"To Look"
Susan Bednar
September 10, 2002
I'd like to extend a sincere welcome to all of you who are here today. Thank you for coming. Each time I stand at this podium, I'm touched with an increased sense of love for you. I also have a greater awareness of your challenges as well as the joys you experience.
My message today isn't flashy or new, so I ask you to pray for me as I invite the Spirit to be here with us during the few moments we will share together.
As many of you know, my husband and I have three sons. We've spent scores of Friday nights sitting on bleachers with other parents watching our sons play high school football. Perhaps this will explain why many years ago a newspaper article in our local paper captured my attention. I saved the article, not because it was so amusing to me at the time, but because it sparked a serious and important question in my mind. Let me share this piece "From Off the Wall" with you. It's entitled "Army paratroopers miss game" and was written by The Associated Press.
Kennewick, Washington. It was a stunning entrance--to the wrong event.
Three Army paratroopers who planned on delivering the game ball for a high school football game Friday night landed on another high school field five miles away.
Fans and players from River View and Granger high schools didn't know what to think as helicopters hovered and parachutists descended during warm-ups.
"Nobody knew what was going on. Someone even asked me if they were terrorists," said John Doran, River View's assistant principal.
Meanwhile, players from Kennewick and Pasco high schools stood in the end zones and fans scanned the sky for parachutists who were to land in the giant "X" that had been painted in the middle of the field.
"We kept looking in the sky and they never came down, and this is after they had us listen to one of those Army commercials," said spectator Bob Woehler.
Army Staff Sgt. Ed Traylor blamed the mistake on "a new pilot that lost track of his marker."
Let me pose the question that came to my mind when I first read this article. How did this pilot lose track of his marker when the point was clearly marked and well defined? This was a simple, uncomplicated mission. All the pilot and his comrades had to do were a few routine checks and then look for the X!
The Old Testament describes an incident where the children of Israel refused to look at their marker. As you may recall, dissatisfied Israelites constantly murmured and spoke out against the Lord and Moses for leading them out of Egypt. Fiery serpents were then sent by the Lord to destroy the complainers. Recognizing their sin, the people begged Moses to save them by taking away the poisonous serpents. In answer to Moses' prayer, the Lord instructed Moses to fashion a fiery serpent from brass and attach it to a pole. Those who desired to be healed from the deadly bites were told to look at the brazen serpent which represented Christ and his ability to heal, redeem, and bestow the gift of eternal life. The request to "look" was simple, yet many perished because of the hardness of their hearts and the simpleness and easiness of the way (see Numbers 21:6-9, Alma 33:19-22, 1 Nephi 17:41). Those who refused to look certainly made a stunning entrance to the wrong event!
Do we sometimes harden our hearts and underestimate the value of incorporating simple gospel principles in our lives because we feel they won't assist or heal us? Please allow me to share with you an incident from my life where I refused for a time to look.
When I was not much older than many of you, my husband was enrolled in a demanding doctoral program at Purdue University far away from our families and familiar surroundings. We had two small children, very little money, limited time to spend together as a family, and we were having difficulty balancing the rigors of graduate school, family responsibilities, and church assignments. Does this situation sound familiar? Well, this daunting task began to take its toll, and I found myself feeling very overwhelmed with my responsibilities as a wife and a "stay-at-home mother." The feelings I felt were not necessarily unique to me or my circumstances. Many of you may experience some of these same challenges and emotions while you are here at BYU–Idaho.
After considerable contemplation, I remember asking my husband for a priesthood blessing. In this blessing I was promised that I could begin to better cope with my difficulties if I would exercise consistently, get more sleep, eat properly, have meaningful prayer night and morning, and engage in daily scripture study. The reason I remember so vividly the instruction I received is because I thought afterwards: "This is going to solve my problems? These are standard 'Sunday School' answers. Besides, I'm already doing some of these things." Does this attitude sound a bit hard-hearted? Maybe if the message had been to take a vacation to the beach, or sign up for an art class, or have my nails done, I would have been more receptive to the counsel. I guess I was searching for different solutions, and I balked at the banality of what I had been counseled to do.
I pondered the blessing, and over a period of time I came to know and understand that these inspired admonitions were plain and simple, yet profound. As I moved from casual observance to a more steadfast and heartfelt implementation of these principles in my life, I discovered a sense of emotional peace, a feeling of physical well-being, and a spiritual confidence that brought tremendous blessings to my life. Like those in Moses' day, all I had to do was to "look!"
I invite you to ponder how you can make these gospel principles a part of your daily life. Instead of thinking of all the reasons why you can't exercise regularly, go to bed at a reasonable hour, eat a balanced diet, pray morning and night, or study your scriptures daily, please consider the emotional, physical, and spiritual blessings that will come if you do apply these teachings with full purpose of heart and real intent. Don't be blinded by the seeming simplicity or easiness of the way. You, too, can be assisted in your challenges and have the strength to accept the vicissitudes of life with assurance. All you have to do is "look!"
". . . be not weary in well-doing," the Lord told the elders of the Church, "for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great" (D&C 64:33). May we all look to Him who
. . . marked the path and led the way,
And ev'ry point defines
To light and life and endless day
Where God's full presence shines.
(How Great the Wisdom and the Love, Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, p. 195)
Our Savior and his simple teachings are the mark to which we must "look" if we want to make it to the right event, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.