President Clark, BYU–Idaho administration, faculty, staff and students, I thank you for the invitation to be here. I am grateful for the gracious hospitality extended to Sister Orton and me today. What a pleasure it is to see so many students whose countenances glow with the spirit of this University.
I am here today by assignment from the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am humbled by the challenge which this assignment presents and pray earnestly that my remarks will have a positive effect on many who are gathered here in person and on those who will hear them by electronic media.
I am well aware of the international character of the student body and faculty of this institution. Given my background and experience, I am well pleased by the composition of today’s audience. I am delighted that students here strive to maintain the highest levels of honesty and integrity according to the University’s Honor Code and the Dress and Grooming Standards; and that faculty are student focused, their primary responsibilities being teaching and advising. When Elder Henry B. Eyring returned from the installation of President Clark several months ago, he described the experience as exhilarating. He noted that the future of BYU–Idaho is unique in the academia of today’s world and is without limitation with respect to its force for good in the world. Does this mean that the University and its students and faculty have no room to improve? No! But you have most certainly charted a course which leads in the right direction.
To introduce the subject of my remarks, I quote a couplet from William Butler Yeats’ classic poem, “The Second Coming,” written in 1920:
Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.
Anarchy, if such exists, in the world today takes the following forms, among others: 1) the break-up of the family as the core unit of society; 2) the evils of pornography and immorality in general; 3) the loss of respect for human life and flouting of the rule of law; 4) wars and rumors of war; 5) governments hanging by a thread due largely to selfishness, corruption, and absence of mutual trust and respect coming from within; and 6) the seeming abandonment of organized religion in favor of a morality based on the penchants and the whims of the individual.
Much of our current culture runs counter to the influence of organized religion. For example: One cannot help being alarmed by the fact that Yahoo! indexes some 24 billion web pages and that 6% of searches return results that link to pornography, amounting to hundreds of millions of pornographic web pages.[1]
A 2005 poll published in Newsweek Magazine found that more Americans, especially those younger than 60, described themselves as “spiritual” (79%) rather than “religious” (64%).[2] Many people, perhaps particularly young adults, are seeking spirituality in their lives while rejecting religion, which may appear to them to be both unscientific and intolerant. As one theologian put it:
We live in a time when young people are caught in a double—even triple—bind concerning religion. Prominent cultural voices insist that faith [i.e., spirituality] is always a private, subjective matter; that apart from science, there is no such thing as objective truth. At the same time, a strong presumption in our heterogeneous society insists that tolerance is what makes the whole thing work. As a result, many young people are hesitant to assent to a self-limiting creed, first, because they don’t want to compromise their integrity or their authenticity by committing themselves to what is not objectively verifiable; and second, because they don’t want to seem dogmatic, rigid, or intolerant. . . .[3]
A new study by the Barna Group (Ventura, CA) shows that despite strong levels of spirituality and church activity during their teen years, six out of ten disengage from active participation in the Christian faith during their young adult years (during their twenties)—and often beyond that.[4]
I add this personal note. Upon graduation from law school and admission to practice law in the State of Utah, a mature and successful trial lawyer, knowing that I desired to establish a trial practice in the State of Utah, approached me and made this comment: “Bob, you can’t be an effective and successful trial lawyer and a practicing member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the same time.”
So, do we concede the point? Do we conform to societal trends and abandon the active practice of religion? Or, can we and should we establish and maintain an appropriate balance between the secular and the religious, between theory and practice, between theology and religion?
I will assume, for the purpose of what I will yet say, that no one in the audience today would intentionally abandon the pursuit of success, happiness and becoming a useful and contributing member of the society in which he/she lives. Based on that assumption, the thesis of the balance of today’s remarks is this: “The success, happiness and usefulness of the individual Latter-day Saint in today’s society will come by being an active and practicing member of the Church, which teaches how to obtain and heed the promptings of the Spirit and thus achieve proper balance in one’s life.”
I will commence by identifying and defining the position of the “Church” vis-à-vis religion.
