First of all, thank you all for being here, family members, friends, co-workers, students, and to Adeline, Biya, and Isia for the scripture reading and prayers, and to the music department, as well as dozens of people who make this hour of the week so meaningful. You know, if you speak at devotional, lunch is included. They also give you about two months’ notice so you can really stress about it for a while. This week marks my 39th year as an employee on campus. If they would have waited a little while longer, I could have slipped out the door unnoticed. Now I feel like everybody is staring at me!
I usually get asked a couple questions. The answer to the first one is six foot seven. And since I have been working here so long, people always ask if I knew Thomas E. Ricks. Funny thing is my great-grandfather James E. Steele—who, when a toddler, crossed the plains with the Martin handcart company—did know him, and ensured that the Ricks Academy was named after the founder, Thomas E. Ricks. My brother Clark Kelley Price painted this famous pioneer painting. It depicts the burial of James Steele, our great-great-grandfather. Our family history with this institution is as long as the history of Ricks College / BYU-Idaho. I came to work here in 1979 when there was only one computer on campus and the IT department consisted of three people. We even had a typewriter repair shop. Not only has the university evolved over the decades but it seems that with every generation, the campus readies itself like a living being—growing and developing to become exactly what it needs to for each unique generation.
Speaking of generations, the other day I was in a store trying on some pants, and in the dressing room was a pair of those skinny jeans that you kids wear, thinking about your fashion statements. Well, back in the day—and I mean way back—my older sisters used to hand sew jeans tight to their legs. They called them pegged pants, and they were tough to get in and out of. Anyway, after I left the dressing room, I mentioned to the sales person that someone had tried on some skinny jeans and in the process had ripped holes in the knees.
I came to school here in 1976, 100 years after the first pioneers arrived. The pioneers were waiting for the wind to die down before moving on. They’re still waiting. There were 4,500 students—and they called it Halo High back then—and now almost 20,000 in nearly 40 years. Henry Eyring was president of the college back then too—go figure. My wife and I met here, and then went off to Provo, where I tried to set her up with one of my friends. Somehow they just didn’t seem good enough. This is us shortly before I hired on as an electrician apprentice at Ricks College. Isn’t she and our daughter beautiful—they still are, of course—and my hair dynamite? “Napoleon,” as my kids would say.
The other thing people ask is if I have seen any differences in generations, as if one generation has some innate ability over another. And the answer is yes! Let’s do a quick generational survey. All the baby boomers that can’t drive a stick, raise your hand. All of you Gen X’s and Gen Y’s, raise your hand. Now Millennials. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, raise your hand anyway. Seriously, I hope this is just some fad like my parents thought rock and roll was going to be.
Brothers and sisters, just a disclaimer: some people laugh at their own jokes; I cry at my own talks, so just be patient. As I was thinking and praying for what to say to you today, the Holy Ghost working through us to inspire and be inspired is what kept coming to mind. Two semesters back, I had an encounter with a former student that worked for me over 25 years ago on campus. Meeting him was completely unexpected for both of us, and it was a great chance encounter. The next day, he sent me a text to say what a thrill it was to see me again and how a couple of us in the electrical shop had really transformed his life at a time when he was struggling. I had no idea that we had any good influence on this young man, because we were relentless tricksters. After the text message, I reflected on the inspiration that occurred for both of us to meet on campus at such a random time and location, and how the encounter reaffirmed my testimony that we are inspired and inspire others regularly to bring about the Lord’s purposes.
“Inspire” means to breathe into; to infuse animation, or influence, affect, rouse, guide or control, especially by divine influence.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. [1]
In the movie Cast Away, Tom Hanks’s character describes how he survived his four-year ordeal of being alone and surviving on a deserted island. “I had to keep breathing,” he states. And of course, he had Wilson.
