My dear young and not so young Brothers and Sisters: Sister Tobler and I have come to this remarkable school with much joy and anticipation. We were here a number of years ago, but much has changed with respect to the campus, the size of the student body and the expansion of the faculty and administration for what has become a full-fledged university. We have watched as each step has unfolded and felt a sense of admiration and deep respect for those who have guided the many academic and campus changes over the past several years.
It is always a joy to be with President and Sister Bednar who have been deeply involved in all that has taken place here over the past number of years. We would also like to mention the joy we have had in working with two wonderful couples who have been associated with BYU–Idaho for many years. President and Sister Kinghorn of the Albania Tirana Mission and President and Sister Strong of the Croatia Zagreb Mission are dear to our hearts as we saw their great faith and commitment in presiding over those missions and the Church in the Europe Central Area. Now we are all awaiting the start of a new House of the Lord with all of its blessings to the student body, faculty and surrounding members in this area. Having been involved in the groundbreaking, construction and dedication or rededication of four temples in Europe over the past several years, we know the great joy this brings to all who prepare to walk through those sacred doors.
As we look into your wonderful faces today, we can't help but be reminded of the great heritage and transcendent prospects we individually have. Most of you today are on the very front end of both understanding and preparing for the potential to become what most of you, and I would say, most of us, do not yet fully comprehend. Hopefully today we can receive impressions through the power of the Holy Ghost of the unusual potential, both temporally and eternally, in each of us, and be committed to leave no stones unturned in achieving that potential in an acceptable and moral way.
Many years ago when I was a very young teenager, I thought often about what would ever become of me. I felt academically capable, but realized that socially I was a slow developer as many of my school mates will remember and readily confirm. I was born into a wonderful family, the second of four children. Our parents were good people and excellent teachers-both had taught school for a number of years. They had a keen sense of what was right and what was wrong and reinforced those values constantly as we were growing up. Sometimes we would, in a tongue in cheek sense, think of their strong views as the Gospel of Mother Louise and of Father Don. Both were committed to the Gospel and the Church, and we were without any doubts about their commitments. We were coached well, and sometimes firmly when needed, and we knew they expected us to develop our individual capabilities and potential. I remember on several occasions, Mother would remind us about the importance of self-confidence and believing in our potential by saying, “if you don't think you are somebody, no one else will either.” This was not a commission to have an ego trip or to develop a superiority complex.
Even with all of this good teaching and example, there remained for me a deep wonder of what should or could I do with my life. How would I earn a living for a family in the coming years and how could I gain a higher level of confidence in myself and be able to develop trust in others who could play significant roles in my life? While I had many thoughts about how I would cope in world, I would also wonder when older people would talk in sacrament meeting about reaching, in the end, the blessing of eternal life not just for me but for as yet a family that was not yet in the process of formation. Perhaps you have also faced similar questions about your futures.
Now, almost sixty years later I can look back and see and understand some things I didn't understand too well at the time. I'd like to share a few thoughts about these important matters with you today. There may be nothing particularly profound, but maybe they might be helpful in some small way.
First, I have learned how important it really is to develop a healthy belief in ourselves. Some seem to be born with it. Others may have to work much harder at this important task. It is not just to believe in ourselves, but also to believe and see ourselves as capable of achieving good and lofty goals. This is not an encouragement to develop an arrogant pride or ego with all of the unfortunate implications, but it is an encouragement to have a healthy, even inspiring, regard for who we are and what we can do. For many years, I have found encouragement from the Lord's statement of His reliance on humble but confident people. In the Doctrine and Covenants, section 1, we have all read many times these choice verses speaking about the unfolding Restoration preparatory to the Second Coming of the Lord:
"Therefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;
"And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets-
"The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones."[1]
We must believe in ourselves and realize that even in our weakness, the Lord is able and will make us strong and effective people.
I have also learned that a very high cost is associated with depreciating ourselves, or as some say, beating up on ourselves often unjustly. Now it is easier for me to understand and believe that when we become so negative and injurious to ourselves, our Father in Heaven must wonder, how can a spirit son or daughter, carrying my genetics in their spirit, think of themselves in such a way? He knows, and we know, we have flaws which must be dealt with. But He knows, and we should know, that we are valuable and capable children of a loving Father in Heaven.
