"Trusting in the Lord and Being Trusted"
Janette Hales Beckham
November 12, 2002
Today my husband, Ray, and I brought two grandsons with us to take a tour of your campus. It has been about three years since we last visited and the changes are remarkable. The campus is remarkable. Your President and his wife are remarkable. You are remarkable. Thank you so much for inviting us to visit. I have been thinking about you and remembering.
When I was near the age of some of you, (23), I was married and expecting our first baby. One day as I was leaving the home of my husband's sister, we stood visiting on the back porch. Her oldest son came running up the stairs and in a breathless voice said, "What time is it?" His mother stopped in mid-sentence, glanced at her watch and exclaimed, "Oh, I forgot, we're late for Little League!" With all the indignation a six year old could muster, her son replied, "Mother, can't you be trusted?"
I told this story to my daughter in Houston who has a son in first grade. She said that Sean had forgotten to take his books for library reading that day. She debated whether to take them to him at school. His teacher is very strict and trying to teach the children to be responsible. Then she said, "but he is trying so hard." Knowing the teacher may be critical of her intrusion she did deliver the books. Needless to say, Sean was so thrilled. He wants to be responsible and he is trying so hard.
Today I want to talk about the importance of trust because I believe it is the underlying ingredient in the development of faith, the first principle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Do you remember when you were a little child how important it was to be with someone you trusted? We count on others, often mothers and fathers, to keep us safe and to help make our world turn out right. Our relationship with our parents and other family members helps us learn to trust. Missionaries are taught to build a relationship of trust with those who are being taught the Gospel because faith grows best in an environment of trust. As we grow up and grow spiritually we gradually learn to put our trust first in our Heavenly Father.
Today I would like to emphasize the importance of trust in three ways: First, learning to trust in God; Second, living so that God trusts you; Third, living so that others trust you. When we talk about trust, we must consider how we learn to Trust in God.
Recently I read an article in the Deseret News in which the writer stated that his work sometimes put a dent in his optimism. You might say it put a dent in his ability to trust. Quoting the article "Down the years people have disappointed me, deceived me. . .I remember the column I did about a youth counselor who had a magical way with. . .youth. . .Two weeks later he was arrested for selling drugs to the troubled teens he counseled. I once raved on and on about a spiritual soul who loved children. He ended up in the middle of an. . . abuse scandal. . ., the lesson I need to learn is this: Instead of praising people for being good, I should praise the source of all good things and just love the people. . .It's what Jesus must have had in mind when he said, "Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God." (Mark 10:18) (Des. News 9/28/02, Jerry Johnston)
I liked that thought--Keep our eyes on the source of all goodness and love people. That is the key-- putting our trust in the source of all good, God our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ.
The scriptures give repeated counsel about trust:
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. (Psalms 118:8)
. . .whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he. (Proverbs 16:20)
Let's talk about how we develop this trust.
Turn to the Gospel of John, page 1334, Chapter 5. I will be referring to verses 32-39. The Savior is teaching about the importance of witnesses. A witness would be someone we can trust. It begins talking about John the Baptist, verse 32-34.
There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man. (John 5:33-34)
The Joseph Smith translation explains as we read on in verse 34 that this is not the testimony of man because John received his testimony from God and since John is a Prophet, we "ought to receive his testimony." But now look in verse 35, it suggests that we need more than a testimony of someone else,
He was a burning and a shining light; and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the work which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. (John 5:35-36)
In other words John testified of what would happen and then it happened. His works became a second witness of his divinity. But in the next verse he refers to the ultimate witness, "And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me." That is the third witness. But now to the unbelievers he identifies the problem, "Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape." Why have they not received this ultimate witness? "And Ye have not his word abiding in you; for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not." In other words we have to have a witness to the words that we have put inside of us. He gives us the solution in verse 39, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me."
We are blessed by the testimony of others and we are strengthened by that light, but in case it may last only for a "season," we must each develop a relationship of trust with our Heavenly Father by our own experience--our own prayer, our scripture study and by listening to the witness of the Holy Ghost as we apply what we learn. What a thrill it was for me to be told that the scriptures are a part of all you do at BYU-Idaho. I was told you would have them with you today.