Years ago, the distinctive atmosphere of this campus was defined as the Spirit of Ricks; however, for me the unique character of this institution has always stayed the same over the decades. The Spirit of Ricks was and is the Holy Spirit. Every one of us is here for a definite reason. I have witnessed the coming and going of many hundreds, and they all have been handpicked to come here for a season to do the Lord’s work. BYU-Idaho has world-class instruction, tremendously talented staff, and inspired leadership. It was ranked #3 last year in the U.S. for educational value. We have beautiful buildings, cutting-edge equipment, updated utilities, and breathtaking grounds. The Church’s commitment to provide such a high standard for its educational facilities is inspirational in and of itself. Every detail is designed to meet the physical and spiritual needs of students and staff alike, as well as to inspire and enhance the learning environment. The university as a facility has won numerous architectural and energy efficiency awards. Sure, it’s not perfect—we still have the Kirkham Building—but what an inspiring tribute this campus is to the dedication of so many thousands of hands over the decades. From its location on the hill, where it avoided the Teton Dam flood in June of 1976 just a couple months after I came to school, to a temple, a 20-megawatt substation, to a very efficient central energy facility.
It has been an incredible opportunity for me to spend the last 39 years involved in the work of literally building the kingdom of God. Every building on this campus, I have been involved in either its construction, remodel, removal, repurposing, renovation, or rebuilding. Every day in University Operations, we are keenly aware that there is a guiding hand in how the Lord wants and what he wants this campus to be. There is never a meeting or discussion, even with outside contractors and consultants, without a prayer. The changes I have witnessed on this campus are innumerable, but it is always inspiring to see the Lord’s timing. He does not play catch-up; he ramps up. I will share a campus miracle with you, even though there are dozens that are even more extraordinary in scope than this one.
In 2001, the old Spori Building was scheduled for demolition so a new one could be built in its place. We at the electrical shop were concerned that a high-voltage distribution switch, powering numerous buildings and sitting next to the Spori Building, may be damaged from falling debris three stories up. The decision to cover it with railroad ties seemed like a reasonable solution. As we waited for the building to be razed, one of our vendors from California was scheduled to visit us and discuss some new transformers they were selling. Instead, he brought a sales representative to show us a new temporary junction bus for high-voltage distribution that could be used anywhere. Well, that was random, but interesting. Then, the next few weeks proved even more interesting and urgent as the Spori high-voltage switch began to leak dielectric gas insulation. SF6, or sulfur hexafluoride, is very expensive, and we were losing about $1,500 in gas every 4 days. We were in between a rock and a hard place. To buy a new gas switch would cost around $20,000 and take about 16 weeks to build and ship.
Don’t worry, we now have spares. But back then, no spares and no way to stop the leak. But ding ding, in my mind, the vendor from California had on his shelf a temporary solution. How convenient. We air freighted the junction bus in, removed the leaking switch, and pulled all of the high-voltage cable into an underground vault and onto our junctions, then ordered a new switch and waited for the demo. The night the demolition started, two caterpillar dozers looped a cable between them and were going to drag it through the old, pioneer-built, rock structure. Nothing happened, so they decided to saw through the building with the cable. A small friction fire developed after a few back and forth pulls, and suddenly the entire building was on fire. It burned to the ground. How long those railroad ties would have burned protecting our switch—well, we never had to find out; the high-voltage cables were safely underground and out of harm’s way. Even more miraculous, the leaking gas switch never lost another ounce of sulfur hexafluoride. We replaced it anyway, and that became our spare.
With Christ and our Heavenly Father, there are no random events. They are in the very details of our lives. The Spori miracle had to be so precise and the timing so exact in order for so many moving parts to come together at the right time. The Holy Ghost, His still small voice, is so still that it is inaudible most of the time. Instead, it manifest itself as blessings, urges, thoughts, promptings, feelings, warnings, tender mercies, burning in the bosom, or ideas—especially in the early morning hours. Apparently heaven is in a different time zone.
In April conference of 2005, Elder David A. Bednar referred to a scriptural reference that has become part of our regular discourse in the Church:
"But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."[2]
Elder Bednar continues:
"My mind was drawn immediately to Nephi’s phrase 'the tender mercies of the Lord,' and I knew in that very moment I was experiencing just such a tender mercy. A loving Savior was sending me a most personal and timely message of comfort and reassurance through a hymn selected weeks previously. Some may count this experience as simply a nice coincidence, but I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are real and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Often, the Lord’s timing of His tender mercies helps us to both discern and acknowledge them."[3]
Jesus Christ admonishes us to recognize him in every aspect of our lives:
"And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments."[4]
Our ability to always inspire and be inspired comes directly from our promises we made at baptism to our Heavenly Father. As we attend sacrament meeting and partake of the sacrament each week, we are reminded of those covenants and the promise if we do:
"O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen."[5]
The baptismal covenants we make:
- to take upon us the name of the Son,
- and always remember Him,
- and keep His commandments.