In developing a healthy belief in ourselves, there is a helpful gospel parallel with respect to the process of how we come to believe in the Savior, our Redeemer. Just as a wanting to believe in the Savior precedes the establishment of a faith in Christ and His Gospel, a desire to believe in oneself must become kindling to the larger fire of truly having an active, deep faith in ourselves. To assist us in the quest for having a deep faith in ourselves, Heavenly Father, knowing our strengths and our weaknesses, often places people in our lives to stimulate our belief in ourselves. That stimulation may come from a number of sources or people. It may come from a Primary or Sunday School teacher. It may come from a Bishop. It may be a Stake Patriarch. It may be your Priesthood Advisor or a Young Women's leader. It may be a Mission President. It may be your Mom and Dad. From whatever credible source it may come, please do not take lightly the impressions or counsel which come of the Holy Ghost to you through their outreaching love and concerns. You might be tempted to be a bit cynical or give little worth to some of the things that they might say to you. Be accepting and appreciate of their outreach. Be believing and not cynical.
I am reminded of the wonderful teaching of Alma about the progression as we move from believing to having strong and active faith. He pleads with us to be positive and even to experiment:
"But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words."[2]
The early development of belief in myself was shaped in a wonderful way by a Stake Patriarch who didn't really know me. He was very old, very wise and very in tune with the Holy Ghost. He may not have known my need for reassurance and direction in those teenage years, but the Holy Ghost did and revealed to him what to say to me. Perhaps I was hungry and ready to believe, but I remember how my feelings changed about my capabilities and future after that wonderful blessing. Those words caused me to believe much more concretely in myself and to do my part to make that blessing become reality.
This leads to the second great principle which I learned and tested over the years. My experience has confirmed that it is a true principle. Once we believe in ourselves and have a vision of what is possible for us, we must follow a pattern of preparation and hard work that would be in harmony with the blessing he voiced, in my particular situation. Achieving our potential will not come by wishing or dreaming. It will follow the Law of the Harvest. Being a farm boy, and now watching the land preparation on our farm in Ohio, the planting of crops, the control of weeds, etc., there is a protocol of work, of particular actions and caring that precede a good harvest. We must follow these principles as we work to achieve our very significant potentials.
As I sought to bring into reality the blessings promised in my patriarchal blessing, I had to learn that when we receive information and direction in our lives, we must act upon it. If we don't, the blessing simply remains information which has limited value, if not acted upon. Having been told by the Spirit through a patriarch that I was to prepare for what should be a career in the business world, I knew I had a lot of study and preparation ahead of me, in the remaining years in high school, in college and ultimately on the job. But the gift of a fuller vision of myself, and of the outcome if I would prepare and be faithful, has remained with me all of these years. You, too, will receive important messages from time to time. Don't treat these messages as information. Please act upon them for they are revelations for you which have eternal significance if you will have the faith to act, to work hard, and be sustained by the Spirit in your converting that information into an eternal reality.
Another ministering brother who helped me climb the confidence ladder was my mission president. I am sure that there are many here today who will also forever thank the Lord for these wonderful, consecrated servants and their wives. His contribution to my life was to help me focus clearly and specifically on the quest for eternal life. My earlier experiences had great temporal significance, but my mission president’s lasting mark upon my soul is and will always be eternal. He helped me see myself as capable of achieving the promise of eternal life.
It became clear to me very early in my mission in Switzerland and Austria that he possessed special knowledge and had a testimony of the Savior that was vibrant and compelling. In some manner, I developed the desire to know what he knew and have such simple but powerful faith and testimony. It was not that I was without a testimony. The teachings of my mother and father were written in many ways on my soul, and my own prayers regarding the truthfulness of the gospel were answered in wonderful ways. But here was a man who seemed to actually live in the light. As we would drive together often during one part of my mission, these became times of
learning, of becoming better acquainted through his teachings of who the Savior is, and of our Heavenly Father and His plan for us. I wanted to know what he knew and try to be faithful and in tune as he was. I have learned much from Young Nephi in the Book of Mormon. Nephi experienced the same feeling of wanting to know more, to have more light and understanding of eternal things. He wanted to know what his father knew. Quoting from 1 Nephi 2:16:
"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all of the words which had been spoken by my father."
Nephi was deeply impacted by the truths of eternal life taught him by the Lord. We should not wonder why he became the prophet and Man of God that we love in the Book of Mormon. I do understand and am deeply grateful for the transforming power of knowledge of the Godhead and of our individual relationships with each of them. This precious knowledge has come to us in the
Restoration of the Gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Heavenly Father has made known what He is prepared to give His faithful children, subject to their faithfulness and faith in Him and His Son. The restored truth regarding the Lord Jesus Christ, his atonement and how we can access the atonement are absolutely crucial to our believing that the potential that Father granted us is actually possible. How grateful we are for the Holy Ghost who writes upon our hearts testimony of these truths. As we develop close relationships with our Father and the Savior, and live the gospel daily, our confidence in our ability to achieve exaltation rises. How grateful I am for a mission president who expanded my faith, my knowledge and my vision of eternal life. I was a different young man when I returned from my mission. I knew more and my confidence had increased. From Doctrine and Covenants 121:45, these reassuring words, “let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly, then shall thy confidence was strong in the presence of God.”