- “We believe that religion is ordained of God; and that men are amenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others….”[5]
- “True religion is the true and revealed worship of the true God. . . . True religion, the religion of Jesus Christ, was instituted of God for the benefit of man. . . . [It] is more than theology, more than a knowledge of Diety and the system of salvation revealed by Him; it is the actual practice of the revealed precepts. Religious people are ‘doers of the word, and not hearers only.’[6] If theology be theory, then religion is practice; if theology be precept, religion is example”[7]
- “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted before the world”[8]
- We have, thus far, spoken of spirituality, and of theology and religion in general. What about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Is it necessary? If so, what is the role of the Lord’s true Church which The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims to be? I will answer this question by referring to sections 10 and 18 of the Doctrine and Covenants, which make clear that our Lord’s true Church is the formal, official organization of believers who have taken upon themselves the name of Christ by baptism, thus covenanting to serve God and keep His commandments …. Those who join the true Church and keep God’s commandments, and the covenants they have individually made with Him, and those only, gain salvation in the celestial kingdom of God.[9]
Can we, given Church doctrine and in the face of the rule of reason, adopt theology but abandon the Church—buy into theory but eschew pratice? Should we, because of the demands associated with obtaining a formal education, procrastinate the day of our immersion into the active practice of the precepts of our religion—the day when we will keep all of the commandments, rather than just the selected few which seemingly conform to our individual whims and desires? If our answers to these questions are in the negative, how do we, then, develop the faith, and the work ethic, necessary to achieve a proper balance in our lives?
Permit me to first establish the doctrinal basis for doing that which we ought all to do. I will then make some practical suggestions.
1 -
This earth was created as a dwelling place for God’s spirit children, for you and for me, and God said, regarding our sojourn here on earth.
“And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
“. . . And they who keep their second estate [their covenants] shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever”[10]
And what is glory? Well,
“The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one.”[11]
I cannot, therefore, escape the conclusion that doing all things whatsoever God shall command will have a bearing upon the extent to which we will be the recipients of light and truth, yes, even intelligence.
2 -
God did not leave us without guidance and direction. He said:
“Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another.”[12]
I emphasize the phrase “remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another.”
That covenant which was made one with another, perhaps before we were born, but in any event at the time of our baptism, included, as explained by Alma at the Waters of Mormon, the following. Said he:
“. . . [A]nd now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life – Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his spirit more abundantly upon you.”[13]
3 -
We, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are indeed our brother’s keeper. The Lord has commanded that we lift our brothers and our sisters by giving of our time, talents and energy, and by giving of our means, that we all might have the opportunity to become equal in heavenly things.[14]
Marion G. Romney, former counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, put it well when, at a General Conference session on October 2, 1982, he said:
“There is an interdependence between those who have and those who have not. The process of giving exalts the poor and humbles the rich. In the process, both are sanctified.”
And so, my dear brothers and sisters, theology without religion is like faith without works. It is dead. Do not be deceived into thinking that adoption and pursuit of current cultural practices will reap success and happiness and make of you productive contributors to the communities in which you now live and in which you will live. Speaking to disciples of Christ at Ephesus,under circumstances not substantially different from those in which we find ourselves today, the Apostle Paul warned:
“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood.
“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
“Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”[15]
Later, after expressing thanks to God for the love, faithfulness, and hope of the Colossians as they accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ, Paul warned them as follows:
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”[16]
Now, permit me to make these practical suggestions for you in your current circumstances. In other words, What now?
1 - Continue your pursuit of a formal education.
Neal A. Maxwell, a former member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, explained the objectives of Church education in these words:
“Literacy and basic education are gospel needs. Without literacy, individuals are handicapped, spiritually, intellectually, physically, socially and economically. Education is often not only the key to the individual member’s economic future, but also to his opportunities for self realization, for full church service, and for contributing to the world around him – spiritually, politically, culturally and socially.”[17]
2 - Seek balance in your lives.
