BYU SPEECHES OF THE YEAR, 1986-87



                               Contents



  I'LL GO, I'LL DO, I'LL BE: 

	THREE STEPS TOWARD A MONUMENTAL LIFE

		Russell M. Nelson



  BUILDING BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW

		Vaughn J. Featherstone



  "UNLESS YOU'RE A MORMON"

		Jeffrey R. and Patricia T. Holland



  THE CONSTITUTION--A HEAVENLY BANNER

		Ezra Taft Benson



  AN UNTROUBLED FAITH

		James E. Faust



  "MEEK AND LOWLY"

		Neal A. Maxwell



  LITTLE THINGS COUNT

		Joseph B. Wirthlin



  GOING HOME

		Henry B. Eyring



  THE SOUL'S CENTER

		Patricia T. Holland



  THE BITTER CUP AND THE BLOODY BAPTISM

		Jeffrey R. Holland



  YOUR INHERITANCE: SECURE OR IN JEOPARDY?

		Ardeth G. Kapp



  WHAT IS TRUE GREATNESS?

		Howard W. Hunter



  "ON STAYING POWER"

		L. Tom Perry



  THE MAGNIFICENCE OF MAN

		Russell M. Nelson



  CARRY YOUR CROSS

		Marvin J. Ashton



  ON BEING TEACHABLE

		Kate L. Kirkham



  NO JOY WITHOUT THE STRUGGLE

		Barbara W. Winder



  SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE LAW OF THE HARVEST

		A. Don Sorensen



  SOME LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED FROM LIVING SIXTY YEARS

		Dean L. Larsen





                      I'LL GO, I'LL DO, I'LL BE:

                 THREE STEPS TOWARD A MONUMENTAL LIFE



                           Russell M. Nelson



	Elder Russell M. Nelson was called to be a member of the Council

of the Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in

April 1984. An internationally renowned surgeon and medical researcher,

Dr. Nelson received his B.A. and M. D. degrees from the University of

Utah. He served his residency in surgery at Massachusetts General

Hospital in Boston and at the University of Minnesota, where he was

awarded his Ph. D. degree. He also received an honorary degree of

Doctor o.f Science from Brigham Young University. Author of numerous

publications and chapters in textbooks, Elder Nelson has lectured and

visited throughout the United States and in 65 nations abroad. His

professional work has included the positions of research professor of

surgery and director of the Thoracic Surgery Residency at the

University of Utah, chairman of the Division of Thoracic Surgery, and

member of the board of governors of the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City.

He has served as president of the Society for Vascular Surgery and

chairman of the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery for the American

Heart Association. Elder Nelson has held many positions of

responsibility in the Church as well. He served as stake president of

the Bonneville Stake, as general president of the Sunday School, and as

Regional Representative for the Kearns Utah Region and for Brigham

Young University Region I. Elder Nelson and his wife, Dantzel White,

are the parents of nine daughters and one son. This devotional address

was given on 19 August 1986 in the Marriott Center during Campus

Education Week.





	My dear fellow students, I am thrilled to be with you on this

memorable occasion and to share it with my sweet companion, Dantzel, my

father, Marion C. Nelson, and other members of our family. I should

like to pay tribute to you and to those unseen who are similarly

sacrificing that you might be here. All are here to learn. Some may

also be happy for a temporary escape from diapers and dishes. But

batteries do need to be recharged, and such regeneration comes from all

that goes on in such a marvelous week as you have before you.



	Last month a major focus of attention was the Statue of Liberty

for her one hundredth anniversary and the celebration of her

remodeling. While most monuments are erected to people or specific

events, this one is indeed unique. Lady Liberty commemorates an ideal.

But this and other monuments can teach us very important lessons about

life.



	Those lessons are linked to your theme of the week, "The Process

of Becoming." They are also embraced in the words of the song we have

sung, "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go" (Hymns, 1985, no. 270). Within

its text are several powerful commitments to action, including I'll go

(where you want me to go), I'll do (thy will with a heart sincere), and

I'll be (what you want me to be).



	By applying these concepts to personal development, each one of us

here today can help build a monumental life. Through the process of

becoming, you may go, do, and be a living monument. A monument requires

a base to support the vertical shaft of its statement. The Statue of

Liberty has a splendid 89-foot pedestal erected on a 65-foot

star-shaped base.



	A monumental life also begins with a broad base of understanding.

This is one reason you are here today-to learn and acquire information

and inspiration that will strengthen your pedestal of preparation. But

you know that knowledge itself is rarely monumental. just as pancake

batter cannot make pancakes until exposed to heat, more than knowledge

is required to mold a monumental life.



	Three steps in the process of forging a monumental life from its

base are neatly tucked in the verses of our song-I'll go, I'll do, I'll

be. These three statements constitute the outline of my message.



I'LL GO



	Step one is "I'll go." But before we go anywhere, it is good to

consider where we have been. Life's journey did not start with our

first mortal breath. Prior to our birth, we were with God as his spirit

children. We walked with him, talked with him, and knew him. We shouted

for joy with the prospects of a journey to planet Earth to gain a

physical body and to experience unique challenges here. 1 suspect we

were terrified, at first, when told we would forget Father, friends,

and facts we formerly knew so well. I can believe we were calmed when

informed our Father in Heaven would provide prophets and scriptures to

guide us and would provide a means whereby we could communicate with

him through prayer and the spirit of revelation. But still we may have

been a bit insecure when we learned that faith-faith to believe the

intangible-was the key to success in our journey. Faith was to be the

critical component in our safe return to our Father in Heaven. Few have

had better insight than did Abraham, who recorded,



	Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abra ham, the intelligences that

were organized before the world was; and among all these there were

many of the noble and great ones;

	And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the

midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood

among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he

said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before

thou wast born.

	And 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 materi als, 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. [Abraham 3:22-25]



	Once here, the journey through life for each of us may include

other travels in order to meet our personal rendezvous with destiny.

Father Lehi and Mother Sariah departed from the wealth and security of

Jerusalem to trek for many days across hot desert sands to the eastern

shores of the Red Sea. Then Lehi asked his sons to return to Jerusalem

to get the brass plates of Laban. What did that assignment entail?



	If we were to compare that trip to our own area, we would have

walked a distance nigh equivalent to that from Provo to St. George,

across scorching sand with no freeways, no air conditioning, no cold

drinks. Then how would you like to be asked -to walk all the way back

to Provo, tackle a tough assignment, and then walk back to St. George?

No wonder Laman and Lemuel murmured! That was the setting for this

matchless statement by Nephi:



	I will go and do the things which the lord hath commanded, for I

know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men,

save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing

which he comman deth them. [1 Nephi 3:7]



	You know the story. They eventually returned with the brass

plates. Even Mother Sariah had complained when her sons were required

to make this long, hazardous journey. Shortly thereafter, they were

told by their father to return once again to Jerusalem, this time to

get Ishmael and his family. Perhaps each young man felt a bit better

about it this time, knowing there was the possibility he might be

rewarded with one of the daughters of Ishmael to become his wife. This

rugged discipline was but prologue to their going subsequently all the

way across what we now know as the Saudi Arabian Peninsula to its

southeastern shore, where ships were to be built. And this challenge

was but prelude to their ultimate destiny-to go across ocean waters to

the promised land.



	In fact, much of scriptural history reports requirements of the

Lord's prophets and people to go to their particular proving grounds.

For David, his destiny with Goliath required him to go to the valley of

Elah (see I Samuel 17:19). Moses had to go to the heights of Sinai and

to the depths of the Red Sea, whose waters had been parted by the power

of the priesthood he bore (see Alma 36:28).



	Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and our early pioneer predecessors

had to go from the eastern extremity of the United States to Ohio,

Missouri, Illinois, and then across a hostile environment where they

established the mountain Of the Lord's house in the top of the

mountains (see Isaiah 2:2; 2 Nephi 12:2) at a place we now know as the

world headquarters of his church.



	All eight of my great-grandparents, individually converted to the

Church in populous nations of Europe, had to go from their family and

the comforts of home to this new land and across its challenging

terrain eventually to settle in the little town of Ephraim, Utah.



	Each one of us will have to go to unique testing grounds of faith.

For some it may be abroad, or on missions, for preparation or

assignment far beyond comforts of home, family, and friends. For

others, particularly you busy young mothers or fathers, your

appointment with destiny is within the walls of your home. Your enemy

is neither hot sands of the desert, nor smoking guns of foes in

pursuit, but heated efforts of the adversary to undermine your marriage

and/or the sanctity of your family unit. For the monument of your life

to rise from its pedestal of preparation to your appointed site of

destiny you must go where the Lord wants you to go. Wherever it is, go.

Go with the same faith that allowed to you leave your heavenly home in

the first place.



I'LL DO



	Step two is "I'll do." These words remind me of the development of

the song "I Am a Child of God." When lyricist Naomi W. Randall first

composed the words to this hymn, they read, "Teach me all that I must

know, to live with him some day." Before he became President of the

Church, President Spencer W. Kimball suggested that the word "know" be

changed to "do." President Kimball, explaining why he wanted the

change, said, "To know isn't enough. The devils know and tremble; the

devils know everything. We have to do something" ("New Verse Is Written

for Popular Song," Church News, April 1, 1978, p. 16).



	As President Kimball implied, some foes of righteousness may

actually know more than many of us here know. To know isn't enough.

Even today, a few very knowledgeable physicians still smoke cigarettes.

They know better. Some Latter-day Saints know about such divine laws as

chastity, tithing, or honesty, but experience difficulty in doing what

the law requires.



	There are more things to do in life than there is time available

in which to do them. That means choices need to be made. Choices are

often facilitated by asking well-focused questions. Some may be

thoughtfully tendered in prayer.



	Joseph Smith recorded his question: "My object in going to inquire

of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might

know which to join" (JS-H 1:18). The unexpected answer: "Join none of

them" US-H 1:19).



	Such a question, asked with determination beforehand to do

whatever is learned, will bring heavenly direction. For example, near

the end of the Book of Mormon is this challenge: "If ye shall ask with

a sincere heart, with real intent [meaning you intend to do].... he

will manifest the truth of it unto you" (Moroni 10:4). Intent is an

important part of the formula that preceded testimony, which brought

many of us into the Church.



	How did we get the Word of Wisdom? Joseph first asked an important

question. In answer to fervent prayer with intent to do the revealed

will of the Lord, section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants was received

by revelation.



	What preceded the vision of the redemption of the dead? President

Joseph F. Smith pondered (not just read) the writings of Peter (see D&C

138:1-5). Pondering the scriptures is done with an inquiring mind.



	What predated the revelation on the priesthood received by

President Spencer W. Kimball in 1978? Extended meditation and

intelligent inquiry, prayerfully posed in the holy temple.



	Now, I notice your Campus Education Week program lists over eleven

hundred offerings, and before you can start to do, you must ask, "What

do I want to do?" Then you may properly select those classes that will

help you do those things that are uniquely yours to do. That question

involves your purpose and your destiny.



	Can you summarize the goal of your life and state it in a simple

sentence as did the Savior? He said, "My work and my glory-[is] to

bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39).



	Counsel from President Joseph F. Smith was concisely stated: "The

important consideration is ... how well we can ... discharge our duties

and obligations to God and to one another" (GD, p. 270).



	Should that concept not be part of your greatest goal, if you

truly believe in God and believe you are one of his children preparing

to return to him? And if it truly is your objective, can there be any

action appropriate for you to do other than to keep his commandments?



	This was the plea of the Savior, who reported, "Not every one that

saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but

he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).

Another writer so recorded this inquiry: "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord,

and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). James admonished: "Be

ye doers of the word, and not hearers only" (James 1:22). King Benjamin

also confirmed this concept. He said, "If you believe all these things

see that ye do them" (Mosiah 4:10).



	One of life's interesting challenges is that while you are doing

one thing, you are not doing other things. So while you are here at

Campus Education Week, you are not elsewhere, thereby assuming some

risks. Partners, children, and other interests are among those at risk.

Sister Nelson and I have occasionally taken leave from an engagement

saying, "It's time for us to go home now and see what our children are

doing and tell them to stop."



	There is also a risk of discouragement when you return to your

usual routines. During this week you will meet many wonderful people

who are all on their best behavior. You will meet skilled teachers who

have prepared well for countless hours and who successfully make it

seem as though their lesson simply rolls out with such apparent ease.

But don't forget, their lives' efforts are represented in that service.

When you return home to cobwebs and dust and your own pile of problems

that haven't gone away during your absence, don't be dejected because

you were not sufficiently braced for the reality of your reentry.



	Remember, educational opportunity is not confined to time or

place. There is nothing magic about an institution, be it Harvard,

Stanford, MIT, BYU, or any other. Personal motivation is more essential

to education than campus setting. Fortunately, those of you here this

week have both, and I admire you. But exciting, entertaining,

charismatic teachers are not nearly as fundamental to the attainment of

your goals as are your desire and your determination.



	If the most important things in life are to know God and to keep

his commandments, then to heed his prophets and abide their teachings

should be among our most important educational objectives. In a way,

the very repetition of the teachings of prophets may have sounded

monotonous through the years. The pleadings of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,

Moses, and Abinadi have not differed significantly from those of

President Lee, President Kimball, or President Benson. Surely, when

measured by eternal standards, teachings of the prophets are more

important and enduring than the latest findings of competent

researchers, even if these findings were both discovered and taught by

use of modem technology and teaching aids.



	Success at the end of this week will be determined largely by

individual desire to learn. When you crave learning as much as you want

to satisfy pangs of hunger, you will achieve your desired objective.

When you return home, you will want to continue to satisfy your hunger

and thirst for righteousness and the word of God on your own.



	I was with Elder Mark E. Petersen in the Holy Land in October

1983, during his last mortal journey. Elder Petersen was not well.

Evidences of his consuming malignancy were so painfully real to him,

yet he derived strength from the Savior he served. Following a night of

intense suffering, aggravated by pangs of his progressive inability to

eat or to drink, Elder Petersen addressed throngs assembled at the

Mount of Beatitudes to hear his discourse on the "Sermon on the Mount."

After he recited "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after

righteousness," he departed from the biblical text and pleaded this

question: "Do you know what it is to be really hungry? Do you know what

it is to really be thirsty? Do you desire righteousness as you would

desire food or drink under extreme conditions? (The Savior expects us

to literally hunger and thirst after righteousness and seek it with all

our hearts!"



	I was one of the few present on that occasion who knew how hungry

and thirsty Elder Petersen really was. His encroaching cancer had

deprived him of relief from physical hunger and thirst. So he

understood that doctrine. He withstood the trial. He thanked the Lord

who lent him power to preach his last major sermon at the sacred site

where his Lord Jesus had preached.



	Counsel was given by another prophet who said, "Feast upon that

which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted" (2 Nephi 9:51). Nephi

added: "If ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ,

and endure to the end ... : Ye shall have eternal life" (2 Nephi

31:20). Even though Elder Petersen was deprived of full physical

feeding, he continued to feast upon the words of his Savior. He endured

to the end, and I know he earned that promised reward.



	To facilitate your feast, may I share a personal pattern of

scriptural study that may also be helpful to you? I have marked my new

LDS edition of the King James Version of the Bible to highlight

enrichment material from three alternate translations. I have colored

those little letters above the biblical text that draw attention to

corresponding footnotes below, which I have colored with little round

dots. Those citations from Hebrew I have marked with blue circles over

both the cross-referenced superscript letter and the corresponding

footnote below. The Old Testament comes to us primarily from the Hebrew

language or those languages closely associated with Hebrew.



	The New Testament comes to us primarily from the Greek language.

Thus, frequently the alternate translation from the Greek adds

significantly to a better understanding of the New Testament. The

little superscript letters and corresponding footnotes from Greek I

have marked with green circular dots.



	For those passages clarified by excerpts from the Joseph Smith

Translation of the Bible, I have marked the little superscript letters

and corresponding footnote citations with red circular dots. Now,

whenever I turn to a page of scripture, I can immediately spot those

special insights provided by this enrichment material.



	The importance of these enhancements was taught by the Prophet

Joseph Smith, who made this interesting statement: "Our latitude and

longitude can be determined in the original Hebrew with far greater

accuracy than in the English version" (Teachings, p. 290). But more

about that later when we get to the third step of our discussion.



	I note from the program that many course offerings are classified

under "parenting," which, of course, includes grand-parenting. I think

it's time to tell a story about grandchildren. I should like to honor

all who are grandparents here today and ask them to stand and be

recognized. Would all grandparents please arise? What a marvelous

sight!



	Now, while you continue to stand, will those who are not yet

grandparents stand as well, as I think you all need a little rest. You

can stand while I tell you a true story-a one-on-one encounter between

one of our grandchildren and her grandmother. It occurred during one of

those special moments when they were alone. Grandmother asked our

seven-year-old granddaughter, "Do you think I look younger with my

glasses on, or with them off?"



	The granddaughter replied, "Well, try them on, and now, try them

off." Her grandmother complied. Our granddaughter then said, "Do it

again, Grandmother. First put them on, and then take them off." And so

her grandmother again demonstrated. Finally, the granddaughter, after

asking her grandmother to repeat the exercise a third time, said

conclusively, "Grandmother, its older either way."



	Sensing that her candor may have exceeded her diplomacy, our

granddaughter then added, "Grandmother, have you tried Oil of Olay?"



	Thank you. Now, as you return to your seats, I notice there are

eight courses offered under the classification of aging.



	Each time I go to the barbershop, I see the sheet that has been

swirled about me has collected clippings that are grayer and scantier

than the time before. But seriously, I give thanks for the aging

process. Yes, I am grateful to be alive to participate in it. Our

bodies are such magnificent creations. The healing power in each one of

us causes broken bones to heal and cuts and bruises to repair

themselves. Contemplate what would happen if you could create a chair

that would repair its own broken leg, or if you could make stockings

that would mend their own runs. If you could do that, literally, you

could create dynamic life that would perpetuate itself infinitely.



	Our bodies, capable of self-repair, would do the same thing, were

it not for aging. Life on this earth would be without end and without

hope of eternal life with our father, mother, and loved ones, if the

healing process responded in this marvelous way to all injuries and

illnesses. That hope we had in the beginning, to return to our Father

in Heaven, would be but a baseless dream were it not for the assurance

provided by the aging process. Alma so taught his son Corianton: "It

was not expedient that man should be reclaimed from this temporal

death, for that would destroy the great plan of happiness" (Alma 42:8;

emphasis added). Be grateful for the privilege of aging and all that it

provides.



	These marvelous bodies deserve our best daily care. So, as you

consider optional courses on fitness and sports, health, and

self-improvement, may you remember that no code of health can compare

with section 89 in the Doctrine and Covenants for brevity, content, and

efficacy.



	Things do go wrong with these bodies from time to time. Lady

Liberty and those of us eager to prolong useful life can appreciate

help provided by necessary and timely repairs. And we should remember

the remarkable principle revealed by our Creator to the Prophet Joseph

Smith: "For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods

of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are

sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies" (D&C

84:33).



	Those choosing courses on family, human relationships, marriage,

parenting, and time management-keenly aware of pressures of priority at

home, at work, and in the Church, would do well to remember this

revelation: "Thy duty is unto the church forever, and this because of

thy family" (D&C 23:3). Thus, service in the Church is not competitive,

but is essential to anneal our families.



	As we review these things to do, we see they eventually lead us to

that third step of our discussion today-"I'll be."



I'LL BE



	"To be" involves the "Process of Becoming." That is the theme of

your Campus Education Week.



	The word becoming appears in the standard works in only nine

verses of scripture. Two of those references pertain to the Lord's

becoming who he was (see Mosiah 15:3; 15:7). A third verse pertains to

the mortal body and its becoming spiritual and immortal at the time of

the resurrection (see Alma 11:45).



	All six remaining verses employing this word refer to the ongoing

battle of the flesh becoming subject to the spirit. We feel this every

day as carnal temptations of the flesh contend with our deeper desire

for spiritual supremacy (see Mosiah 15:5, 16:3; 27:25; Alma 12:3 1;

13:28; Helaman 3:16).



	In this world of carnal competition for our fidelity, the "process

of becoming" necessarily involves self-mastery--supremacy of the spirit

over appetites of the flesh. We sang, "I'll be what you want me to be."

Question: What does the Lord really want you and me to be?



	He has given us the answer definitely and repeatedly. In the

Sermon on the Mount he taught his disciples, "Be ye therefore perfect,

even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).



	My little red circular dot at Matthew 5:48 draws attention to a

footnote where I find an even stronger statement from the Joseph Smith

Translation: "Ye are therefore commanded to be perfect, even as your

Father which is in heaven is perfect" (JST Matthew 5:50; emphasis

added).



	To his disciples on the American hemisphere, the resurrected Lord

so proclaimed this divine injunction: "I would that ye should be

perfect even as 1, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect" (3 Nephi

12:48).



	How do we explain these similar but significantly different

statements? Between the time of his Sermon on the Mount and his sermon

to the Nephites, the sinless Savior had become perfected by his

atonement. "Perfect" in Matthew 5:48 comes from the Greek word teleios,

meaning "complete," and is derived from the Greek word telos, which

means "to set out for a definite point or goal." Thus, this scripture

conveys the concept of conclusion of an act. Therefore, perfect in this

scripture also means "finished," " completed," "consummated," or "fully

developed," and refers to the reality of the glorious resurrection of

our Master.



	Before his crucifixion Jesus so taught, "Behold, I cast out

devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall

be perfected" (Luke 13:32).



	His atonement provides that the body, once corruptible, now may

become incorruptible. Our physical frame, once capable of death and

decay, now may become immortal and beyond crumbling deterioration. That

body presently sustained by the blood of life (see Leviticus 17:11) and

ever changing, may one day become sustained by spirit-changeless and

incapable of death any more.



	So the admonition "to be perfect" should not cause depression

among us. To the contrary, it should bring us great joy and jubilation.

The Lord knew that the procedure would be long and challenging. So he

added this word of encouragement:



	For verily I say unto you, they [the best gifts] are given for the

benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that

seeketh so to do; that all may be benefitted. [D&C 46:9; emphasis

added]



	Those who are really seeking to do his will are recipients of his

blessings, for he knows the intent of our hearts.



	As he concluded his ministry among the Nephites, Jesus issued this

powerful challenge: "What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say

unto you, even as I am" (3 Nephi 27:27).



	I know from long experience as a teacher that a sure way to lose

students is to use long or numerous quotations. Attention is easier to

maintain through amusing stories. I have not been called as an apostle

to entertain, but to teach the word of the Lord. You, too, are

disciples as well as teachers and students. I know you can stay with me

as we climb the hill of enlightenment through direct study from the

scriptures. Fasten your mental seat belts and let us see how much we

can learn about these two little words, I am. Are you with me?



	These two words, I am, the simplest words in all scripture, appear

in the New Testament in the Greek language as ego eimi. In the original

text of the Old Testament, I am is read in Hebrew as hayah.



	Let our jargonal journey begin with John 8:58. Inquisitors once

asked Jesus if he had seen Abraham. "Jesus said unto them, Verily,

verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." (In the Greek text

these two special words are ego eimi. )



	My green-dotted mark at the superscript "b" before "I am" draws me

down to this green-dotted footnote: "The term I AM used here in the

Greek is identical with the Septuagint usage in Ex. 3:14 which

identifies Jehovah. "



	Now, what does that mean? Let's turn to Exodus 3. To get the frame

of reference for verse 14, let's start with verse 11. The scene is on

Mt. Sinai. A dialogue is taking place between Jehovah and Moses. I

presume Moses was suffering some kind of identity crisis (at verse 11)

when he said unto God:



	Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring

forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?



	And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a

token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth

the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.



	And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of

Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me

unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say

unto them?



