesday devotional. Before President Clark stood, indicating the need for quiet, I asked a student this question: "Tell me, Why do you choose to come to Devotionals?" That was framed in a positive tone. As you would expect, he said, "I like the spirit here." He went on to add, "And I like to listen to what they say, and think about it".As time is made available for this and each devotional, you are individually invited to this great place for wise purpose. We meet under the direction of President Kim Clark, called by President Hinckley and now continues under direction of President Monson and the Board of Trustees, the Twelve. In a larger sense, we meet in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
This is a great place, useful for many and for varied purposes, all under the direction of today's servants authorized by Him who created all things. This fine university is the result of faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ. The efforts of many, who planned carefully and built with great physical energy, have resulted in this very useful Brigham Young University-Idaho. This place was raised from the soil deep to the very place you are sitting. It was raised from the dust, as it were, for you my younger brothers and sisters.
This BYU-I Center is built where Thomas E. Ricks, and others, farmed by pulling heavy farm equipment with a span of six or eight horses all day-as long as light lasted. They toiled into the night for two reasons. The first was they either worked or became hungry. The more important reason, over time, is this university with His temple nearby. You-each of you-would do well to know how you came to be here, for what reason and for what work-to be done-every day. The idle mind like sin and most kinds of entertainment either detract or destroy.
"Come unto me," the Savior said. "All ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."[1] We feel the need to know the meaning, the extended meaning of those powerful but brief words. They have eternal consequence to all who will hear, understand and do. "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."[2]
[Picture of Peter, Andrew, the Savior calling to them in the fishing boat]
If you will, what comes next in the picture? "Come," He said to Peter and Andrew as they drew nets ashore. "Come and I will make you fishers of men." The text, which is the scripture, indicates they willingly came, leaving their nets. Their nets, left lying in the sand? The very source of their living? We don't know what words were then asked or said later. Perhaps, if these two had any time in their own homes that day, Peter's wife would have been interested, learning there would not be fish provided that day.
Then from Peter, "Come and see and hear." From that day until now, from Adam to Peter, to President Joseph Smith, Jr. to President Monson, those words are either shouted from the house tops, or more often intently extended by nineteen, soon to be eighteen year old authorized young men and slightly older sister missionaries. "Come and see and hear and do."
Peter and Andrew may have learned a bit more about the law of sacrifice that day. Ten others were called as apostles and taught sacred things, instructed, and authorized by simple ceremony, preparing for the time He, the Savior, would leave. We remember vividly the events leading to His sacrifice by crucifixion. He was falsely accused by those who professed to lead righteously.
It is written He was forced to carry the cross or a portion thereof up the narrow way to Golgatha, also called Calvary. As He struggled, passing near to the women who knew him well, their distress was evidenced by loud cries. Turning briefly toward them, he called to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming in the which they shall say, blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare and the paps which never gave suck."[3] We surely live in that day.
Then followed the giving of His life-like no other person who ever lived-He in whom there was no sin, the Son of the Father-our Holy Father. Babylon or Hollywood, fail utterly in the attempt to recreate on film those few hours or days. Perhaps credit can be given for effort, however.
"Of this ye shall bear record," He said to those who wrote faithfully: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We have the record of those events today. They testify of Christ and his mortal ministry. Read them. Think on them. Act on them.
We have been assured that the Lord knows each of us His children. He has offered to receive each of us, by His love to come unto Him. At or near the end of a two-day conference involving many of us earlier this year, President Clark reviewed "the love of God" from Lehi and more by Nephi in the early chapters of the Book of Mormon. Those who know President Clark at all would not have been surprised by his choice to speak of "the love of God," although much or most of the conference had been centered on learning, teaching and such interactions.
President Clark's capacity "to bring us with Him" as he spoke, led us all the more to desire to understand and receive the love of God. "It is the Spirit that giveth life." When we want to know Him, having a "thirst to know" the Christ, and hence the Father, we will then come to Him. He will receive us. He will receive you indeed. You will be made aware by the function of Holy Spirit. We are led then to become His disciple even His disciple/leaders as we are reminded often here at BYU-Idaho.
Speaking of "Learning and Latter-day Saints", a few short years ago, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Twelve reviewed this:As Latter-day Saints we believe in education, and we have a philosophy about how and why we should pursue it. Our religious faith teaches us that we should seek learning by the Spirit and that we have a stewardship to use our knowledge for the benefit of mankind.
Our quest for truth should be as broad as our life's activities and as deep as our circumstances permit. A learned Latter-day Saint should seek to understand the important religious, physical, social and political problems of the day. The more knowledge we have of heavenly laws and earthly things, the greater influence we can exert for good on those around us and the safer we will be from the scurrilous and evil influences that may confuse and destroy us.[4]
Speaking of "earthly things," our two home teachers are notable to us because they are good. The one is professionally trained in operating on vessels of the heart while it continues its job as a pump-no heart-lung machine primed with donated blood. Recently before the lesson was presented, this home teacher quoted his esteemed mentor of a few years back making a statement having to do with earthly things, theories, on the care of the human body systems. "You should know something," the senior staff surgeon said. "Half of all we teach is wrong." There was a pause. With perfect timing our home teacher quoted the senior mentor saying, "That's not the biggest problem. The truth is we don't know which half is wrong. The rest of our professional life will be dedicated to finding the truth."-or words to that effect.