President Gordon B. Hinckley has said:
“An old cliché states that modern education leads a man to know more and more about less and less. I want to plead with you to keep balance in your lives. Do not become obsessed with what may be called a gospel hobby. Remember, a good meal always includes more than one course. You ought to have great strength in your chosen field of expertise, but I warn you against making that your only interest.”[18]
And President James E. Faust, speaking of the need for balance in our lives, remarked:
“It is much easier for those who have a righteous balance to yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit.[19] Then we can leave behind the attributes of the natural man or woman and become someone much more enlightened.”[20]
3 - Seek the companionship of the Holy Ghost and follow His promptings.
Amulek counseled his brethren to “contend no more against the Holy Ghost.”[21] The gifts of the Holy Ghost have special strengths for those who study and learn. The Holy Ghost shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance. Yes, “the Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and … it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.”[22] In the Encyclopedia of Mormonism and The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith we find these interesting statements:
“LDS journals are replete with testimonies that the Spirit of the Lord enlivens all of the senses – seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching – and that one is more physically alive and aware when spiritually quickened. This illumination is more than an aid to phyical perception; it is a medium of comprehension. Latter-day Saints sometimes speak of a “sixth sense,” interrelated with the other senses, that apprehends spiritual things. All things “are revealed to our spirits preceisely as though we had no bodies at all.”[23]
4 - Pray always and be believing.
To have the guidance of the Holy Ghost, one must ask for it. The Lord taught the Nephites that they “must watch and pray always, lest [they] be tempted by the devil, and … be led away captive by him.” He then provided a standard for obtaining answers to our prayers.
“And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.”[24]
Do not ignore any element of this standard.
With respect to praying for that which is right, I offer this illustration. Solomon prayed for “an understanding heart to judge [the Lord’s] people, that [he might] discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” And because Solomon asked for that which is right, the Lord gave him not only a wise and an understanding heart, but added:
“I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee … and if thou will walk in my ways to keep my statutes and my commandments, … then I will lengthen thy days.”[25]
The Lord does hear and answer prayers. Sometimes, however, I think we tend to give up too soon when we pray to Him. We need to persist in our prayers.
5 - Have faith and accompany it with appropriate works.
The Deseret Morning News on Sunday, December 3, 2006, in an article entitled, “Church Work Enhanced Job Performance,” reported this interesting story which I will summarize for you: Conventional wisdom suggests that job performance would decline while one serves, for example, as a bishop of the Mormon Church. In fact, however, the reverse appears to be true. Although serving in a lay ecclesiastical position puts added strain on a person’s time, it can actually strengthen one’s ability as a leader in a secular position. One notable example, among many, is Jim Quigley who, while serving as a bishop, guided the Tri-State office of an international accounting firm through the 9/11 crisis. He was subsequently elected by the board of directors to be the new CEO of Deloitte and Touche USA. On more than one Sunday afternoon, while sitting in a Church office counting tithing receipts, Brother Quigley thought about other places he could be and other more leisurely activities he could be doing. But he never regretted his decision. Said he,
“Think about the people I compete with and what they were doing on Sundays and Tuesday nights. Think of the enormous advantage I had over them. I gave up sitting in front of the TV with a remote control and watching football on Sunday. But look at how much I learned during that time. It provides an enormous cumulative advantage in business… .”
From a leadership standpoint, serving in a noncompensated ecclesiastical role in the Mormon Church has a direct payoff in the corporate world. In Brother Quigley’s case, he went from leading a congregation of 500 Mormons to leading a firm with over 34,000 employees. “In some ways you can look at your congregation as a laboratory to learn management skills and techniques,” he said.
To that of Mr. Quigley, I add my personal witness. My success and happiness as a law student, and later as a practicing trial lawyer, was enhanced substantially by my marriage, starting a family and accepting and functioning in responsible Church callings. I buy into the maxim, “If you want to get a job done, and done well, give it to a busy person.”
6 - Follow the prophet.