	And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt

thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

[Exodus 3:11-14]



	In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, I am comes from the

word hayah. Translated into English it means "to be," or "existence,"

and applies as well to the future as it does to the present tense.

Indeed, this verse could be translated, "I will become what I will

become."  Here, to Moses, the premortal Messiah is proclaiming not only

one of his names, but choosing a word that could literally imply the

redeeming role he was yet destined to fulfill.



	Two other facts about the word hayah are of interest: (1) hayah is

the Hebrew root from which the word "Jehovah" is derived; and (2) it is

closely related to the Hebrew term havah, and shares in common two of

three characters. Havah means "to be" as does hayah, but it also has

the connotation "to breathe."



	Are there hints hidden in the deep meaning of God's reply,

recorded in Exodus 3:14? We know the treasured truth that the Lord God

Jehovah, creator of heaven and earth under the direction of the Father,

revealed to Moses one of the Lord's special names. This word may have

intimated his role in the eternal existence of man, including the

inception of the breath of life into his nostrils, to man's potential

immortality. All this was to be made possible through the atoning

sacrifice which he, Jesus the Christ, was to be sent to the earth to

effect.



	Now let us look at selected verses from the New Testament. In Mark

14:61-62: "Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou

the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am." Next from

John 4:25-26: "The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh,

which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he."



	In your Bible, the last word of that verse, he, is printed in

italics, meaning that the King James translators added that word for

clarification of meaning. In the Greek text, the sentence contains

these two words: ego eimi, (I am). The words of Jesus in this passage

could be translated, "I am [is] speaking to you."

	Let's turn to John 8:28:



	Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man,

then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself, but

as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.



	Here again, King James translators added the word he after I am

and italicized it to note their honest addition. But the Greek New

Testament records: "Then shall ye know that ego eimi (I am).



	Yes, before Abraham was, Jesus was "I am," hayah in Hebrew or ego

eimi in Greek. Under the Father's plan, Jehovah, Creator, God of this

world, Savior and Redeemer, was indeed the Great I Am. Although this

phrase, the Great I Am, does not appear in the text of the King James

Version of the Bible, it is evident that the Prophet Joseph Smith

understood this concept well. Three times he recorded this wording in

the Doctrine and Covenants, in verse one of sections 29, 38, and 39.



	I'll conclude our scriptural sojourn by returning to Christ's

challenge to us: "What manner of men ought ye to be? ... even as I am"

(3 Nephi 27:27)-



	So, my brothers and sisters, be inspired by such an example and by

great monuments, and consider your living a monumental life. During

this education week, enlarge your pedestal of preparation, and then

ultimately build on these three fundamental steps: (1) I'll go. Go with

faith to the arena of life's challenge. (2) I'll do. Do whatever you

can to erect a shaft of righteous endeavor that will remain even beyond

your days. (3) I'll be. And "be not weary in well doing" (2

Thessalonians 3:13; see also Galatians 6:9), but "let them that suffer

according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him

in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator" (I Peter 4:19).



	Be not discouraged when imperfections of yours and of your loved

ones seem more than you can bear. And please, "continue in patience

until ye are perfected" (D&C 67:13).



	Then you may be, as the Lord pleaded, "even as I am." You will be

numbered among his elect and will be known of him at the glorious

advent of his Second Coming.



	There is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in

and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world.

Behold, he is the word of truth and righteous ness. [Alma 38:9]



	By so learning and living, your life will become monumental, not

only as a tribute to your own accomplishment, but as an everlasting

credit to him who created you. God bless you to go where he wants you

to go, to do his will with a heart sincere, and to be what he wants you

to be, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.







                     BUILDING BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW



                        Vaughn J. Featherstone



	Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone has been a member of the First Quorum

of the Seventy since I October 1976, during which time he has served as

president of the Texas San Antonio Mission and as first counselor in

the general presidency of the Young Men. Before 1976 he had served in

the Presiding Bishopric for four and a half years. He has also been on

the General Priesthood Committee and the YAWIA General Board and has

been a stake mission president, counselor in a bishopric, stake high

councilor, and the president of the Boise North Stake. He was Executive

Administrator for the U.S. South Central Area and is presently the Area

President of the Utah South Area. t& Elder Featherstone was born in

Stockton, Utah, and raised in Salt Lake City. Because his father, the

only member of the Church in his family, was inactive, Elder

Featherstone found the Church on his own, with the help of friends. His

mother and brothers and sisters later joined the Church. He was active

in student government, football, and track during his years at South

High School. There he met his wife, Merlene Miner, whom he married in

the Salt Lake Temple in 1949. They have six sons and one daughter.

Elder Featherstone has worked as corporate training manager for

Albertson's and chaired the Supermarket Institute's National Produce

Executive Committee. t& As a youth, Elder Featherstone achieved the

Eagle rank in Boy Scouts and later was a Scoutmaster. He is a member of

the National Advisory Council of the Boy Scouts of America and was

presented the Silver Antelope Award in 1976. w This fireside address

was given on 7 September 1986 in the Marriott Center.





THE KIND OF PEOPLE WE ARE



	In the Second World War, just prior to the United States'

involvement in it, Hitler had conquered-or at least the German armies

had conquered--Belgium and France, and most of the European nations had

fallen. The night skies were filled with bombers over Great Britain.

From Scotland on down to London, the bombs were dropped constantly.

Britain had staggered to its knees, and I suppose they thought

surrender was imminent-at least Hitler did. He announced it would be

just a matter of days or hours before Great Britain would surrender.

The next day Winston Churchill went on radio and said, "What kind of

people do they think we are?"



	I'd like to ask that question about the Church members and then

respond to you as I lead into what I have to say to you tonight. I have

a very good friend, and his granddaughter had leukemia. She was only

four. The Sunday before she died on Thursday, they were in sacrament

meeting together, and this little girl was sitting by her mother. As

they passed the bread and water, this little girl looked up at her

mother and said, "Mom, is there a Heavenly Mother?"



	Her mother said, "Of course, why?"



	"Well, I wish Heavenly Father would put Heavenly Mother in charge

of the sacrament, and then instead of bread and water we would have

little cookies and milk."



	Up in Canada Sterling Spafford's granddaughter was on a bus. (I

believe it was up in Canada. He is the mission president up there.) A

man right across the aisle from his granddaughter was smoking up a

storm. His little granddaughter crossed the aisle and sat by him. Then

she looked up at him sternly and said, "You shouldn't smoke."



	He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and said, "Says who?"



	She said, "Well, Smokey the Bear and Holy the Ghost."



	In President Dainess stake down here we have a man by the name of

David Seamons, and his wife, Ann, is on the Young Women general board.

Some woebegone, ill-thinking soul last Christmas subscribed to Playboy

magazine for this wonderful family. It came in January, and they were

offended. As I understand the story, Brother Seamons called up the

circulation department and told them they were members of the Church

and didn't appreciate the subscription and that they would like to know

who subscribed for them. The subscription department wouldn't tell them

who it was. Then Brother Seamons told them, "Don't send us anymore. We

don't want your magazine. We refuse to accept it."



	Well, the next month the second copy came. Chris Seamons, their

eight-year old boy, took things into-his own hands. He wrote a letter

to Playboy, and these are the exact words: "Playboy, I think the

magazine you sent us was quite uncalled for. I think your magazine is

quite perverted. If you send us another one, I personally will take

action." You just have to admire a kid like that. The best part is that

on the back of the envelope he put, "Please send back my stamp."



	I supervised the Southeast Area until August 15. 1 am indebted to

a friend in the South for this verse, and I thought a lot of the sweet

sisters here today might appreciate this.



At sweet sixteen I first began

To ask the good Lord for a man.

At seventeen, I recall,

I wanted someone strong and tall.

At Christmas I reached eighteen,

I fancied someone blond and lean.

And then at nineteen I was sure

I'd fall for someone more mature.

At twenty I thought I'd find

Romance with someone with a mind.

I retrogressed at twenty-one

And found college boys more fun.

My viewpoint changed at twenty-two

When one man only was my cue.

He broke my heart at twenty-three,

So I begged for someone kind to me.

Then begged when I was twenty-four

For anyone who wouldn't bore.

Now Lord, that I am twenty-five,

Just send me someone who's alive.



	As I get into what I'd like to discuss tonight, I'd like to first

confess my weaknesses in front of this congregation. My schooling is

limited. I love the Lord with all my heart. I suppose we all walk

through life and make some serious mistakes, but I know the sacred

responsibility that I have tonight.



HOW WE BUILD OUR BRICKS



	You remember in the days of Moses that he went before Pharaoh. He

took Aaron with him and demanded in the name of the Lord God Jehovah

that Pharaoh let his people go. Pharaoh refused. He would not let them

go-in fact, he disciplined them by taking away the straw from the

bricks they were making. The tally of bricks remained the same, but the

people had to go out into the fields and cut the stubble of what was

left of the straw and try to mix it in.



	As all of you know, straw is put into bricks and other kinds of

mortar or similar materials to cause an adhesiveness to take place.

Today I would like to use building bricks without straw as my theme. We

live in a generation when many of our young people attempt to build

bricks without straw. In Moses' day straw was essential in making

bricks that would not crumble and crack when a little bit of pressure

was applied. We live in an unusual time and there is pressure being

applied.



	I would like to remind you of something regarding David. You

remember this wonderful, young David who went into the field of battle,

and his brothers taunted him for the naughtiness of his heart for not

tending the sheep. David said, "Is there not a cause?" (I Samuel

17:29). Then, as conditions developed, he found out about the giant of

Gath, Goliath, and the challenge being made. This young lad, David,

probably the youngest in the entire camp of all Israel, said, "Who is

this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the

living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26).



	Well, you know the rest of the story. I don't know if all of you

have ever seen a slingshot. Actually, it is a piece of leather about

sixty inches long that has a pocket at one end-one end is looped around

your finger, the other end is loose so you can let go of it. When you

think about it, really, Goliath didn't have a chance. You can imagine

what David did all day long. There could not be anything more boring

than tending sheep. He probably found a pile of rocks to sit on and

then shot at every knothole, every leaf, any object. He became quite

expert.



	As David came down off the mountain, Goliath said, "Am I a dog,

that thou comest to me with staves?" (I Samuel 17:43). And the

Philistine cursed David by his gods. Then David, who was but a youth of

fair countenance, responded in words that cause the soul to thrill:



	Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a

shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of

the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.



	This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will

smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the

carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the

air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know

that there is a God in Israel. [1 Samuel 17:45-46]



	I suppose Goliath had never been spoken to like that in his life.

I imagine he was wrought with anger and began to lumber (I don't think

he could run) toward David, and David came full tilt down off the

mountain. The scriptures say, "David hastened, and ran toward the army

to meet the Philistine" (1 Samuel 17:48). Well, the battle was short.



	David continued to walk in the ways of God and, as Samuel the

prophet had so anointed him, one day he became the king of Israel. We

must always be careful when we walk in high places or have special

privileges, because there are some things that make it difficult to

maintain purity. I am talking of high places out in the world. We can

suffer serious consequences if we are not careful.



	Francois Rene de Chateaubriand said, "In days of service all

things are founded, in days of special privilege they deteriorate, and

in days of vanity they are destroyed." There may have been several

weaknesses that crept silently into David's life as a king, a

conqueror, with many wives and concubines. In 2 Samuel, chapter 11,

verse one, we find an interesting quote. In a time when "kings go forth

to battle" David stayed home and "sent Joab." If he had understood the

French phrase noblesse oblige--my position demands it of me (a free

translation)-he would have gone to battle and may have saved himself.

He had little to do and his energies were not used to the limit.



	And it came to pass in an evening tide, that David arose from off

his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the

roof he saw a woman washing herself, and the woman was very beautiful

to look upon.



	And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not

this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

[2 Samuel 11:2-3]



	It sounds as if even the servant was trying to warn David to leave

this woman alone, that she had a husband--Uriah. The king in his

authority overrode the servant and sent for Bath-sheba. What a

different story it would have been if he had gone down and run around

the palace a dozen times, had done a hundred pushups, or had gone in

unto one of his wives or concubines. Also, what a different story it

would have been if when the messenger was sent from David to Bath-sheba

she had said, "I saw the king looking down upon me, and I know what he

has on his mind. Would you mind just telling him that I am married to

Uriah and he is out fighting for Israel. Tell him I am contented and

happy." She had, I guess, a degree of vanity in her heart and responded

to the summons.



	In verse four, a very devious thing happened. It is only one

simple sentence, "And she came in unto him, and he lay with her." In

verse five we begin to understand the consequences, "And the woman

conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child."



	David was being entangled into deeper, more far-reaching

transgression. And it seems without repentance that is always the case.

It is like quicksand that carefully drags us down to death.



	Without going into great detail, David sent for Uriah, who was

with the armies that David should have been leading. If Uriah returned

home, thought David, and slept with his wife, he would assume the child

was his and the sin would still be covered. David had Uriah report, and

then he sent food and drink to Uriah's home. But Uriah, knowing brave

men were dying on the field of battle, could not indulge himself in

desires of the flesh. He must have been quite a man of honor. This

frustrated David's plan all the more, and finally, David's goodness and

character had deteriorated so far that he had Uriah deliver a sealed

message to Joab. "Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle,

and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die" (2 Samuel

11:15). Could this be the same David who had a heart like unto God's

own heart? joab must have wondered. Obediently he "assigned Uriah unto

a place where he knew that valiant men were" (2 Samuel 11:16), and

Uriah was killed.



	What a tragic consequence sin brings. Think for a moment with me

of the temptations thrust before David. He must have found Bath-sheba

exciting, beautiful, and desirable. His physical arousal took over the

reason of his mind and the whisperings of the Spirit. President McKay

said that no act is ever committed except it is first justified in the

mind. David lusted, desired, and fulfilled the pleasures he had

imagined. There is pleasure, excitement, and even satisfaction in

sinning. If this were not so, who would sin? But there is also a

consequence and a day of accountability for transgressing. Think for a

moment of all the lusting and physical pleasure that Satan laid before

David, and it was probably all fulfilled. Then cometh another day and

another time, a look back in retrospect, and a day of settlement. Satan

never gives us even the tiniest thought of the consequences of the

transgression or the harvest of the sinner.



	Listen to David's words from Psalm 38 if you want to have an idea

of what repentance really is. I never understood it like I have since

knowing David's heart when he was ready to repent.



	For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.



	There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither

is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.



	For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden

they are too heavy for me.



	My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.	



	I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day

long.



	For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no

soundness in my flesh. 



	I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the

disquietness of my heart.



	Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid

from thee.



	My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine

eyes, it also is gone from me,



	My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen

stand afar off....



	But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that

openeth not his mouth....



	For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.



	For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

[Psalms 38:2-11, 13, 17-18]



	David's heart had returned. Oh, what a blessing it would have been

to David if only he had known in the beginning what he knew in the end.



	What a contrast to Job's life. Satan, who was jealous of Job, said

to the Lord:



	Doth Job fear God for nought?



	Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and

about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his

hands, and his substance is increased in the land. [Job 1:9-10]



	A great truth is taught here. The Lord hath made a hedge about

each one of us and our homes and all that we have on every side. The

hedge comes from keeping the commandments and walking in God's path.



THE ROLE GOD WOULD HAVE US FILL



	When the mantle rests upon priesthood leaders, they are different

than they were before. I am a different man now. I know the feeling. I

felt it when I had the mantle of the North America Southeast Area, and

I have had overpowering impressions since I have been the president of

the Utah South Area. Imagine being president where there are four

temples of the Church involved (Jordan River, Manti, St. George, and

Provo), along with the Utah State Prison, 225 stakes, and BYU.



	I can't tell you the excitement I feel. I am wonderfully proud of

BYU, as I know you are here tonight. BYU is supported by the tithing

funds of the Church, and we do not accept any kind of government aid at

this institution. With rare exception, our administrators, professors,

and staff are among the best in their fields. This is especially true

of President Holland and his wife. What a wonderful time to come to

BYU. This great man with the heart of a boy, this very wise Yale

graduate, with all the things that matter, is as pure and spiritually

in tune as anyone I know. No other university can make such claims.

That is, we have a prophet and the twelve apostles on the board of

directors of the Church Educational System. Our law school is moving up

in prominence, and although not yet generally recognized, it is one of

the very few best in the nation. Our department of religion is without

parallel. We must understand that this is where the strength of BYU

rests. It is the religious training and instruction taking place in

your lives that will prepare you, and those who follow, for your

foreordained roles. Some will be called in the future to serve in the

Council of the Twelve and the First Presidency. Others will be called

as mission presidents, stake presidents, and bishops. The sisters will

be called into general presidencies, general boards, and walk with

their husbands in high places in their priesthood roles. BYU must

prepare a generation to walk into the period of the millennial reign of

the Master.



	We have professors who know, who understand, practice, and teach

the true and only gospel of Jesus Christ. The BYU department of

religion will be kept pure. The classes will be taught by men and women

who revere the prophet of God, whose teachings are doctrinally pure,

who understand all of the standard works, who practice what they

preach, and who have a special knowledge of what God would have them do

for the university students. We must fulfill the role God would have us

fill-that of preparing men and women to lead the kingdom, who will

preside over it in purity, with doctrinal soundness, and with great

charity and meekness. As Moses had Jethro, so we have BYU to prepare

and counsel you for your future destiny.



	I would like every member of every elders quorum and Relief

Society presidency, high council, and stake presidency to listen

closely. Please make every effort to have every student at BYU, every

professor, and every leader attend every devotional at the Marriott

Center during the year. They may receive much other education, but I

promise you that what they will receive during this one hour each month

will bless their lives for eternity. Feed at the feet of the prophets

and apostles and holy men of God.



	The athletic program at BYU will be an example to the world and

the NCAA of true integrity. We are so proud of this institution. We

have men like LaVell Edwards and Ladell Anderson who coach the more

dominant athletics, and other men and women in all fields of sports and

competition, who are true to the core and still know how to win. To men

and women of this calibre, even more important than winning is the fact

that this church not be embarrassed by the conduct of the athletes-that

discipline, character, and personal integrity be developed and

maintained. There are some things more important than winning and

character, integrity, honesty, and loyalty are those virtues.



	It has been my dream to someday have BYU invited to play in the

Rose Bowl, and that year have New Year's Day be on Sunday. Then our BYU

leaders would say to the NCAA, "We will play in the Rose Bowl, but it

would have to be on Saturday or Monday." Can you imagine the message

that would give to the world?



	Priesthood leaders "hear" again. We have a standard for the Lord's

university. Contracts have been signed, agreements made and approved.

Off-campus housing will be expected to comply. We need to have the

priesthood leaders monitor this and help. We need to be more loyal to

the Church, to help institute and bring about the practices appropriate

for this great school. The administration will do all they can, but I

see as the great strength of BYU the priesthood leaders and all those

who are serving in different callings.



	If we are here and the world is here, and next year they move to a

lower standard and we follow behind, we are no better than they are. I

think the Lord expects us to stay planted here, and it doesn't matter

how far the outside world leads us; we need to stay where we need to be

and plant ourselves there. I hope you will become involved in the

standards and have more faithfulness and loyalty to your priesthood

leaders and to the administration.



	Young women of BYU, just a little bit of counsel: Remember what a

"good man" is all about. Beware of young men who may lose their tempers

and occasionally slap you around-and there are some. Don't you take it.

In his biography of B. H. Roberts, Truman Madsen said, "Men who are

fiercest with men are gentlest with women" (Defender of the Faith: the

B. H. Roberts Story [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1980], p. 96). That has

been my experience. There are some things that are unacceptable

conduct. You don't have to be with someone like that. If it is that way

before you get married, it will be far worse later on.



DANGEROUS THINKING



	President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg of the University of Hartford

delivered a speech in Connecticut on June 3, 1986. And he discussed

some things I thought were fairly impressive. He talked about ways in

which thinking might be dangerous. He said:



	Way Number One, it seems to me, is that thinking--analysis--the

habit of probing deeply into things--can lead to depression.



	Remember that people who are regarded as not being clever aren't

necessarily lacking in brain-power. They just don't make use of the

brain-power that they have available. And one of the reasons for that

may be that when you inquire carefully into a lot of things that go on

in our world, you find that many of them fall short of perfection....



	So you can't altogether blame folks zt,ho, rather than get

upsetting answers, simply don't ask questions! They stay reasonably

happy by not doing too much reasoning!



	A second risk of academic high achievement is that there are those

who will actually hold it against you-in other words, that it can

sometimes lead to a lack of popularity where particular individuals are

concerned....



	The third risk of academic achievement lies, believe it or not, in

your relationship to the adult world. I hope it won't come as a tremen

dous surprise when I tell you that many adults feel quite ambivalent

where talented and high-achieving teenagers are con cerned....



	In other words, a typical fear that adults have is that they are

on the way to becoming obsolete. That's why dedicated teachers don't

necessarily leap to their feet with enthusiasm when one of their

students proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that they just made a mis

take....



	A fourth risk of academic high achievemen t, in my opinion, is

despair. Once you've set a high standard for yourself, there have to

come moments when you ask yourself.- "Can I keep this up?" At the age

of 13 or 14 or 15, you ask whether you can keep going at this pace

until you're really old-until you're 25, say, or 32. Then, when you've

been doing it for 30 or 40 years, you wonder whether you can keep going

at this pace until retire ment....



	Finally, there is another risk of academic high achievement that

bears some thinking about, which is that it often leads people to

transform the world in which they are living, which in turn can cause a

good deal of per sonal upset.



	Let's say that you are in your teens or early twenties and you

work really hard to develop a brand new concept and a brand new range

of intellectual or scientific possibilities. Now the world begins to

change because you dreamt up the microchip ... or genetic engineering

... or some altogether new way of looking at the human past.



	Yes, there are some risks ... but they are risks well taken. The

benefits are worth the dangers. The eagle flying high always risks

being shot at by some hare-brained human with a rifle. But eagles-and

young eagles like you-still prefer the view from that risky height to

what is available flying with the turkeys far, far below, ["Five Ways

in Which Thinking Is Dangerous," Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, Vital

Speeches of the Day 52, no. 21 (August 15, 1986), pp. 652-53]



	Now, just a word about communism-the great satanic, godless

society.  We live in a day of disinformation. You will read much and

you will hear much. Others will be exposed to myriads of philosophies.



	Stuart Clark Rogers gave us this interesting insight when he said:



	Tyranny does not always march in the night in hobnail boots.

Tyranny today is more likely to jog up to you on a sunny day in a pair

of Adidas, and remark pleasantly, "Gosh, old pal, wouldn't it be nice

if we could do some thing for all those people who aren't as clever as

we are? Let's protect them from their own foolishness. Let's see to it

that they're only exposed to what they really need to know. And let's

punish those we think might be able to take advantage of them.

["Freedom Needs Advertising: Access to Information, Defense of Our

Rights," Vital Speeches of the Day 51, no. 3 (November 15, 1984), p.

89]



	There are two grand keys to discerning disinformation. The first

is, "Does it line up with the teachings in the standard works and does

it parallel the teachings of the prophets and apostles?" The second is,

"Do you feel at peace with the Spirit?" The power of darkness can

appear as light. Satan can cause a burning in the bosom. But the two

things he can never duplicate are charity (that is, the pure love of

Christ), and peace. When peace comes you will know it.



