Thank you for that wonderful musical number, scripture, and prayer. I hope and pray that the Spirit will be here with us today.
As the director of Institutional Data & Analysis Services, I often talk with my team about how it is our job to use data to help us understand truth. As we study the university’s data, we seek to understand what has happened, what is happening, and what may happen in the future, then hopefully make good decisions based on what we learn.
Lately, I have been intrigued by some of the latest AI. There is much of it that is very impressive. It can pull information from the web, process it, and write almost human responses. Because of my intrigue, I decided to see if it could write my devotional talk. I asked the bot the question, “Can you write me a BYU-Idaho devotional talk?” I was excited when the response came back, “Certainly! Here is a sample devotional talk for BYU-Idaho.”[i] Within seconds, it started writing. I couldn’t believe how quickly it was pulling information together. I was thrilled as I thought to myself, "Maybe this talk isn’t going to be so hard.” As I read through the talk, it seemed to pull appropriate doctrine and it seemed to have the proper structure of a devotional talk, but my excitement declined as I realized this was not the talk my Father in Heaven wanted me to give. So, don’t worry, President. I won’t be giving an AI-generated talk today.
I decided to do two more experiments with the AI. First, I asked it, “What profession should I go into?” Its response was, “As a language model AI, I don’t have the ability to know your personal preferences, strengths, and values.”[ii] Next, I asked, “Can you tell me what would make me happy?” It started writing a response again. This time, it replied, “As an AI language model, I do not have the ability to know your personal feelings or what will make you happy. Happiness is a complex and subjective emotion that can come from a variety of sources, such as relationships, career success, personal growth, making a positive impact, and overall life satisfaction.”[iii] Although the AI tried to help with each of these questions, it can only use the information fed into its algorithm to answer the questions we ask.
Brothers and sisters, isn’t it wonderful that we have a loving, omnipotent Heavenly Father that knows us better than we know ourselves? He knows how to help us grow, ease our burdens, and comfort us in times of trial. He also knows what will make us happy and bring us joy. Last week, Brother Karl Karstad taught us steps to have lasting happiness. I especially enjoyed how he taught us about the tower of faith through the use of his fun flour visual aid and the importance of keeping our faith strong. Today, I would like to talk with you about something dear to my heart: learning to live our best lives through trusting the Lord. To do this, I would like to share some relative experiences in my life.
Although it’s been nearly 28 years since I graduated high school, it doesn’t seem that long ago. I was so excited to graduate and go to college at that time. I knew what I wanted to study. For as long as I can remember, I had dreamed of becoming a mechanical/aerospace engineer. I was fascinated with aircraft, energy conversion, and all kinds of mechanical objects. I wanted to learn how to improve the world by creating something new and innovative. I was thrilled to start taking my classes. At this time, I didn’t really think about asking the Lord if this was what He wanted me to do. I’m sure I assumed that because I had been planning this for as long as I could remember, it would be what the Lord wanted for me. As I started my first classes, I found different challenges. First, my calculus class was taught by a graduate student from China whom I could barely understand. Very quickly, I started to fall behind, and after failing my first midterm, I decided I needed to drop the class. As I got into my first general chemistry class, I soon learned that chemistry and I didn’t mix very well. Although I felt I was having a rough start, I absolutely loved my first engineering class. I persevered over the next few semesters, determined to do better, for I felt I was meant to be an engineer.
As the time got closer for me to put my mission papers in, I really started pondering and praying about if a mission was right for me. It seemed like such a sacrifice and I thought putting my education on hold for two years would be so difficult. While seeking an answer, I remembered attending the many mission farewells for my cousins. As I went to their homecomings, I remember being so impressed with the spiritual giants they had become. I decided to move forward in faith that the Lord knew what was best for me and in 1996, I was called to the England London South Mission. I will always be eternally grateful for this decision. Not only through this experience was I able to witness many wonderful miracles while teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, I was also able to meet and baptize my eternal companion. My wife likes to remind me of what the consequences would have been if I had not chosen to serve.
Toward the end of my mission, I decided that I really wanted to understand the Lord’s will for me. I started to sincerely fast and pray about what the Lord wanted me to do with my life. Very quickly, I received a distinct impression: “Roy, you are not to go into engineering.” This hit me like a ton of bricks. Didn’t the Lord know that this was one of my greatest desires? How was I to move forward without having something that I thought was so key to my identity? But I could not deny the inspiration I had received.