Now you know there is a risk in my relating that conversation. You may wonder if I mistrust your instructors-just the opposite. As we hear and read the words of Christ, we believe. His very name is synonymous with "grace and truth." From His own words, our Savior promised the Holy Spirit "He will guide you into all truth."[5] Our need as believers is to receive the Holy Spirit in our efforts to learn. Then we are prepared to extend to others the opportunity to learn all things "religious, physical, social and political."
In our homes and with our children present and future we will find our greatest opportunity. They depend upon us. They need us to help them find their way along the iron rod to the love of God: A tree most beautiful and precious and the fountain of living waters. Your children will continue to surprise you with their degree of understanding of the quiet function of the Holy Spirit-well before their baptism.
May we return to Elder Oaks, quote:
We caution that with the need to finish school and establish financial security, men or women might be tempted to assign marriage a low priority. It is eternally shortsighted to pursue a professional course that makes one unavailable for marriage, an eternal value, because it does not fit into professional timing, a worldly value.
No one, however, knows better than a BYU-Idaho student, the challenges that may be involved in an educational goal trying to balance choices and emotions with courtship and marriage. Sister Richardson would probably approve of my confirming that we dated for two years then married in the Idaho Falls Temple soon after we both graduated from BYU Provo. I recall we were able to spend some time together Sunday afternoons. Otherwise I worked part time and she was married to a practice piano and pipe organ. We began graduate school with two welcomed children. It's possible, I found, to hold a book in one hand and a fussy baby in the other while the nursing mother gets some much needed rest. Brethren, young fathers, take note!
"Come, follow me," the Savior said, first to the Twelve. Not only to become fishers of men, but also to receive that authority which can come only from the Father. "I am His son," the Savior confirmed. He was the only begotten Son coming directly from the Father without an earthly father. "I do only the Father's will," He said. " What I receive from the Father, I give to you."
In the text we find His teachings revealing "the love of God" closely related to His call to come follow Him. "If ye love me, keep my commandments."[6] "Greater love hath no man than that he layeth it down for his friends"[7] The first and great commandments define our personal love of God and also for our neighbor-none is greater. As we grow in our understanding of His love for us we are assured it will never change. That is true although we may show weakness and sin over time. The physical tendencies of the natural man or woman allow Satan's efforts to destroy us. In that, we do not do well. Sin lieth at the door. At that critical point in time, we choose. We recall the power of the love of Him who is the source of all truth, or we volunteer to follow the father of lies. These may be "little lies." We may say to ourselves, "No one will ever know." "Just this once." "No one is perfect." "It's just entertainment.""Satan laugheth and his angels rejoice." If he can have you, no one may be beyond his power. If true repentance follows, then His atonement satisfies the demands of justice for us.
Feelings between persons, either single or married that admit contention, estrangement, and anger become the seedbed of discouragement and sin. Therefore, again the most powerful invitation you receive may be to "Come to me, follow me, do the things you have seen me do...this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do, that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do, even that shall ye do."[8]
In a sense, that is a very practical statement. You can do it. Past-President Spencer W. Kimball, our previous stake president in Safford, Arizona often said, "Do it." A little later he added one word, "Do it now!" Past-President Gordon B. Hinckley was wont to say, "Do the best you can!" Later he added one word. "Do the very best you can!" President Thomas S. Monson, standing in solemn assembly as he was sustained as President and Prophet by the membership of the Church, thirteen million strong encouraged 'the less active, the offended, the critical, the transgressor,' to come back. "Come, and be made whole" he said with great intensity. He often used the word "rescue". That word takes on added meaning remembering the "rescue" of the members of the Willie and Martin handcart companies. You have not lived well, I say, until and unless you become part of that inspiring, real history of events, written or by electronic record.
Sorrows come to each individual or family, uninvited and very much unappreciated. Sorrow and losses may be weather related events as our nation has just experienced. The decisions and action of others may injure us. More importantly, our own thoughts, words and actions may injure us. There is one more. The feeling of loss and loneliness upon death of a loved one is real. It is as real as the joy of a new baby girl or boy. Other experiences seem to tear at the very core of one's life. Injury or loss of life by accident or in wartime is devastating.
The question often follows, "Why me? Why me now?" There may be no adequate answer. Our desires to extend love to another at those times may seem difficult. The hymn, "Where Can I Turn for Peace", with the words by Emma Lou Thayne, is expressive of our true feelings. I quote from the hymn: "Where can I turn for peace? Where is my solace when other sources cease to make me whole? Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish? Who can understand? He, only one."These words bring us to the very point, "Come Unto Me." One with deep pain of soul, can feel again, from the hymn, "He answers privately, reaches my reaching, in my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend."
As you leave this place today, you may want to talk less and think more. On your way through the doors look carefully at the walls with the beautiful paintings, high ceilings, large windows and hopefully some sunlight. How did this great place come to be? And why was this whole campus built, from day one? For you it was and is. Use this Brigham Young University-Idaho wisely. Use it thoroughly and with gratitude to those whose pioneer work was tireless with sweat and a few tears. And to those who presently lead you and serve so very well, we join you in acknowledgement to them. Without them, beginning with your President, you and we are nowhere. Leave this University in good condition physically and spiritually perhaps even for your children and presently for our grandchildren-two of whom are students here. My desire is that what has been said here, being true, you will now make it your own, coming to Christ each day and always, I pray in His name. Amen.
Notes
[1] Matthew 11.28
[2] Matthew 11:15
[3] Luke 23:28-29
[4] Oaks, April 2009, Liahona
[5] John 16:13 ; Moroni 10:5
[6] John 14:15; & 15:10; Mosiah 13:4
[7] John 15.13
[8] 3 Nephi 27:21 and 27:27