The Voice of the Good Shepard

"The Voice of the Good Shepard"

Rudy Puzey

April 6, 2004

Dear Brothers and Sisters, it’s an honor to speak to you today. I pray for the guidance of the Holy Ghost to be with me. I love this great institution and especially you students. I want to thank you for the radiant light and the happiness you carry with you. I appreciate the way you live the gospel and the example you set. It has been a wonderful experience for me to have served here the past 15 years. This has never been a job for me but a calling.

Today is April 6th. What does that date mean to you? Our calendars label April 6th as the Passover. As you remember, the Passover celebration was to commemorate Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage. It was a time of feasting and celebration in memory of the fact that the angel of destruction passed over the homes of the children of Israel in Egypt. It was the Old Testament festival of springtime. Passover is part of the Christian observance of Easter as we remember the death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ which we celebrate this Sunday. The Passover in the scriptures helps us establish a time line of events. It was on the Passover that Joseph and Mary and the young boy Jesus went to Jerusalem, and if you remember it was then that his parents left for home and realized that they had left Jesus in town. Did that ever seem strange to you? It did to me until I had children of my own. As Mary and Joseph hurried back to the busy city they found young Jesus among the doctors of the law both hearing them and asking them questions. As Luke describes: “all who heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.” The Passover marked significant milestones during the mortal ministry of Christ. It was during Passover in his ministry that Jesus made his mission known by purifying the temple when he drove the money changers out. It was later at the Passover when Jesus manifested his power by the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Finally, in preparations for the Passover meal in that upper room Jesus sat down with his disciples and introduced the sacrament and the symbols and there he stated “I am the bread of life . . . He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. “ Of course, it would be the feast of His last Passover that would give full expression to this ancient celebration. Matthew records: “Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.” Many Gospel scholars believe that it was on April 6th that the Savior was crucified.

What other events took place on April 6th? It was on this day in 1830, Tuesday, did you catch that, Tuesday, April 6th, that six men gathered in humble settings and organized The Church of Jesus Christ under the laws of the state of New York. Today is the 174th birthday of the organization of the Church.

Please turn to Doctrine and Covenants 20:1. We read:

The rise of the Church of Christ in these last days, being one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh, it being regularly organized and established agreeable to the laws of our country, by the will and commandments of God, in the forth month, and on the sixth day of the month which is called April-

  Even though the date of Christ’s birth is often disputed, this verse indicates that it was April 6th. As stated by James E. Talmage: “We believe that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea, April 6, 1BC.”

  And now, April 6th, 2004…. What a wonderful day to meet here in a religious devotional service at Brigham Young University- Idaho on the Birthday of our Savior Jesus Christ and the birthday of The Church Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

  Dear brothers and sisters, I would like to talk to all of you that will soon be graduating or leaving for the summer and be away from campus. This University is a very special place of learning. I believe it is as Elder Scott indicated a few months ago as he visited campus, “that this University is a spiritual oasis in a difficult world.” I often think of it as a Missionary Training Center to prepare you for the lifetime mission you will be serving in the world. At this school you can be preparing to go into the world to live, work, and raise a family. You will be going out into communities, and into wards and small branches in the world to help build the kingdom of God. What a wonderful time to be on earth with so much knowledge, opportunities and possibilities but with these blessings comes the responsibility to assist in the spreading and strengthening of the Gospel on the earth.

  If you have been working hard here at school, your academic preparations should be sound and serve you well as you enter the world of work or transfer to another university to seek advanced studies. You have been taking courses that have been carefully outlined and prepared by qualified faculty and administrators. The mission, goals and overall performance of the University are evaluated regularly by the Northwest Association of Schools to make certain that we meet the national accreditation standards required to operate as a university. By the way, next week an inspection team will be visiting campus making sure we are as great as we claim to be. If you happen to see any of these visitors, please smile and look as smart as possible. If we pass this difficult inspection process, which we assume we will do very well, the degrees that we grant at graduation will continue to be recognized by the world of employment and transfer universities.

  The religious training that you have received has been outlined by the leaders of the Church with the scriptures as your text. The lessons taught in those classes by the Spirit and directed by great gospel teachers should give you a solid spiritual foundation to build on. By living the Gospel standards outlined here on campus and participating in your campus wards, your testimonies should have continued to grow. Your personal prayers should have been strengthened as you have felt and experienced the guidance and companionship of the Holy Ghost. I remember Alan Young, an employee in the Instructional Technology Department on campus, as he bore testimony to a group of students stating that “the most important thing students can learn while on this campus is to communicate with the Spirit.” I have thought of that a lot as I have watched students leave this school and become successful in the world. To have the Spirit with you to provide you with light and knowledge will be critically important for your success and survival. Each of you has been blessed with special spiritual gifts and I believe foreordained prior to coming to this earth to help build the kingdom of God at this time in the history of the world. If you are uncertain of that, read your patriarchical blessing again and talk to the Lord about what He has in store for you.