	The prophet Heber C. Kimball said,



	We think we are secure here in the chambers of the everlasting

hills, where we can close those few doors of the canyons against mobs

and persecutors, the wicked and the vile, who have always beset us with

violence and robbery, but I want to say to you, my brethren, the time

is coming when we will be mixed up in these now peaceful valleys to

that extent that it will be difficult to tell the face of a Saint from

the face of an enemy to the people of God. Then, brethren, look out for

the great sieve, for there will be a great sifting time, and many will

fall; for I say unto you there is a test . . . coming, and who will be

able to stand? [Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball (Salt Lake

City: Juvenile Instructor Office, 1888), p. 456]



	We live in that day. They are among us. You will hear much from

them. And most of what you hear will be disinformation. There will be

some who will talk to you about the rights of consenting adults. It may

sound reasonable to a young unschooled mind. I think back to how, at

election times, I would listen to all the candidates speak, and it all

sounded good and right. But over the years I have been able to discern

and sift through what I hear. Now I only hear a few voices, and they

are the important ones.



	Some will find fault with the Brethren. Not in a major way, but in

subtle, little ways, just enough to cause you to say, "I wonder if he

is really like that." Some will find fault with the Book of Mormon.

They may not feel strongly about Joseph Smith.



	Would you remember that disinformation will come? Those it will

come through will usually be friendly people and more subtle than you

would ever suppose.



AVOID STARING INTO THE ABYSS



	Elder Maxwell said, "Burnout comes from staring into the abyss of

abnormality too long." That is why those who are involved in sin and

perversion have a spiritual burnout. They stare into the abyss of

abnormality.



	A woman visited my office not too long ago. She found out after

several years of marriage that her husband was a homosexual. She was

sitting at home one night, and as she sat there talking with him,

trying to discover what the problem was, the Spirit blessed her with

the knowledge and she said, "I know what the problem is. You're gay."

He broke into tears and he said he would repent. Those who will sin

will lie, and he continued to sin. The marriage is ending in divorce.

He has AIDS. He has infected her with AIDS, and she dares not have her

children examined.



	It about broke my heart. She is young and attractive and wants to

have more children, but, as she said to me: "Who would marry a woman

who has AIDS? I dare not have more children for fear they would be

infected."



	I called the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta. I was told by

the highest officials of that agency that AIDS does not only come from

homosexuality, but also comes from indiscriminate heterosexual

relationships or any kind of sexual perversion. Please remember that

any kind of sexual perversion. Men most often transmit it to women, but

sometimes women transmit it to men. What a tragic thing it would be to

make a few mistakes and later suffer these kinds of consequences. Those

who get involved in perversions build bricks without straw.



	Satan has been reaping a plenteous harvest. It is more than

abundant. Now he has turned his attention to the elect of God. It

causes the Brethren to grieve, and it about breaks our hearts when we

see the fair sons and daughters being drawn away. We need not bend or

buckle. All we need to do is keep the commandments of God, follow the

Brethren, pray, and read the scriptures daily.



	Bond yourselves to the prophets and apostles of God. I have always

loved them. I have gone down to conferences on Temple Square and have

watched the apostles and prophets over the years, and I have come

closer to them. For over twenty years I went to the Tabernacle and sat

close to the front so I could look into their faces and see what made

them great. I know I would give my life for any one of those Brethren

just that quick, and I know every one of them is worthy of the high

place to which he has been called.



THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT



	I was in Charlotte, North Carolina, attending a zone conference,

and Reggie, a young black university student, came to the conference.

He had on a new pair of Levi's that still had the four pieces of thread

where the price tag had been. He wasn't doing very well financially. He

had bought them for the zone conference and had on a white shirt and

tie that I think the missionaries loaned him. In a discussion he said

to me, "I was taught two or three discussions. After the discussions

they invited me to church. When I got to church Satan met me outside

the door and he said, 'You can't go in there. That is a white man's

church.' Satan tried to play the 'colors' game on me."



	That was interesting to me because Reggie said he went inside

because he knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that the Book of

Mormon was true, and that he had found more love and caring than he had

known before. He said he felt like a poor beggar who had stumbled upon

a field of diamonds and wanted to share with every one he met.



	In the same meeting a nurse said she used to work hard all night.

She would go home in the morning to her children-four teenagers. Their

hard rock music was terrible. After picking up a six-pack of beer, she

would smoke, have her coffee, and go to bed. The house was messy and

she could hardly wait to go back to work where she had a little relief.



	One morning the missionaries came to the door and awakened her.

She listened to them and things began to change. Now she is a member of

the Church and doesn't drink or smoke anymore. The family doesn't

listen to that kind of music anymore, and their house is clean. They

have family home evening and family prayer, and they all go to church

together. That is what it is all about. I think that is when we make

bricks with straw in them.



	A couple of years ago, in Texas, a young man drove his motorcycle

across the Mexican border. He was going up and down the sand dunes.

There was a dune with about a twenty-foot drop, and he went sailing off

into space. In the accident the top part of the skull was crushed and

almost torn from his head, leaving his brain exposed. It was thirteen

hours before help came to him. A helicopter took him to a Houston

hospital, and the doctors said he could never live. If the accident

didn't kill him, the exposure and infection would.



	They notified the family. He had a younger sister, twenty-five,

who was married and had a four-year-old son. This little guy loved his

Uncle Dennis. He thought the sun came up, went around his Uncle Dennis,

went back down, and that was the day. He thought he was terrific. Uncle

Dennis had taken time to take him for rides and play with him and do

all the things that are done.



	When the child heard about the accident, that his Uncle Dennis

wasn't going to live, he said, "Mom, can we have a prayer?" She

answered that they were going to their grandmother's house and the

whole family was fasting and going to have a prayer. He said, "I mean,

can you and I have a prayer?"



	She said, "Well, I guess so. Sure." They went into the bedroom and

she was about to say the prayer when he asked, "Mom, can I say the

prayer?" She told him to go ahead. He said this prayer: "Heavenly

Father, Uncle Dennis has been in a terrible accident, and no one

expects him to live. But he is my favorite uncle, and I love him.

Please don't let him die. Let him live. Okay? In the name of Jesus

Christ. Amen."



	Well, his mother was really concerned. It sounded like her brother

was going to die, so she tried to prepare her son by saying, "Son, if

your Uncle Dennis dies, you have to have faith and understand what that

is all about."



	He replied, "Mom, Uncle Dennis is going to live."



	"Well, we hope he does, but if he dies you must not lose faith in

prayer or in the Lord."



	"Uncle Dennis is going to live." She didn't know what else to say.

She went into the kitchen and he followed her in. She was still trying

to reason with him when he said, "Mom, do you know that Heavenly Father

has a deep, soft, quiet voice?"



	She asked, "How do you know that?"



	He said, "Because when I said, 'Heavenly Father, he's my favorite

uncle. Let him live. Okay?' he said, 'Okay.'"



	Uncle Dennis walked into my office not too long ago. I could see

where they had sewn him back together. He had a cane in one hand and

walked with a slight limp, but his mind was good, and he is going to

the University of Utah. He plays golf and the piano. No one would have

known that except for the faith of a young man. That is the kind of

people we are. We build bricks with that kind of straw.



"I COULDN'T DO THAT TO YOUR MOTHER"



	Let me conclude with this. About a year ago my mother went to the

hospital. When I was thirteen my mother and father were divorced, and

it was a rough life. I saw her put on heavy men's work boots and go to

Garfield's Smelter at eleven o'clock at night and work until seven in

the morning so she could be there when the seven children were home.

When she came home, she would get us up and send us off to school. When

we came home for lunch, she would be up washing, baking bread, or

something. When we came home after school, she would be up. I don't

know when the poor woman slept.



	One time at school the teacher pulled us into a room, and the

nurse was there. The nurse methodically went through each person's hair

in the family. We were naive and didn't know what she was doing and

went home and told mother about it. She knew. She put on I think the

only dress she had in this world and marched down to Hawthorne School.

She went into the principal's office and said, "We may be poor, but

we're not dirty, and don't you ever search my children for lice again."



	I can't tell you how embarrassed I was when I learned that was

what the nurse was doing. Over the years I have watched this great mom

work those kinds of hours. She had a heart condition, and we thought

she ought to go and have an examination to see if open heart surgery

ought to take place. They were just wheeling her out of the room when

as calm and peacefully as she ought to go, she passed away just that

quick. The doctor said it was one in ten thousand times that something

like that would happen.



	Well, that was on Thursday night. On Friday I was supposed to go

to Lakeland, Florida. I didn't tell the Brethren about my mother's

passing. I'm sure they would have excused me from the assignment, but I

felt I had better go. We were planning the funeral service, and as I

got ready to leave, I was hoping the family would invite me to speak. I

didn't dare volunteer, but I wanted to say some things about my mom.

Just before I left my older brother asked if I would feel all right

about being the final speaker at the funeral. I said that I would love

to.



	Then I got on the plane and flew to Lakeland. I didn't tell anyone

at the conference that my mother had passed away. I was a little tender

anyway, and I didn't want them to know. I made it through the first

day, and that night after the meetings the mission president came to me

and said, "We've got a real problem. We have a missionary that you have

to decide whether he stays in the mission field or goes home."



	I interviewed him very thoroughly. He had been involved in some

really serious problems, almost breaking up a marriage. He had not

committed fornication, but he was far more seriously involved than any

missionary ought to be. But he didn't have a repentant attitude. I

wanted him to stay in the mission field so badly I couldn't stand it.

But I thought he had to have at least a little spirit of repentance. I

pled inwardly that he would show me that he wanted to stay. He did want

to stay and he would say he wouldn't do it anymore, but he never once

said he was sorry.



	Well, I felt really bad about it, and finally, at the end of the

interview, I thought I had better send him home. Then I was impressed

and said, "Tell me about your dad."



	He said, "Oh, my dad is inactive in the Church. My dad couldn't

care less if I'm out in the mission field. In fact, he would like me to

come home and would be grateful if I would come home."



	I said, "Tell me about your mom."



	Then he got a little tender and said, "She is the president of the

stake Young Women."



	I said to him, "I'm going to let you stay. You don't really

deserve to stay, but I couldn't do that to your mother. I couldn't have

that happen to this woman who takes your letters around and reads them

to the young women in the stake. Maybe you're the only great thing in

her life. She probably shares your letters from one ward to the next

and is so proud of you. I couldn't have her stand at the bottom of the

stairs of the plane and watch you walk off dishonorably discharged from

your mission. I'm going to let you stay."



	He said, "Thanks. I appreciate it." Then he walked out.



	The next day, during the last ten minutes of conference, I said,

"I apologize if I have been just a little bit tender this morning, last

night, and yesterday. My mother passed away and the funeral is

tomorrow. She raised seven boys and girls alone without any alimony or

child support." I explained a little bit about her life and bore my

testimony.



	After the meeting was over this young man came up to the stand.

Tears were running down his cheeks, and he ran up to me, put his arms

around me, and said, "President Featherstone, now I know why you are

letting me stay. It isn't only because of my mom. It is because of your

mom." I answered that I guessed it was.



	This woman who only took care of us, raised seven children, I

guess was insignificant and not important to everyone else. The only

thing she did in the Church was serve as secretary for the Sunday

School and Relief Society. She had a temple recommend and went to the

temple. We loved, adored, and honored her. At the morning viewing I was

standing by the casket, and to this insignificant woman's viewing came

President Ezra Taft Benson, President Monson, Elder Haight, Elder

Maxwell, and about a dozen of the other Brethren. Many of the others

wrote to me. I think if my mother was there it would have humbled her

heart to think that those kind of men would come and pay her tribute.



	She taught us in our family that you build bricks with

straw-integrity, character, morality. These things are important. I

thank God for her great life. May you be blessed. May you understand

that I know with everything in my heart and soul that this Church is

the Lord's church. I love it. I promise you that if you will abide by

its precepts and commandments, you will build straw into the bricks of

your life. I testify to you that I know President Benson is a prophet

of God. I love him with all my heart. Oh, what a great, exciting

president he is! What a wonderful time to live! This man understands

world political figures and situations like no one else in the Church

living in this time. What a privilege it is for you to walk in his day.

What a privilege it is to know that we're coming down to the

wrapping-up scenes, and the Lord is preparing you here at this time in

your lives for all that you'll do ahead. May God bless you. I love you

and call down blessings to be upon you and this great BYU. I love it

and am terribly proud of it, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.







                       "UNLESS YOU'RE A MORMON"



                  Jeffrey R. and Patricia T. Holland



	President Jeffrey R. Holland and his wife, Patricia Terry Holland,

are both natives of Utah's Dixie. After serving a mission to England,

Jeff returned to his hometown of St. George, where both he and Patricia

graduated from Dixie College. They both came to BYU and were married

before Jeff received his baccalaureate degree with highest honors in

1965, and their first child was born in Provo while jeff was working on

his master's degree.

	The little family then moved on again, this time for Jeff to teach

seminary in Hayward, California, and Seattle, Washington, before being

able to take up graduate studies at Yale University in New Haven,

Connecticut, where he received his Ph. D. in American Studies in 1973.

From New Haven, the Hollands returned to Provo, where Jeff was dean of

Religious Instruction at BYU for a couple of years before moving to the

Salt Lake area to assume the duties of Church commissioner of

education. But in 1980, after four years in one place, the Hollands

again returned to Provo, this time to the President's Home on campus.

In the midst of all this activity and moving around, Patricia Holland

became the mother of two more children; took specialized training in

music, studying voice and piano; supervised the packing and unpacking;

and made their various residences seem like home. While her husband was

serving as high councilor, bishop, or counselor in a stake presidency,

she served four times as Relief Society president and also in the Young

Women and Primary organizations. In 1984 Patricia was called to be

first counselor to Ardeth G. Kapp, President of the Young Women

organization of the Church, and served in that position for two years.

The Hollands spoke together in the Welcome Back Assembly, a devotional

assembly, in the Marriott Center on 9 September 1986 as the school year

began.





	Jeff: Before we begin today, I want to put down a widespread

rumor. Unfortunately, former BYU president Dallin Oaks and I will not

be presenting a live rock concert this month. We know how much you want

us, and we know that no other university can claim a rock group out of

its last two presidents, but I'm sorry. Holland-Oaks (Hall and Oates)

cannot work it into their schedules this fall. Please try not to be too

disappointed.



	Pat: If you think having a rock star for a president is strange,

you ought to try being married to him!



	Jeff: For those of you who may be new to BYU, we should explain

that time limits are always severe in this welcome back assembly, and

most of what we need to say is always beginning-of-the-year business.

Sister Holland and I hope you will attend our first devotional next

semester when things are more relaxed and we can be a little more

parental.



	Pat: Speaking of parents, I am reminded that we had many parents

of our new freshmen at our home last week, and they repeatedly spoke of

"entrusting you to our care." They want so much for you to be happy and

safe, and we share that hope. We lie awake some evenings talking long

into the night about you. We care about you so much. We love you as if

you were our own sons and daughters and want you to have a wonderful

year.



	Jeff: Let us begin with a quote and then a story.



	President Reagan recently said in a public address, "A nation's

greatness is measured not just by its gross national product or

military power, but by the strength of its devotion to the principles

and values that bind its people and define their character" (quoted by

William J. Bennett, "Completing the Reagan Revolution," Vital Speeches

of the Day, August 1, 1986, p. 611). May I repeat that for emphasis

here this morning as we start a new school year. I will take the

liberty of inserting some university language. "Brigham Young

University's greatness is measured not just by its collective grade

point average or its football success, but by the strength of its

devotion to the principles and values that bind its people and define

their character." Please hold that in the old cerebral cortex for a

minute and we will come back to it. Now the story.



	Pat: In the summer of 1973, Brother David K. Skidmore received

military orders to report for duty in Thailand. Leaving a wife and two

small children behind, David hoped to make the year pass as quickly as

possible.



	On the evening of his arrival, he was invited to join in a social

gathering with his new squadron. He turned down an alcoholic drink for

a soda pop and tried to obscure himself in quiet conversation amid the

pounding of the music and the layered haze of smoke.



	As he was introduced around, Brother Skidmore eventually ended up

standing at the bar with the squadron commander, a colonel. With the

officer's arm around David's neck he was a captive, listening to tales

of airplanes, daring, and past comrades.



	Soon a signal was given and the men gathered around the bar. The

music was turned off and it became very quiet. Everyone was served a

small drink of very strong alcohol. When the drinks came to Brother

Skidmore, he said quietly, trying to be casual, "No, thank you, I

prefer this soft drink."



	The room went silent. "But this is a squadron tradition," the man

said.



	Thoughts raced through David's mind: "Why me? Why in front of the

whole squadron? Why the very first night?" Trying to sound confident,

David explained that he did not drink alcohol but would participate

with soda POP.



	With that, the silence deepened, and the commander's arm tightened

around his neck and he said, "Lieutenant, I'm ordering you to have this

drink. You'll drink it if I have to pour it down you myself."



	David thought of how far he could get if he tried to fight. He

envisioned the results, and an unpleasant visit to the wing commander

to change squadrons. Again he asked himself, "Why me?" But he gathered

his courage amidst the waiting silence and said, "I'm sorry, sir, I

will not drink alcohol."



	An electricity filled the air, and David prayed silently with all

his heart.



	The colonel leaned back and measured him with his eyes, then

replied, "You are going to drink this. . .



	David kept praying.



	Then the colonel added, unless you are a Mormon."



	What relief filled a soldier's soul! Of course he was a Mormon!

He'd always been a Mormon. Why hadn't he said so earlier? "Yes, sir,

I'm a Mormon," he answered.



	The commander quizzed David again to make sure he wasn't simply

taking an easy out. Then he said, "A soft drink for this man, please"

(David K. Skidmore, "Yes, I Am a Mormon," Ensign, September 1985, pp.

55-56).



	Jeff: "Unless you are a Mormon." What should that little caveat

mean as we begin another school year? What does it sam, in President

Reagan's language, of "devotion to principles and values that bind us

together and define our character"? Someone once asked, "If in a court

of law you were accused of being a Latter-day Saint, would there be

enough evidence to convict you?"



	I saw a headline recently that caught my eye. It would have been

hard not to catch an eye. It declared across the top of the page,

"Moral Rot in America." The writer's contention is that over the past

100 years "there has been a decay in the value[s] of American society,

from a moral code that was once [one of the] wonder[s] of the world

[into what is now a] black hole of moral relativism" (Allan Carlson,

"Moral Rot in America?" Persuasion at Work, vol. 9, no. 6, June 1986,

P. 1).



	Let me quote another writer, Meg Greenfield.



	There has been an awful lot of talk about sin, crime and plain old

antisocial behavior this summer-drugs and pornography at home, terror

and brutality abroad. Maybe it's just the heat; or maybe these

categories of conduct ... are really on the rise. What strikes me is

our curiously deficient, not to say defective, way of talking about

them. We don't seem to have a word anymore for " wrong" in the moral

sense, as in, for exam ple, "theft is wrong."



	Let me quickly qualify. There is surely no shortage of people

condemning other peo ple.... Name-calling is still very much in vogue.

But where the concept of wrong is really important-as a guide to one's

own behavior or that of [determining] one's... side in [a moral

issue]--it is missing....



	. . .As a guide and a standard to live by, you don't hear so much

about "right and wrong" these days. The very notion is consid ered ...

personally embarrassing, since it has such a repressive, Neanderthal

ring to it. [Meg Greenfield, "Why Nothing is 'Wrong' Anymore,"

Washington Post, Tuesday, July 22, 1986, p. A19]



	Well, life is better than that at BYU because we expect it to be

better and work very hard at making it better. But Somerset Maugham

reminded us once, "Every good and excellent thing in life stands

moment-to-moment on the razor's edge of destruction, and if it is to be

preserved it must be defended every hour of your life." We want for you

a " good and excellent" life at BYU. We are determined to preserve and

defend it. We intend not to be "deficient" or "defective" in speaking

here of right and wrong. We speak, like Brother Skidmore, as members of

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints-or as nonmember guests

of it.



	In that spirit we are especially pleased to acknowledge the

presidents of our fifteen BYU stakes who join us in welcoming you back

to school. They and their vast stake and ward associates help us make

this a special place. We honor them in their calling and publicly pay

tribute to them today. We are closely linked with them in the work of

,'strengthening devotion to the principles and values that bind us as a

people and define our character." Let us touch on just a few reminders

as we emphasize what it means to be a Latter-day Saint at BYU in a new

school year.



	Please understand that with a limit on our enrollment there has

been increased academic competition for admission to BYU. Concurrent

with that and of equal force with it must always be increased emphasis

on worthiness and faith for those who would enjoy the privileges here.

Such effort on your part will guarantee that BYU's greatness will

always be more than grade point averages and football successes '

pleasant as those are.



	Pat: There is a war being declared on drugs and substance abuse in

this country, a war we have always fought at BYU that must be

continued. The tragic deaths of gifted young athletes like Len Bias and

Don Rogers get our attention because they strike the young, or the

rich, or the famous. But far beyond sports figures and rock musicians

there is an epidemic of abuse, a Niagara of narcotics taking from us as

a nation our ability to control our destiny and guarantee our power.



	Jeff: Drugs will not be tolerated on this campus! Not users, not

pushers, not providers, not experimenters. The devastation of lives

elsewhere is all the explanation anyone needs for our hard-line

position here. We include in that ban alcohol, still the most widely

abused and most deadly drug (at least in terms of fatal accidents) in

the nation. We take this stand firmly, like Brother Skidmore,

"because we are Mormons."



	There are other standards that we must keep if BYU's greatness is

to be genuine and long-lasting. Be honest. Don't take what is not

yours, including answers on another's exam, or a plagiarized essay, or

computer software now electronically pilfered in an instant. Be

honest--especially with yourself.



	There is too little discipline in most of our housing units, on

campus and off. I am asking every landlord and bishop, even now as I

ask every roommate, to accept responsibility for the living

circumstances and moral climate of our BYU community. Be clean. Don't

pet and play and then wonder why there are problems. There is too much

sexual transgression in the world, in the Church, and at BYU. Explicit

sexual material should not be your entertainment at movie theaters or

on TV. We cannot monitor your cable network any more than we can

monitor the videos you can rent at three dozen locations within one

mile of this building. We are simply stating what you already know to

be the standard of a Latter-day Saint. We are asking for a most unusual

community, one that is bound by "devotion to principles and values that

define our character." We are asking you to stand up and be counted

"because you are a Mormon."



	Dress and grooming standards need not preoccupy our time and

conversation. These are simple, clearly stated principles and can be

understood by everyone. Be neat, be clean, be modest. That is really

all we need to say. Shorts are not acceptable wear on this campus for

men or women, and never have been. Neither are short skirts or grubby

jeans. Almost all of you look absolutely marvelous virtually all of the

time.



	Thank you for that. To those few exceptions we simply say that

extreme attire or shabby grooming are not acceptable here. Be the best

you can be in every way, including your personal appearance. Let it be

"an outward sign of an inward grace." Look and be and speak as

educated, civilized men and women. That is part of what it means to be

at BYU. Do it "because you're Mormon."



	Pat: May I caution the women in the audience not to be so socially

conscious or so consumed with dating that you forget what a Latter-day

Saint woman stands for and why she is so strongly encouraged to get an

education. Marriage is the highest and holiest union we know in

mortality-I hope it comes to every one of you at the proper time. But

there is too much in our world, especially in those videos my husband

spoke of, that screams only of sex appeal and beautiful body-and almost

no voice anywhere asking for faith and intelligence and clean, strong

women. The world is generally encouraging exactly what the proverbs

call "a jewel of gold in a swine's snout"-that is, "a fair woman ...

without discretion" (Proverbs 11:22). Use discretion. Use good

judgment. Don't think that your future and your fortune hinges on your

face or your figure. Develop all of yourself. If you will be personable

and intelligent--and above all, if you will be spiritual-so will the

men. Be what the Lord has designed women to be and we will have that

celestial community we have been speaking of.



	Jeff: We need just these kinds of opportunities to be together as

such a community, to speak to each other and to remind ourselves of the

special nature of our opportunity here. For that reason, we are putting

new and greatly increased emphasis on our university assemblies this

year. With the approval and blessing of our board of trustees, we have

carefully revised and limited the annual forum, devotional, and

fifteen-stake fireside calendar. This has been done to accommodate even

the busiest of students and faculty members.