The scriptures teach of individuals throughout time who put their trust in the Lord and have become trustworthy by their actions. Would you turn to the Book of Enos on page 136 of the Book of Mormon. I turned to the Book of Enos at a time when I had a new calling that seemed overwhelming. I had lost my husband. I had a great deal to figure out. I noticed as I read that Enos had just lost his father and had been given the responsibility of keeping the plates. In the words of Jacob, his father, on the preceding page, ". . .I told him [Enos] the things which my brother Nephi had commanded me, and he promised obedience unto the commands" (Jacob 7:27). Enos had made a commitment. Perhaps he felt overwhelmed. He put his trust in the Lord as we read in verse 2, "And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins." It didn't say he wrestled with the Lord, but he wrestled with himself before the Lord. We don't know the nature of his sins, but perhaps he felt unworthy in part because of his feelings of inadequacy. In verse 4, we read "And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul;" In verse 5, "And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed." When Enos asked how this could be possible we read, "Because of thy faith in Christ, . . .thy faith hath made thee whole." Our Heavenly Father knows when we are trying really hard. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, gave all, that his perfection might make up the deficit where we fall short. Enos had his own experience in learning to trust in God. I had my own experience as the spirit taught me how the atonement works in our lives. When we accept the help the Savior provides we are free to be less concerned about our own problems or imperfections and can turn our thoughts to the needs of others. This is what happened with Enos when he said in verse 9, "Now, it came to pass that when I had heard these words I began to feel a desire for the welfare of my brethren, the Nephites."
When Enos was proven to be trustworthy the Lord said, "I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith." (Enos 1:12)
Consider that promise, "I will grant unto thee according to thy desires." I remember when I first read about Nephi, the son of Helaman, and the Lord said in Chapter 10, verse 5 of Helaman, "I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word. . ." I thought, WOW, wouldn't that be great to be so good that you could have anything you wanted, . . .but, you have to read the next phrase, "for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will." For us to have such a promise we would have to understand our Heavenly Father's point of view. We would have to live so that God trusts us.
That brings us to the second part of my message--Living so that God trusts us. A scripture stood out as I considered my visit with you. The words are in the short book of Nahum on page 1157 of the Old Testament. This is Chapter 1, verse 7. "The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him." Would you like to mark that verse in your scriptures. Naham is speaking of the "Second Coming, and of the mercy and power of the Lord." (Chapter heading) What an important message for us today. "The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in Him." As we learn to trust God, we can learn to live so that God knows he can trust us.
In my hand is a new dollar bill. Written on the back are the words, "In God We Trust." Those words are also written on our coins. Is that how Heavenly Father knows that we trust in him? As we circulate our money, we want everyone to know, "In God We Trust." We could send the dollar to pay a tithe or even tuition, butwhat if a person chooses to go to an "R" rated movie, or even purchase something illegal? He still hands someone a bill with the words, "In God We Trust." Our Heavenly Father's trust in us surely must come from more than a symbol or just words.
Because trust is such a needed commodity in the world today, perhaps we can find ways to improve our behavior and increase our Heavenly Father's trust in us. Could we be more trustworthy? We live in a land of freedom, a promised land and yet we would agree that we have had our "day(s) of trouble." We need our Heavenly Father's help. Do we need to reaffirm to Him our trust? He would want to know that we will do what he asks us to do. You students at this University can be the leaders and needed example for our day.
While living in San Francisco we had a Patriarch who had been a leader in the Church all of his adult life--bishop and Stake President. I remember him saying on one occasion that when he pondered over names of those he felt the Lord would want to fill positions in the Ward or Stake, he would always consider three questions: First, was the person worthy to be called. Second, was a person able to do what was being asked--in other words was the person capable to do the job? And third, would he do it? He said that over time he learned that number three made the greatest difference. Would he do it? If the person didn't do what the Lord called him to do, the other two qualifications became less important. Being trustworthy in our actions lets Heavenly Father know that we can be trusted to do what we commit to do.
Sometimes we may think if our excuses sound good enough, it let's us "off the hook," so to speak. I once knew a Primary leader who asked, when teacher absences were a major problem, "Would it make a difference if you told the Lord your excuses, and just told me your decisions?" I am convinced that in most cases those who keep commitments have as many reasons for failure as those who rely on excuses and fall short. President Hinckley has reminded us to try a little harder. He knows that our Heavenly Father wants the best for us which comes from doing our best.
Someone once asked me what it was like to work with leaders at Church Headquarters. I replied that it was a luxury to work where people were so willing to do what was asked. I also noticed that responsible leaders show their commitment in all they do.
