Brothers and sisters, I am humbled by this sacred responsibility to speak to you today. This campus holds a very special place in my heart—not because I attended here as a student, but because I spent two months of my mission here. I attended the Language Training Mission that was established at Ricks College for the Scandinavian and Dutch languages. It was here that I learned some of the formative lessons of my mission and of life, so when I set foot on this campus, fond memories flowed. My wife, Mona, graduated from here, and if this campus had any influence in making her into the wonderful person she is, I am deeply grateful.
A Worldwide Church
In 1833 Joseph Smith prophesied, “It shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fullness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power, by the administration of the Comforter, shed forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ.”[1]
I testify to you that this prophecy is now being fulfilled. I witness its fulfillment every day in my work in the Translation Division of the Church. Through the use of amazing latter-day technology, we can broadcast the words of the apostles and prophets to members of the Church in 90 languages. The Book of Mormon has been translated into 106 languages, providing this testament of Jesus Christ to over 99 percent of Church members. The Book of Mormon is indeed flooding the earth. When the people can read the scriptures in the language of their heart, they rejoice and the work of the Lord begins to flourish.
The temple ordinances have been translated into over 80 languages, and curriculum materials have been translated into more than 100 languages. On any given day, the Translation Division is working on over 1,800 projects. With our translation offices and teams spread throughout the world, I can honestly say that the sun never sets on translation. This truly is a worldwide Church.
To those of you whom the Lord has blessed with a second language, I would say, keep your language capabilities sharp. You have been given a gift: the spiritual gift of tongues. Please consider that sacred. As you strive to maintain and develop this gift, the Lord will bless you with opportunities for service in His Church. Your children will be blessed with a greater knowledge of other peoples and cultures, and they will likely have a desire to learn a second language too—then they will go on to bless others. You will never know how many people will be blessed because of your efforts. This spiritual gift has blessed my life and has enabled me to work in a profession that is so fulfilling and rewarding.
The Sun Valley Experience
Now, as I have pondered and prayed about what I might say to you, my thoughts have taken me to an experience I had in Sun Valley, Idaho, when I was your age. Being a Logan boy, I chose to go to school at Utah State University, and, following in my father’s and friends’ footsteps, I joined a fraternity. That fraternity had a tradition of holding what they called the “Spring Formal,” a dance held on a long weekend that was always held off campus. It was an exciting time, a chance to get away, and for me that year it was also a chance to spend some time with Mona, whom I had fallen in love with. We had a great time on Friday and Saturday exploring the sights and surroundings, and the weekend culminated with a dance at the Sun Valley resort on Saturday night. Of course, we were up late. After we dropped off our dates and returned to the condominium some of us returned missionaries were staying at, someone asked about going to priesthood meeting early the next morning. Well, I said I was going to go. There were no other takers. In fact, there were a lot of excuses about it being so late and needing to sleep in, and there were a few pokes about my being self-righteous. Nonetheless, I determined I was going to go.
Priesthood meeting started at 7:00 a.m. That made for a pretty short night. I got up early, quietly got ready, and left the extremely dark and quiet condo alone. I drove to the meetinghouse, and as I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed there were no cars there. I thought, “Well, I must be early, and everyone is running on Mormon standard time.” As I approached the door, I saw a piece of paper taped to the glass with a hand written message that read, “No meetings today. Stake conference in Ketchum.”
I got in the car and started to drive back to the condo. I thought, “Boy, am I going to take a ribbing for getting up so early to go to church only to find that there were no meetings to go to. I’ll be laughed at, and my friends will feel justified in their decision to sleep in.”
Even now I find it difficult to describe what happened next. An overwhelming feeling of love came over me, and a voice seemed to whisper to me that my effort, my willingness to be obedient, and my sacrifice were recognized by the Lord. He knew what was in my heart, and He accounted it unto me for righteousness.
Well, I did take a ribbing. My friends laughed at me, and they felt justified in their decision to sleep in. But I knew the Lord knew what was in my heart and He had confirmed this to me in a very personal, special, and sacred way.
I have since pondered that experience and cherished the memory of the feelings that I had at that time. I call it my “Sun Valley experience.” As I have studied the scriptures, I have found a pattern and examples that explain what I felt that day. Let me share with you just four of the many examples in the scriptures that help illustrate what I want you to understand.
To See What Is in Your Heart
The first scripture takes us to our premortal existence at the time the world was created. I have been told that you have your scriptures and are ready to learn, so let’s turn to Abraham 3:24-25 to see if we can understand why we have come to earth—what our purpose in life is.