	We will advertise these events well, and for the weekday

assemblies we will shorten the preceding class by five minutes, and

delay the start of the next class by five minutes-all in an attempt to

let you come and go from the Marriott Center to even the most distant

buildings on campus. We are asking the faculty in those classes to

assist us by announcing the speaker and walking with you to these

assemblies. We will be closing all but the most essential services on

campus for that hour so that as many as possible may take advantage of

this special association. I don't want us to be 26,000 "splendid

strangers." A few times each semester we want you to be together as

family and friends to strengthen our values and bind us as a people.



	Pat: As President Ballif has announced, our speaker next week will

be President Ezra Taft Benson, Prophet and President of the Church, and

chairman of the BYU Board of Trustees. Nowhere else in the Church would

college students have such an experience! Surely everyone in the BYU

community will want to be in attendance to hear President Benson's

message. Please plan to attend each carefully calendared assembly this

year. The administration has never worked harder to provide outstanding

speakers.



	Jeff: May I make a special appeal regarding your study habits, and

then Pat will comment on one very important aspect of that task. As any

glance at our physical plant or faculty strength or course offering

will quickly attest, an astronomical investment has been made in your

education. You are receiving at BYU what a recent national publication

described quite simply as the educational buy of the nation.



	The thousands of dollars of difference in tuition between other

private universities and our own comes as a direct benefit to you from

hundreds of thousands-millions technically-of silent benefactors, the

faithful tithe-payers of this Church. These are the offerings of the

faithful around the globe, many of whom may never have seen BYU, nor

may ever have a child or grandchild attend here. Yet the leaders of the

Church care enough about those who can come to make this stunning

investment in a handful of students. In addition to all the buildings

and the ball games, and surrounding amenities here, every one of

you-every one of you-receives the equivalent of several thousand

dollars in personal scholarship money each year just for attending. And

that is in addition to whatever other financial aid you may also

receive from the school. That is given because the Brethren love you

and believe in you. They believe you will learn and grow and bless the

Church and mankind because of your unique experience here. They believe

you win stand proudly and tall when someone asks if you are a Mormon.







	Please take full advantage of this special opportunity that is

yours. It will be gone all too quickly. I love fun and Frisbees and

fall afternoons, too, but don't let them blunt your primary purpose in

coming here-pursuit of a superb education to prepare you for service to

God and your fellowman.



	Time matters so very much to me now. I need it so much, and I seem

to have so little for the truly important tasks I wish to pursue. Maybe

I'm just getting old. In any case I feel-and you will soon enough-the

pain of Yeats' lines:



	The years like great black oxen tread the world, . . .

	And I am broken by their passing feet. [William Butler Yeats, "The

Countess Cathleen," 1892]



	Grab the ring as it passes, and then let extra effort shape your

special destiny. Study first, study well, study hard. Then play or

party or pig out. Make time work for you, not against you. Start papers

early. Someone once said there is no such thing as good writing, just

good rewriting. Your essays cannot be of the quality we expect, nor can

you be taking advantage of your education in the way that I have just

been pleading you to, if you leave papers until the night before they

are due and then rush toward a deadline with literary meat cleaver in

hand. Furthermore, your roommates are not benefitted by primal screams

at about 2:00 in the morning when the word processor goes on the fritz.

Write it early, let it cool. Sleep on it and come back for refinement.

Polish your prose and take pride in saying something significant.

That takes time.



	Please. Use it or lose it. Study first and play later. Leonardo da

Vinci's cry still holds: "O God, [thou] dost sell us all good things at

the price of labor" (Notebooks [c. 1500], trans. jean Paul Richter).

Make this year count.



	Pat: In that same spirit may I just insert a very personal piece

of counsel on a matter that has been a great blessing to us and I

believe can be a great blessing to you.



	While working on his Ph.D. at Yale University, my husband got to

know well one of the senior reference librarians who had given him

valuable help researching for his dissertation.



	On a whim one day, he said, "Ilene, I need to know how many books

we have in either the Sterling Memorial or Beinike Rare Book Libraries

that claim to have been delivered by an angel."



	The librarian gave him a peculiar look (but my husband has always

received peculiar looks) and said, "I don't know of any books that have

been delivered by angels. Swords maybe. Or chariots. But I don't know

of any books."



	"Well, just run a check for me would you? It may take a little

doing, but I really would like to know. It would help me with some

religious writing I am doing." (Now, please understand that Yale has

the fourth-largest library in the nation, with nearly 9,000,000 volumes

in its collection.)



	Ilene dutifully did some checking. For several days she had

nothing to report, but then one day was all smiles as my husband

strolled by to his carrel.





	"Mr. Holland, yoo hoo," she said, very unlibrarian-like. "I have a

book for you. I found one book which, it is claimed, was delivered by

an angel. But it's one from your people," she said. (She always spoke

of Latter-day Saints as my husband's people, which probably meant she

had him confused with Wilford Woodruff.)



	"But it's one from your people," she said, and she held up a

paperback copy of the Book of Mormon. "I'm told you can get them for a

dollar."



	"My word," she continued. "An angel's book for a dollar. You would

think angels would charge more, but then again, where would they spend

it?"



	Well, that's a funny-and true-story, but I wonder if we have

considered the majesty of our message to the world. Prophets are not

just everyday people, and angels do not visit us often, but of all the

books that will be at your disposal this year at the university, only

one has been delivered by an angel. President Benson has asked the

Church as a whole to renew their reading of this book. We repeat that

invitation to the BYU family.



	At a very difficult and challenging time in my life, Jeff gave me

a new copy of the scriptures and I began to read the Book of Mormon as

I had never read it before. In a very real way that I cannot share

today, but which is very personal and very true, it saved my life. I

treasured every word, I savored every chapter. I came to know the

promise of section 84 in the Doctrine and Covenants-that my mind was

not darkened and I was not under condemnation because I had not

forgotten the Book of Mormon (see verses 54-57).



	We ask you, every day you are here, to read at least one verse in

the Book of Mormon-more if you can--but something from the Book of

Mormon to give light to your life: "Light is Spirit, even the Spirit of

Jesus Christ" (D&C 84:45). I promise you miracles if you will do it.



	Jeff: Let us close with one final story. It is a BYU variation on

Brother Skidmore's experience.



	For more than twenty-five years Ben E. Lewis was the executive

vice-president of Brigham Young University. He is now retired. I

recently asked him to do something very important for the university

for which I wanted to give him a token of modest compensation. He

refused the money. I argued with him and told him I was the president

and he had to do what I said. He said he was retired and that he didn't

have to do anything I said. I shoved the money at him and he shoved it

back at me. We argued and then he told me this story.



	He said that following his undergraduate years at BYU (where he

was a student body president, by the way) he had received an Alfred P.

Sloan fellowship for graduate work at the University of Denver. As part

of the Sloan fellowship, he and a handful of other students were

regularly taken out into the Colorado business community to meet

leaders and executives, and enjoy rather high-level exchange with them.

One particular professor always took the group, and they spent many

hours together.



	After each day's work with these business leaders, the professor

would always stop somewhere for a beer with the students. Brother Lewis

always ordered a soft drink. That led to a lot of conversation over

many weeks, and the professor came to introduce Ben everywhere they

went--at every business, at every school, to every leader, and to every

executive-this way: "This is Ben Lewis," he would say. "He's a Mormon

and he doesn't drink beer." Everywhere and with everyone it was always

the same"This is Ben Lewis. He's a Mormon and he doesn't drink beer."

Over the course of many months that phrase was repeated dozens and

dozens and dozens of times. "This is Ben Lewis. He's a Mormon and he

doesn't drink beer."



	One day after a field trip to Fort Collins, the professor wheeled

the group up to a pit stop of some kind where, of course, he and the

others ordered their beer. Except this time the professor ordered two

beers. Ben asked him why. He said, "Because its my birthday and you are

going to have a beer with me. " "No," Ben said, "I can't have a beer

with you, but I do wish you a happy birthday."



	"You will have a beer with me," his teacher said. "At least you

must have one sip. It is very important to me, and I ask it of you this

one rime." And he put a dollar bill on the table. "Drink one sip of

beer and that dollar is yours." Brother Lewis said he didn't want to

give offense but, no, he would not be able to drink the beer, even for

the dollar.



	That conversation, with some increasing tension, escalated until

the man had placed $50 on the counter. He was obviously intent on

having Ben participate in this unusual birthday party, and he was in a

position to do a student considerable academic harm if he were so

inclined.



	Like Brother Skidmore, Brother Lewis wondered what to do. He did

not want to offend a man who had been particularly kind to him. It was

now a very awkward situation, and virtually everyone in the restaurant

was aware of some difficulty over at their corner table. One sip would

soothe the situation. Surely the Lord would know the integrity of his

heart in this matter. Certainly no permanent damage would be done.

Furthermore, $50 in 1941 meant a lot to a working student who wasn't at

all sure where his next meal was coming from.



	There, a long way from home, as he mulled over this difficult

situation and wondered how to handle the problem, words so clear and

loud spoken directly to his brain nearly startled him from the table.

As audibly as I speak to you, Brother Lewis said he heard the words

from an unseen source. "This is Ben Lewis. He's a Mormon, and he drinks

beer."



	Then he said there in my office, "I didn't drink the beer, and I

can't take the money. I'm a Mormon. This is Brigham Young University. I

love it with all my heart. I have given my life to it. I want to give

more. I can't take the money."



	Pat: May we say it again one last time. "A person's greatness is

measured not by her personal wealth or his professional standing, but

by the strength of his devotion to principle ... by the values that ...

define her character."



	Jeff: God bless you to have a beautiful and rewarding new school

year. Make it that way because you are Mormons. We love you and care

about each one of you very much, including and especially those who may

not be members of our Church. We know of the jobs you are taking and

the sacrifice you are making to keep yourselves in school. We see you

come and go on campus with devotion and faith and hope for the future.

We know some of your problems and heartaches. Most of you try so hard

to be what you should be. We will forever love you and admire you for

that. You are good in your hearts, and we will do our best at this

university to also make you wise.



	We love you and measure that love as we measure the greatness of

this school-by the profundity and power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sister Holland and I testify together of the Savior's life and mission

and restored Church in these latter days. We testify of the Prophet

Joseph Smith and the prophet Ezra Taft Benson-prophets, seers, and

revelators in the grand tradition of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Alma. We

testify this morning of God's love for you-and our own-in the blessed

name of Jesus Christ. Amen.





                  THE CONSTITUTION--A HEAVENLY BANNER



                           Ezra Taft Benson



	President Ezra Taft Benson was ordained and set apart as Prophet,

Seer, Revelator, and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter-day Saints on Sunday, November 10, 1985. Called to the Council

of the Twelve in 1943 while serving as the first president of the

Washington, D. C., Stake, he has devoted his whole life to the Lord's

work. In 1973 he became President of the Quorum, succeeding President

Spencer W. Kimball in that position. Twice as a General Authority he

presided over the European Mission, the first time in 1946, when Europe

needed help and strong leadership in the aftermath of World War II.

During his second term in Europe in the early sixties, he rededicated

Italy to missionary work and opened the Italian Mission. President

Benson was born in Whitney, Idaho, served on a mission to the British

Isles, and graduated with honors from Brigham Young University. He

completed his master's degree at Iowa State University and did further

graduate work at the University of California. Among other achievements

in a long and distinguished career, he helped organize the Idaho

Cooperative Council and was its first secretary; he served as executive

secretary of the National Council of Farm Cooperatives; he was one of a

four-man agricultural advisory committee for President Franklin D.

Roosevelt; and for eight years he was secretary of agriculture in the

cabinet of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He is a member of the

National Advisory Board of the Boy Scouts of America and holds

Scouting's highest council, regional, and national awards. He is also

chairman of the board of trustees of Brigham Young University.

President Benson and his wife, Flora Amussen Benson, are the parents of

six children. This devotional address was delivered on 16 September

1986 in the Marriott Center and is a condensed version of President

Benson's publication of the same title, The Constitution-A Heavenly

Banner (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1986).



	In the seventeenth day of September 1987, we, commemorate the

two-hundredth birthday of the Constitutional Convention, which gave

birth to the document that Gladstone said is "the most wonderful work

ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man"

(William Ewart Gladstone: Life and Public Services, ed. Thomas W.

Handford [Chicago: The Dominion Co., 1899], p. 323).



	I heartily endorse this assessment, and today I would like to pay

honor--honor to the document itself, honor to the men who framed it,

and honor to the God who inspired it and made possible its coming

forth.



SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES



	To understand the significance of the Constitution, we must first

understand some basic, eternal principles. These principles have their

beginning in the premortal councils of heaven.



The Principle of Agency



	The first basic principle is agency. The central issue in the

premortal council was: Shall the children of God have untrammeled

agency to choose the course they should follow, whether good or evil,

or shall they be coerced and forced to be obedient? Christ and all who

followed him stood for the former proposition-freedom of choice; Satan

stood for the latter-coercion and force. The war that began in heaven

over this issue is not yet over. The conflict continues on the

battlefield of mortality. And one of Lucifer's primary strategies has

been to restrict our agency through the power of earthly governments.



	Look back in retrospect on almost six thousand years of human

history! Freedom's moments have been infrequent and exceptional. We

must appreciate that we live in one of history's most exceptional

moments-in a nation and a time of unprecedented freedom. Freedom as we

know it has been experienced by perhaps less than one percent of the

human family.



The Proper Role of Government



	The second basic principle concerns the function and proper role

of government. These are the principles that, in my opinion, proclaim

the proper role of government in the domestic affairs of the nation.



	[I] believe that governments were insti tuted of God for the

benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in

rela tion to them....



	[I] believe that no government can exist in peace, except such

laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual

the free exercise of conscience, the right and con trol of property,

and the protection of life....



	[I] believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the

respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their

inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments. [D&C

134:1-2, 5]



	In other words, the most important single function of government

is to secure the rights and freedoms of individual citizens.



The Source of Human Rights



	The third important principle pertains to the source of basic

human rights.  Rights are either God-given as part of the divine plan,

or they are granted by government as part of the political plan. If we

accept the premise that human rights are granted by government, then we

must be willing to accept the corollary that they can be denied by

government. I, for one, shall never accept that premise. We must ever

keep in mind the inspired words of Thomas Jefferson, as found in the

Declaration of Independence:



	We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created

equal, that they are en dowed by their Creator with certain unalien

able Rights, that among these are Life, Lib erty, and the pursuit of

Happiness.



	That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,

deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.



People Are Superior to Governments



	The fourth basic principle we must understand is that people are

superior to the governments they form. Since God created people with

certain inalienable rights, and they, in turn, created government to

help secure and safeguard those rights, it follows that the people are

superior to the creature they created.



Governments Should Have Limited Powers



	The fifth and final principle that is basic to our understanding

of the Constitution is that governments should have only limited

powers. The important thing to keep in mind is that the people who have

created their government can give to that government only such powers

as they, themselves, have in the first place. Obviously, they cannot

give that which they do not possess.



	By deriving its just powers from the governed, government becomes

primarily a mechanism for defense against bodily harm, theft, and

involuntary servitude. It cannot claim the power to redistribute money

or property nor to force reluctant citizens to perform acts of charity

against their will. Government is created by the people. No individual

possesses the power to take another's wealth or to force others to do

good, so no government has the right to do such things either. The

creature cannot exceed the creator.



THE CONSTITUTION AND ITS COMING FORTH



	With these basic principles firmly in mind, let us now turn to a

discussion of the inspired document we call the Constitution. My

purpose is not to recite the events that led to the American

Revolution-we are all familiar with these. But I would say this:

History is not an accident. Events are foreknown to God. His

superintending influence is behind the actions of his righteous

children. Long before America was even discovered, the Lord was moving

and shaping events that would lead to the coming forth of the

remarkable form of government established by the Constitution. America

had to be free and independent to fulfill this destiny. I commend to

you as excellent reading on this subject Elder Mark E. Petersen's book

The Great Prologue (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1975). As

expressed so eloquently by John Adams before the signing of the

Declaration,  "There's a Divinity which shapes our ends" (quoted in The

Works of Daniel Webster, vol. 1 (Boston: Charles C. Little and James

Brown, 1851), p. 133). Though mortal eyes and minds cannot fathom the

end from the beginning, God does.



GOD RAISED UP WISE MEN TO CREATE THE CONSTITUTION



	In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Savior declared,

"I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men

whom I raised up unto this very purpose" (D&C 101:80). These were not

ordinary men, but men chosen and held in reserve by the Lord for this

very purpose.



	Shortly after President Kimball became President of the Church, he

assigned me to go into the vault of the St. George Temple and check the

early records. As I did so, I realized the fulfillment of a dream I had

had ever since learning of the visit of the Founding Fathers to the St.

George Temple. I saw with my own eyes the records of the work that was

done for the Founding Fathers of this great nation, beginning with

George Washington. Think of it, the Founding Fathers of this nation,

those great men, appeared within those sacred walls and had their

vicarious work done for them. President Wilford Woodruff spoke of it in

these words:



	Before I left St. George, the spirits of the dead gathered around

me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them. Said they, "You have

had the use of the Endowment House for a number of years, and yet

nothing has ever been done for us. We laid the foundation of the

government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we

remained true to it and were faithful to God."



	These were the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and

they waited on me for two days and two nights....



	I straightway went into the baptismal font and called upon Brother

McCallister to bap tize me for the signers of the Declaration of

Independence, and fifty other eminent men. [Discourses of Wilford

Woodruff, sel. G. Homer Durham (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1946), pp.

160-61]



	These noble spirits came there with divine permission-evidence

that this work of salvation goes forward on both sides of the veil.



	At a later conference, in April 1898, after he became President of

the Church, President Woodruff declared that "those men who laid the

foundation of this American government and signed the Declaration of

Independence were the best spirits the God of heaven could find on the

face of the earth. They were choice spirits ... [and] were inspired of

the Lord" (CR, April 1898, p. 89). We honor those men today. We are the

grateful beneficiaries of their noble work.



THE LORD APPROVED THE CONSTITUTION



	But we honor more than those who brought forth the Constitution.

We honor the Lord who revealed it. God himself has borne witness to the

fact that he is pleased with the final product of the work of these

great patriots.



	In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith on August 6, 1833, the

Savior admonished: "l, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my

church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the

land" (D&C 98:6).



	In the Kirtland Temple dedicatory prayer, given on March 27, 1836,

the Lord directed the Prophet Joseph to say: "May those principles,

which were so honorably and nobly defended, namely, the Constitution of

our land, by our fathers, be established forever" (D&C 109:54).



	A few years later, Joseph Smith, while unjustly incarcerated in a

cold and depressing cell of Liberty Jail at Clay County, Missouri,

frequently bore his testimony of the document's divinity: "The

Constitution of the United States is a glorious standard; it is founded

in the wisdom of God. It is a heavenly banner" (HC 3:304).



	How this document accomplished all of this merits our further

consideration.



THE DOCUMENT ITSELF



	The Constitution consists of seven separate articles. The first

three establish the three branches of our government the legislative,

the executive, and the judicial. The fourth article describes matters

pertaining to states, most significantly the guarantee of a republican

form of government to every state of the Union. Article 5 defines the

amendment procedure of the document, a deliberately difficult process

that should be clearly understood by every citizen. Article 6 covers

several miscellaneous items, including a definition of the supreme law

of the land, namely, the Constitution itself. Article 7, the last,

explains how the Constitution is to be ratified. After ratification of

the document, ten amendments were added and designated as our Bill of

Rights.



	Now to look at some of the major provisions of the document

itself. Many principles could be examined, but I mention five as being

crucial to the preservation of our freedom. If we understand the

workability of these, we have taken the first step in defending our

freedoms.



MAJOR PROVISIONS OF THE DOCUMENT



	The major provisions of the Constitution are as follows.



Sovereignty of the People



	First: Sovereignty lies in the people themselves. Every

governmental system has a sovereign, one or several who possess all the

executive, legislative, and judicial powers. That sovereign may be an

individual, a group, or the people themselves. The Founding Fathers

believed in common law, which holds that true sovereignty rests with

the people. Believing this to be in accord with truth, they inserted

this imperative in the Declaration of Independence: "To secure these

rights [life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness], Governments are

instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of

the governed."



Separation of Powers



	Second: To safeguard these rights, the Founding Fathers provided

for the separation of powers among the three branches of government-the

legislative, the executive, and the judicial. Each was to be

independent of the other, yet each was to work in a unified

relationship.  As the great constitutionalist President J. Reuben Clark

noted:



	It is [the] union of independence and depen dence of these

branches-legislative, execu tive and judicial-and of the governmental

functions possessed by each of them, that con stitutes the marvelous

genius of this unri valled document.... It was here that the divine

inspiration came. It was truly a mir acle. [Church News, November 29,

1952, p. 12]



	The use of checks and balances was deliberately designed, first,

to make it difficult for a minority of the people to control the

government, and, second, to place restraint on the government itself.



Limited Powers of Government



	Third: The powers the people granted to the three branches of

government were specifically limited. The Founding Fathers well

understood human nature and its tendency to exercise unrighteous

dominion when given authority. A constitution was therefore designed to

limit government to certain enumerated functions, beyond which was

tyranny.



The Principle of Representation



	Fourth: Our constitutional government is based on the principle of

representation. The principle of representation means that we have

delegated to an elected official the power to represent us. The

Constitution provides for both direct representation and indirect

representation. Both forms of representation provide a tempering

influence on pure democracy. The intent was to protect the individual's

and the minority's rights to life, liberty, and the fruits of their

labors-property. These rights were not to be subject to majority vote.



A Moral and Righteous People



	Fifth: The Constitution was designed to work with only a moral and

righteous people. "Our constitution," said John Adams (first

vice-president and second president of the United States), "was made

only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the

government of any other" (John R. Howe, Jr., The Changing Political

Thought of John Adams, Princeton University Press, 1966, p. 185).



THE CRISIS OF OUR CONSTITUTION



	This, then, is the ingenious and inspired document created by

these good and wise men for the benefit and blessing of future

generations. It is now two hundred years since the Constitution was

written. Have we been wise beneficiaries of the gift entrusted to us?

Have we valued and protected the principles laid down by this great

document?



	At this bicentennial celebration we must, with sadness, say that

we have not been wise in keeping the trust of our Founding Fathers. For

the past two centuries, those who do not prize freedom have chipped

away at every major clause of our Constitution until today we face a

crisis of great dimensions.



The Prophecy of Joseph Smith



	We are fast approaching that moment prophesied by Joseph Smith

when he said:



	Even this Nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to pieces

and tumbling to the ground and when the constitution is upon the brink

o,f ruin this people will be the Staff up[on] which the Nation shall

lean and they shall bear the constitution away from the very verge of

destruction. [In Howard and Martha Coray Notebook, July 19, 1840,

quoted by Andrew F. Eliat and Lyndon W. Cook, comps. and eds., The

Words of Joseph Smith (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham

Young University, 1980), p. 416]



The Need to Prepare



	Will we be prepared? Will we be among those who will "bear the

Constitution away from the very verge of destruction"? If we desire to

be numbered among those who will, here are some things we must do:



	1. We must be righteous and moral. We must live the gospel

principles-all of them. We have no right to expect a higher degree of

morality from those who represent us than what we ourselves are. To

live a higher law means we will not seek to receive what we have not

earned by our own labor. It means we will remember that government owes

us nothing. It means we will keep the laws of the land. It means we

will look to God as our Lawgiver and the source of our liberty.