And the promise: to always have his Sprit to be with them.
I do not believe that I always remember Christ in the same way I always remember to eat, or how your dog is always happy to see you. “Always” also means “consistently,” like the sun always setting in the west. If we consistently remember Him and keep His commandments, He will, without fail, send His Spirit. Remember breathing is a two-step process: when we breathe in, we are inspired; when we breathe out, we inspire.
The following are some ways to inspire that I see regularly on campus:
1. Be a Mentor.
I realize this is a university and it is all about the teacher-student experience, but since it’s summer break and the professors aren’t here, we are going to talk about the other half of the campus. The saying “if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; if you teach a man to fish, you feed him for life” was true with me 42 years ago when my brother-in-law started me in the electrical trade. I have witnessed the mentoring process for years and know of its impact on students and staff alike. This campus employs hundreds of students who work in apprenticeships and internships across the entire campus spectrum. And if you really want to learn how to work, just try early-morning custodial, the grounds crew, or food services. Our son Devin worked in the mechanical shop as a welder and plumber assistant. Most of that work experience has paid off in his career as a robotics engineer. Our daughter Marcy worked in the design office and learned CAD drawing, which helped her get a job with various architectural firms. Our daughter Abbey worked in the health center and received great hands-on training in her major as a medical assistant. Our daughter Lindy worked in public relations on campus and has used her tremendous people skills in various career paths. And our oldest daughter, Kacey, is a nursing instructor here at the university. She used to change oil for fleet services and was once renowned at the hospital for changing IV’s faster than anyone on her shift.
We have put together a short video that exemplifies some of the everyday mentoring that happens on campus.
2. Be Helpful.
My wife has worked part-time on campus for over 30 years. The students and faculty she deals with every day always have the greatest of praise for her helpfulness, and of course they confide in her. Being a confidant and taking interest in people is always inspiring.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. [6]
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. [7]
3. Be Prayerful
Find ways to help others—family members, friends, co-workers, roommates, people to whom we minister, ourselves:
Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. [8]
4. Be genuine.
Nothing is more inspiring than people who treat you like a human being.
And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. [9]
5. Be Dependable.
Follow-through, trust, and dependability are always inspiring.
5. Be Competent.
People with great talent, skills, and ability are a true inspiration, but you can foster tremendous abilities even if you do not think you are talented or creative. The gifts of the Holy Ghost, unlike the Gift of the Holy Ghost, are given to everyone:
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit. [10]
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. [11]
No matter who you are, giving back and inspiring others comes with many benefits. You never know who you’re going to impact when you give—and you never know who might be in position to reciprocate if you ever find yourself in a time of need. Inspiring others also includes serving others, and leaves a legacy that will live on far longer than you will.
One day, Bob came home with a very expensive dog. When he walked in the house, he wanted to show his wife what a great pet this would make. “And he talks,” he told Mrs. Bob. To demonstrate, Bob asked the dog a few simple questions. “What does sandpaper feel like?” “Rough,” said the dog. “What is the outer layer of a tree?” “Bark,” the dog was quick to answer. “What keeps out the rain on top of the house?” “Roof-roof,” the dog said excitedly. Bob’s wife shook her head. “Any dog can say that. You just got scammed,” she said, and stormed out of the room. Bob looked at the dog, disappointed. “What’s with that? You didn’t inspire much confidence.” ”Well,” replied the dog, “you’re the one with all the dumb questions!”
Being inspired can also come from many sources. Here are some from the discussion board comments:
Jessica states, “I feel inspired when I go to the temple. I like to have a very open communication with my Father in Heaven.”
Hannah explains, “Whether I'd be in an awesome time management class, a day out with my missionary’s family, or enjoying a beautiful day at Yellowstone, I find ways to build my testimony in every task.”
Amy says, “I most often feel the influence of the Spirit inspiring me when I am involved in seeking truth or serving others.”