  As the internship coordinator for the Architecture and Construction Department, I have the opportunity to monitor the internships and employment opportunities of many students going out in the world of work. It is fun for me to introduce our great students to different companies. Some employers have a difficult time understanding the light and spirit that you students carry with you. I often hear companies say things like; “ The students appear so bright and happy. They look so good.” I have been asked if you are really all as good as you look. You might want to ask yourself that question. One company last month told me that they recruit and interview at many universities across the nation and that at this school students seem sharper, brighter and able to communicate better than at many other schools. I have tried to explain a bit what it is like for our young people in the church to advance through the young men and young women organizations or to fill full time missions. Most folks just don’t get it.

May I share a few observations our interns are experiencing out on the job? One of our married interns working for a large residential home builder in a large city here in the west called me after only being out a few weeks to report that things were much more difficult for him and his wife than he had ever imagined. The neighborhood that they were renting a home in was scary and they didn’t dare go out after dark. The ward they attended had a large number of less active members and within the ward boundaries were hundreds of families that were not members of the Church. This student was shocked to find that many of those he worked with would lie, cheat and steal. He and his wife were lonely and discouraged. After being out a few months he reported that work was going fine, those he worked with respected his values, his boss loved his attitude and had offered him a full time position. He and his wife found they were desperately needed in the ward and it was fun to do missionary work in the area. Another student had been serving on an internship only a few weeks when his boss called me one evening and reported that the young man’s technical skills were poor. I explained that he was a sophomore and had only been in our program a short time and had little experience. He told me that he had sent this young man out to assist a crew of carpenters building homes and that the first day he had cut the saw horses in half and flubbed up most of what he worked on. He said when they send him for tools or lumber, he typically brought back the wrong things. I then apologized and asked him if he planned to fire him. He said, “Not on your life. If the kid does nothing but just show up on the job, his positive influence on my crews is worth keeping him around. The foul language has nearly stopped on every job site he is on. I just called to thank you.”

  Chicago Iron and Steel called some time ago interested in hiring a student to work on a large industrial construction project in India. I asked him why he would ever call us, a small school in Rexburg, Idaho. He explained that they needed good honest workers that didn’t use alcohol, and could stay morally clean. They were having difficulty with the laws and government officials in the country because of the poor conduct of their workers and the only person they could depend on was a member of our Church who had suggested calling us.

  After experiencing these reports from employers the past few years I often recall listening to the emotional words of Elder Henry B Eyring as he spoke in devotional in September of 2001:

“I hope I live long enough to someday meet some employer who employed one of you and says, “Where did they come from? I’ve never had such a person. Why people just flock around that person. And they want to follow. They don’t have to be led; They’re seeking to go where that person wants to go. And they come up with new ideas. I don’t know where that comes from, they seem to find a better way and the budget doesn’t go up. I can’t understand it.” And I’ll smile and say, “Well, come with me to Rexburg.” And I may not be able to show it to you. And I may not be able to prove it to you. But you’ll feel it. There will be a spirit here, I so testify, because of the love of God for all of His faithful children. And those blessings will be poured out here in rich abundance.

  You need to understand that there is an expectation of conduct and influence as you prepare to go out into the world. You must be prepared with a good education but more importantly you must carry the Spirit and light of the Gospel with you. I think of Christ’s teachings comparing us to sheep in the wilderness and being able to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd.

A couple years ago my wife and I had the opportunity to travel back to Mongolia on a follow up trip to review the progress of the construction of wood frame homes for the poor in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. With my background and experience in teaching building construction and living in the frozen tundra of Rexburg, Idaho, I was selected by the Church to help in this housing effort. I had visited the country five years earlier with a team from the Church Humanitarian Services with an assignment to help educate the faculty at the Mongolian Technical Institute, along with government building officials, in wood frame housing techniques. In trying to understand the traditional living conditions of the Mongolian, nomadic people, I arranged for my wife and me to travel to central Mongolian to live with the people in the vast countryside. We took a flight on an old airplane to Bayanhongor in central Mongolia and then took a five-hour jeep ride south toward the Gobi Desert. There are no roads, just horse trails and washed out river bottoms. Just the travel experience in that area is a story of its own. After traveling for hours without any signs of human life and being certain we would never see our home and family again, we arrived in a little valley with scattered camels, horses, sheep, goats, yaks and three round “Gers,” the traditional tent like, nomadic Mongolian home. These small homes with dirt floors, no power or modern conveniences were very clean and quite comfortable. These are wonderful, loving, religious people that love God, their families, the land and animals that provide them life. There was a young lady there who was a cousin living there for the summer who last year was baptized into the Church. While living with these families I couldn’t help feeling that these people are part of those that will come forth and be part of the prophesied gathering in the latter days.

