I share my thanks and appreciation to those participating in the music, prayer, and scripture to bring the Spirit here today.
As an employee of BYU-Idaho, I have a business card that identifies to others my role and purpose on this campus. Although it identifies an employee role, I—along with all of you—have a greater purpose here. One key role or purpose is found on the back of the business card. Printed on the back is the mission of BYU-Idaho. Mission point number one reads, “Building testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and fostering its principles in a wholesome academic, cultural, and social environment.”
As mentioned in my bio, I have been at the university for 16 years. During this time, I have witnessed fellow employees as well as students come and go. Through this experience, I have developed a knowledge that our Heavenly Father has a purpose for each of you while you are here. Why, you might ask, does God have a purpose for you here? Because each one of you is cherished by Him. Just like my business card indicates, our Heavenly Father has a role and a purpose for you while you are here. Your purpose in being here may be to build your testimony or prepare you and others for greater things to come. Your role in preparing others may be helping a classmate, roommate, coworker, or spouse recognize their value, potential, or even gain and grow a testimony already in existence.
Elder David A Bednar stated while president of BYU-Idaho:
Faculty, staff, students, ecclesiastical leaders, and so forth—[have] a responsibility to impact others for good. Each interaction with a student or colleague is a potential teaching and learning opportunity.[1]
To illustrate your purpose and your value more fully, I want to share with you these two quarters. At first glance, many of you would probably say these two quarters are the same and they each have a value of twenty-five cents. However, once you look closer and understand these quarters more fully, you will see them differently. Prior to 1965, quarters were made mostly out of silver. Since then, the silver has been replaced by other materials. The quarter on the left is made of 80 percent silver while the one on the right is not. Although they are both currency with a face value of twenty-five cents, there is a much greater value in the one that is 80 percent silver. The quarter containing silver has a value that has been elevated to almost four dollars. The 80 percent silver quarter even sounds and feels different when held or tapped against a hard surface.
Just as the quarters, once you understand who you are, your purpose, and your value, then your self-worth begins to elevate. You will begin to feel and sound like a disciple of Jesus Christ. In 2001, President Henry B. Eyring addressed the university about your value. He states:
The graduates will be at personal peace by having kept the commandments. They will be natural leaders who know how to teach and how to learn. They will have the power to innovate and improve without requiring more of what money can buy. . . and this is a prophecy that I am prepared to make and make solemnly—those graduates of BYU-Idaho will become legendary for their capacity to build the people around them and to add value wherever they serve.[2]
I want to share with you three points. It is my hope knowing these three things about yourself inspires you to understand that you are cherished and have a great purpose and, like the silver quarter, you will sound and feel different, even like a disciple of Jesus Christ.
- You are a cherished son or daughter of God.
In last week’s devotional address, President Bonnie H. Cordon asked those in attendance to raise their hand if they knew the Lord loves you. It was a great experience to be able to raise my hand with all of you in response to her question. This week, I have a question for you. In response, please raise your hand. Do you know you are a cherished son or daughter of God? Please do not ever doubt that you are.
- You are and can become a disciple of Jesus Christ no matter your current circumstances.
- You are here at BYU-Idaho for a purpose.
I recently had a conversation with a current BYU-Idaho student. I asked him about his purpose and how he had the courage to attend BYU-Idaho. In his words, I would like to share with you his response.
Before coming to BYU-Idaho, I had personally been struggling socially. I saw coming to college as a chance for me to have a clean slate, but I was terrified of the chance that nothing would change. After many prayers, I came across a talk by Elder Quentin L. Cook that talked about the “will of God” and it talked about the blessings that came with devoting yourself to being an instrument of our Heavenly Father. I had an overwhelming sense of confidence that if I attended BYU-Idaho with the purpose of serving others, I would be blessed and my prayers would be answered.
I then asked him if he had found answers to his prayers as he finished his first semester. He exclaimed:
Yes! Within the first week, I met so many other people that I call my friends now, and after being there for them and doing small acts of service for some of them who were struggling, I was able to grow a lot closer to them.
This young man has found a purpose here at BYU-Idaho and has taken steps to become a disciple of Jesus Christ by knowing his value and reaching out to those around him.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught:
I believe the Savior Jesus Christ would want you to see, feel, and know that He is your strength. That with His help, there are no limits to what you can accomplish. That your potential is limitless. He would want you to see yourself the way He sees you. And that is very different from the way the world sees you.[3]
Knowing you have a purpose and you are cherished, how do you take courage to live the gospel and continue down the path of discipleship?
I believe to answer this question, we need to focus on courage. Courage is not something new and is a characteristic that we can learn from in the scriptures.
In about 65 B.C., Helaman writes a letter to Moroni during a time when the world they were living in was in contention and chaos. This letter gives an account of what Helaman, and what he calls his two thousand sons, do to fight and support the cause of liberty. After asking the two thousand warriors if they would go to battle, Helaman shares the response:
And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen so much courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites. Behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall.[4]
After a couple of chaotic confrontations with the Lamanites, the band of two thousand pray and exercise faith. From the book of Alma, we read, “And we did take courage with our small force which we had received, and were fixed with a determination to conquer our enemies.”[5]
The example of these young men and the experiences they had should not go unnoticed. First, we can learn that they had been taught and knew their value from their mothers and leaders. Second, from their great faith and knowledge, they gained courage then used it to inspire each other, and in turn found success in their own lives.
For examples how to apply these scriptural teaching in our own lives, I asked this question on the devotional discussion board: how do you find courage in your daily life to follow the Savior? Thank you for your thoughts and input; there were many that inspired faith and motivation.