	2. We must learn the principles of the Constitution and then abide

by its precepts. Have we read the Constitution and pondered it? Are we

aware of its principles? Could we defend it? Can we recognize when a

law is constitutionally unsound? The Church will not tell us how to do

this, but we are admonished to do it. I quote Abraham Lincoln:



	Let [the Constitution] be taught in schools, in seminaries, and in

colleges; let it be written in primers, spelling-books, and in

almanacs; let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislative

halls, and enforced in courts of justice. And, in short, let it become

the politi cal religion of the nation. [Complete Works of Abraham

Lincoln, ed. John G. Nicolay and John Hay, vol. I (New York: Francis D.

Tandy Co., 1905), p. 43]



	3. We must become involved in civic affairs. As citizens of this

republic, we cannot do our duty and be idle spectators. It is vital

that we follow this counsel from the Lord: "Honest men and wise men

should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should

observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of

evil" (D&C 98:10). Note the qualities that the Lord demands in those

who are to represent us. They must be good, wise, and honest. We must

be concerted in our desires and efforts to see men and women represent

us who possess all three of these qualities.



	4. We must make our influence felt by our vote, our letters, and

our advice. We must be wisely informed and let others know how we feel.

We must take part in local precinct meetings and select delegates who

will truly represent our feelings.



	I have faith that the Constitution will be saved as prophesied by

Joseph Smith. But it will not be saved in Washington. It will be saved

by the citizens of this nation who love and cherish freedom. It will be

saved by enlightened members of this Church-men and women who will

subscribe to and abide by the principles of the Constitution.



THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES OUR LOYALTY AND SUPPORT



	I reverence the Constitution of the United States as a sacred

document. To me its words are akin to the revelations of God, for God

has placed his stamp of approval on the Constitution of this land. I

testify that the God of heaven sent some of his choicest spirits to lay

the foundation of this government, and he has sent other choice

spirits-even you who hear my words this day-to preserve it.



	We, the blessed beneficiaries, face difficult days in this beloved

land, "a land which is choice above all other lands" (Ether 2:10). It

may also cost us blood before we are through. It is my conviction,

however, that when the Lord comes, the Stars and Stripes will be

floating on the breeze over this people. May it be so, and may God give

us the faith and the courage exhibited by those patriots who pledged

their lives and fortunes that we might be free, in the name of Jesus

Christ. Amen.









                          AN UNTROUBLED FAITH



                            James E. Faust



	Elder James E. Faust was called to be a member of the Council of

the Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in

September 1978. He previously had served as an Assistant to the Twelve

and as a member of the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy.

He has served the Church as a bishop, high councilor, stake president,

Regional Representative, and Area Supervisor in South America. He has

also been managing director of the Melchizedek Priesthood MIA, director

of the Welfare Services Corporation of the Church, Zone Adviser over

South America, president of the International Mission, executive

director of the Church Curriculum Department, and editor of the Church

magazines, the Ensign, New Era, and Friend. Born in Delta, Utah, he

attended school in the Granite District of Salt Lake City and then

enrolled at the University of Utah. He participated as a member of the

track team in 1938 and ran the quarter-mile and the mile relay. @ His

college career was interrupted first to serve as a missionary for the

Church in Brazil and later by World War II, during which he served in

the U. S. Air Force and was discharged as a first lieutenant. In 1945

he re-entered the University of Utah by enrolling in the law school,

from which he graduated in 1948 with a B.A. and a juris Doctor degree.

He then practiced law in Salt Lake City until his appointment as a

General Authority in 1972.

	Elder Faust served as a member of the Utah Legislature from 1949

to 1951 as an adviser to the American Bar journal and was president of

the Utah Bar Association in 1962-63. At that same time he was appointed

by President John F. Kennedy to the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights

and Racial Unrest. Elder Faust served as state director of the

Friendship Force of Utah and is a member of the Utah State

Constitutional Revision Commission. He is also vice-president and

chairman of the executive committee of the Deseret News Publishing

Company, trustee of Ballet West, and on the board of directors of

Commercial Security Bank. w Elder Faust is married to Ruth Wright. They

are the parents of two daughters and three sons. This fireside address

was given on 28 September 1986 in the Marriott Center.





	A few weeks ago, Elder and Sister F. Arthur Kay and I arrived on

the beautiful and exotic island of Tahiti. Our flight arrived at the

Papeete airport at about four in the morning. We were met at the

airport by a group of local Church leaders headed by our Regional

Representative, Victor Cave. We quickly assembled our bags and headed

for the hotel to get what rest we could before the day's activities

began.



	Our route took us through the deserted, dimly lighted streets of

Papeete. In the dark we saw the faint figure of a man crossing the

street in front of Brother Cave's car. He gave the man a lot of room

and said to Brother and Sister Kay: "That man is Brother So-and-so. He

is hurrying to get to the temple. The first session of the temple

doesn't begin until nine o'clock, but he wants to be there well in

advance."



	"How far away does he live?" asked Brother Kay. The answer: "Two

or three blocks." Brother Cave indicated that the caretakers open the

temple gates early, and this man comes in and watches the day begin

within the sacred precincts of the beautiful temple in Papeete.



	I marveled at the faith of this simple man who is willing to forgo

his sleep and other activities in order to follow this ritual of

meditation and contemplation. Some would no doubt say, "How foolish,

how wasteful of time that could be spent sleeping or studying." I

choose to hope that in these programmed hours of meditation and

contemplation this faithful little man is coming to know himself and

his Creator.



NURTURING A SIMPLE FAITH



	I should like to speak this evening of the need to nurture a

simple, untroubled faith. I urge complete acceptance of the absolutes

of our own faith. At the same time, I urge you not to be unduly

concerned over the intricacies, the complexities, and any seeming

contradictions that seem to trouble many of us. Sometimes we spend time

satisfying our intellectual egos and look for all the answers before we

accept any. Here at Brigham Young University we are in the pursuit of

truth and knowledge. The nurturing of a simple untroubled faith does

not limit us in the pursuit of growth and accomplishment. On the

contrary, it may intensify and hasten our progress. This is so because

our natural gifts and powers of achievement are increasingly enhanced

by the endless growth of knowledge. In our belief, it is possible to be

even the helper of the Father and of the Son, and to be under their

personal tutelage.



	Nephi explained that his brethren had become so wicked and

insensitive to the Spirit that they became "past feeling" even though

they had seen and heard an angel, and even though God had spoken to

them in a still small voice (see I Nephi 17:45).



	In contrast, this same prophet Nephi tells us that if we "feast

upon the words of Christ ... the words of Christ will tell you all

things what ye should do" (2 Nephi 32:3).



	I have a dear friend with whom I grew up. Although bright and

able, he was not a scholarly type. The press of family needs and

concerns limited his educational opportunities. He did not graduate

from high school. He acquired an old, beat-up truck and began hauling

sand and gravel for a few of the contractors. The work was seasonal and

not at all productive. The old truck would frequently break down and

need repairs.



	In his teenage years he drifted some, but married a good woman and

settled down. Their circumstances were economically straitened, but

somehow he managed to get a house built on part of the family property.

I was bishop and caged him to be the Aaronic Priesthood adviser. He

took his calling seriously. He literally wore out the handbook,

studying it. He had a notebook filled with dates when afl of the young

men in the ward would reach the age to be advanced in the Aaronic

Priesthood. He kept good track of the young men and kept the bishopric

informed of their activities.



	Some years after I was released, he became a member of our

bishopric. He needed a little nudging to become a full tithe payer, but

responded faithfully as he had done before. Subsequently, he became our

bishop. He served wonderfully and well. In the meantime, he and an

associate had learned how to lay bricks and formed a brick-contracting

partnership. The difference between their work and the work of others

was in the quality. They did beautiful work. They were in demand. He

prospered and became very respected in the community. He became the

president of the local water company. After many successful years as a

bishop he was called to the high council and served well and

faithfully. He is now a man of affairs, respected and honored, although

his formal education ended before high school graduation. With the

advantage of a college education he, no doubt, would have achieved even

more.



	What caused him to succeed? Industry? Thrift? Self-reliance? Yes,

but there was more. Conscientiously and untiringly, he sought to know

and do the mind and the will of the Lord. He had a simple, untroubled

faith.



"STICK WITH THE BRETHREN"



	Our religion fosters the opportunity to come back into the

presence of the Father and the Son, and it contemplates a future

perfection of the human spirit and soul. This is a preferential

condition in the hereafter. Why, then, should we be preoccupied

unnecessarily with too many mysteries? In fact, the worldwide mission

of the Church can be simply stated. It is to perfect the Saints,

proclaim the gospel, and redeem the dead.



	President Stephen L Richards explained it this way: "The immortal

soul which is the union of body and spirit becomes invested with the

divine nature of our eternal Father and ... Jesus Christ" (Stephen L

Richards, CR, April 1945, p. 30). That investment of the divine nature

intensifies and magnifies our gifts and abilities. There is no greater

teacher, no greater strength than the divine nature of the eternal

Father and Jesus Christ.



	By this time next week, another general conference Will have come

and gone. Many may wonder what the Brethren are saying. Many will want

to know. Others may not care. Before I had a seat in general

conference, I tried to listen, either by television or radio, to the

conference proceedings. One Saturday, on the opening of general

conference, my youngest son and I went out to hunt ducks on the day the

season opened. Of course, we listened on the car radio on the way and

took a portable radio to listen in the duck blind. The season shooting

began at twelve noon, so we were able to hear the morning's

proceedings.



	My son had an assignment in seminary to review the conference

messages. We listened faithfully to all of the messages on Saturday

morning. The shooting was over by one o'clock, and we listened to the

afternoon's proceedings. As we were picking up our decays and heading

back to the car, my son thoughtfully said: "What are the Brethren

saying?" He was trying to understand the grand overarching and

undergirding messages. What will the Brethren be saying next weekend?

The living prophets will be opening the visions of eternity and giving

counsel on how to overcome the world. We cannot know if we do not

listen. We cannot receive the blessings if we do not follow the counsel

given.



	As a young stake president, I had most of the General Authorities

as stake conference visitors to our stake. I can tell you that was a

great experience! President Hugh B. Brown came to one of our stake

conferences just a week before he was called and sustained as a member

of the Council of the Twelve. We enjoyed his warm spirit and his good

humor. As I helped him with his coat and he walked out to his car to

leave us, I said: "Brother Brown, do you have any personal advice for

me?" His answer was: "Yes, stick with the Brethren." He did not choose

to elaborate or explain but left that indelible message: have the

simple faith to follow the Brethren.



	My grandmother, Maud Wetzel Faust, used to tell us as little boys

about going to general conference when President Brigham Young

presided. She also told us about the first train that came to Salt Lake

City. Except for the Prophet Joseph Smith, she had known all of the

Presidents of the Church up to Heber J. Grant. From her observations

over the years, she had this to say: "Those who have turned their backs

on the Brethren have not prospered." Then she proceeded to tell of a

few examples.



	What caused her to impart this lesson to her grandsons I do not

know, but I would certainly wish all within the sound of my voice to

have the simple faith to "stick with the Brethren."



	We acknowledge that an Church leaders, past and present-except

Christ himself-were human. The critics of the Church are wont to

discredit this marvelous work because of the human weaknesses of its

leaders. President Gordon B. Hinckley said at your sister campus in

Hawaii a few years ago, "To highlight the mistakes and gloss over the

greater good is to draw a caricature. Caricatures are amusing, but they

are often ugly and dishonest. A man may have a wart on his cheek and

still have a face of beauty and strength, but if the wart is emphasized

unduly in relation to his other features, the portrait is lacking in

integrity." President Hinckley continued speaking of the early leaders

of the Church: "If some of them occasionally stumbled, or if their

characters may have been slightly flawed in one way or another, the

wonder is the greater that they accomplished so much" (Gordon B.

Hinckley, BYU-Hawaii commencement address, June 18, 1983). The same is

true today.



	In an urgent plea for the Saints to concern themselves with the

common things, President Wilford Woodruff had this counsel:



	How much longer I shall talk to this people I do not know; but I

want to say this to all Israel: Cease troubling yourselves about who

God is, who Adam is, who Christ is, who Jehovah is. For heaven's sake,

let these things alone. Why trouble yourselves about these things. God

has revealed himself, and when the 121st section of the Doctrine and

Covenants is fulfilled, whether there be one God or many gods, they

will be revealed to the children of men, as well as all thrones and

dominions, principalities, and powers. Then why trouble yourselves

about these things? God is God. Christ is Christ. The Holy Ghost is the

Holy Ghost. That should be enough for you and me to know. If we want to

know any more, wait till we get where God is in person. I say this

because we are troubled every little while with inquires from elders

anxious to know who God is, who Christ is, and who Adam is. I say to

the elders of Israel, stop this. Humble yourselves before the Lord;

seek for light, for truth, and for a knowledge of the common things of

the kingdom of God. [The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, pp. 235-36]



MAKING A SOLID FOUNDATION



	To have a simple, untroubled faith you must keep your spiritual

innocence. That requires avoiding cynicism and criticism. This is the

day of the cynic, the critics, and the pickle suckers. Said President

Hinckley, "Criticism is the forerunner of divorce, the cultivator of

rebellion, sometimes a catalyst that leads to failure. In the Church it

sows the seed of inactivity and finally apostasy" (Gordon B. Hinckley, 

BYU-Hawaii commencement address, June 18, 1983).



	For some years now I have appreciated sharing a common reception

room at the Church Administration Building with David M. Kennedy. I

appreciate my personal relationship with him. After having been called

to the Council of the Twelve Apostles, I was walking out of the

Tabernacle with Elder Kennedy. I said to him: "David, there must be ten

thousand men in this Church more able and qualified to serve in the

Council of the Twelve than I am." Brother Kennedy: "No, fifteen

thousand."



	Brother Kennedy has had a most remarkable career in government, in

business, and in the Church. Yet I have found him to be a man of simple

faith. He has been secretary of the treasury of the United States,

ambassador-at-large, ambassador to NATO, and president and chairman of

Continental Illinois Bank. He has also been a missionary, secretary of

the mission, bishop, a member of a stake presidency, and now is serving

as special ambassador of the First Presidency. The David M. Kennedy

Center for International Studies on this campus memorializes his life

and his name.



	He has met with a host of kings, presidents, and heads of state in

his lifetime. Yet his faith is basic, pure, and unshakable. He knows

where he came from, who he is, where he is going, and what is most

important in his life. He received this orientation from his father.

When young David asked his father, "What are we supposed to be doing

here on earth?" his father replied, "We are supposed to be serving God

and our fellowman. "



	To have a simple, untroubled faith we must accept some absolutes.

They are basic. They are to believe:



	1.That Jesus, the son of the Father, is the Christ and the Savior

and Redeemer of the world.



	2. That Joseph Smith was the instrument through which the gospel

was restored in its fullness and completeness.



	3. That the Book of Mormon is the word of God and, as the Prophet

Joseph Smith said, it is the keystone of our religion.



	4. That Ezra Taft Benson is, as were each of his predecessor

Presidents of the Church, a successor in holding the keys and authority

restored by Joseph Smith.



	You may ask, "How can I acquire an untroubled faith and a

spiritual assurance that each of these absolutes is true?" This

untroubled faith can come by prayer, study, and a submissive

willingness to keep as many commandments as we can. Let us be more

specific.



	As to the first absolute, the acceptance of Jesus as the Christ,

we have two thousand years of teaching and tradition that help the

inquirers accept him as their Savior and Redeemer. So this absolute,

initially at least, may be the easiest to accept after study, prayer,

and trying to follow his teachings.



	The second absolute, the calling of Joseph Smith as the

restoration prophet, may be more difficult for the honest seeker to

accept. To have a fair appreciation for the greatness of Joseph Smith's

mission, we must step back and view the panorama of it all. To me the

only logical explanation for the majesty and success of his work is

that he saw what he said he saw, and he was what he said he was. What

he restored is so complete, so all encompassing in concept, so majestic

and awesome in potential, that only God himself could have been the

author and motivating force behind it. The fruits of Joseph Smith's

work, so plain for all to see, are also a testimony of the divinity of

his work.



	The third absolute, namely, a testimony of the truthfulness of the

Book of Mormon, in my opinion comes exactly as Moroni stated, by the

power of the Holy Ghost, by asking God, the Eternal Father, in the name

of Christ if it is true. The promise then comes: "If ye shall ask with

a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will

manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost"

(Moroni 10:4).



	The fourth absolute is essential to enjoy an untroubled faith. It

is the proposition that President Ezra Taft Benson is the inheritor of

the restored keys as was each of his predecessors since Joseph Smith.

Some accept the Savior, the divine mission of Joseph Smith, and the

Book of Mormon, but then think that after Joseph's time somehow the

Brethren went astray. Many who have thought this have taken others with

them, and their efforts have not prospered.



	There is a powerful precedent that comes down through the ages to

sustain the succession of authority. After the crucifixion of the

Savior, Peter, as the senior apostle, became the President of the

Church. Since the restoration by Joseph Smith this practice has been

followed in the successions to the Presidency of the Church.



	As each of the apostles has been ordained to the apostleship and

Quorum of the Twelve, he is given all of the keys of the kingdom of God

on the earth, some of which are to be held inactive until the death of

the President of the Church. Upon the death of the President of the

Church, the keys rest with the Quorum of the Twelve as a body. When a

new President is ordained and set apart, the Council of the Twelve

unitedly lay their hands upon his head and activate the keys he has

held since he came to the Quorum of the Twelve. It has been so since

Peter, James, and John bestowed the keys upon the Prophet Joseph Smith.

It was so with President Ezra Taft Benson.



	Because of this transferring of keys and authority, we can

truthfully say, since there is ultimate priesthood authority on the

earth today, that President Benson has it.



	The acceptance of these four absolutes, together with the

ordinances as administered by the Church and obedience thereto, is a

solid foundation for the enjoyment of the promise of the Savior, i.e.,

peace in this life and eternal life in the life hereafter (see D&C

59:23).



	Third from last, like that little man crossing the street in

Papeete at 4:00 a. m. hurrying to the temple, we can enjoy an

untroubled conscience in the temples of God.



	Next to last, I wish to bear testimony that having a simple,

untroubled faith will lift us above selfish, sordid, and greedy aspects

of the world.



	Last of all, I bear witness as one of the special witnesses that

the Father and the Son did appear to the boy Joseph Smith, and that he

was given direction to reestablish the Church upon the earth in its

fullness. I also testify of the divine and truthful message of the Book

of Mormon. I believe that President Ezra Taft Benson holds all of the

keys and authority to administer the affairs of the kingdom of God on

the earth, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.





                           "MEEK AND LOWLY"



                            Neal A. Maxwell



	Elder Neal A. Maxwell has been a member of the Council of the

Twelve since July 1981 and a General Authority since April 1974. His

service as Church commissioner of education from 1970 to 1976

overlapped his work as a General Authority. Before 1970 he was a

Regional Representa tive, member of the YMMIA General Board, bishop,

and missionary to Canada. A native of Salt Lake City, he earned

bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Utah, where he

also held a number of administrative and teaching positions, including

that of executive vice-pres ident. He has been the recipient of four

honorary doctoral degrees: from his alma mater, from Brigham Young

University, from Westminster College, and from Utah State Univer sity.

His civic service has included a stint in the infantry in the Pacific

during World War II, a term as legislative assistant to U. S. Senator

Wallace F. Bennett, and a session as chairman of the Constitutional

Revision Commission for the state of Utah. He is the author of many

books and articles and is a popular lecturer known for his

extraordinary facility with the language and the heartfelt messages he

is able to convey with it. Elder Maxwell and his wife, Colleen

Hinckley, are the parents of four children.

	 This devotional address was delivered in the Marriott Center on

21 October 1986.





WEARING HIS YOKE



	Meekness ranks so low on the mortal scale of things, yet so high

on God's: "For none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly

in heart" (Moroni 7:44). The rigorous requirements of Christian

discipleship cannot be met without the tutoring facilitated by

meekness: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and

lowly" (Matthew 11:29). Jesus, the carpenter, "undoubtedly had

experience making yokes" with Joseph (Inter preter's Dictionary of the

Bible, vol. 4 [New York: Abingdon Press, 1962], p. 925), and thus the

Savior gave us that marvelous metaphor (see Matthew 11:20). Unlike

servitude to sin, by wearing his yoke, we truly learn of the Yoke

Master in what is an education for eternity as well as for mortality.



	Meekness is needed, therefore, in order for us to be spiritually

successful whether in matters of the intellect, in the management of

power, in the dissolution of personal pride, or in coping with the

challenges and routine of life. With meekness, living in "thanksgiving

daily" is actually possible even in life's stern seasons (Alma 34:38).



	Meanwhile, the world regards the meek as nice but quaint people,

as those to be stepped over or stepped on. Nevertheless, the

development of this virtue is a stunning thing just to contemplate,

especially in a world in which so many others are headed in opposite

directions. These next requirements clearly show the unarguable

relevance as well as the stern substance of this sweet virtue.



	Serious disciples are not only urged to do good but also to avoid

growing weary of doing good (see Galatians 6:9 and Helaman 10:5).



	They are not only urged to speak the truth but also to speak the

truth in love (see Ephesians 4:15).



	They are not only urged to endure all things but also to endure

them well (see D&C 121:8).



	They are not only urged to be devoted to God's cause but also to

be prepared to sacrifice all things, giving, if necessary, the last

full measure of devotion (see Lectures on Faith 6:7).



	They are not only to do many things of worth but are also to focus

on the weightier matters, the things of most worth (see Matthew 23:23).



	They are not only urged to forgive but also to forgive seventy

times seven (see Matthew 18:21-22).



	They are not only to be engaged in good causes, but also they are

to be anxiously engaged" (see D&C 58:27).



	They are not only to do right but also to do right for the right

reasons.



	They are told to get on the strait and narrow path, but then are

told that this is only the beginning, not the end (see 2 Nephi

31:19-20).



	They are not only to endure enemies but also to pray for them and

to love them (see Matthew 5:44).



	They are urged not only to worship God but, astoundingly, they are

instructed to strive to become like him! (See Matthew 5:48; 3 Nephi

12:48, 27:27.)



	In the midst of "all these things," they are given a Sabbath day

for rest, during which they do the sweetest but often the hardest work

of all.

	Who else but the truly meek would even consider such a stretching

journey?



	The preceding enumeration is certainly a verification of the

crucial role meekness plays in the lives of serious disciples. Thus, if

we really learn of the Savior, it will be by taking the yoke of such

experiences upon us.



	This is a high-yield, but very severe form of learning. However,

there is "no other way." Moreover, when so yoked, we may then get much

more learning than we bargained for. Furthermore, to be spiritually

successful, Jesus' yoke cannot be removed part way down life's furrow,

even after a good showing up to that point; we are to endure well to

the end.



THE KEY TO DEEPENING DISCIPLESHIP



	Did Paul not speak knowingly of the "fellowship of [Christ's]

sufferings" (Philippians 3:10)? Are we not told that meekness is so

vital that God actually gives us certain challenges in order to keep us

humble (Ether 12:27)? Did not Peter write regarding how Christians

should expect to be familiar with fiery trials (I Peter 4:12)?

Furthermore, as the disciple enriches his relationship with the Lord,

he is apt to have periodic "public relations" problems with others,

being misrepresented and misunderstood. He or she will have to "take

it" at times. Meekness, therefore, is a key to deepening discipleship.



	In the exchange between Jesus and a righteous young man, we see

how one missing quality cannot be fully compensated for, even by other

qualities, however praiseworthy.



	The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my

youth up: what lack I yet?



	Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that

thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in

heaven: and come and follow me.



	But when the young man heard that say ing, he went away sorrowful:

for he had great possessions. [Matthew 19:20-22]



	In this instance the missing meekness prevented a submissive

response by the young man; this deficiency altered his decision and the

consequences flowing therefrom.