Dennis advises us to “accept His message, that we may receive of the blessings, that we may . . . lift another.”
President Eyring indicated, “Many times each day, I am lifted by observing and hearing about colleagues who give more than is required of them.”
And Anna lets us know, “I personally feel most inspired when I'm doing the things and being with the people I love most.”
Ways to be inspired can also include:
1. Repentance and Learning From Mistakes.
Some of life’s greatest inspiration comes from our mistakes or the mistakes of others. The role of the Holy Ghost is to testify of truth and purge us from sin. We learn that the role of the Holy Ghost is so pivotal in our lives that denying him is an unpardonable act:
Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. [12]
2. The Spoken Word.
In a very real sense, great speeches or conference talks or even devotional talks can lift and inspire:
What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same. [13]
3. The Written Word.
Scriptures, music, literature, wholesome entertainment all can inspire:
And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith. [14]
4. FamilySearch and Temple Work.
Last week, Sister Staiger quoted President Russell M. Nelson:
Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path. [15]
I watched as my mother and mother-in-law spent years gathering family histories and taking names to the temple. Unbelievable the painstaking hours they spent and the paperwork. Now we have FamilySearch. The things you learn and the people you meet there are very inspiring.
5. Giving and Receiving Priesthood Blessings.
The priesthood is not the Brethren of the Church; it is the power of God to bless lives, and we all should take advantage of those blessings regularly.
Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands . . . .
Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. [16]
Our patriarchal blessings should be one of our greatest sources of inspiration. They are our personal scripture and a binding covenant with God. When Hyrum Smith was tasked as Church Patriarch, we read:
That from henceforth he shall hold the keys of the patriarchal blessings upon the heads of all my people,
That whoever he blesses shall be blessed, and whoever he curses shall be cursed; that whatsoever he shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever he shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
And from this time forth I appoint unto him that he may be a prophet, and a seer, and a revelator. [17]
6. The Natural World.
One of the most important and inspiring truths for us to “always remember him” [18] is that the most powerful beings in the universe created the heavens and the earth:
Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul. [19]
7. The Digital World.
Of all the mass and social media available to us, we should use our time on media to educate and enlighten, not just entertain. Our priesthood leaders have cautioned our use of this powerful tool. In order not to be deceived, the Holy Ghost can protect us as we navigate the tripping hazards of the digital world:
And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is. [20]
8. Physical and Mental Well-Being.
Having energy and vitality would be our ideal goal in life. The trials of life are much more difficult when we face physical and mental challenges. To those who carry on in spite of such obstacles, you inspire; and those of you who help us get to a better place in our life, you inspire and give hope .
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. [21]
In conclusion, a quote that is often attributed to the great physicist Albert Einstein really sums up what we have discussed:
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. . . . Our task must be to free ourselves . . . by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Only a life lived for others is worth living.[22]
Brothers and sisters, as the campus has changed over the decades, I believe the most significant student experience is still the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost working through all of us. He will always be with us, so take that with you wherever you go. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Genesis 2:7.
[2] 1 Nephi 1:20; emphasis added.
[3] David A. Bednar, “The Tender Mercies of the Lord,” Ensign, May 2005; emphasis added.
[4] Doctrine and Covenants 59:21; emphasis added.
[5] Doctrine and Covenants 20:77; emphasis added.
[6] Galatians 5:22.
[7] Galatians 5:25; emphasis added.
[8] Alma 37:37.
[9] Mosiah 2:17.
[10] Corinthians 12:8-9.
[11] Corinthians 12:11; emphasis added.
[12] Matthew 12:31.
[13] Doctrine and Covenants 1: 38.
[14] Doctrine and Covenants 88:118; emphasis added.
[15] Russell M. Nelson, “As We Go Forward Together,” Ensign, Apr. 2018.
[16] 1 Timothy 4:14-15.
[17] Doctrine and Covenants 124:92-94.
[18] Doctrine and Covenants 20:77.
[19] Doctrine and Covenants 59:18-19; emphasis added.
[20] Moroni 10:5-6.
[21] Romans 5:5.
[22] This quote is often attributed to Albert Einstein but has no official source.