I invite you to listen to Cecilia Patterson: “I always think of myself as a disciple of Christ. By living my life [worthily], I am blessed to have the courage to follow the Savior. This means wherever I am at, who I am with, or whatever I need to speak about.”
Another great personal thought is from Anthony Tamba. He states, “I have always found myself as a disciple of Christ through service. Offering my service to people who are in need of my service and putting smiles on the faces of my fellow neighbors and the church gives me the courage to follow the Savior.”
Along with the answers above, I want to share with you a few examples of courage I have observed over the past few years.
I enjoy having adventures with my family and friends. I have found that courage is an essential part of adventure in life and gospel experiences.
Throughout the years as an adult, dad, and Young Men’s leader, I have been part of and witnessed new adventures. One such adventure was a 54-mile white water rafting trip. This trip was my oldest son (Kaden’s) second and my youngest son (Gage’s) first. As you can imagine, they both showed different levels of excitement and courage. On the afternoon of day two and the morning of day three, we encountered a few obstacles.
The first new obstacle for Gage was the largest rapid on the river. Although this rapid is relatively short compared to the total length of the entire trip, it seemed to pass slowly for him. It may be hard to see in the picture, but we have just passed between two larger rocks and if you look closely, you may see the fearful look in his face. After passing between the two rocks, Gage was, for a time, a little uncertain. By the time we reached the middle of the rapid, the water creates waves you ride out. Once on the waves and with a little encouragement from me that we had made it through the hardest part, I could see him relax. He once again regained his courage because he had experienced similar waves before on the previous day. As we had finished the rapid, he then had his courage and exclaimed, “Success! I am still in the boat.” After experiencing this rapid, he did not fear the remainder of the trip.
On the morning of day three, the awareness heightened dramatically when we encountered our next obstacle. Waking up to this rattlesnake at our camp, I witnessed Kaden studying and finding a solution to keep the camp safe. Like many of you would be, he was not afraid, and I saw courage as he wanted to defend from, and even take the offensive to the threat of the snake.
After several minutes of discussion, despite his courage, the best option was to keep our distance. The risk and danger were more than we felt comfortable with because of the distance we were from any medical attention if one happened to get bit.
For many of you in attendance today or listening online, you may be experiencing a new adventure or phase in your life during a time that you might see as troubling as 65 B.C., a large rapid, or even a rattlesnake. In recent years, our personal lives may have experienced chaos, confusion, or even fear. For some, it may be your first semester, newly married, starting upper-level classes, new job, or even the birth of a child. Courage can come in the form of moving forward through good situations or moving away from evil as the spirit directs. Courage can also come from those that do not fear giving encouragement and support to lift those around them.
I will share with you another example of courage from a young man preparing to serve a mission. He was confronted with leaving for his mission during the COVID pandemic. I asked him what gave him the courage to go when he did. He states:
I knew that if I contracted COVID then I was sick on the Lord’s time. But believing that the Lord wouldn’t want me to have COVID, I knew He would help protect me. Yes, things happen and some things are supposed to happen, but He will care for His missionaries. I also knew that I was supposed to go on a mission. We are asked to do it as men and holders of the priesthood. That means rain, shine, bad, or good.
Hearing his response, I knew that he had gained a testimony of his purpose and God had helped him with courage.
It is my hope that listening to and learning from the examples above will help you have courage during uncertain times and be able to exclaim, “I am still in the boat.” It is also important to remember that you have a purpose and you can find courage in living the gospel.
As you think about courage, you might also be asking how do I know when to have courage? While speaking here at BYU-Idaho, President Henry B. Eyring stated:
Two things will help us take courage and find direction. First, change is a part of life. For instance, growing up and growing older are adventures in change filled with uncertainties and surprises. And second, God, through prophets, prepared us to expect changes to accelerate in the world.[6]
I believe that this is great council for us not to fear change and to enjoy the adventures as they come, and we can learn to focus on the good. Just as we learned from the two thousand sons of Helaman, we can once again turn to the scriptures to know when and what to have courage in. Near the end of his life, Moroni directs us to “lay hold on every good thing . . . [for] in Christ there should come every good thing.”[7] He also shares in Moroni 7:
For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for everything which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ; is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.[8]
As we all find our courage in the adventures of life, focus it on the good things that come. And in times such as the rattlesnake, have courage to step away when necessary.
As we close today, I want to emphasize a great gospel truth in the hymn “Let Us All Press On.”
We will not retreat, though our numbers may be few When compared with the opposite host in view; But an unseen pow’r will aid me and you In the glorious cause of truth. Fear not, though the enemy deride; Courage, for the Lord is on our side. We will heed not what the wicked may say, But the Lord alone we will obey.[9]
I believe all of you listening today have within you the courage needed to become a disciple of Jesus Christ and be successful while here at this great university. I encourage each one of you to find purpose and become great. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] David A. Bednar, “Inaugural Response,” Ricks College, Feb. 27, 1998.
[2] Henry B. Eyring, “A Steady, Upward Course,” BYU-Idaho, Sept. 18, 2001.
[3] Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Jesus Christ Is the Strength of Youth,” Liahona, Nov. 2022.
[4] Alma 56:45–46.
[5] Alma 58:12.
[6] Henry B. Eyring, “A Steady, Upward Course,” BYU-Idaho, Sept. 18, 2001.
[7] Moroni 7:21–22.
[8] Moroni 7:16.
[9] “Let Us All Press On,” Hymns, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.