I love the proverb, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”[iv]
Brothers and sisters, how do we learn to trust God and have faith that He knows and wants what’s best for us? As I pondered this question, I thought of Nephi. I love his unwavering faith as he declared to his father:
I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.[v]How did Nephi gain such trust in the Lord? We know that Nephi had been taught well by his parents; he had learned to pray, he had learned to listen to the Spirit’s prompting, and he acted on those promptings. We also know that Nephi had the desire to know God. In 1 Nephi 2:16, we read:
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also 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 the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.[vi]I’m sure leaving Jerusalem was not easy for any of Lehi’s family. I believe what Nephi did here made all the difference in the type of man he would become. First, Nephi had the desire to know the mysteries of God. He then had the faith to pray unto God to find answers. Then, note that the Lord softens Nephi’s heart and he gains a testimony that his father’s words were true. It’s amazing the impact this had on Nephi, which changed his trajectory forever.
As I examined my own life, I tried to pinpoint when I really learned to trust God and it was difficult to know when it started. Like Nephi, I had wonderful parents that taught me well and set an excellent example. I had loving Primary teachers who taught me correct principles, and I had priesthood leaders and seminary teachers who provided wonderful guidance and opportunities to feel the Spirit. Although I believe these experiences profoundly impacted my desire to trust God, I believe unwavering trust takes a continuous cycle of work. We must desire to know God, have faith to seek His will, be willing to act on what He inspires us to do, and then acknowledge the blessings the Lord provides. The more we do this, the greater we will come to know that our Father in Heaven loves us and the greater trust we will have in Him.
As we gain faith and trust in God, we must also learn to seek His will for us. God has given us many tools to accomplish this task. We have prophets and apostles, scriptures, patriarchal blessings, and prayer, to name a few.
There is a quote that I have taped to my computer’s monitor that I love that helps me remember the importance of seeking the Lord’s will. It’s a quote from President Ezra Taft Benson that reads:
Man does not stand alone, or at least he need not stand alone. Prayer will open doors; prayer will remove barriers; prayer will ease pressures; prayer will give inner peace and comfort during times of strain and stress and difficulty. Thank God for prayer.[vii]What tremendous blessings we are promised. There are many things in this life that will be difficult. I have found that the older I get, the more I find I’m placed with a seemingly impossible task or a difficult trial that doesn’t seem bearable. I testify to you that prayer does precisely what President Benson promised. I have seen it work many times in my life.
So how do we receive answers to our prayers? Unlike the AI engine, when I asked it questions, it would immediately start pumping out answers; prayer, on the other hand, many times takes work. The Lord doesn’t just want to give us the answers. He also wants us to learn and grow through the process. Elder Richard G. Scott teaches us a pattern to receive answers to our prayers.
The Lord will hear your prayers in time of need. He will invariably answer them. However, His answers will generally not come while you are on your knees praying, even when you may plead for an immediate response. There is a pattern that must be followed. You are asked to look for an answer to your prayers, then confirm that it is correct. Obey His counsel to “study it out in your mind.” Often you will think of a solution. Then seek confirmation that your answer is right. This help can come from prayer and from pondering the scriptures, at times by the intervention of others, or from your own capacity, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.[viii]Elder Robert D. Hales also shares with us the importance of scripture study when seeking answers to our prayers.
For when we want to speak to God, we pray. And when we want Him to speak to us, we search the scriptures; for His words are spoken through His prophets. He will then teach us as we listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.If you have not heard His voice speaking to you lately, return with new eyes and new ears to the scriptures. They are our spiritual lifeline.[ix]Finally, the Bible Dictionary teaches something profound about prayer. It states, “We pray in Christ’s name when our mind is the mind of Christ, and our wishes the wishes of Christ—when His words abide in us.[x] We then ask for things it is possible for God to grant.”[xi] How important it is to seek and understand what God wants for us.
To finish my earlier story, when I came home from my mission, I became frustrated. I knew what God didn’t want me to do, but I hadn’t got an answer about what He wanted me to do. I felt I had petitioned the Lord extensively, counseled with my parents, tried to assess my strengths and weaknesses, and looked at many different majors. I still didn’t seem to get an answer. Finally, my mother gave me some wonderful advice: “Sometimes you need to move forward and trust that the Lord will direct your path.”
