Greetings, brothers and sisters. It's good to be at devotional with you today.
I love my wife, Brenda. She says nice things about me in public and in private. She's an amazing woman, teacher, and mother with many talents, which she freely shares. She is a stalwart member of the Church and a leader who knows how to minister to her flock. She is cute too!
I love my children! Nathan, Aaron, Camryn, and Allyson are amazing. Each of them is my favorite child. They have brought great joy into my life. I love teaching them and watching them progress through this life, especially when they get back up after they stumble. The world is a better place with them in it.
For those folks who help put this devotional together, please accept my gratitude. To those in attendance, wherever you may be, I pray that the Spirit will teach you and lift you. This is an opportunity that I don't take lightly. I have earnestly pondered and prayed for inspiration to know what Heavenly Father would have me say to you today. I invite you to write down your thoughts and impressions, and hope you will find a way to get these thoughts and impressions from your brain down deep into your heart.
Brothers and sisters, the gospel is fun for me! I enjoy life! I enjoy students! I relish working with them, chastising them, encouraging them, and building them up. I truly love seeing them develop and grow into disciple-leaders who add value wherever they go. I want all students to know how we (the faculty, administration, and staff) feel about you-we love you! We love teaching you, and we feel fortunate to be able to weave the doctrines and principles of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in our teaching that you might deepen your testimonies of this great and marvelous work.
My friends, let's go back in time to late November of 1989. I was a senior attending Malad High School (Idaho); the Oakland A's had just won the World Series; popular hairstyles were spiked for boys and big hair (i.e. lots of Aqua Net) for the girls; Milli Vanilli was at the top of the pop charts; cell phones and the Internet were not available to the common man; and would you believe Robin Williams, the guy who played Mork and Mrs. Doubtfire, inspired a nation with this phrase from the movie Dead Poets Society: "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary."
With that background, I would like to tell a story that my mother wrote about a family trip to Oregon.
It was very cold, about 34 degrees, with sleeting rain through the Columbia River Gorge. Da'lynne, Laura, Zane, Dad (Richard), and I (DayOnna) were in the gray Starcraft van heading back to Malad, Idaho, from Aloha, Oregon, where we had spent the Thanksgiving holiday with Grandma Bowen. Roger and Tyler stayed back in Malad because of basketball practices.
We had a bed set up in back of the van so anyone could lie down and try to sleep because the trip took nearly 14 hours to complete. Dad drove us to John Day but was tired of fighting the weather, so he climbed in the back to rest, and I started driving. As usual, all the kids were fighting over the front seat, yelling back and forth, "Shotgun!" Zane, eight years old and the youngest child, had no say in the matter; therefore, he was sitting in his usual spot on top of the cooler between the two front seats.
Times have changed. We had no car seats for kids and no seat belt laws, nor cell phones nor iPads to entertain the kids. Can you imagine? Continuing from my mom's journal entry:
I had been driving about an hour when everyone began complaining that they needed to go to the bathroom. The Boardman rest stop was coming up, so I pulled in. With Dad asleep in the back of the van, all the kids and I got out to use the facilities. When I got back to the car, I asked the kids if we were all there, and they responded, "Yes."
We started down the road with the intention to get across the Blue Mountains before it got dark and temperatures dropped to freezing. When I hit Pendleton, the kiddy choir started up again, all professing their undying hunger. I didn't want to pull over, but there was a McDonald's at the last Pendleton exit just before we started up the Blue Mountains range. I pulled in to the McDonald's parking lot and turned off the car. I turned to Zane and asked him to wake Dad and get some money. He got a funny look on his face like "oh no!" I asked him again to wake Dad and get money, and he responded, "I can't; he is not here."
"What! Where is he?" I asked.
Zane replied, "Back at the rest stop." Apparently Dad woke up after the girls, Zane, and I went to the restroom. As Zane came out of the men's room, he saw Dad go in but didn't think to tell us about it until I asked him to get the money from Dad.
Needless to say, I turned around and hot-footed it back to Boardman going 90 miles an hour. It took an hour to backtrack.[1]
Now, let me be very clear here. What my dad went through was not a pleasant experience. He left his coat in the car and tried to stay warm by running his hands under the hand dryer in the men's restroom. Yet he would be the first one to tell you that he is as guilty of forgetfulness as the next person. Let me explain.