“There stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
“And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them” (italics added).
God has sent us to this earth so that He may prove or test us to see whether we are willing to do all that He commands us to do. Through a series of proving events, we show the Lord what is in our hearts and whether we will keep the commandments or not.
The second example comes from the book of Deuteronomy. Here we read that the children of Israel had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Surely it should not take them 40 years to get from Egypt to the waters of Jordan and Jericho. Why were they out there so long? Let’s read what the Lord says in chapter 8, verse 2:
“Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no” (italics added).
So what was the purpose? It was to humble the children of Israel, to prove them, to show what was in their hearts—whether they would keep the commandments or not. Our Heavenly Father is carefully observing our thoughts, actions, deeds, and desires to see if we will obey—to know our hearts.
The third example I would like to share is the story of Abraham and his son, Isaac. Let’s turn to Genesis 22:1–14.
The first verse says that “God did tempt Abraham” or, if we translate the Hebrew differently, “God did test or prove Abraham.” God asks Abraham to “take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”[2]
Can you imagine the struggle that must have been going on in Abraham’s mind? But Abraham made the preparations and obediently “went unto the place of which God had told him.”[3] As they approached this place, Abraham told the two young men who had traveled with them to wait. Abraham and Isaac took the wood, the fire, and a knife and traveled further. Isaac sensed that something was missing: the lamb. Abraham assured him that God would provide the lamb.
As they came to the place God had designated, “Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son” (vv. 9–10). Now beginning in verse 11:
“And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
“And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
“And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.”[4]
Abraham proved his obedience and his love of God in his willingness to sacrifice his son, a similitude of the sacrifice of the Son of God. God came to know Abraham’s heart, and even more importantly, Abraham came to know his own heart. The experience fortified and strengthened his faith and his ability and desire to keep the commandments.
There is a key scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 132:36 that summarizes Abraham’s experience so well:
“Abraham was commanded to offer his son Isaac; nevertheless, it was written: Thou shalt not kill. Abraham, however, did not refuse, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness” (italics added).
For the fourth example, let us turn to Doctrine and Covenants 117:12–13. These verses refer to Oliver Granger. You are probably not very familiar with that name, but the Lord said that Oliver Granger’s name:
“shall be had in sacred remembrance from generation to generation, forever and ever.”[5]
Oliver Granger was a faithful member of the Church who was driven with the rest of the Saints from Ohio to Missouri and then to Illinois. But each time he got settled, the Prophet Joseph Smith called him to return to Kirtland, Ohio, to settle the financial affairs of the Church and free the Kirtland Temple of encumbrances.
Oliver Granger performed his work with such integrity and fairness that he earned from the Church’s creditors the highest esteem and respect.
With that background, listen carefully to what the Lord says about Oliver Granger:
“Let him contend earnestly for the redemption of the First Presidency of my Church, saith the Lord; and when he falls he shall rise again, for his sacrifice shall be more sacred unto me than his increase, saith the Lord.”[6]
Ponder that statement again: “His sacrifice shall be more sacred unto me than his increase.” Is not the Lord saying that Oliver Granger’s efforts, the desires of his heart, and his willingness to be obedient are more sacred to the Lord than any measure of success that he might have?
What does all of this mean for you? What is it that I would have you glean from my “Sun Valley experience” and from these four examples from the scriptures? It is this: Please come to realize that this life is just a continuation of your premortal life and experience with your Heavenly Father. You have come to this earth for a special purpose—to be proven, to be tried and tested to see if you love your Heavenly Father and are willing to keep His commandments. You may not be successful in all ways, but the Lord will come to know your heart. He will come to know of your love for Him and to know how you will use your agency. Most importantly, you will come to know yourself, and your faith will grow into knowledge.
Now, lest you think that angels in heaven are making tick marks for every act of obedience, I assure you that this is not the case. I like the teaching of Elder Dallin H. Oaks regarding this point:
“The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.”[7]
A Time of Testing
So you who think that when you finish your university experience your tests will be over, I have news for you: you’re just getting started!
The tests of life won’t be like those you are taking here at the university, where you know exactly how many tests you have to take, you know the exact date of each, and everyone in your class is taking the same test. No, these tests come to you as life unfolds, and they will be tailored to you and your own development and growth, giving you an opportunity to apply the things that you have learned—to apply the teachings of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, in the situations of life. Some of them we bring upon ourselves because of poor decisions or wrong choices. Oh, and don’t look across the street at your neighbor and wonder when he or she will get the same test you are experiencing. Not everyone’s tests are the same. Life isn’t like Disneyland, where we all go on the same rides and have the same experiences, thrills, challenges. No, our tests are customized, fit to our faith, our capacity to withstand, our ability to endure, our need to develop in one aspect or another.