Elder Richard G. Scott shared similar advice with us:
At times the Lord will want you to proceed with trust before you receive a confirming answer. His answer generally comes as packets of help. As each piece is followed in faith, it will unite with others to give you the whole answer. This pattern requires the exercise of faith. While sometimes very hard, it results in significant personal growth.[xii]I decided to take my mother’s advice. There was a new major that had only been out for a semester that my father shared with me; it was called business information systems. This degree was similar to our CIT degree, but it had a strong business emphasis. I had an administrator explain that the degree was meant to better bridge the gap between business and computer science. I immediately saw the wisdom of marrying a strong business degree with technical skills. I decided to move forward with the degree.
In contrast to my experience in my engineering program, I was soon excelling in all of my coursework. As I continued in the program, I still remember taking my first database class—and brothers and sisters, if a career had a love language, I knew mine was working with data. My real passion came one day in a lecture about data mining and how you could mine data to help make more informed decisions. I remember leaving that class and walking across the quad and saying a small prayer in my heart, telling my Father in Heaven that this is what I wanted to do and that if someday I could work for the Church doing this, I would be so incredibly happy.
I continued with my education and witnessed, as Elder Scott shared earlier, many packets of inspiration help me through my schooling. As I concluded my education, I continued to receive little packets of inspiration to help guide me on my path. As I searched for a job, I received a full-time offer to work in the institutional research office at the institution I was attending. Although the salary was quite a bit lower than most of my friends that were getting jobs in the business sector, I had carefully prayed with my wife and we felt inspired that this was the job we should take.
Once again, I am eternally grateful for trusting the Lord in this decision. What I could not have seen at that time was the tremendous friends, mentors, and knowledge that would prepare me for the next step the Lord wanted me to take in my life.
Just after I reached my ten-year mark, my boss, who was a great friend and mentor, retired. This caused me to do a lot of soul-searching and I felt like I needed a change in my life. At the same time, my sister invited my family up to Rexburg for my niece’s baptism. After the baptism, we went to the gardens for lunch. When we arrived, I was immediately taken in by the beauty of the gardens. As I started to explore, I found a secluded spot and I took some time to ponder, pray, and seek the Lord’s will for me. I was immediately overwhelmed by the tremendous spirit of BYU-Idaho, which spoke peace to my soul. Almost immediately, I said another prayer in my heart that if the Lord would allow me to work at a place like this, I would be willing to come. Within a few months, we applied for a job that seemed perfect for me, accepted the position, and moved to Rexburg.
Brothers and sisters, I challenge you to seek the Lord’s will for you at this pivotal point in your life and have the faith to trust Him. The Lord wants to bless you in your righteous desires. Sometimes the answers will come quickly, but sometimes we have to be patient and wait for God’s timing. In my earlier story, it would be 12 years before my righteous desire was realized. As I look back, it’s so easy to see how the Lord was performing little miracles along the way that would lead me to where I am now. I understand how easy it is to get lost in what we are currently going through and want the Lord to grant our desires immediately or in a way that we think would be best. I testify to you that the Lord has something wonderful in mind for you, and even though at times it may be hard to see, He is constantly working on your behalf.
I was overwhelmed by the tremendous testimonies and insights that were shared on the devotional discussion board. I loved Danielle Riddle’s comment where she wrote:
I've learned to trust the Lord by putting my faith into action. Asking in faith is always the first step for me, and I know He'll answer in His own time and in His own way because He has been consistent with me. This has impacted me so much that even when I find myself having trials or even in times of doubt, I never doubt that our Savior is there and the Atonement will work in my life.Take the time and enjoy the here and now of your journey. As you move forward with faith, trusting the Lord and watching for the miracles the Lord will perform on your behalf, you will find your burdens lightened and He will gradually mold you into the person you are meant to become. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[i] https://chat.openai.com/.
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] Proverbs 3:5–6.
[v] 1 Nephi 3:7.
[vi] 1 Nephi 2:16.
[vii] Ezra Taft Benson, “Prayer Is America’s History,” Conference Report, Oct. 1956.
[viii] Richard G. Scott, “The Power of a Strong Testimony,” Ensign, Nov. 2001.
[ix] Robert D. Hales, “Holy Scriptures: The Power of God unto Our Salvation,” Ensign, Nov. 2006.
[x] See John 15:7.
[xi] “Prayer,” Bible Dictionary, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
[xii] Richard G. Scott, “The Power of a Strong Testimony,” Ensign, Nov. 2001.