The year was 1977. Star Wars debuted, the Portland Trailblazers won the NBA Championship, disco music was all over the radio, and bell-bottom pants were in style. Shortly after moving from Genola, Utah, to Aloha, Oregon, my father took my brother Roger (2) and I (5) to the church to watch him and his buddies play basketball while my mom and newborn sister, Da'lynne, rested back home.
After an hour of watching Dad play, I was fed up and wanted to go home. Dad told me, "We'll leave in a minute." Well, a minute turned into 10 minutes, and I had had it. So I grabbed my coat and started walking the five-mile journey back home. I had walked nearly two and a half miles when I decided that I needed to cross the Tualatin Valley (TV) Highway near the Harvey Marine store. For your information, TV Highway is one of the major thoroughfares that connects Beaverton to Hillsboro, a four-lane highway much like our own Highway 20 that connects Rexburg to Idaho Falls.
With great confidence I looked both ways for cars and determined that it was time to cross. Just then, a kind lady yelled out from her front porch, "Little boy, are you lost?"
I turned around and confidently said, "No! I'm going home."
She asked, "Where are your parents?"
I replied, "My mom is home with my baby sister, and my dad won't stop playing basketball at the church."
She then asked, "Do you know your phone number so we can call your mom?
I said, "Yes. 649-5856." I still remember that number to this day.
The kind lady called my mother only to find that my dad had already called home to notify mom that I was missing. Mom was panicked and none too happy with my father. Much to her relief, arrangements were made for me to be dropped off at my home, and all turned out well, at least for me-Dad, not so much.
A few months later, when calm was restored, my parents and some friends went out to eat when the conversation started about our little adventure. Inadvertently, one of the men who was playing ball with my dad blurted out, "Not only did we lose, Tyler, but we also lost Roger."
Remember my little brother who went with me and my dad? Whoops! Dad had conveniently forgotten to tell Mom that Roger was also lost. Luckily, after an hour of searching the church grounds, and just about the time I was rescued, one of the ball players found Roger sound asleep under the sacrament table.
Needless to say, from that moment on, Dad has been much more vigilant in keeping his eye on his children and grandchildren when out and about.
I hope you can see from both of these stories the devastating effects that forgetfulness could have had on my family. Dad could've been stranded in the cold for a really long time. I could've been taken by some stranger and never returned.
Forgetting
Recently, I attended a training with the general Primary and Young Men's presidencies along with stake leaders from across the nation. One particular discussion focused on the struggles so many young men were having with their testimonies and activity in the Church. Many thoughts were shared, yet one struck a chord with me. The comment went something like this: "Often I find that the boys forget who they are and what they can become. They forget the Lord because they forget to do the things that will draw them nearer to Him. Forgetfulness is the plague of this generation."
Think about it: Satan teaches people to forget the basic doctrines and principles of the restored gospel in an attempt to lure them away from God and ensnare them in his traps that lead to misery.
I love the scriptures and how vividly they describe the issues we face today! Listen and see if this applies to us today:
Thus we see how quick the children of men do forget the Lord their God, yea, how quick to do iniquity, and to be led away by the evil one.[2]
And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.[3]
And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost.[4]
So how do we avoid being led astray?
In a 2002 BYU devotional address, Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander clearly answers this question. He said,
It seems to me that living the gospel has as much to do with remembering important things as it does with knowing them in the first place. The word remember and its derivatives appear hundreds of times in the scriptures-certainly a lot to remember! This repetitious scriptural reminder to remember takes on added significance when we understand that in Hebrew the word remember has a much broader meaning than does the English connotation of "keeping something in mind." In the Hebrew context, "doing" is an essential part of the remembering process. Thus, "to remember" is "to do," whereas "forgetting" is "failing to do."[5]
What you stand for
In the spring of 1987, I was living in Orange County, California, in a city called Brea. U2 was very popular, The Cosby Show was a top TV series, the New York Giants were the Super Bowl champions, and hair styles were mullets for boys and again big hair and wings for girls.