But, all tests have the same purpose: to reveal what is in our heart, to show whether we love God with all our heart, mind, and strength, and to show whether we will keep His commandments. These experiences can help us build and strengthen our faith and develop our capabilities, skills, talents, and gifts.
Trials of Your Faith
Have you ever pondered the phrase we hear quite commonly in the Church, “the trial of your faith”? In the past, I have taken it to mean simply a time of adversity, trouble, or affliction that we somehow need to endure well. But there is another meaning of the word “trial” that can help us understand the true purpose of the adversities of life. A trial is a formal examination, in which evidence is presented and a judgment is made. In this life your faith is on trial. This trial happens through experiences in life, situations you are placed in that require you to make a decision, and special tests that your Heavenly Father creates for you to show whether you love Him with all your heart and whether you will keep His commandments or not.
Through the experiences of life, the things that happen to you everyday, your interaction with others, and your reaction to situations you are placed in, your Heavenly Father comes to know what is in your heart. My “Sun Valley experience” is an example of such an experience.
Choices
Your daily choices, including the things you fill your life with, are the evidence of who you are and what is in your heart. I like to look at these choices in two ways: what do you do when everyone is looking, and what do you do when no one is looking?
When the spotlight of the world is upon you, when everyone knows you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, when everyone around you is looking to see how you will act, do they see an example of righteousness? Do they see a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ? Do they see one who obeys the commandments of God? Do they see one who is willing to testify of truth and defend the faith? Do they see an example of humility and meekness? Do they recognize that there is something special about you? The choices you make when everyone is looking reflect what is in your heart.
But what about the choices you make when no one is looking? These choices include your thoughts, your personal and silent prayers, your private scripture study, your acts of faith, your temple attendance, your preparation for and keeping of the Sabbath, the way you fulfill your calling in the Church, how you treat others, your anonymous acts of service, your payment of tithes and offerings, your attitudes and outlooks, your honesty, the music you listen to, the TV shows and movies you watch, the books you read, the way you spend your time, the things you view on the Internet, and the interest and obedience you show towards the Lord’s anointed, His apostles and prophets. All of these choices reflect the desires of your heart.
President Gordon B. Hinckley has said, “When there throbs in the heart of an individual Latter-day Saint a great and vital testimony of the truth of this work, he will be found doing his duty in the Church. He will be found in his sacrament meetings. He will be found in his priesthood meetings. He will be found paying his honest tithes and offerings. He will be doing his home teaching. He will be found in attendance at the temple as frequently as his circumstances will permit. He will have within him a great desire to share the gospel with others. He will be found strengthening and lifting his brethren and sisters. It is conversion that makes the difference,” said President Hinckley.[8]
In life, we all have to make some pretty big decisions. I believe you are at a time in life in which the decisions you make will determine your path and happiness for the rest of your life. I believe that the decisions you are making now are among the most important you will make in this life, because many of them have eternal consequences. These decisions include:
- For a young man, the decision to accept the oath and covenant of the Melchizedek Priesthood and to be ordained an elder.
- The decision to make temple covenants and to receive temple ordinances, which are essential to salvation.
- For a young man, the decision to serve a full-time mission with all your heart, might, mind, and strength.
- The decision to give the Lord your agency, to commit to obey Him no matter the sacrifice.
- The decision to prepare yourself for your life’s work through appropriate education and training.
- The decision of which vocational path you will pursue.
- The decision of whom to marry, where to marry, and when to marry.
- The decision to be a consecrated, faithful, and loving husband or wife and father or mother.
Those are big decisions! But you can do it! You may stumble a little bit on some of them, but you can recover. I have faith in you. The Lord has faith in you. He knows you are struggling with these decisions. He has said:
“Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
“Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you.”[9]
Not all answers to your prayers are “ah ha!” moments. You will necessarily struggle, reach, and strive for answers, but the answers will come. The Lord has your best interest in mind. For some of life’s crucial decisions, such as receiving temple ordinances, He has already told you what the right choice is. But others—like decisions about your education, your vocation, and whom you will marry—He has left for you to make with His guidance and direction.
Elder Richard G. Scott has given some appropriate counsel in this area:
“Often when we pray for help with a significant matter, Heavenly Father will give us gentle promptings that require us to think, exercise faith, work, at times struggle, then act. It is a step-by-step process that enables us to discern inspired answers.