I remember the first meeting I attended after I had been asked to serve on the Board of Trustees for Church Education System. I was instructed very politely on two occasions that the meeting always started on time and that I might like to come a little bit early. I am usually fairly prompt, but I didn't want to appear eager, so I timed myself carefully to walk into the board room about five minutes to ten. As I walked in the door, five minutes early, everyone else was seated at that long table and I heard President Hinckley say, "is Sister Hales coming?" Everyone else in that room knew that although we may joke about Mormon standard time, in the Church Administration Building they work on what I learned to call President Hinckley standard time. I have never heard President Hinckley give a talk about being on time, but you may guess that I was never again the last one to enter that room. When I think of President Hinckley's example, it reminds me how much it means to leaders, teachers and loved ones to be trusted to be at the appointed place at the appointed time--and maybe even a little bit early!
When it comes to trust or being trusted, there are no unimportant items. We become trustworthy before the Lord as we practice and make corrections. Perhaps we make errors and need to be taught. Perhaps we make mistakes and need to repent, but we want to let our Heavenly Father know that He can count on us.
It takes a great deal of spiritual maturity to let Heavenly Father know that we trust in his way. He has told us, ". . .my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, . . ." (Isaiah 55:8)
I would like to refer to the example of Alma the younger. Turn to the Book of Alma, Chapter 29 on page 279. Begin reading in verse 1 "O That I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!" Now that is a pretty worthy desire. But what can we learn from Alma as he recorded his thoughts and desires. I don't want to distract from the beautiful missionary song, but Alma wasn't nineteen. He was a noble prophet who had repented and been converted in his youth; he had been a the first chief judge; he had given up the judgeship to teach the gospel and had baptized hundreds. He had watched believers suffer death and had himself been thrown into prison It is understandable that he would wish for repentance and, "that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth." But, as Alma expressed this wish his heart was softened and he showed trust in the Lord when he said, "I am a man, and so sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me." "Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men;. . why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called?" Even though his desires were otherwise, he was content to show the Lord that he would accept His ways.
How much of our lives we waste wanting things to be other than they are. Do we sometimes avoid the work at hand because we wish the circumstances were different? Sometimes wanting to be grand keeps us from being good. We are bombarded by the attention given to super stars, super athletes, Super Bowls, and everything super sized. We even have to decide if we want our olives to be colossal sized or just gigantic. But, each day we must withdraw from the oversized images placed before us and remember the things our Heavenly Father has taught us. Our Heavenly Father has put his trust in us. He knows we can do hard things. Many of you learned that on your missions. Learn to perform to the best of your ability the work in front of you and trust in the Lord as he leads you along. In that way he knows that you trust him.
The third and last point of my message follows naturally if we care about one and two--trusting in God and living so that God trusts you. The third point is living so that others trust you.
In President Hinckley's book, Standing for Something he states, "It is possible to so live that others can trust us--can trust our words, our motives, and our actions." (p.28) "Very simply, we cannot be less than honest, we cannot be less than true, we cannot be less than virtuous. . .if we are to merit. . .trust."
Let's talk first about being trusted in our words.
When President Hinckley reminded us of the importance of being trusted in our words, he used a story that was related several times each year when I was a student at BYU. Perhaps you have heard it, but as a BYU student you really should know it by heart.
Karl G. Maeser, an educator from Germany, served as the first president of Brigham Young University. More than a century ago he said this to his students: "I have been asked what I mean by 'word of honor.' I will tell you. Place me behind prison walls--walls of stone ever so high, ever so thick, reaching ever so far into the ground--there is a possibility that in some way or another I might be able to escape; but stand me on the floor and draw a chalk line around me and have me give my word of honor never to cross it. Can I get out of that circle? No, never! I would die first." (Standing for Something, p. 27) Surely he was a man of his word and could be trusted by others.
Words expressed lightly and without commitment can be destructive to trust. I once had a young man in our home who had come to install a kitchen range. He was well dressed, well mannered and very skilled. As I worked in the kitchen, we visited while he did his work. I learned he was a student about to graduate and had some ambitious and worthy goals. I asked if he were married and he replied he was not. I suggested that he would be a mighty good catch for some young woman. Then he stopped what he was doing and looked at me seriously and said, "How can you tell when you can trust someone?" His question took me by surprise, but then he explained that he had a girlfriend and she had told him how much she loved him and wanted to be married to him. Then, rather abruptly, he learned she was seeing someone else. His inclination to trust had been damaged.
