I am delighted to be here with my sweetheart. We were able to spend some special time together in the temple this morning. Often our travel assignments don't allow for our wives to accompany us, so it is a treat to have her with me. We just celebrated our fortieth anniversary a week ago today.
I thrill as I look at you. You are a chosen generation. You are a part of the best educated, most enlightened generation the world has ever seen. There are more resources and opportunities at your command than have ever existed on the face of the planet. We live in the greatest country in the world with more freedom to act, serve, create, and produce than anywhere else. Means and methods of communication, education, and physical wellbeing have exploded. The fulness of the gospel is on the earth. We live in a marvelous age.
Each one of you made a wonderful decision to enroll at BYU-Idaho. The fact that you are worthy to enroll here indicates that you made many other good decisions as well. I commend you and respect you. BYU-Idaho is a wonderful protected bubble of learning and one of the most celestialially stimulating surroundings in the world. I feel blessed to be here.
Shortly after I was sustained in General Conference to be a General Authority, I was to be ordained a Seventy by President Thomas S. Monson. You can probably relate to this simple farm boy's feelings of inadequacy and awe as my wife and I walked into the beautifully paneled board room in the Church Administration Building to meet with the First Presidency. President Monson was very kind. He spent a few minutes sharing personal experiences and counseling with us. Then, before he laid his hands on my head to ordain me a Seventy and confer the sealing power, he looked at me and said, "Elder Jones, you are an uncommon, common man."
I am not sure exactly what he meant by that comment, but I have pondered it many times. The uncommon, common man is the topic I would like to address today. I believe it applies to all of us, you and me.
I come from a very common background. I was raised in very modest conditions. I was not born a General Authority. My faithful father was never a bishop or stake president. We lived in southwestern New Mexico in the little village of Virden, population 136. My two brothers and I shared one of two bedrooms in our small home. Dad was a farmer. When I was little, we raised potatoes on our 80-acre farm, but we could not compete with Idaho spuds, so Dad decided to grow cotton and alfalfa. I spent long hours doing farm chores; hoeing, picking cotton, hauling hay, driving the tractor, and irrigating the fields.
My wife did not marry a General Authority. She married me, a routine returned missionary who never served as a zone leader or an assistant to the president. I was studying Animal Science at BYU and dreamed of someday raising cattle on a ranch. The thought of carrying the mantle of a Seventy was not a part of even my wildest imaginations. I was a common, simple guy with weaknesses that I was working to overcome.
Today, I am still a common man, but I happen to have a very special calling as a Seventy, an especial witness of Jesus Christ. As with all callings, I will someday be released as a Seventy, but I will continue to be what I enjoy the most: a husband to my sweetheart. We will be Dad and Mom to our children, and grandparents (or Nanny and Poppy) to our grandchildren.
How can someone as common and simple as we are, become uncommon? We simply follow the example of the perfect model, Jesus Christ. The scriptures share much information about his birth and about His ministry that began when He turned thirty. Very little is written about the time in between, but what is written gives us some revealing insight.
Luke wrote a short verse about that interval: "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."[1]
This verse indicates that Christ increased or developed Himself in four areas: He increased in wisdom (educational, personal, and career development), in stature (physical development and health), in favor with God (spiritual development), and in favor with man (citizenship and social development). Christ became well rounded. He set a pattern for us to follow. You and I have the privilege of following His example and developing these same attributes ourselves.
Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of God. He is the only, Only Begotten. It gives Him a uniqueness and capacities that we do not have. Like us, He had to grow and develop. Unlike us, He never made a mistake
In Section 93 John refers to Jesus, saying that He "received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness."[2] John then indicates that when He reached thirty years of age and was baptized, the Holy Ghost descended upon Him as a dove, and He received "a fulness" and "all power".
A few verses later, John made an awesome promise to us: "And it shall come to pass, that if you are faithful you shall receive the fulness..."[3]
What is this fulness, and how do common men attain it? (Sisters, when I say men, that also includes you.) It is attained through the discipleship process.
Elder Bednar taught about this in a previous devotional. He said:
"A disciple of Christ is one who is following and learning to be like Christ--learning to think, to feel, and to act as He does. He or she is striving to gain ". . . the mind of Christ."[4] Becoming a true disciple of the Savior and following His ways are the most demanding learning objectives we can ever strive to achieve. No other discipline compares with His curriculum in either requirements or rewards."[5]
I want to address the requirements and the rewards. The requirements of discipleship, or learning to be like Christ, are uncommon. They are met in the process of receiving the saving ordinances of baptism, confirmation, priesthood, temple endowment, and temple marriage; then, the more difficult part, keeping all the covenants associated with these ordinances and enduring to the end.