	There appears to be "no other way" to learn certain things except

through the relevant, clinical experiences. Happily, the commandment

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in

heart" (Matthew 11:29) carries an accompanying and compensating promise

from Jesus-"and ye shall find rest unto your souls." This is a very

special form of rest. It surely includes the rest resulting from the

shedding of certain needless burdens: fatiguing insincerity, exhausting

hypocrisy, and the strength-sapping quest for recognition, praise, and

power. Those of us who fall short, in one way or another, often do so

because we carry such unnecessary and heavy baggage. Being thus

overloaded, we sometimes stumble and then feel sorry for ourselves.



	We need not carry such baggage. However, when we're not meek, we

resist the informing voice of conscience and feedback from family,

leaders, and friends. Whether from preoccupation or pride, the warning

signals go unnoticed or unheeded. However, if sufficient meekness is in

us, it will not only help us to jettison unneeded burdens, but will

also keep us from becoming mired in the ooze of self-pity. Furthermore,

true meekness has a metabolism that actually requires very little

praise or recognition-of which there is usually such a shortage anyway.

Most of the time, the sponge of selfishness quickly soaks up everything

in sight, including praise intended for others.



	Disciples are to make for themselves "a new heart" by undergoing a

"mighty change" of heart (Ezekiel 18:31; Alma 5:12-14). Yet we cannot

make such "a new heart" while nursing old grievances. just as civil

wars lend themselves to the passionate preservation of ancient

grievances, so civil wars within the individual soul-between the

natural and the potential man-keep alive old slights and perceived

injustices, except in the meek.



	Is there not deep humility in the omnicompetent Christ, the

majestic Miracle Worker, who acknowledged, "I can of mine own self do

nothing" (John 5:30)? Jesus neither misused nor doubted his power, but

he was never confused about its source, either. Instead, we mortals

perhaps even when otherwise modest are sometimes quite willing to

display our accumulated accomplishments, as if we had done it all by

ourselves. Hence this sobering reminder:



	And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand

hath gotten me this wealth.

	But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth

thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he

sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. [Deuteronomy 8:17-18]



	Meekness is especially needed to labor in the Lord's vineyard,

which involves such lowly work-as the world measures worth. No wonder,

as one prophet wrote, the laborers in the Lord's vineyard are

comparatively "few." Moreover, the Lord's work is not usually performed

on a luxuriant landscape, but, said Jacob, in "the poorest spot in all

the land of [the] vineyard" (see Jacob 5:21, 70). The world's Caesars

pay little heed to such workers.



	Had Jesus not been meek and lowly when "a great multitude with

swords and staves" (Mark 14:43) came to take him, he could have

resisted his destiny. Led by Judas, there came "thither" that band of

men "with lanterns and torches" (John 18:3). So spiritually blind was

the multitude, they actually needed lanterns to see and capture the

"Light of the World"!



	Though he was actually the Creator of this world, the earth being

his footstool, Jesus' willingness to become from birth a person of "no

reputation" provides one of the great lessons in human history. He, the

leader-servant, who remained of " no reputation" mortally, will one day

be he before whom every knee will bow and whose name every tongue will

confess (see Philippians 2:10-11). Jesus meekly stayed his unparalleled

course.



	Brigham Young, who stayed his lesser but very impressive course,

knew both the fatigue of leadership and the rest Jesus promised. He

counseled those less spiritually secure and more anxious about the

outcome:



	It is the Lord's work. I know enough to let the kingdom alone, and

do my duty. It carries me, I do not carry the kingdom. I sail in the

old ship Zion, and it bears me safely above the raging elements. (JD

11:252]



	In our own time, the late Elder LeGrand Richards was heard by some

of us to declare that he did not fret about the Church, because it is

the Lord's Church, "so I let him worry about it!"



	Wise secular leaders are not strangers to meekness either. The

following episode in the life of George Washington involved potential

mutiny:



	Washington called together the grumbling officers on March 15,

1783.... He began to speak-carefully and from a written manuscript,

referring to the proposal of " either deserting our Country in the ex

tremest hour of her distress, or turning our Arms against it. . . "

Washington appealed simply and honestly for reason, restraint,

patience, and duty-all the good and unex citing virtues.



	And then Washington stumbled as he read. He squinted, paused, and

out of his pocket he drew some new spectacles.



	"Gentlemen, you must pardon me," he said in apology. "I have grown

gray in your service and now find myself growing blind."



	Most of his men had never seen the general wear glasses. Yes, men

said to themselves, eight hard years. They recalled the ruddy,

full-blooded planter of 1775; now they saw ... a big, good, fatherly

man grown old. They wept, many of those warriors. And the Newburgh plot

dissolved. [Bart McDowell, The Revolutionary War: America's Fight for

Freedom (Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1967), pp.

190-91]



	The meek leader, having "humbleness of mind" (Colossians 3:12), is

not only more easily taught, but he is also freer. Even in routine he

is relieved, for instance, of the pressure to be the single or even the

chief source of ideas for the group. Nor need he be the sole source of

his group's memory. He lets others, too, report what they see by the

light of what Samuel Coleridge called experience and history's "lantern

on the stern." The meek individual is more concerned with the light on

the bow, which shines ahead.



	He need not be afraid to praise, lest someone gain on him. He

follows the pattern of rejoicing in the achievements of others as shown

so effulgently by the Father and the Son. After all, the meek and lowly

Leader did not need advance men or paid demonstrators with bands and

banners: "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon ...

a colt" (Matthew 21:5).



TRUE EDUCATION



	Meekness of mind is not only essential salvationally. It is also

vital, of course, if one is to experience true intellectual growth,

especially that which heightens his understanding of the great

realities of the universe. Such meekness is a friend, not a foe, of

true education. Stephen spoke of Moses: "And Moses was learned in all

the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds"

(Acts 7:22). Though Moses was a learned man, he was the most meek man

"upon the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3). So it was that he could

and did learn things he "never had supposed" (Moses 1:10).



	As the well-educated Paul warned, the indiscriminate or arrogant

approach to learning fails to distinguish between chaff and kernels.

Therefore, some are proudly "Ever learning, and never able to come to

the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:7). Unsurprisingly, therefore,

great stress is deservedly placed upon the need for intellectual

meekness"humbleness of mind."



	Meekness is thus so much more than a passive attribute that merely

deflects discourtesy. Instead, it involves spiritual and intellectual

activism: "For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord,

and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments" (Ezra

7:10; see also 2 Chronicles 19:3, 20:33). Meek Nephi, in fact, decried

the passivity of those who "will not search knowledge, nor understand

great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness" (2 Nephi

32:7). Alas, most are unsearching-quite content with a superficial

understanding or a general awareness of spiritual things (see Alma

10:5-6). This condition may reflect either laziness or, in Amulek's

case, the busyness usually incident to the cares of the world.



	Intellectual meekness is a persistent as well as particular

challenge. Without it, we are not intellectually open to things that we

"never had supposed" (Moses l: 10). Alas, some have otherwise reached

provincial and erroneous conclusions and do not really want to

restructure their understanding of things. Some wish neither to be

shaken nor expanded by new data.



THE CHAINS OF PRIDE



	Just as meekness is in all our virtues, so is pride in all our

sins. Whatever its momentary and alluring guise, pride, as Henry

Fairlie articulately notes, is the enemy-"the first of the sins" (Henry

Fairlie, The Seven Deadly Sins Today [Washington, D.C.: New Republic

Books, 1978], p. 39).



	The meek individual may not, to be sure, always fully decipher

what is happening to him or around him. However, even though he does

not "know the meaning of all things," he knows that the Lord loves him

(see I Nephi 11:17). He may feel overwhelmed, but, unlike the proud, he

is not out of control. In fact, in some moments it is important for us

to "Be still, and know that [he is] God" (Psalms 46:10). Even

articulate discipleship has its side of silent certitude!



	The "rest" promised by Jesus to the meek, though not including an

absence of adversity or tutoring, does, therefore, give us the special

peace that flows from "humbleness of mind." The meek management of

power and responsibility relieves us of the heavy and grinding chains

of pride; however glitzed and polished, they are still chains.



	Meekness also protects us from the fatigue of being easily

offended. There are so many just waiting to be offended. They are so

alerted to the possibility that they will not be treated fairly, they

almost invite the verification of their expectation! The meek, not on

such a fatiguing alert, find rest from this form of fatigue.





	Bruising as the tumble off the peak of pride is, it may be

necessary at times. Few of us escape at least some of these bruises.

Even then, one must next be careful not to continue his descent into

the swamp of self-pity. Meekness enables us, after such a tumble, to

pick ourselves up-but without putting others down blamefully. Meekness

mercifully lets us retain the realistic and rightful impressions of how

blessed we are, so far as the fundamental things of eternity are

concerned. We are not then as easily offended by the disappointments of

the day, of which there seems to be a sufficient and steady supply.



	When we are thus spiritually settled, we will likewise be less apt

to murmur and complain. Indeed, one of the great risks of murmuring is

that we can get too good at it, too clever. We can even acquire too

large an audience. Furthermore, what for the murmurer may only be

transitory grumbles may become a cause for a hearer that may carry him

or her clear out of the Church.



	The meek are unconcerned with prideful preeminence, including

considerations of scale. The lowly are not exercised, for instance,

over quantitative considerations. The Lord put that concern to rest

centuries ago.



	The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye

were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all

people:



	But because the Lord loved you, and be cause he would keep the

oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you

out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen,

from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. [Deuteronomy 7:7-8]



WITH EARS TO HEAR



	When the Lord declared, "My sheep hear my voice ... and they

follow me" (John 10:27), it was not only an indication of how profound

recognition and familiarity would be at work; it also bespoke another

role of operational meekness-listening long and humbly enough for such

recognition to occur.



	This readiness with ears to hear has been needed in all

dispensations, but never more than after the Restoration. The

"restitution of all things" (Acts 3:21) ended centuries of deprivation,

but the Restoration goes sharply against the grain of heedless secular

societies. So, while the truths of the Restoration are "had again,"

they are useful only "among as many as shall believe" (Moses 1:40-41).

Yet those astray include "humble followers of Christ" who err only

"because they are taught by the precepts of men" (2 Nephi 28:14). In

addition, the adversary's kingdom "must shake" in order that those who

will may be "stirred up unto repentance" (2 Nephi 28:19). The meek

understand such realities.



	Meekness also contains a readiness that helps us to surmount the

accumulated stumbling blocks and rocks of offense; we can make stepping

stones of them and achieve a deeper and broader view of life.

Obviously, Philip had such readiness and meekness when he recognized

Jesus as the Messiah of whom Moses had spoken (John 1:45). Obviously,

Paul had the broad view, too, when he described Moses as having

foregone, by choice, the favored life in Pharaoh's court for a life of

service to Jesus (Hebrews 11:24-27). Nevertheless, the stones of

stumbling and rocks of offense are real. In fact, these offending rocks

(see Isaiah 8:14-15) can prove insurmountable, unless we have the

facilitating attribute of meekness with its promise of access to the

grace of God.



	Even if it stood alone as a benefit, one reason for developing

greater meekness is to have greater access to the grace of God. The

Lord guarantees that his grace is sufficient for the meek (Ether

12:26). Besides, only the meek know how to draw fully upon his

assistance anyway.



	Meekness comes trailing a cloud of other beneficial

considerations. The prophet Mormon (see Moroni 7:43-44) observed that

without meekness there can be no faith, hope, or love. Furthermore, the

remission of our sins brings additional meekness along with the great

gift of the Holy Ghost, or Comforter (Moroni 8:26). These supernal

blessings are not to be enjoyed for any length of time except by those

who are meek. As to genuine joy, it is received by none ,'save it be

the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness" (Alma 27:18).



	Preliminarily, we cannot even have true faith, except we are meek

and lowly in heart (Moroni 7:43-45). Thus we are able to enjoy greater

faith, hope, love, knowledge, and reassurance. We will thus know the

answer to what Amulek called the "great question" (see Alma

34:5)-whether there really is a rescuing and redeeming Christ. It is by

the power of the Holy Ghost that we know that Jesus is the Christ, that

he lived and lives. Thus it is the meek who receive the great answers

to the "great question," rejoicing, therefore, over the "great and last

sacrifice" (Alma 34:10).



PREPARING FOR ETERNITY



	Since life in the Church illustrates, painfully at times, our own

defects, as well as the defects of others, we are bound to be

periodically disappointed thereby in ourselves and in others. We cannot

expect it to be otherwise in a kingdom where, initially, not only does

the net gather "of every kind," but those of "every kind" are also at

every stage of spiritual development (see Matthew 13:47). When people

"leave their nets straightway" (see Matthew 4:20 and Mark 1:18), they

come as they are--though in the initial process of changing, their

luggage reflects their past. Hence, discipleship is a developmental

journey that requires shared patience, understanding, and meekness on

the part of all who join the caravan. Together we are disengaging from

one world and preparing ourselves for another and far better world.



	Meekness and patience have a special mutuality. If there were too

much swiftness, there could be no long-suffering, no gradual

soul-stretching, nor repenting. With too little time to absorb, to

assimilate, and to apply the truths already given, our capacities would

not be fully developed. Pearls cast before us would go unfound,

ungathered, and unsavored. It takes time to prepare for eternity.



	For he will give unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon

precept; and I will try you and prove you herewith. [D&C 98:12]



	I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon

precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who

hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they

shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more. [2

Nephi 28:30]



	The meek are also less likely to ask amiss in their prayers (see

James 4:3). Being less demanding of life to begin with, they are less

likely to ask selfishly or to act selfishly.



	In so many ways, the wise interplay of our individual agency with

God's loving purposes for us is greatly facilitated by our meekness.

Were it not so, we would, at best, offer ourselves pridefully to God,

but only as we now are-"Take it or leave it," an unacceptable offering.

The only individual who might have credibly done that instead meekly

submitted himself to the Father's further, shaping will (see Alma

7:11-12).



	Meekness could have rescued proud and fearful Judas even after he

had left the Last Supper. He could have slipped back in later, quietly

and humbly, rejoining his apostolic colleagues, having belatedly

determined not to do the dastardly deed. Meekness can rescue us from

ourselves even when we are deep in error, even when others have written

us off.



THE SMALL VIEW VERSUS REALITY



	Meekness enlarges souls, but without hypocrisy. Contrariwise,

"littleness of soul" (D&C 117:11) insures that only a small view of

reality will be taken. This narrow view prevailed when Cain slew Abel

and then gloried and boasted, "Behold, now I am free" (see Moses 5:33).

Free? Yes, free to be "a fugitive and a vagabond" in the stretching

desert he had made of his own life (Moses 5:39). Both Cain's desire for

Abel's flocks and his being offended at the acceptance of Abel's

sacrifice played a part in his fall. Moreover, proud Cain "rejected the

greater counsel which was had from God" (Moses 5:25).



	The small, myopic view also lends itself, in the Lord's words, to

coveting "the drop," while neglecting "the more weighty matters" (D&C

117:8). In all of our getting and grasping we do not seem to grasp, for

instance, the implications of this searching question from the Lord:



	For have I not the fowls of heaven, and also the fish of the sea,

and the beasts of the moun tains? Have I not made the earth? Do I not

hold the destinies of all the armies of the nations of the earth? [D&C

117:6]



	No wonder the Lord also reminds us acquisitive mortals, "For what

is property unto me?" (D&C 117:4).



	I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my

very handiwork; and all things therein are mine. [D&C 104:14]



	One day he will share all he has with the meek. For every one

else, whatever their temporary possessions, the Creator's reversion

clause will take effect.



	The meek likewise understand still another reality-that, as much

as or more than anything else, it is our faith and patience that are to

be tried (see Mosiah 23:21). Our trials, however, occur in the context

of this precious promise:



	Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might ...

becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings. [Mosiah 8:18]



	Before he became encrusted with power, Saul knew a time when he

was "little in [his] own sight" (I Samuel 15:17). However, meekness did

not stay on as his uninvited guest; it quickly departs where it's not

wanted. It is so easy for us to become puffed up and to be

condescending to others. One devoted public servant who ably served

several British Prime Ministers as their private secretary, observed:



	Vanity is a failing common to Prime Minis ters ... ; and I suppose

it is natural in view of the adulation they receive but to which they

are not, like Kings, accustomed. [John Colville, The Fringes of Power

(New York and London: W. W. Norton and Company, 1985), p. 79]



--MEEK AND LOWLY--MEN



	Fortunately, we have fine examples of meekness to help us, and I

need go no farther than my own Quorum.



	The Acting President of the Council of the Twelve, President

Howard W. Hunter, is a meek man. He once refused a job he needed as a

young man because it would have meant another individual would have

lost his job. This is the same lowly man, when I awakened after a weary

and dusty day together with him on assignment in Egypt, who was quietly

shining my shoes, a task he had hoped to complete unseen. Meekness can

be present in the daily and ordinary things.

The President of the Twelve, President Marion G. Romney, is also a meek

man. The scene was a fast and testimony meeting in his home ward, just

after he was first sustained by the Church as a Counselor in the First

Presidency. Touchingly, meekly, and tenderly, President Romney said to

his beloved neighbors that he could obediently sustain whomever the

Lord called, even when the person called was Marion G. Romney. All of

us who were there loved him all the more! Meekness can be there even in

moments of deserved recognition.



	Sir Thomas More was a victim of injustice and irony. Generously

and meekly, just as he was about to be martyred, he said:



	Paul ... was present, and consented to the death of St. Stephen,

and kept their clothes that stoned him to death, and yet be they

[Stephen and Paul] now both twain Holy Saints in heaven, and shall

continue there friends for ever, so I verily trust and ... pray, that

though your lordships have now here in earth been judges to my condemna

tion, we may yet hereafter in heaven merrily all meet together, to our

everlasting salvation. [Anthony Kenny, Thomas More (Oxford and New

York: Oxford University Press, 1983), p. 88]



	Meekness can be present in moments of injustice and crisis at the

hands of lesser men.



	Jesus meekly endured the lesser spiritual maturity in the Twelve

and in his other disciples. He endured this while helping remedy it. He

did this without condescension, without



	



	despairing, without cynicism, and without murmuring. We have only

to look at his prayers to the Father for and in behalf of his disciples

to see how perfect his love is (see John 17). Indeed, when his

followers deserved censure, they received teaching. Though he sometimes

spoke reproving truth to them, Christ spoke the truth in love

(Ephesians 4:15).



	What a contrast to us mortals! At times we withhold reproof, time,

talent, and knowledge from others in order to retain a seeming

advantage, an edge. No wonder there could never be compliance with

consecration without meekness. For consecration seeks to share-not to

withhold.



THE SERIOUS DISCIPLE



	The full witness often does not come until after the trial of your

faith" (Ether 12:6). Those trials may be very focused. President

Lorenzo Snow once said to the Twelve of his day, "Every one of us who

has not already had the experience must yet meet it of being tested in

every place where we are weak" (Abraham H. Cannon journal, April 9,

1890). Indeed, did not the Lord specifically promise the meek that he

would make "weak things become strong unto them" (Ether 12:27)?



	In those instances of available record, the Lord has displayed

much gentleness and tenderness in his tutoring of meek individuals. The

pattern usually involves his disclosing more about himself, about his

work, and what taking his yoke upon us will mean. He thus expands the

horizons of the person being tutored. The Lord likewise usually assigns

the individual a portion of the Lord's work to do. The disciple's

course involves more lab--and fieldwork--than lectures.



	For the serious disciple, the greater his knowledge, the greater

his meekness. The more he strives to become like Jesus and the more he

wishes to declare his gospel, the more he rejoices exceedingly when

Christ's message is heeded, as did the outreaching sons of Mosiah, who

rejoiced that no human soul would perish if they received the gospel.



	Unsurprisingly, the Lord's angelic messengers also reflect meek

friendship, as did the angel that spoke with Alma:



	Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice,

for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in

keep ing the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst

thy first message from him. Behold, I am he that delivered it unto you.

[Alma 8:15]



	The meek are such caring realists!



	These patterns of gentleness and tenderness are too striking to be

accidental. They are even reflected in the voice of the Lord, even in

its very timbre, for his is a pleasant, mild, and gentle voice:



	... it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a

great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect

mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the

very soul [Helaman 5:30]



	... yea, a pleasant voice, as if it were a whisper. [Helaman 5:46]



	... it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice;

nevertheless, and notwithstand ing it being a small voice it did pierce

them that did hear to the center. [3 Nephi 11:3]



	The stunning episode atop the Mount of Transfiguration doubtless

involved the same pattern of further disclosing, preparing, reassuring,

instructing, and blessing with regard to Peter, James, and John (see

Matthew 17:1-9). Though we do not have all of the sacred particulars of

what occurred there, Peter, James, and John received special blessings

and insights as a result of being atop the Mount of Transfiguration. It

was good for them to have been there (Matthew 17:4), but they would not

have been in those supernal circumstances except they were sufficiently

meek, though further trials and tutoring still lay ahead.



	The pattern of calling, blessing, expanding, reassuring, and

endowing are reflective of the generosity as well as the gentleness of

God our Father and his son, Jesus Christ!



	Astonishingly, to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, it

is clear that the Father and the Son are giving away the secrets of the

universe! If only you and I can avoid being offended by their

generosity.



	If we would be with them, whether on a mountaintop or forever, we

should ponder anew these sobering words: "For none is acceptable before

God, save the meek and lowly in heart" (Moroni 7:44). Besides, can we

ever truly and fully accept ourselves until we become more like them?



	That you and I may be meek disciples is my prayer on this special

day. I salute you as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ and thank him

for being our yoke master, for being meek and lowly, and inviting us to

learn of him. It is the only way we can truly learn of him-to take his

yoke upon us. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.









                          LITTLE THINGS COUNT



                          Joseph B. Wirthlin



	Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin was called to be a member of the Council

of the Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in

October 1986. Just prior to this call he had served as a member of the

Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy for nearly two months,

and for the same period he had also served as executive director of the

Curriculum Department and editor of Church magazines. Born and raised

in Salt Lake City, Elder Wirthlin was active in athletics and was a

halfback on the University of Utah football team. He graduated from

that university with a bachelor's degree in business management and

became part of a family-owned wholesale food business, eventually

becoming president of the company. Through the years he also served as

president of a business and trade association in Utah. As a young man,

he served a mission to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. He served as

bishop, high councilor, counselor in a stake presidency, and as a

counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency. Elder Wirthlin began

full-time service to the Church in April 1975 when he was sustained and

set apart as an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve. He was called

to the First Quorum of the Seventy a year later. Elder Wirthlin served

as area supervisor for the Europe Area, as executive administrator for

the Southeast Area of the United States and the Caribbean Islands, and

as executive administrator of Brazil. He has served as managing

director of the Melchizedek Priesthood Department and as managing

director of the Military Relations Committee of the Church. President

of the Europe Area from July 1984 to August 1986, he was in charge of

Church activities in the British Isles, continental Europe,

Scandinavia, and Africa. t& Elder Wirthlin and his wife, Elisa Young

Rogers, are the parents of seven daughters and a son. This fireside

talk was given on 26 October 1986 in the Marriott Center.





	I deem it a privilege, brothers and sisters, to speak to this

audience at this great university. Although I did not attend Brigham

Young University, I am a great fan of your president, Jeffrey R.

Holland; your faculty; your stakes and wards; your beautiful campus;

and your athletic teams. But most of all, I honor the standards taught

and lived on this campus. What a great privilege for you to learn and

grow in this spiritual and academic atmosphere of truth.



	I have been impressed recently with the thought that this life is

made up of little things-little things that count a great deal. I

believe that the little things are of great importance in our

relationship with ourselves, in our relationships with others, and in

our relationship with God.



	The Lord has said, "Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye

are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things

proceedeth that which is great" (D&C 64:33).