It is important that we can stand behind the words we speak. Just as it is important to take your car to a mechanic you can trust or to put your money in a bank you can trust, how much more important to place your heart or your feelings in a relationship you can trust. Make a conscious effort to be a man or woman of your word. How could we possibly be prepared to make and keep sacred covenants if we have not learned to be honest in word? Relationships of trust are the foundation of sacred covenants and should never be taken lightly.
Next, President Hinckley said we should be trustworthy in our motives. I learned a great deal about pure motivation as we served to prepare for the Olympics. The First Presidency had suggested to members of the Church along the Wasatch front that they get involved in their communities to be good hosts to the guests who would be coming from throughout the world to attend the Olympic games. President Hinckley had said on many occasions that he hoped we would be good hosts and that he hoped there would be a legacy of goodwill in the community because of the games. Such a large event required that everyone work together. President Hinckley also said publicly and it was reported in the media that the Church would not use the Olympic games as an opportunity to proselytize.
Among our other assignments, Ray and I were asked to be responsible for the training of about 5000 Church volunteers who would host guests at Church sites. We formed a committee to develop the training with the decision to base the training on the chapter in President Hinckley's book on Civility. In the training we discussed how we could prepare ourselves to be good hosts. We quoted President's Hinckley's words, ". . .the essence of civility (is) to extend, without price, a helping. . .hand. . ." (Standing for Something, p. 54.) Think about that. "Without price." That is a pure motive-- a motive that can be trusted. Without price means your concern is for the other person. You are not promoting your own agenda. We must have repeated thousands of times these words: We want to be good hosts. The Church will not use the Olympic Games as an opportunity to proselytize. The essence of civility is to extend without price a helping hand. I learned how important it is to identify the desired outcome and then provide training and preparation. I believe the members of the Church and the people in the State of Utah were good hosts. The International Olympic Committee said that Utah was the volunteer mecca of the world. It soon became apparent that it is obvious to others when motives are pure.
First, Trust in our words. Second, trust in our motives. And third, trust in our actions. It has been said that actions speak even louder than words. A friend related an experience when she had purchased tickets to take her family to the circus. As they got ready to get in the car, her husband commented that they were short one ticket. She hadn't gotten a ticket for their three year old because, as she explained, "she just turned three and you know she will sit on my lap." Since a ticket was required for those age three, her husband responded, "Would you be dishonest for a few dollars?" The decision was made that the inclination to save money wouldn't get in the way of the greater desire of being trustworthy. As I have observed the life of this noble man, it has helped me understand that honesty becomes visible to others even when no words are spoken. When we are young we sometimes make light of stories about those who are impeccably honest, even a Karl G. Maeser story, but time helps us appreciate that being trustworthy is a blessing and an asset in all that we do.
In conclusion I would like to use an example from the life of Joseph Smith. He is one who trusted the Lord. The Lord trusted him and he was trusted by others. This experience is found in the 121 Section of the Doctrine in Covenants on page 230. The prophet, Joseph Smith, is in Liberty Jail. Surely his circumstances were not of his choosing. Yet, it was in this setting that the Lord taught Joseph Smith about Priesthood power and how it blesses our lives. His words begin with pleading as he turns to the Lord. We read in verse 1, "O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed,. . ." In the next verses he acknowledges the power of the Lord, he appeals to the Lord to use that power to be turned on the enemies of the saints. In verse 5, "Let thine anger be kindled against our enemies; and, in the fury of thine heart, with thy sword avenge us of our wrongs." Surely the prophet would be justified in making such a request, but as he spoke, his heart must have been softened as the spirit taught him and he instead he made a request with a promise. In verse 6, "Remember thy suffering saints, O our God; [help us] and thy servants will rejoice in thy name forever." Perhaps we learn we don't even need to bargain with the Lord as we read the promise the Lord made to Joseph and the promise he makes to those who trust in him, "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;" and then the ultimate promise, ". . .if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high;" This is the promise given to those who trust in the Lord--peace in this life and exaltation in the world to come. There is a secondary promise here also that can reassure us we will receive support in our troubles. The Lord tells Joseph Smith in verse 9, "Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands." Your friends trust you.
Trust is the basis of friendship and of all good relationships. Trust is the basis of our relationship with family members. Trust is the basis of our relationship with God. So today my message is threefold: First, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, mind and strength; second, live so that God can trust you; and third, live so that you can be trusted by others--your roommates, your associates, your teachers, your future companions. I have a testimony that "I know that the Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble;" I trust in the promise that he has given to those who make and keep sacred covenants. He has promised the blessing of peace in this life and exaltation in the world to come. This is my testimony and I bear it in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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