At that time I was introduced to a transfer student from Australia named Steve.* Steve was full of life and became quite popular at my high school. Some of the friends he made happen to be in my home ward. Steve came to church activities, which led to an invitation to learn about the restored gospel from the missionaries. He accepted and began the missionary discussions. Soon after, Steve entered the waters of baptism and was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A few weeks after his baptism, Steve celebrated his 17th birthday. I was invited along with a bunch of his friends to come down to Huntington Beach for a bonfire, hot dogs, and s'mores. The night of the party came, and as I was walking out of the house, my father said something to me that I had never heard him say before, nor will I ever forget: "Remember who you are and what you stand for."
By the show of hands, how many of you have heard the phrase, "Remember who you are and what you stand for"?
Upon arrival at the beach, I was greeted by a bunch of friends, along with the birthday boy. Immediately, it became clear that this was not like other LDS parties that I was accustomed to. Alcohol was present. It seemed like everyone had a plastic cup full of beer and were well on their way to getting drunk. Immediately my dad's statement, "Remember who you are and what you stand for," came rushing to the forefront of my mind. Other thoughts that came to my remembrance were the Sunday School and Primary lessons taught to me about the Word of Wisdom and how to "choose the right." I wished Steve a happy birthday, said hello to a couple of friends, then quickly and quietly left the party and safely returned home.
Brothers and sisters, there will be times in life where you will be placed in situations where you have to make a stand for what you believe-even here at BYU-Idaho. What lessons do you remember from Sunday School, Primary, seminary, family home evening, even Young Men and Women classes and activities that will help you choose the right when faced with adversity? As these lessons come to your mind, I invite you to write them down in a journal and reflect on them from time to time. I have found needed answers and great comfort in remembering lessons from the past.
In the years since Steve's party, I have heard other renditions of the phrase "Remember who you are." I would like to share some of my favorite versions and the profound lessons learned from them.
"Remember who you are and where you come from."
The scriptures explain that we are children of God. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah wrote, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."[6]
To Abraham it was revealed, "Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones."[7]
We can also learn where we come from through study of our ancestors. As a nine-year-old Primary boy, I was invited to fill out a pedigree chart. While filling out my chart, I discovered many strange names that started with E: Ethel, Eris, Erma Arvilla, and Eunice. My great-grandfather was named O. G., short for Orion Genial. And who could forget the unique names of my mother and sister, DayOnna and Da'lynne?
I also found great stories of pioneer heritage. For instance, my great-great-great-grandfather, Fredrick Christian Sorensen, was born in 1819 and died in 1891. He was one of the first 16 souls baptized in Denmark on August 23, 1850. Shortly after his baptism, he fulfilled a mission in his hometown. He immigrated to Utah, arriving in October of 1853, and was one of the early settlers of Ephraim, Utah. He fulfilled another mission to Denmark from 1865 to 1867, where he presided over the Fredervia and Copenhagen conferences. He was a very active man in the Church and at home. He served in various priesthood callings and on the high council in the Sanpete Stake.
Brothers and sisters, I have found great joy in learning about my ancestors. I am grateful for their lives and the efforts they put forth in building the kingdom of God on this earth. The Spirit of Elijah is real, and I have felt the promises made to my ancestors planted into my heart and my heart turned toward my ancestors. They have given me a heritage that I can be proud of. Now it is my turn to create a heritage that my posterity can be proud of.
I invite each of you to take time to learn more about your ancestors and your heritage. I also exhort you to learn about the great history of our Church. The lessons learned will strengthen your testimony of this incredible latter-day work. The next "Remember Who You Are" phrase is a classic: "Remember who you are, and don't let it get you down."
Do you recall the vision Lehi had of the tree of life described in 1 Nephi 8:24-28?
And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.
And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.
And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.
And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.
And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.
My son Aaron recently told us a story about a farmer and a burro. It turns out that one night this burro fell into a well. After many attempts to get the burro out of the well, the farmer decided to give up and fill the well with dirt, entombing the burro. The farmer quickly became agitated with the burro because the animal would shake the dirt off its back and step up on the new dirt. He exclaimed, "Hold still so I can bury you!" Quickly, the farmer realized if the burro kept shaking the dirt off its back and continued to step up on the new dirt, the burro would eventually rise to the top and get out of the well.