RELATIONSHIP WITH SELF



	Let us first consider our relationship with ourselves. Along with

earning good grades, which I know all of you receive, you must take

proper care in your fife to see that the little things regarding your

personal life are in order. You must learn, along with geometry and

English literature, to care for your health and your mental well-being.

Do you maintain proper exercise that will give you the extra energy and

alertness of mind to keep your spirit strong and your attitude

positive? Are you wise in your diet? Do you avoid the unnourishing

snacks that might keep your stomach full but your health quite empty?



	Our bodies are truly the result of what we eat and the exercise we

receive. If we are not wise, these little things can soon catch up with

us to become major health problems that will limit our success and

contribution.



	President Brigham Young once said, "Let us seek to extend the

present life to the uttermost, by observing every law of health, and by

properly balancing labor, study, rest, and recreation" (DBY, p. 186).



	Many students feel that proper rest is not an important concern at

this time in life. Yet the Lord said, "Cease to sleep longer than is

needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise

early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated" (D&C

88:124). Some suffer from too little sleep, and some suffer from too

much. This might seem like a little matter to you. But the wise student

soon learns the value of regular hours and sufficient sleep.



	I have often thought that some of the most common little things in

our lives are the minutes that pass in each hour of the day. For each

human being, time is indeed an indispensable resource. It can neither

be ignored nor altered. We are compelled to spend it at a fixed rate of

sixty minutes every hour. No spigot can be installed to regulate its

flow, and no refilling device can replenish its quantity.



	The question is not one of managing the clock, but one of managing

ourselves with respect to the time we have. As Peter Drucker, the

distinguished management consultant, has said, time is " man's most

perishable resource," and unless it is managed, nothing else can be

managed (see Peter F. Drucker, Management [New York: Harper and Row,

Publishers, 1974], p. 70). Each minute is a little thing and yet, with

respect to our personal productivity, to manage the minute is the

secret of success.



	To these suggestions regarding the little things that impact your

physical self, add the encouragement to develop your thoughts along

lofty paths:



THE EFFECT OF A THOUGHT



Whenever you cultivate a thought,

Remember it will trace

With certain touch in pictured form

A story on your face.

Whenever you dwell upon a thought,

Remember it will roll

Into your being and become

A fiber of your soul.

Whenever you send out a thought,

Remember it will be

A force throughout the universe

For all eternity.

[Anonymous, in A Collection of Inspirational Verse for Latter-day

Saints, comps. Bryan B. Gardner and Calvin T. Broadhead (Salt Lake

City: Bookcraft, 1963), p. 132]



RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS



	With regard to our relationships with others, I often marvel to

think of the perfect example that the Lord Jesus Christ provides in all

aspects of our existence. If we were to meet him, we would find him

refreshingly pleasant and perfect in all his relationships and his

dealings with each individual. As we study his life and his teachings,

especially those found in our modem scriptures, we learn of divine ways

to relate to others and grow from our association with our fellowmen.



	Have you considered his teachings in your relationship with your

best friends-your parents? Do you regularly call them or write them a

note to express your love and keep them informed of your progress in

school and in life? Do you communicate with them simply to say, "I

honor you and I value your teachings and example"? The commandment to

honor father and mother does not cease when we celebrate our

eighteenth, twenty-first, thirtieth, or even sixtieth birthday.



	Do you take the time to remember some of the simple courtesies

that are so important in your efforts to build personal regard and

graciousness in relationships with others? Do you brethren hold the

door for the sisters whenever you can? Do you remember the smile, the

compliment, the positive note, and the word of encouragement? We should

do these important little things without hesitation. They should be a

part of our everyday manner as we groom ourselves socially in these

critical young-adult years.



	Lord Chesterfield said, "Trifles, little attentions, mere

nothings, either done or neglected, win make you either liked or

disliked in the general run of the world" (Forty Thousand Quotations,

comp. Charles Noel Douglas [Oyster Bay, New York: Nelson Doubleday,

1917], p. 1822).



	As an illustration of important little things, consider one of

baseball's greats as described in the Saturday Evening Post:



	The guy stands 6'4" tall. He weighs 215 pounds. To say he's tough

would be an under statement. But he's proved you don't have to drink

beer, spit tobacco, laugh at dirty jokes, or curse at the umpires to be

a winner in baseball. He's clean as a glass of milk and gentle as a

lamb. His name is Dale Murphy.



	Chuck Tanner, the manager of the 1986 Atlanta Braves, calls Murphy

"Mr. Perfect." In eight seasons with the Braves, the 30-year old Murphy

has compiled team career-batting figures exceeded only by the Hall of

Famer Hank Aaron. [And let me add that Murphy's career is far from

finished.] Tanner and others who have watched, coached, or played with

Murphy rhapsodize when asked about the likable father of four young

boys who teaches religion to teen-agers in [the] Reswell, Georgia,

[ward] during the off-sea son. "God puts somebody down here like Murphy

only every 50 years," Tanner says. "I'm not talking just about

baseball, either. I'm talking about him as a person. In my opinion,

there is no finer fellow on earth."



	[And] Willie Stargell ... praises Mur phy. "He just never has a

bad word for any body." ["Dale Murphy: Baseball's Mr. Nice Guy,"

Saturday Evening Post, October 1986, p. 48]



	Dale Murphy, along with many others, has learned the importance of

little things in his relationships with others. Whether teaching

seminary or relating to his team members, he remembers the kindnesses

and compassion that endear him to his fellowmen.



	Patience and long-suffering, considered by some to be little

things in this life, are some of the crowning attributes in dealing

with our fellowmen. Whether it be in athletics, in business, or in our

Church associations, if you can acquire these two great attributes, you

will find that you really can work with people and have a good

influence in their lives.



	Elder Richard L. Evans wrote:



	There are battles within ourselves, and bat tles outside

ourselves. The good strives with us . . . and finds itself in

competition with the spirit that would tempt us to compromise, to be

critical, indifferent, rebellious, to relax our standards, and do what

sometime we shall surely regret.



	And since everyone has his struggles, his better days and worse

ones, his good impulses and less worthy ones, his arguments inside

himself, since all of us need understanding, forgiveness,

encouragement, all of us would well give compassionate consideration to

oth ers. One quality of character most needed in this world is

compassion for other people. One of the urgent lessons of life is to

learn how to live with imperfect people-including our selves. And if we

are not altogether pleased with us, it should be easy to understand why

we are not altogether pleased with others. [Richard L. Evans, Thoughts

for One Hundred Days, vol. 4, (Salt Lake City: Publishers Press, 1970),

pp. 206-7]



	Henry Ward Beecher said that "every man should have a good-sized

cemetery in which to bury the faults of his friends" (Evans, p. 207).



	I am reminded of one event when compassion for others played less

of a role, and the little matter of listening carefully to the coach's

direction made a great deal of difference. When I played football for

the University of Utah some years ago, we faced the University of

Colorado in one important game. They were a very formidable team and

the team we wanted to defeat the most. This game would decide the

conference championship. Our coach, Ike Armstrong, who was very similar

in character and personality to Coach LaVell Edwards, said to our large

tackle, who was our kickoff specialist, "Do not kick off to Whizer

White, because he has made a number of successful runbacks this season

for touchdowns on the opening kickoff."



	When the high-arching kickoff football returned to the earth, it

landed right in the waiting arms of Whizer White, who was three yards

behind the goal line. He ran the full length of the field, 103 yards,

for a touchdown. All eleven players from the University of Utah touched

him, but none could stop him. A little error on the part of the kicker

put us seven points behind.



	The second counsel the coach had given us was not to let Whizer

White get beyond the scrimmage line when he carried the ball. "If you

do, " he said, "he'll be gone for a touchdown." That seemingly little

error became a very big challenge during that football game. On one

play he did pass the line of scrimmage and made another touchdown. The

score at halftime was 14-0 in favor of Colorado University. We soon

learned the meaning of the worn-out complaint, "That's easy for you to

say, Coach."



	Five minutes after the beginning of the second half, a heavy

snowstorm blew in from the Oquirrh Mountains, and we soon had eight

inches of snow on the field. We managed to score a touchdown and an

extra point, making the final score 14-7. Two so-called small errors

cost us the game.



	Other important little things that merit our attention are the

small acts of service we perform for our fellowmen. President Spencer

W. Kimball said:



	I have learned that it is by serving that we learn how to serve.

When we are engaged in the service of our fellowmen, not only do our

deeds assist them, but we put our own prob lems in a fresher

perspective. When we con cern ourselves more with others, there is less

time to be concerned with ourselves....



	God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually

through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital

that we serve each other in the kingdom.... So often, our acts of

service consist of simple encouragement or of giving mundane help with

mundane tasks, but what glorious con sequences can flow from mundane

acts and from small but deliberate deeds! [Spencer W. Kimball, "Small

Acts of Service," Ensign, December 1974, pp. 2, 5]



	I am grateful to my parents for their careful attention to detail

in teaching me to live the principles of the gospel in relation to my

fellowmen. My father was totally honest and set a great example for us

children. When I was about seven years old, he sent me to the hardware

store on an errand. He had given me five dollars, which in those days

could buy a great deal. When I returned home, he counted the change I

had and discovered that the store clerk had given me one dollar too

much. The store was about a mile from our home, but he insisted that I

walk back and return the money. This is typical of the lessons of

honesty he taught us all during our childhood and teenage years.



	How careful are you in your dealings with your fellowmen? Are you

completely honest in your schoolwork? Do you abide by the rules when

you have a take-home exam or a closed-book assignment? Do you

carelessly allow group work to be evaluated as your personal work when

such is not allowed? Is another's computer program represented as your

own creation? Such temptations are common. Likewise, the infractions

are too common. But any true Latter-day Saint knows the attitude of the

Lord toward such behavior. No man is worthy of his priesthood calling

and no woman is without blame who consciously cheats or deals in

dishonest ways.



	My father also taught me the value of balance in my life. Before

my senior year of football and academic pursuits, he encouraged me to

go on a mission. He said, "If you don't go now, you'll probably never

go." A little over two-and-a-half years later, I found myself newly

released from my mission and standing on the streets of Berlin watching

the German soldiers board the train to travel to Poland for the Nazi

invasion. I was barely able to accomplish my travel home to Salt Lake

City because of the immediate eruption of World War 11. Had I not

followed the advice of my father, I probably would not have had the

opportunity to serve a mission.



RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD



And now the little things in our relationship with God. In the

fashioning of our spiritual bodies, our Heavenly Father took great care

to place in each of us every little potential of character, of

compassion, of joy, and of knowledge that we would need in our quest

for personal growth. The seeds for each godly character trait are in

each of us. With that assurance, we are truly able to grow toward

godhood as he has commanded us. Do you recall the Savior's words to the

Nephites: "What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you,

even as I am" (3 Nephi 27:27).



	What if your Creator had neglected some little things-had

neglected to place within your spiritual makeup some of the necessary

traits to obtain the godly nature you strive for? Suppose he had made

some minor mistakes and had overlooked placing within you the ability

to be honest, compassionate, or loyal. To you, such a matter would seem

like an immense disservice. Yet for God it might have been an

inconsequential oversight in the creation of so many millions of

spirits. But he did not overlook such things. He showed perfect care in

the creation of each and every spirit--each unique in specifics but

common in potential.



	So it must also be in our early lives. We must give attention to

the detail that will help us to grow and develop in our relationship

with God. We should heed the words of the prophet Alma to his son

Helaman, "But behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things

are great things brought to pass" (Alma 37:6).



	President David O. McKay focused our thinking on the purpose of

our earthly existence in 1969 when he said:



	Keep in mind that man's earthly existence is but a test as to

whether he will concentrate his efforts, his mind, his soul upon things

which contribute to the comfort and gratification of his physical

nature, or whether he will make as his life's purpose the acquisition

of spiritual qualities. [David O. McKay, CR, October 1969, p. 8]



	The desire to acquire spiritual qualities will lead us to be

cautious about the little lies that make us dishonest, or about the

small infractions of the Word of Wisdom that turn our bodies and

spirits away from that which is sacred and worthwhile.



	The same desire will cause us to pray a little longer and to be a

little more forgiving of our neighbor's faults. We will love more and

criticize less. If we seek personal growth in a Christ-like direction,

we must make as our life's purpose the acquisition of these spiritual

qualities.



	Certainly one of Satan's prime messages in today's world is that

we really do not need to worry about the small matters. Nephi warned us

against this attitude when he said:



	And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be

merry; nevertheless, fear God-he will justify in committing a little

sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words,

dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these

things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God

will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the

kingdom of God.



	Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner,

false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their

hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and

their works shall be in the dark. . . .



	For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to

it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp

them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and

perish;



	For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the

children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.

[2 Nephi 28:8-9, 19-20]



	So-called little transgressions are especially serious in our

effort to live a life of moral purity. Satan would have us believe that

the minor infractions do not need to concern us. Why worry if we do not

control our thoughts or if we allow pornographic or immoral

entertainment to be part of our lives? Does attending just a few

R-rated movies or immoral PG movies really damage us? Are we so

unworthy when we watch just two or three questionable programs on the

cable television channels? Are the lewd novels of the day really so

bad?



	These little rationalizations prompted by Satan will become great

detriments to our spiritual growth. Pornography in all its forms-found

at the movie theater, on television, and in printed form-constitutes a

spiritual poison that is addictive and destructive. Every ounce of

pornography and immoralentertainment will cause you to lose a pound of

spirituality. And it will only take a few ounces of immorality to cause

you to lose all of your spiritual strength, for the Lord's Spirit will

not dwell in an unclean temple.



	Our prophet, President Ezra Taft Benson, gave us excellent counsel

just a month ago. He said:



	We counsel you ... not to pollute your minds with such degrading

matter, for the mind through which this filth passes is never the same

afterward. Don't see R-rated movies or vulgar videos or participate in

any enter tainment that is immoral, suggestive, or pornographic....



	... Watch those shows and entertainment that lift the spirit and

promote clean thoughts and actions. Read books and magazines that do

the same. [Ezra Taft Benson, "To the Young Women of the Church,"

Ensign, November 1986, p. 84]



	Perhaps Satan would tempt us further by suggesting that going a

little too far in our physical affection with a boyfriend or girlfriend

is not so serious. After all, we are aware of the main commandments and

have no intention of violating them. But what we must remember is that

our procreative powers are sacred, beautiful gifts from God and are to

be used only in marriage. All sexual activity outside of marriage is

forbidden. Our physical affection as we date, and even when we are

engaged, must be limited to that which is conservative and

wholesome-behavior far different than that which is commonly portrayed

in the media of our day.



	Lucifer is a master at step-by-step deception. He can make little

things seem so harmless when, in reality, they will quickly bind the

soul and destroy the spirit. He can make immodest dress and suggestive

behavior seem very acceptable. He can cause us to think that a little

indiscretion in speech and manner is still quite wholesome. But soon

those little steps repeat themselves in an everdescending pattern until

one is at a far lower level than ever imagined.



	I suggest on the positive side that we watch for all possible

little opportunities to overcome evil and increase our spiritual

strength. We must let virtue garnish our thoughts unceasingly, that our

confidence will wax strong in the presence of God (see D&C 121:45).



	Remember that prayer is really one of the major factors in our

lives. President Ezra Taft Benson relates a special experience with

prayer:



	Rearing 11 vigorous children to honorable manhood and womanhood on

a small farm is no easy accomplishment. Yet, as my father and mother

devoted themselves to this task, they never seemed to have any fear of

the future. The reason was their faith-their confidence that they could

always go to the Lord and He would see them through.



	"Remember that whatever you do or wherever you are, you are never

alone," was my father's familiar counsel. "Our Heavenly Father is

always near. You can reach out and receive His aid through prayer."



	All through my life the counsel to depend on prayer has been

prized above any other advice I have ever received. It has become an

integral part of me, an anchor, a constant source of strength.



	Prayer came to my aid during a most terri fying experience of my

early life. I was a missionary in (Sunderland) England.... My

companion, William Harris, and I were standing back to back, facing a

hostile crowd that was swelled by a rowdy element from the pubs, men

who were always eager for excite ment and not averse to violence.



	What had started out to be a customary street meeting soon took on

the proportions of an angry, unmanageable mob. Many false malicious

rumors had been spread about our church activities.



	The crowd started swaying. Someone in the rear called out, "What's

the excitement?" Several voices shouted, "It's them bloody Mormons!"

This touched off a clamorous demonstration: "Let's get'em under our

feet!" "Throw'em in the river!"



	The mob surged forward and tried to force us to the ground so they

might trample us.



	In my anxiety, I silently prayed for the Lord's guidance and

protection. When it seemed that I could hold out no longer, a husky

young stranger pushed through to my side and said in a strong, clear

voice: "I be lieve every word you said tonight. I'm your friend. "



	As he spoke, a little circle cleared around me. This, to me, was a

direct answer to my fervent prayer. The next thing I knew, a sturdy

English bobby was convoying us safely through the crowd and back to our

lodgings. [Frederick W. Babbel, On Wings of Faith (Salt Lake City:

Bookcraft, Inc., 1972), pp. 85-86]



	Using that great principle of prayer taught by his parents saved

the life of

President Benson and his companion.



	Consider President McKay's comments once again regarding the many

little things that build our spirituality:



	"Every noble impulse, every unselfish ex pression of love, every

brave suffering for the right; every surrender of self to something

higher than self, every loyalty to an ideal; every unselfish devotion

to principle; every helpfulness to humanity; every act of self con

trol; every fine courage of the soul, undefeated by pretence or policy,

but by being, doing, and living of good for the very good's sake--that

is spirituality. [David O. McKay, "Something Higher Than Self,"

Speeches of the Year, October 12, 1965, pp. 4-5]



	President McKay also taught us that 'spirituality is the

consciousness of victory over self, and of communion with the Infinite.

Spirituality impels one to conquer difficulties and acquire more and

more strength. To feel one's faculties unfolding and truth expanding

the soul is one of life's sublimest experiences" (David O. McKay, CR,

April 1949, p. 17).



	These little things, which, in reality, become such big things,

bring perspective to our lives as we learn to conquer them one by one

in our effort to gain more and more strength. And this we do in a

spirit of humility and gratitude to our Heavenly Father. Alma expressed

it best when he said:



	And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and

gentle; easy to be en treated; full of patience and long-suffering;

being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the

commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand

in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God

for whatsoever things ye do receive. [Alma 7:23]



	Our living prophet today, President Ezra Taft Benson, observes in

a positive way that all these things are possible. He said, "Our

Father's children are essentially good. I think they have, all of them,

a spark of divinity in them ... and they want to do what is right"

(Ezra Taft Benson, Regional Representatives' seminar, 4 October 1973).



	This is our religion. We should try to live every day with

absolute faith, for we have learned in life that the Lord keeps his

promises and watches over those who trust him in spite of their many

faults. He has been so good to all of us that we should have a profound

conviction that he must really love us in spite of our faults.



	I testify to you that these so-called little things that I have

mentioned tonight really do count in the eternal perspective of what it

is all about, and that is to gain eternal life in the presence of our

Heavenly Father.



	I testify that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and that

President Ezra Taft Benson is a true and living prophet, who works

under the direction of our Lord and Savior. I pray that we may have the

knowledge in our hearts and minds that little things do count as we

prepare in this life to meet our Lord and Savior. I say this in the

name of Jesus Christ. Amen.









                              GOING HOME



                            Henry B. Eyring



	Henry B. Eyring, noted educator and businessman, was called as

First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric in April 1985. Born in

Princeton, Ne-w Jersey, Bishop Eyring received his bachelor's degree in

physics from the University of Utah and MBA and DBA degrees from

Harvard. He taught at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford

University, at which time he also served as bishop, and was a visiting

faculty fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. President of

Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho, from 1971 to 1977, he then served as

deputy commissioner for three years before his appointment as Church

Commissioner of Education in September 1980.  Bishop Eyring has served

as director of a number of corporations in California and has

coauthored a book entitled The Organizational World. He is married to

Kathleen Johnson, and they are the parents of four sons and two

daughters. This devotional address was given in the Marriott Center on

18 November 1986.





FINDING OUR WAY BACK



	I want to talk with you about going home. This is the time of year

when all of us feel a tug at our hearts. Many of you will be thinking

about being home for the holidays. But all of us know, perhaps more

than at any other time of year, that happiness in some way centers on a

family-both in this world and the next.



	Only as I've grown older have I come to understand what my parents

did for me. Of all the influences they had on me perhaps the most

powerful was the desire to somehow be worthy to be home again with my

Heavenly Father, forever. And by their example, and a little preaching,

they taught me how I can find my way back to my Heavenly Father. Since

I learned this by using scripture to understand experience, I'll share

it with you that way. But let me first tell you the lesson so it won't

take you so long to recognize it. It's this simple chain:



	1. We will find our way home to our Heavenly Father only if we win

the companionship of the Holy Ghost so we can recognize truth.



	2. The companionship of the Holy Ghost requires our being clean.



	3. Being clean requires exercising faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

unto repentance.



	That sounds so simple, but it is so hard because there is a Satan,

the father of lies, who also knows that simple chain which will give us

the companionship of the Spirit of Truth. Ms determination to keep you

from following this chain explains the blunt language Brigham Young

used to describe our challenge:



	The men and women, who desire to obtain seats in the celestial

kingdom, will find that they must battle every day. [DBY, p. 392]



	The nature of that battle, and its difficulty, came clear to me in

an airplane not long ago. It was a long flight, so I wrote and read and

thought. As I'd rushed out of the door from home, I'd taken one of my

son's worn and inexpensive editions of the Book of Mormon. As I read it

on the plane, I saw that his seminary teacher had led him through it. I

began to move through the book to see what passages were marked and

annotated in red ink, wondering what that teacher had taught him was

important. I went along and then my eyes fell on these words of the

prophet Nephi:



	Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your

probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgment-seat of God;

and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off

forever. [1 Nephi 10:21]



	Those words made my heart bum, and my eyes too. I thought for a

minute of what our Heavenly Father might feel as he had to send

children he loved away, forever, because they could not be with him.



	And then a few minutes later, after having lunch and visiting with

the person next to me, I picked up a national news magazine from the

pocket in the seat in front of me and began to leaf through it. I came

to the movie reviews. Only three movies were reviewed. I began to read

the first, stopped part way through, went to the second, and then to

the third. The three films were reported to portray real people

committing acts of immorality, some fortunately beyond my powers of

imagination. The reviewers warned me about only one of them, on the

grounds that it would be boring, and urged me to see the other two.



	Just minutes later I moved a few chapters through the book of 1

Nephi where these words seemed to appear in bold print:



	But behold, I say unto you, the kingdom of God is not filthy, and

there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God; wherefore

there must needs be a place of filthiness prepared for that which is

filthy. [I Nephi 15:34]



	That set me to pondering. I thought of you and of me. We have a

problem. We live in a world where there are voices competing for our

belief. They claim the authority of truth. Some are clearly lying and

some are not. And you and I need to know what is true and what is not,

out of far more than curiosity. We need to know. And we need to be

sure.



	Some of those voices-some of the loudest-tell you that the

questions which matter will yield to reason. And they even warn you

that those who purport to answer questions without using their rules of

rational analysis are to be distrusted and even despised.



	Your common sense and experience tell you something else. So does

mine. Let me illustrate for you what I know about the questions that

matter and how they are answered by telling you about the last

conversations I had with my father.



	He was suffering through the end of a long struggle with bone

cancer. He still weighed enough and was in such pain that it was hard

work to move him from a chair to his bed. Others far more heroic than I

spent the months and the days caring for him. But I took some turns on

the midnight to dawn shift.



	The effects of disease had removed the powers of reason he'd used

to make a mark that is still visible in science. He seemed to me almost

like a child as we talked through the night. Most of his memories were

of riding across the range together with his father in Old Mexico. But

sometimes even those happy pictures could not crowd from his mind the

terrible pain.