“. . . Seldom will you receive a complete response all at once. It will come a piece at a time, in packets, so that you will grow in capacity. As each piece is followed in faith, you will be led to other portions until you have the whole answer. That pattern requires you to exercise faith in our Father’s capacity to respond. While sometimes it’s very hard, it results in significant personal growth.”[10]
Remember, the decisions you make will show your Heavenly Father what is in your heart, whether you will keep the commandments or not.
He Has Not Left Us Alone
Our Heavenly Father has not left us alone to flounder in life. He has provided plenty of guidance and help. Most of all “he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”[11]
He has given us what Elder Scott has called “the supernal gift of prayer.” “Think of it,” Elder Scott said. “The absolute Supreme Being, the most all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful personage, encourages you and me, as insignificant as we are, to converse with Him as our Father.”[12]
He has given us the scriptures. Elder Robert D. Hales recently taught that “when we want to speak to God, we pray. And when we want Him to speak to us, we search the scriptures; for His words are spoken through His prophets. He will then teach us as we listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.”[13]
He has given us the words of the latter-day apostles and prophets, which are actually His words, for He has declared, “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.”[14] I testify that these Brethren are called of God. In my assignments, I have been able to witness their sacred and prophetic ministry at work.
Our Heavenly Father has also given us the opportunity to receive a patriarchal blessing, which will give us guidance, insight, and comfort.
He has given us parents to lead us, guide us, walk beside us, and help us find the way.[15]
He has given us skills, abilities, and talents so that we can analyze, reason, and learn.
He has given us spiritual gifts, which gifts “are given for the benefit of those who love [Him] and keep all [His] commandments, and him that seeketh so to do; that all may be benefited that seek or that ask of [Him].”[16]
He has given us “the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost”[17] to bear witness of truth, comfort us, protect us, reveal knowledge, lead us, and give us spiritual gifts. As the Lord counseled Hyrum Smith:
“Put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy;
“And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive.”[18]
And most important, He has given us the Atonement of Jesus Christ to succor us when we stumble and to cleanse our lives, allowing us to be worthy to receive the Holy Ghost and spiritual gifts.
Your Plan of Salvation
If I were to ask, “How many plans of salvation are there?” the correct answer would be that there is one plan of salvation. It is the great “plan of happiness”[19] that our Heavenly Father has prepared for us. It is the plan He is using to carry out His work and glory, “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”[20] It includes commandments that everyone must obey and ordinances that everyone must receive. But this wonderful plan of salvation also includes many elements that are personalized, customized, tailor-made, with opportunities, experiences, trials and tribulations, and blessings that are uniquely yours. Your Heavenly Father wants to prepare you personally to worthily return home and live with Him in eternal glory. I believe that because of our experience with our Heavenly Father in our pre-mortal existence, and because He loves each one of us so much and knows each one of us so well, He has a very personal interest in the experiences we have here in mortality. He has prepared a way for each one of us, and He will give us the experiences that, if we are faithful and obedient, will allow us to return home to live with Him.
Conclusion
I conclude with this fitting scripture, Ecclesiastes 12:13: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
I testify that there is a God in heaven who loves us. He knows us each personally and desires for us to live with Him again. He has given us life on this earth as a time of testing, through adversity and other experiences for our growth and development and to reveal what is in our hearts, whether we will keep the commandments or not. I pray that each of you will live so that you will enjoy your own “Sun Valley experiences” and feel the sacred reassurance that what you are doing is being accounted unto you for righteousness. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] D&C 90:11
[2] Genesis 22:2
[3] Genesis 22:3
[4] Genesis 22:11–13
[5] D&C 117:12
[6] D&C 117:13; italics added
[7] Conference Report, Oct. 2000, 41; or Ensign, Nov. 2000, 32
[8] “Missionary Service, Activation, Temple Work Emphasized in Conference Leadership Meetings,” Ensign, May 1984, 99–101
[9] D&C 88:63–64
[10] “Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer,” Ensign, May 2007, 9
[11] Hebrews 13:5
[12] Ensign, May 2007, 8
[13] Conference Report, Oct. 2006, 27; or Ensign, Nov. 2006, 26–27
[14] D&C 1:38
[15] see “I Am a Child of God,” Hymns, no. 301
[16] D&C 46:9
[17] D&C 121:26
[18] D&C 11:12–14
[19] Alma 42:8
[20] Moses 1:39