How well do we shake the proverbial dirt off our backs and step up on new ground to rise to new heights, which can help us hold fast to the iron rod through the mists of darkness?
Please consider the counsel my wife recently received. Though directed to the women of the Church, I believe this message pertains to each and every one of us. She says, "In a recent women's meeting that I attended at Philmont Scout Ranch, Cimarron, New Mexico, the Primary general presidency addressed us. Remarks were made that at all too many times, women of the Church are unduly critical and hard on themselves. We spend too much time listening to the negative voices from all around us (within the Church and without) when we should be spending more time listening and looking upward for the validation and more accurate view of ourselves from our kind Heavenly Father, for He truly sees us as we are: beautiful daughters of God!"[8]
Amen, Brenda! The world can be so inaccurate. Even though the world may mock and point their fingers at you, a loving Heavenly Father is ready to send the Holy Ghost to comfort and guide you in times of tribulation and affliction. Will each of you commit to ask Heavenly Father how He feels about you? The Holy Ghost will give you that answer. Seek to know how the Holy Ghost communicates with you so you can receive that answer.
The final "Remember Who You Are" phrase brings a smile to my face: "Remember who you are, and get excited about it!"
This sounds like something President Gordon B. Hinckley would say. Consider these words he spoke to the women of the Church in April of 2001. Some words have been modified because I believe this message applies to all of God's children. He states, "You are creatures of divinity; you are [children] of the Almighty. Limitless is your potential. Magnificent is your future, if you will take control of it. Do not let your lives drift in a fruitless and worthless manner."
Are you paying attention? Listen to the instructions we are given in the next few paragraphs.
For you, my dear friends, the sky is the limit. You can be excellent in every way. You can be first class. There is no need for you to be a scrub. Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you. Particularly, pay no attention to what [somebody] might say to demean you. [They] are no better than you. In fact, [they have] already belittled [themselves] by [their] actions.
Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities, and forever and always be loyal to the Church...
Never forget that you came to earth as a child of the divine Father, with something of divinity in your very makeup. The Lord did not send you here to fail. He did not give you life to waste it. He bestowed upon you the gift of mortality that you might gain experience-positive, wonderful, purposeful experience-that will lead to life eternal. He has given you this glorious Church, His Church, to guide you and direct you, to give you opportunity for growth and experience, to teach you and lead you and encourage you, to bless you with eternal marriage, to seal upon you a covenant between you and Him that will make of you His chosen [child], one upon whom He may look with love and with a desire to help. May God bless you richly and abundantly, my dear young friends, His wonderful [children].[9]
Testimony
Heavenly Father is real, and He loves each of us. He has a plan for us where the end goal is exaltation, or in other words, to be like Him and inherit all that He has. I get excited pondering about that.
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He willingly stepped forward to be our Redeemer and Advocate, thereby becoming the author of our salvation. He is the Head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and reveals His will to the prophets.
Joseph Smith is the prophet of this last dispensation. Through him God restored the fullness of the gospel in these latter days. I have known this since I was a Primary-aged boy and have had many witnesses since that confirm this truth to me.
We are led by living prophets. I declare that Thomas S. Monson has been called by God to be the president of the Church at this time and to hold all the necessary priesthood keys for our exaltation.
The Book of Mormon is the word of God, as are the Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and the words of our latter-day prophets.
May I conclude with the inspired words that the prophet Helaman taught his sons: "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."[10]
I testify that these things are true, but more importantly I testify that they are real.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] DayOnna Williams
[2] Alma 46:8
[3] 2 Nephi 32:8
[4] 1 Nephi 12:17
[5] Dennis B. Neuenschwander, "Remember, Remember," BYU Speeches, 12 November 2002
[6] Jeremiah 1:5
[7] Abraham 3:22
[8] Brenda Williams
[9] Gordon B. Hinckley, "How Can I Become the Woman of Whom I Dream?" Ensign, April 2001
[10] Helaman 5:12