Now let me address the rewards. Ponder Christ's words. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."[6] When I was young, I felt that this scripture was telling me to act perfectly and be a good, obedient boy. I interpreted it as being on the requirement's side of discipleship, the keeping of the covenants. Now older and hopefully wiser, I see that it does mean that, but it also has a much broader meaning. It addresses the reward. It is also a divine directive regarding the ultimate reward of discipleship. It is a mandate to reach our capacity or divine potential to become, over a period of time and refining, even as our Father in Heaven. Think of your Father in Heaven. Consider His power, His glory, His knowledge, His capacity to love, His mercy, the worlds without number He has created, and His countless offspring.
To the uncommon man that lives up to the oath and covenant of the priesthood, "all that my Father hath shall be given unto him."[7]
Note the promises contained in these descriptive words from section 132 regarding the final saving ordinance, temple marriage:
"And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by ... the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise ... Ye shall ... inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths ... and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things."[8]
I don't know what is going on in your mind as you ponder this glorious doctrine, but I do know how it makes me feel. It is mind boggling to think that Spencer Jones, a common, ordinary man, could attain such a promise.
If we are to become as Christ, we must become uncommon. We cannot follow the world. We stand apart. We make and keep sacred covenants.
You young people are at the most significant decision-making stage of your life. In general, you are between 18 and 26 years of age. You are deciding on your major, a mission, who to date, and what career to follow. The most important decision of your life will be choosing your eternal companion; the father or mother of your children. When all is said and done, and only if you keep your covenants, your spouse is the only earthly possession you will be able take with you to the next life.
My friends, daily decisions determine divinity. Use common sense when selecting a major. Maybe I should call it uncommon sense. Choose a major that will give you the opportunity to find honorable work, provide for your family, allow you to spend time with your family, and serve in the church. Take a good hard look at yourself, your personality, and your attributes, and then make a sensible decision.
Young men, all who are worthy and who are physically and emotionally able should prepare to serve a mission. The message to raise the bar on missionary qualifications was not a signal to send fewer missionaries.[9] It didn't give license to sidestep the responsibility. Prepare yourselves, whatever that means for you, and go. You sisters are also welcome to serve missions. You are not under the same obligation to serve a mission as the young men, but I have never known a sister that served an honorable mission that did not grow from the experience and become better prepared to meet life.
Young men, after your missions, get serious about dating. Get to know many young women so you can follow the promptings of the Spirit at decision time. Sisters, make yourselves available for wholesome dating. And all of you, don't get hung up on cyber-relationships. You can't really get to know someone over the Internet. It requires one-on-one time. That is called a date, not hanging out. I recall that shortly after my mission, I dated five different girls the same weekend. They all had something that attracted me to them. I didn't spend a lot of money on the dates. They were simple activities, but I got to know the girls, and they got to know me. I didn't marry any of those young ladies. Eventually, after dating others, I found the right girl, and I knew deep inside that it was right when I made the decision to marry her. I have never looked back. I want to be with her for the eternities. She has helped refine this common, small-town farm boy. She has had a wonderful, positive influence on my life.
I would like to share a few experiences from my life; most occurred long before my call as a General Authority. They were just common, everyday, good decisions that brought about an uncommon result. I did not recognize them as unusual at the moment, as they were Latter-day Saint decisions, but in hindsight they stand out. You make similar decisions every day.
As a thirteen-year-old deacon's quorum president, one fast Sunday I encouraged the entire deacons' quorum to go up as a group to bear our testimonies. Part of my motive was quite deaconish as I suggested, "Let's make the bishop faint." All of us went to the stand together, and each of us bore his testimony, even the rascal of the group. When my turn came, I stood to bear my testimony. I said only a few words and was surprised to find myself in tears. Something happened that I had not expected. I had shared a Primary testimony many times before, but this was different. I was concerned about the health of a grandfather figure in my life. A powerful feeling came into my heart, an assurance of God's eternal plan. The fire of testimony burned in my soul, and I knew that the Church was true. I have never forgotten that event or those feelings.