The third lesson I have learned is that reaching our potential must involve major challenges, and we should expect them. With clear vision of who we are, we must be sufficiently strong to confront and withstand each challenge, and there may be a series of them. Eternal life has a cost which is paid in doing all we can do to remain faithful in a world of testing. I can truthfully say that I have learned a little from my successes, but I have learned far more from my failures and bruisings from numerous challenges. Each of us will have specially tailored challenges which probe not only our weaknesses, but also our faith our faith in the Lord, in the Restored Church of Christ, and in ourselves. Perhaps we ought to adopt a personal Motto: “I shall not yield, whatever the challenge may be.” For a pattern of frequent yielding is like a cancer which grows unchecked until is consumes our faith and belief in God and in ourselves. It robs us of vision, leaving us with little prospects, and a diminished desire to pay the price for real temporal or eternal achievement. What terrible costs for us who know the truth about ourselves and what we can achieve. If we were to gain the whole world, but lose our souls, this is an unbelievably high price when we could, through repentance and the gift of the Atonement of Christ, have achieved so much more.
The fourth insight that has come to me is the need to keep the Gospel of Christ dominant, which is His Way of Life, functioning in a steering or controlling capacity. We must learn to subordinate the worldly culture to the truths of the Gospel of Christ. We have seen this almost miraculous development in the lives of many individuals when they accept the gospel and a new way of life. Our brothers and sisters from across the globe are coming into a knowledge of the Restored Gospel and of themselves. You see it in lives and testimonies of converts in Romania, in Hungary, in Poland and other hemispheres and lands. I do not have time to share with you experiences where we have seen the culture of the Gospel of Jesus Christ take precedence over the prevailing national or worldly culture. The Gospel truth liberates all men and women and focuses them on a higher culture. They become “no more strangers or foreigners, but fellow citizens in the household of God,” as Paul told the Ephesians.[3] In our own land, in a land favored above all others lands, and across the world, we now face a broadening culture which is increasingly foreign to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If we believe in ourselves and our potential, we will not yield to this broadening world culture which lacks vision and is increasingly self-indulgent, self-serving and hedonistic. The eternal virtues must be enthroned in our lives and become our guiding stars. We must abhor dishonest conduct, the use of foul and base language so much in vogue, waste time and become dulled by the tasteless array of various entertainments, often falsely parading as true and acceptable reality. We must and will not yield to sexual impurity in all of its forms, or yield to the siren song of endless pleasure and materialism. Our destiny is to be transformed through the atonement of Christ into individuals who receive eternal life within an eternal family where all that the Father has, He is willing to give to His faithful Children.
Finally, it will also be important for us not only to adopt and defend the culture of the Gospel, but also to school our personalities so that they are shaped, enlarged and changed into personalities that are harmonious with the principles and teachings of the Lord. We will want to look very hard at the oft used expression: “I am who I am,” or “you'll have to take me the way I am.” We are all better than that. The seeds of Deity that are within us should constantly coax us to reach for the best that is within us and be ready to give up traits that are not good, not endearing or not harmonious with the Gospel. Just as gospel culture must take precedence over worldly culture, our personalities must be shaped and altered by the truths of the Gospel.
These are just some of the important things I have learned over the years. I am yet learning and comprehending the unfolding picture of what constitutes eternal life. I am still challenged on many fronts. But I revel in the knowledge of the Gospel and of the revelatory processes that are so alive in the Church of Christ today. Our times are becoming even a greater test of our spiritual strength, and they will become even more demanding. Thank the Lord for His living apostles and prophets and the light they give in their leading.
In closing I wish to express my great love for all of you. Though we do not know one another very well, that love is genuine. It is the love which I feel our Father has for me and you. I bear witness that God our Father lives and has high hopes for His children. I testify of the Lord Jesus Christ, that he lives and that He is the complete Redeemer for each of us. I testify that the Holy Ghost is real and stands ready to confirm our belief and faith. I know that Joseph Smith is the Prophet of the Restoration and that Gordon B. Hinckley is faithfully in the footsteps of a true prophet.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Doctrine and Covenants 1:17-19, emphasis added
[2] Alma 32:27
[3] Ephesians 2:19