In 2005, President Gordon B. Hinckley challenged members of the Church to read the Book of Mormon. This challenge came during a busy time in my life. We were moving from Moscow, Russia, to Salt Lake City and I was preparing to assume new and challenging assignments at Church Headquarters. Nevertheless, I accepted President Hinckley’s challenge. While reading the Book of Mormon I had a spiritual confirmation that each verse came from God and was true. Upon concluding my reading assignment, I prayed to know that the Book was true, as Moroni had challenged me to do. As I commenced my prayer this thought entered my mind: “How foolish of you to trouble the Lord with something about which you have already had confirmation.” I, therefore, testified to the Lord of my feelings about the Book and that it is true and exactly what it purports to be. This became the most rewarding and spiritual experience I had ever had with the Book of Mormon. At the same time, my capacity to do other projects increased manifold.
President Hinckley said this with respect to balancing our response to the demands on our time and resources:
I don’t think that’s difficult…. You just have to sit down now and look at your resources. The major resource in this matter is time. I think you can do it…. You balance it. You organize yourselves, as the Lord said, so that you can make that balance.[26]
If Christ were to come tomorrow, would He excuse us from doing that which we have covenanted to do, just because we are full-time students and busily engaged in our studies? Ask yourselves this question: Are we busier today than, for example, Jim Quigley was as an executive of Deloitte Touche USA? The bad news is, you will not have more leisure time after graduation. The good news is, the Lord is merciful and forgiving; however, He has not rescinded the law of justice. The patterns we establish for ourselves today will determine the success and happiness we will enjoy tomorrow.
The concluding lines of Yeats’ “The Second Coming,” cited earlier, seem a fitting conclusion:
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
In counterpoint to the passionate intensity of the worst, of the enemy, the Savior’s admonition refreshes us like a spring of pure and running water. “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”[27] And in response to the indictment against the lack of conviction of the best, perhaps of us who struggle for balance between the pursuit of earthly things and the approval of Him who matters most in an eternal sense, the Lord made this remarkable statement and promise:
“… [Y]our heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”[28]
You, my dear brothers and sisters, can overcome the world. You can be happy and successful. You will do so by obtaining and heeding the promptings of the Spirit which will help you achieve proper balance in your lives.
God lives. Jesus Christ is His Son – the Savior and Redeemer of the world. He knows me and He knows you. He knows what is in our minds and what is in our hearts. He knows what is best for us. And that He will be our advocate before the Father if we will keep the covenants which we have made with Him and with each other, I testify in His holy name – in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] “One in 100 Web Pages Pornographic,” Financial Times, 11/14/06, FT.Com
[2] Jerry Adler, Newsweek, 9/29/05, “In Search of the Spiritual”
[3] Dennis M. Doyle, “Young Catholics and Their Faith: Is Being ‘Spiritual’ Enough?” Commonweal, 9/8/06, pp.11-14
[4] http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx=BarnaupdateNarrow&Barn
[5] D&C 134:4
[6] James 1:22-6
[7] Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.563
[8] James 1:27
[9] D&C 10:55, 67-69; 18:20-25
[10] Abraham 3:25-26
[11] D&C 93:36-37
[12] Ibid., 90:24
[13] Mosiah 18:8-10
[14] D&C 78:5-7
[15] Acts 20:28-30
[16] Colossians 2:8
[17] Annual Report, 1971, 275
[18] “Four imperatives for Religious Educators,” Church Educational System Address, September 15, 1978
[19] Mosiah 3:19
[20] “The Need for Balance in our Lives,” Ensign, March 2000
[21] Alma 34:38
[22] D&C 121:46
[23] TPJS, p. 355; Encyclopedia of Mormonism, v. 3, p. 1210
[24] 3 Nephi 18:15, 20
[25] 1 Kings 3:9, 12-14
[26] Heber City/Springville Utah Regional Conference Priesthood Leadership Session, May 13, 1995
[27] John 16:33
[28] Matthew 6:32-33