Now what uncommon principles are taught from the experience? First of all, faith is a principle of action. I acted and exercised my faith, and I encouraged others to act as well. My motives were deeper than the times I had previously shared my testimony in Primary. I had a personal concern. It was not a lighthearted or exploratory attempt. God responded because I followed a law.
"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated--
"And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."[10]
President Boyd K. Packer once said: "A testimony is found in the bearing of it."[11] Young people, the uncommon man bears his testimony often.
After graduating from BYU, my father-in-law invited me to join him in his furniture business. My mother-in-law was not excited about me joining the company, because she felt the business could not support two families. My in-laws were not members of the Church. My mother-in-law brought me my first paycheck. As she handed me the check, she said: "Spence, I don't want one penny of this to go to the Mormon Church."
I was shocked. No prudent man wants to offend his mother-in-law, yet I faced a moment of decision. I simply glanced at the check, showed it to my mother-in-law, and asked: "Dorothy, who does the check belong to?" She sputtered, "To you." I softly responded, "Then Joyce and I will determine how to best use the money." We paid our tithing.
A few days later she approached me again and said, "Spence, Jim (my father-in-law) comes down and works in the store on Sundays. I want you to be there and work with him." The business was closed on Sundays.
Another moment of decision. I don't know why they seemed to involve my mother-in-law. I responded, "Dorothy, Monday through Saturday I will come to work early and stay late, but on Sundays I will not work unless it is an emergency." In over twenty years in the business, I only had to work two or three Sundays. The family business that had been stagnant for many years prior to our arrival immediately improved and prospered greatly for many years. Dorothy's concern that the business could not support two families changed to: "We're making too much money, I don't want to pay this much income tax." And my father-in-law increased the donations he paid to his church and quit working on Sundays.
The uncommon principles: Choose the right. The Lord will bless. The blessings are not always immediate, but in the long run, they will come.
When our oldest son was 10 years old, I took him deer hunting with some friends in a rugged forest that was new to us. The evening before opening day we set up our tent and shared a campfire meal with the rest of the party. After dinner, the one nonmember in the group broke out a bottle of brandy proclaiming "a little nip will help everyone sleep better tonight." My son and I went back to our tent and were the only ones that did not have a drink. We read the scriptures by lantern light, said our prayers, and climbed in our sleeping bags.
Early the next morning we began the hunt. I told my son to work his way up one side of a canyon, I would work my way up the other side, and we would meet at the top. I arrived at the top, and he was not there yet. I had my Book of Mormon with me, so I sat down to read until he arrived. Time passed and he did not come, so I became worried and retraced my steps calling for him and looking for him on the other side of the canyon. I then saw what I had missed on the way up. The canyon had forked, and his fork took him away from our proposed meeting point.
I became even more alarmed and scrambled down the mountain to the bottom of the canyon. When I reached the sandy streambed, I dropped to my knees pleading with the Lord to tell me which way to go to find my son, upstream or down. As I stood up, I felt a nudge pushing me straight up the other side of the canyon. I climbed to the top of the mountain and found myself on a ridge. Once more the question, which way do I go? Again I knelt down and pleaded for direction. As I stood, I felt a similar nudge prodding me to the left along the ridge. I followed it until it came to a point. There on the point was a lone pine tree with two-by-fours nailed to the trunk allowing me to climb up and sit on a plank that had been set across two branches, forming a lookout and giving me an unobstructed view of the area. Within minutes I saw my son and was able to join him. Coincidence one might say. I felt the nudges!! We had never been in that forest before, but God knew it well. He knew where that lookout was, so I could locate my son.
The uncommon principles: Resist the lure of the crowd. Form the habit of scripture study and prayer. Looking back, I realize that I had developed such a love and appetite for the scriptures that I even carried them with me on the hunt. Regular scripture study keeps us close to Deity and opens the door to divine communication.
Years ago I was given the assignment to speak in sacrament meeting on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Though I was reading my scriptures regularly and had read about the Atonement, I had never studied the Atonement in detail before. As I began to learn about this sacred subject, I felt a hunger to understand every detail of that sublime event. I devoured every verse, book, article, and talk on the subject that I could get my hands on. My relationship with the Savior and Heavenly Father advanced more during those few weeks than any time of my life. I found myself talking to Heavenly Father on a much more regular basis, more than just traditional prayer time. I recognized promptings and answers were coming more often, and they were about aspects of my life that had not been considered before. Specific direction came about family, work, business, my church callings, and even what could be considered trivial things. My relationship with God moved to a much higher plane.