  While living in the Mongolia countryside, I was fascinated with the vastness of the rolling hills with no fences or barrier of any kind to keep their animals from wandering away. My wife and I both grew up on the farm with a love for animals. In my youth I spent much of my time trying to keep our animals fenced in. My father always had a band of sheep so I was especially interested how the Mongolian people kept track of their herds. I learned quickly that there is a difference between being a shepard and being a sheep herder. We were sheep herders, keeping our animals contained in fences and corrals. Our sheep had little agency as we herded them from fenced area to fenced area with force and a few sheep dogs. If ever our sheep escaped, they ran wildly through town. I remember one spring day while in Junior High we suited up in my PE class and headed out to the soccer field. I remember clearly trotting out with all of my friends only to stop, frozen in terror, as I recognized the women in a house dress and apron running across the playing field, with a broom, chasing four sheep. Yes, it was my mother trying to catch a few of our escaping critters. I didn’t know whether to help or hide. I followed along as the entire class joined in to help Mom get our sheep back home.

  Those who cared for the sheep in Mongolia were truly shepherds leading and loving their flocks. I was amazed that none of the sheep wandered away. The sheep, having full agency, with no fences to contain them, grazed within sight and the sound of their shepherd’s voice. Each afternoon several hundred sheep were called in and gathered into a small meadow area where they were milked. The sheep were separated by the families that owned them and held together by a soft camel hair rope, head to head, while they were being milked. These shepherds didn’t count their sheep. They knew them. As the sheep were gathered in, I tried to help, but I didn’t know which family the sheep belonged to. There were no makings or identifications on them. As I approached, the sheep were frightened and ran from me. I was touched by the love these families showed toward the sheep. They spoke to each of them as they stroked the loose wool from their backs while checking the general health of each animal.

  The women do all of the milking, whether sheep, yaks, horses, camels or goats. After milking, the sheep and goats were lead back to the protection of the Ger as evening darkness approached. They instinctively knew that they would be safe and secure sleeping along side the shepherd’s Ger.

  The shepherds caring for their sheep in the country sides of Mongolia were like those in the homeland of Jesus. Christ taught often of the relationship that the loving shepherds had for their sheep. He referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd. Like the sheep left to wonder in the wilderness, will you be prepared for the challenges you will face in a world that does not necessarily believe as you do. As the Good Shepherd calls, will you be able and willing to hear his voice.

May I suggest three ways to help you prepare as you leave this spiritual oasis to stay in tune with the spirit and to know and recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd. Seek to know the Voice of the Good Shepherd

In Alma 5: 38 it says:

Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.

  As the sheep wondered the open hills of Mongolia they carried with them a common, familiar voice within their hearts, the voice of their shepard. They dared not wander far from this voice in their daily travels. It was their guide and protection, helping them to find their way home. They came to know this voice by following their mothers and other sheep until they recognized it on their own and were willing to follow. For us it is often the same. Many of you followed wonderful parents that taught you Gospel principles, and testified of the truthfulness of the Gospel. For some of us, we were introduced later to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as we wandered in life looking for the truth. The first time we heard the voice or prompting of the Holy Ghost it had a wonderful, familiar tone. We then felt the Spirit and wanted to follow the Good Shepherd. As we follow and serve Him we feel of his love and learn to find guidance in that still small voice within us.

Mosiah 5: 12-13 says: I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you.

For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?

As we wander in a wilderness without fences or barriers, having our agency, if we hearken to the voice of the Good Shepard we will find our way back home. Today’s world is filled with hundreds of voices and distractions like herds of blatting sheep. Surround yourselves with good friends and family, listening for those voices you can trust that will not lead you astray. We must have a desire to follow the voice of the Good Shepard.

 In the first half of Alma 5:57 we read “And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things;”

We must have a personal desire to hear and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd. It will require that we separate ourselves from the unclean things of the world. We must repent if we have wandered. The airways must be clear and unrestricted as we listen closely for the voice. If you are out of range of the voice of the Good Shepard, it is you that have wandered. He is always awaiting your return home.
In Helaman 7: 18 it says “It is because you have hardened your hearts; yea ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd; yea, ye have provoked him to anger against you.”

The Good Shepard doesn’t count his sheep - he knows and loves his sheep In the opening song we sang “Dear to the heart of the Shepherd, Dear are the sheep of his fold; Dear is the love that he gives them, Dearer that silver and gold. Dear to the heart of the Shepherd, Dear are the lambs of his fold “ (Hymn 221). It goes on to express the shepherd’s love in leaving the ninety and nine to rescue the one. He does in fact love and know each of us. As you serve the lord and live the Gospel you will feel of his love for you. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

  In closing I want you to know and understand that The Lord is our Shepherd not our sheep herder. He loves you and because of that, He allows each of us the freedom to choose who and how we will follow. As Archibald Ruthledge in his book Peace in the Heart states “Hearts don’t like to be herded.”

  As you work and study at this Spiritual Oasis may you take seriously those things you are learning both academically and spiritually. May you learn to communicate with the Spirit and be able to recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd and be willing to follow Him. I pray that you will obtain a light in your countenance that will be noticed by all those you associate with as you enter an exciting and challenging world.

  This evening in your prayers, thank God for the life of His Son Jesus Christ, and ask Him what you might give his son for his birthday. If you are sincere, you will likely feel the promptings that Elder Christoffersen spoke of at conference to “Give the gift of self of what you are and what you are becoming.”

  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.