The uncommon principle: Deep study of the doctrine of the Atonement will open the floodgates of heaven and bring higher spiritual sensitivity.
In the last few years I have been impressed by the number of people I have counseled with who are facing unique special challenges. Almost without exception, when I asked them how they cope with their situation, each one has said something like this, "I turn to the Atonement. It brings me peace."
On one occasion I arrived early at a hotel and had some free time before my assignment that night. The hotel had a beautiful, tranquil pool in the patio. It was unoccupied, so I grabbed my scriptures and went out to study. It was a gorgeous afternoon, and soon I was feasting on the scriptures. You know how it feels when you are learning new principles, and your mind and soul are being charged with spiritual truth. It was one of those moments. While deep in the scriptures, I heard a door open and out of the corner of my eye, I sensed a young woman coming toward the pool in a bikini. It was a moment of decision. The common man would turn and take in the sight. On this occasion I simply rotated my chair, turning my back to the pool and continued with my studies.
What happened next is difficult for me to describe. I was already feasting on the scriptures, but it seemed my study and understanding ascended to an even higher intensity. I was taught and given confidence in myself and my spiritual capacities and abilities that I had never before contemplated. I felt, in the words of the Prophet Joseph, "pure intelligence flowing into me."[12] That night as I performed my responsibilities, I was given a personal witness that confirmed in a very real way what I was taught after I turned my back on temptation. The next day, I reread the chapters I had studied out by the pool, to review again what I had learned. The new concepts and principles I had learned were not written in those chapters. In a sweet, miraculous manner I had been taught between the lines. Looking back, I recognize that the principles I was taught that day were of key importance in preparing me for the calling I have today.
The uncommon principles: Turn your back on temptation. Control your thoughts. Immerse yourself in the scriptures regularly. You can receive personal revelation.
I feel I must mention that we cannot force revelation. It does not automatically come every time we make a good decision. It is available to us all. God wants us to receive it. We have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, so inspiration and revelation are our privilege when we are obedient to the law upon which it is predicated. But God decides when it will come: "It shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will."[13]
The uncommon man develops his spiritual side and grows in his capacity to receive revelation.
I shared the swimming pool experience with my missionaries in zone conference when I was a mission president. My assistants took the counsel to heart. They told me that as they were walking down the street an immodestly dressed young woman was walking toward them from the other direction. They averted their eyes and after she had passed, almost simultaneously said to each other, "Did you look?" Brethren, and in today's society I must add Sisters, the uncommon man does not look, and the uncommon sister does not dress so as to tempt him to look. Just because "everyone else does it," or the extremes of media tout that it is OK, does not make it acceptable in God's eyes. At the final judgment, we will not be standing before media moguls to be judged. God's laws are fixed and do not shift with the mores of society or by what is today, politically correct.
My dear young friends, as an especial witness of Jesus Christ, I testify that He and His Father know you and love you. They have a capacity to love that we cannot comprehend. We are the recipients of that love. Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. He endured Gethsemane for us. He allowed himself to be nailed to the cross and endured the crucifixion for us. In some divine way that I do not fully comprehend, through that agonizing process, He ransomed our sins and became our Savior. Then, when "It was finished,"[14] with the power over death that only He and his Father share, He willed His physical body to die. The Romans and the Jews did not kill him. A man can not kill a God.
But, on the third day, with that same power over death, His spirit reentered His body in the process of resurrection. We are the beneficiaries of these marvelous atoning events. We can qualify for the right to not only return to His presence, but to become, with our eternal companions, even "as He is."[15] All that the Father hath16 shall be given to us. May we make the uncommon decisions and prepare to live where he lives is my prayer for all of us, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen
Notes
[1] Luke 2: 52
[2] D&C 93:12-13
[3] D&C 93:13-18
[4] 1 Corinthians 2:16
[5] Elder David A. Bednar, 2004 BYU-Idaho Devotional
[6] Mathew 5:48
[7] D&C 84:33-44
[8] D&C 132:21
[9] Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, June 19, 2004, 27
[10] D&C 130:20-21
[11] President Boyd K. Packer, "The Candle of the Lord," Ensign, Jan. 1983, 51
[12] Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith
[13] D&C 88:68
[14] John 19:30
[15] Moroni 7:48
[16] D&C 84:38