	One night when I was not with him and the pain seemed more than he

could bear, he somehow got out of bed and on his knees beside it-I know

not how. He pled with God to know why he was suffering so. And the next

morning he said, with quiet firmness, "I know why now. God needs brave

sons."



	Now, when someone tells you the questions that matter yield only

to some rational analysis, remember that the stunning achievements of

reason over the past three hundred years have sprung from what is

called the "scientific method." I hope you'll also remember, as I

always will, the scientist Henry Eyring on his knees, when the

questions that really mattered yielded to the method for finding truth

he'd teamed as a little boy at his mother's knee in Old Mexico. This

was long before he took the train to Tucson, and Berkeley, and Madison,

and then on to Berlin and Princeton to use the scientific method to

create theories that changed the scientific world. What he learned on

his knees brought him peace and changed my life.



	It changed my life, but hearing this story today will change yours

only if you know that the answer to his prayer was true. And you can

only know that the way he did , and the way I do-by the gentle voice of

the Holy Ghost speaking to your heart.



SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH



	God has blessed us with sure guides to truth. Some of us have been

blessed with parents who knew where to find truth. All of us can listen

to the voice of a living prophet to whom God speaks the truth and asks

that he tell us. The words of the prophet, and the words of scripture,

are the rod which Lehi saw would lead us to the tree of life.



	But many have heard those words, and read them, and still have not

known that they are true. The method of knowing truth requires that

both he who speaks and he who hears be guided by the Holy Ghost. You

and I can only know it is the truth if we can hear the Holy Spirit

confirm and expand it in our own hearts. Of all the methods of

searching for the truth, that is the one you and I need most.



	The key is in the words of Nephi I was reading on the plane that

day. It might surprise you that in a passage on being clean would be

the key to gaining the Holy Ghost as your constant companion. It

shouldn't surprise you though, because in all but the most casual

references to the Holy Spirit in the scriptures, the cry to be clean is

close by. The pairing of spiritual cleanliness and the gifts of the

Spirit, the power to know and speak truth, becomes plain in the words

of Nephi.



	Nephi wanted to know for himself that what his father said he had

seen in a vision was true. His father had reported seeing the fearsome

landscape we move across in life, either toward eternal life or toward

forever being shut out from our Father. Nephi knew he had to know for

himself, and so listen to how he pursued the truth:



	And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of

my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the

things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he

received by faith on the Son of God-and the Son of God was the Messiah

who should come. I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and

hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which

is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in

times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the

children of men.



	For he is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever; and the way is

prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that

they repent and come unto him. [1 Nephi 10:17-18]



	Now you can see why President Benson, a living prophet of God, has

repeatedly said, "Read the Book of Mormon." The Book of Mormon is the

most powerful written testimony we have that Jesus is the Christ. What

did Nephi say was the basis for receiving the Holy Ghost?  Faith in the

Lord Jesus Christ. Will reading the Book of Mormon now and then ensure

faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? You wouldn't count on it if you read

Nephi carefully. He said this "is the gift ... to all those who

diligently seek him." Diligently surely means regularly. And it surely

means pondering and praying. And the praying will surely include the

fervent pleading to know the truth. Anything less would hardly be

diligent. And anything less will not be enough for you and for me.



	That diligence will allow faith to grow, and then will come a

desire to repent and a confidence that forgiveness is possible. Real

repentance requires as diligent a pursuit as real faith. The

forgiveness you seek is only possible through the ordinance of baptism,

performed by God's authorized servants, and by then keeping the

covenants you make with God.



	If you are not yet a member of the Church, you are required to

seek baptism by those who hold the priesthood of God. If you have been

baptized, it means diligently keeping the covenants.



	Each week you can hear in the sacramental prayer the promise you

and I so much need to see fulfilled.



	And always remember him and keep his com mandments which he has

given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. [D&C

20:77]



	That might well raise a question in your mind. You may now be

reading the Book of Mormon diligently, daily. You may be praying often

and with real intent. That may have led to such faith in Jesus Christ

that you remember him with love. And that surely will have both led you

to a broken heart and to seeking forgiveness for past sins and a

determination to keep every commandment. But you may still say, "With

all that, I don't seem to get the promptings of what is true as easily

as I think I should if I really have his Spirit, the Holy Ghost, to be

with me."



	The great Prophet Joseph Smith once had a test of patience beyond

what most of us have endured. He was locked in Liberty Jail and the

Saints were suffering. He pled in prayer for action, now. God granted

him, in answer to his prayer, something more than he asked. He told him

how he would pour out knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the

Saints. He talked about the priceless knowledge of knowing how to act

so that we may be servants of God, worthy of his power. And then he

told him, and he told you and me, how it will feel as knowledge of the

truth comes. Here it is, at the end of section 121 of the Doctrine and

Covenants:



	Let thy bowels also be full of charity to wards all men, and to

the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceas

ingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and

the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews

from heaven.



	The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant com panion, and thy scepter

an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion

shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall

flow unto thee forever and ever. [D&C 121:45-46]



	You and I need to be patient, and for a reason. A quick reading of

the Book of Mormon, a few prayers, a shallow attempt at repentance, a

casual regard for the covenants we've made-of course that is not

enough. The scriptures use over and over again the word "steadiness" to

describe faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. When faith and

repentance and diligent efforts to live the commandments have gone on

long enough that virtue garnishes our thoughts unceasingly, then the

doctrine of the priesthood, the truthful answers to the questions that

really matter, will distill upon us as the dews from heaven.



	That's been my experience with seeking the confirmation of truth

by the Spirit of God. I have at times sought it by singular effort, in

times of great need, and it has come. Investigators have that

experience when they reach the point where they must know if the Book

of Mormon is true.



	But far more often for me, I notice its presence in quiet

confirmations at times when all I seem to have done is to plod on in

diligence, doing the simple things-searching the scriptures with a

prayer in my heart and with more concern for others and therefore less

time for pursuits that let Satan, the father of lies, entice me. It's

in periods of that steadiness that I notice, almost in the way you are

surprised at your wet shoes from the dew formed on the grass overnight,

and look up and realize the Holy Ghost has been enlightening my mind

and enlarging my heart.



'I KNOW ALL THEIR WORKS'



	Perhaps the most difficult part of the whole process is not to

keep going but to begin. That's true with many projects you face. It

may be hard to start writing a paper, or to work a set of math

problems. But there is an added difficulty in this most important

project. It is that you have a skilled adversary who both lies and

urges you to lie.



	Of all his falsehoods, perhaps none is so commonly used and so

frequently successful as this: "No one knows, so wait to repent."



	It's not true. First of all, you know. That almost invariably

means that the price you must pay to procrastinate repentance is to

lie. That lie may be that you take the sacrament when you know you are

unworthy. Or it may be to live the lie of accepting the blessings of

this university when you know that you have broken the pledge you made

to it.



	You may be perfectly content to accept that deception on top of

the effects of the sin itself, but you pay a price. Even a man who

looked with the eyes of science could see that pain. Lewis Thomas

seemed almost surprised when he wrote this about lie detectors and

their implications. Here is what he said:



	As I understand it, a human being cannot tell a lie, even a small

one, without setting off a kind of smoke alarm somewhere deep in a dark

lobule of the brain, resulting in the sud den discharge of nerve

impulses, or the sud den outpouring of neurohormones of some sort, or

both. The outcome, recorded by the lie-detector gadgetry, is a highly

reproducible cascade of changes in the electrical conductiv ity of the

skin, the heart rate, and the manner of breathing, similar to the

responses to vari ous kinds of stress.



	Lying, then, is stressful, even when we do it for protection, or

relief, or escape, or profit, or just for the pure pleasure of lying

and getting away with it. It is a strain, distressing enough to cause

the emission of signals to and from the central nervous system warning

that something has gone wrong. It is, in a pure physiological sense, an

unnatural act. [Lewis Thomas, Late Night Thoughts on Listening to

Mahler's Ninth Symphony (New York: Bantam Books, 1984), p. 128]



	It is unnatural in far more than a physiological sense. It is

contrary to the nature of our spirits. You are a spirit child of God, a

god of truth. Whatever stress your body feels from your choosing to

lie, your spirit must be torn far more. The relief of that load by

confessing and moving forward to full repentance will more than

compensate for whatever unpleasant consequences being honest brings

upon you.



	Perhaps even more important than recognizing that you know what

you have done is knowing that God knows. You and I can't be fooled into

believing anything is hidden. The Savior taught us in 2 Nephi,



	And wo unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the

Lord! And their works are in the dark; and they say: Who seeth us, and

who knoweth us? ... Behold, I will show unto them, saith the Lord of

Hosts, that I know all their works. For shall the work say of him that

made it, he made me not? Or shall the thing framed say of him that

framed it, he had no understanding? [2 Nephi 27:27]



	And not only does our Heavenly Father see all we do, but he sees

us with such eyes of love that Enoch, who saw God's reaction to sin in

the time of Noah in vision, asked of God in surprise,



	How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all

eternity to all eternity? [Moses 7:29]



	And God explained that he saw the terrible, inescapable

consequences of unrepented and unforgiven sins. He said this to Enoch:



	And the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the

workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, see

ing these shall suffer? [Moses 7:37]



	God knows all we have done. And while he cannot look on sin with

the least degree of allowance, he looks on us with compassion beyond

our capacity to measure. When the scripture speaks of the whole heavens

weeping, I think of another picture, given to us by the Prophet Joseph

Smith. This is what he said:



	The spirits of the just are ... blessed in their departure to the

world of spirits. Enveloped in flaming fire, they are not far from us,

and know and understand our thoughts, feelings, and motions, and are

often pained therewith. [HC 6:52]



	These words pain me when I think of those I have loved and who

loved me who are surely now among the spirits of the just. The

realization that they feel pain for us and that the God of Heaven weeps

because of our unrepented sin is surely enough to soften our hearts and

move us to action. And it is surely reason enough to avoid even the

approaches, the very thought, of committing serious sin.



	If you could take one picture with you in your mind today, let it

be of a son, Nephi. His father told him of his vision about how to get

back home again to Heavenly Father and to the Savior. But for Nephi it

wasn't enough to hear his father's words. He had to know the truth for

himself, to be sure he would know the way.



	You've heard some words today--words about your needing the

companionship of the Holy Spirit, of needing to be clean to have it, of

needing to have the faith to repent to be clean, and of the deceit

which will be used to keep you from repentance and so from the gift.



	You might find a moment sometime before the end of this day to ask

God if these words are true. You won't have a record of what I have

said, so you might read them in verses 18 through 21 of the tenth

chapter of I Nephi. You might even have a prayer in your heart now to

know for yourself they are true as I read them. Here's what Nephi

taught you about the loving God who has provided a way for you to come

home:



	For he is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever; and the way is

prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that

they repent and come unto him.



	For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of

God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as

well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as

in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal

round.

	Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be

brought into judgment.



	Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your

probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgment-seat Of God;

and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off

forever.



	And the Holy Ghost giveth authority that I should speak these

things, and deny them not. [I Nephi 10:18-21]



THE COMPANIONSHIP OF THE HOLY GHOST



	Could I now give two bits of practical advice? In my promptings

from the Holy Spirit, I have a sense that you really are trying and you

really want the gift of the Holy Ghost. I would give you these

suggestions.



	First of all, the Holy Ghost is and must be very sensitive. He can

be easily offended. I worried as I came here today, hoping I might do

nothing that would offend him. Let me give you a little advice the

Prophet Joseph Smith gave to the leaders of the Church.



	Here is another important item. If you assem ble from time to

time, and proceed to discuss important questions, and pass decisions

upon the same, and fail to note them down, by and by you will be driven

to straits from which you will not be able to extricate yourselves,

because you may be in a situation not to bring your faith to bear with

sufficient perfection or power to obtain the desired information; or,

perhaps, for neglecting to write these things when God had revealed

them, not esteeming them of sufficient worth, the Spirit may with draw,

and God may be angry; and there is, or was, a vast knowledge, of

infinite importance, which is now lost. [Teachings, p. 73]







	And there is or was a vast knowledge of infinite importance that

is now lost. I'm not sure that means you should have been taking notes,

but it means that in your heart, at least, the attitude of writing down

even the simplest things that may come from the Spirit would invite the

Spirit back again.



	One other bit of advice. We have been talking together about

ourselves, how much we need, how much we must do, how we would be

blessed if we had the companionship of the Holy Ghost. My own

experience is this: Of all the times I have felt the promptings of the

Spirit, they have come most forcefully and most surely when I was

asking Heavenly Father, "I love someone, I know they have a need, tell

me what you would have me do for them."



	Let me remind you of a great man. His name was Mormon. He wrote

this when he was putting together what we now find in the Book of

Mormon and he didn't know why he was told to put in certain things and

not to put in others.



	And I do this [speaking of this arranging of the book] for a wise

purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the

Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now I do not know all things;

but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he

worketh in me to do according to his will. [Words of Mormon 1:7]



	And then, in the very next verse, it's almost as if Mormon is

telling us why God is able to take him like a little child and lead him

to do things God does not explain the reasons for. Listen to what he

writes:



	And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once

again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that

they may once again be a delight some people. [Words of Mormon 1:8]



	Years ago a wise father got a letter from a son in the mission

field who wrote, "I can't get the feeling for this work. I'm

discouraged." The father wrote back what you would think would be too

simple a suggestion. He wrote back and said, "Forget yourself and go to

work." My prayer is that in the desire to have the companionship of the

Holy Spirit we might forget ourselves and go to work and that we might

truly seek the good of our Father's children. If with all our hearts we

try to take his children home again, we'll be there too.



	I pray that we might live so we might have the companionship of

the Holy Spirit, that we might all go home again, in the name of Jesus

Christ. Amen.







                           THE SOUL'S CENTER



                          Patricia T. Holland



	Both Patricia Terry Holland and her husband, President Jeffrey R.

Holland, were born in St. George, Utah, and went to Dixie College. They

were married while attending BYU, and their first child was born in

Provo while Jeffrey worked on his master's degree.  The family then

headed for Yale University and made their home in New Haven,

Connecticut.  A couple of years after the Hollands returned to Provo,

Jeffrey became the Church commissioner of education, and they moved to

Salt Lake City.  In the midst of all this activity and moving around,

Patricia Holland became the mother of three children, Matthew, Mary

Alice, and David, supervised the packing and unpacking, and made their

various residences seem like home, finding time to practice her music

and to work in the Church.  She served four times as Relief Society

president and also in the Young Women and Primary organizations.  And

then, in May 1984, Patricia was called to be first counselor to Ardeth

G. Kapp, President of the Young Women organization of the Church.  Both

Sister Holland and President Holland spoke in the devotional assembly

held in the Marriott Center on 13 January 1987.

FEEDING THE INNER SELF



	I wish to assume a special prerogative this morning and speak to

the women in the audience, my "sisters" if you will.  Not only are the

women on this campus of very special interest to me, but if I know

men--and I think I do--they will now be listening with even more than

normal interest.  So let me greet you at the start of this new year and

new semester with a bit of straight "girl talk."



	For several years now I have had what has been both an

exhilarating and sobering opportunity to observe rather closely the

sisters of my own sex.  That has included seven wonderful and

event-filled years on this campus with you-including two of those years

when I also served in the General Young Women Presidency of the Church. 

During this time I have, like other Church leaders and mothers and

sisters, worried over the statistics on teenage pregnancies, drug

abuse, and the spread of disorders like anorexia and bulimia.  At the

same time I have been reading those statistics, I have also seen data

showing that six million women in this country, with children under six

years of age, have hung up their aprons, picked up their briefcases,

and marched into the career world.



	I also read of a new and very real illness called the Epstein-Barr

syndrome, which has come into our popular medical jargon as the malady

of the eighties.  Its symptoms are low-grade fevers, aching joints, and

other flu-like symptoms--but it isn't the flu.  It carries with it

overwhelming exhaustion, muscular weakness, and physical

debilitation--but it isn't the dreaded AIDS.  Its victims are often

confused and forgetful but, no, it isn't Alzheimer's.  Many feel

suicidal, but this disease lacks the traditional characteristics of

clinical depression.  And yes, it can strike men, but three times out

of four it doesn't.  This illness is primarily a women's disease, and

those most vulnerable are the so-called "fast-track" women in

high-stress, conflicting roles.



	Is it appropriate to pause now, right here in safe and sane Happy

Valley, USA, and ask woman-to-woman, "What are we doing to ourselves?"

Is this that female curse Isaiah spoke of in his prophecies? Is this

some special last days' dilemma into which we are entering and from

which we may find it near fatally difficult to withdraw?



	I believe that as women we are becoming so concerned about having

perfect figures, or straight A's, or professional status, or even

absolute motherly success, that we are being torn from our true selves. 

We often worry so much about pleasing and performing for others that we

lose our own uniqueness, that full and relaxed acceptance of ourselves

as a person of worth and individuality. Too many women watch helplessly

as their lives unravel from the core that centers and sustains them. 

Too many are like a ship at sea without sail or rudder, tossed to and

fro (as the Apostle Paul said) until more and more of us are genuinely,

railgrabbingly seasick.



	Where is the sureness that allows us to sail our ship-whatever

winds may blow-with the master seaman's triumphant cry, "Steady as she

goes"? Where is the inner stillness we so cherish and for which our sex

traditionally has been known? In the shadow of the twenty-first century

can we find what Charles Morgan once described as "the stilling of the

soul within the activities of the mind and body [as] still as [the

center] of a revolving wheel is still"? (cited by Anne Morrow

Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea [New York: Pantheon, 1955], pp. 50-51).



	I believe we can find it--the steady footing and the stilling of

the soul--by turning away from the fragmentation of physical

preoccupations (whether it be thin or fat) of superwoman careers or

endless popularity contests and returning instead to the wholeness of

our soul.



	One woman not of our faith but whose writings I love is Anne

Morrow Lindbergh.  In commenting on the female despair and general

torment of our times she writes:



	The Feminists did not look . . . far [enough] ahead; they laid 

down no rules of conduct.  For them it was enough to demand the

privileges.... And [so] woman today is still searching.  We are aware

of our hunger and needs, but still ignorant of what will satisfy them.

With our garnered free time, we are more apt to drain our creative

springs than to refill them.  With our pitchers [in hand], we attempt

... to water a field, [instead of] a garden.  We throw ourselves

indiscriminately into committees and causes.  Not knowing how to feed

the spirit, we try to muffle its demands in distractions.  Instead of

stilling the center, the axis of the wheel, we add more centrifugal

activities to our lives--which tend to throw us [yet more] off balance,

Mechanically we have gained, in the last generation, but spiritually we

have ... lost. [Gift from the Sea, p. 52] [For women] the problem is

[still] how to feed the soul. [p. 51]



	I have pondered long and hard about the feeding of our inner self. 

It is no coincidence that we speak of "feeding the spirit" just as we

would speak of feeding the body.  We need constant nourishment for

both.  The root word hale (as in hale and hearty) is the common root to

words like whole, health, heal, and holy. Our health and our wholeness

are unquestionably linked with our holiness.  We need very much for

body, mind, and spirit to come together, to unite in one healthy,

stable soul.



FINDING THE INNER STILLNESS



	May I give you my own analogy of something I read years ago, a

process that helped me then, and helps me still, in my examination of

inner strength and spiritual growth.  The analogy is of a soul--human

soul, with all of its splendor--being placed in a beautifully carved

but very tightly locked box.  This box is then placed and locked inside

another, larger one, and so on until five beautifully carved but very

securely locked boxes await the woman who is skillful and wise enough

to open them.  Success will reveal to her the beauty and divinity of

her own soul, her gifts and her grace as a daughter of God.



	Prayer is the key to the first box.  We kneel to ask help for the

tasks and then arise to find that quite miraculously the first lock is

now already open.  Our excitement upon gaining entrance to a new

dimension of our divinity leads us readily to the next box. But here

our prayers alone do not seem to be sufficient.  We turn to the

scriptures for God's teachings about our soul.  And we find that the

second box now yields its own mysteries and rewards to the probing key

of revelation.



	But with the beginning of such success in emancipating the soul,

Lucifer becomes more anxious, especially as we approach box  number

three.  He knows that to truly find ourselves we must lose ourselves,

so he begins to block our increased efforts to love--to love God, our

neighbor, and ourselves.  True charity takes us into the beauty of box

number three.



	Real growth and genuine insight are coming now, but the lid to box

number four seems nearly impossible to penetrate, for we are climbing,

too, in this story, and the way inward is also the way upward. 

Unfortunately, the fainthearted and fearful often turn back here--the

going seems too difficult, the lock too secure.  This is a time for

self-evaluation.  To see ourselves as we really are often brings pain;

but true humility, which comes from that process, is a godly virtue. 

We must be patient with ourselves as we overcome weaknesses and

remember to rejoice over all that is good in us. This will strengthen

the inner woman and leave her less dependent on outward acclaim.  When

the soul reaches the stage that it pays less attention to praise, it

then cares very little when the public disapproves. These feelings of

strength and the quiet triumph of faith carry us into an even brighter

sphere.  This fourth box, unlike the others, bursts open like a flower

blooms, and the earth is reborn.



	The opening of the fifth and final box can only be portrayed

symbolically, and perhaps the temple is the best symbol of all. There,

in a setting not of this world, where fashions and position and

professions go unrecognized, we have our chance to meet God

face-to-face.  For those who, like the brother of Jared, have the

courage and faith to break through the veil into that sacred center of

existence, we will find the brightness of the final box brighter than

the noonday sun.  There we will find peace and serenity and a stillness

that will anchor our soul forever, for there we will find God.



	Wholeness.  Holiness.  That is what it says over the entrance to

the fifth box.  Holiness to the Lord.  "Know ye not that ye are the

temple of God?" (1 Corinthians 3:16).  I testify that you are holy,

that just by being born, divinity is abiding within you, wailing to be

uncovered--to be reborn.  God bless you in your search for the sacred

center of your soul, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.









                 THE BITTER CUP AND THE BLOODY BAPTISM



                          Jeffrey R. Holland



	President Jeffrey R. Holland and his wife, Patricia Terry Holland,

are natives of Utah's Dixie. After serving a mission to England, Jeff

returned to his hometown of St. George where both he and Patricia

graduated from Dixie College and then came to BYU.  They were married

before Jeff received his baccalaureate degree with highest honors in

1965, and their first child was born in Provo while he was working on

his master's degree.  He was a seminary teacher in Hayward, California,

and Seattle, Washington, before being able to take up graduate studies

at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, where he received his

Ph.D. in American Studies in 1973.  From New Haven, the Hollands

returned to Provo, where Jeff was dean of Religious Instruction at BYU

before he became the Church commissioner of education.  In 1980 he was

called to be president of Brigham Young University. ?& Both Sister

Holland and President Holland spoke in the devotional held in the

Marriott Center on 13 January 1987.



THE DURATION OF THE WAR



	In the final few weeks of 1944 I was bundled up and taken, at

about six in the morning as I recall, down to the Big Hand Cafe on the

corner of Main Street and Highway 91 in St. George, Utah.  That's where

the Greyhound bus stopped in our little town, and that morning my Uncle

Herb, all of seventeen years of age, was leaving for San Diego,

California--wherever that was.  Apparently in 1944 there was a war on

somewhere, and he was now deemed old enough to go and do his part.  He

had joined the United States Navy, and we were there to say goodbye.



	Actually, I had a rather formal part in this bus stop program. I

had practiced and was now supposed to sing in my four-year-old solo

voice a little ditty that celebrated sailors with lyrics beginning

"Bell-bottom trousers / Coat of navy blue. / She loves her sailor boy /

And he loves her too." However, as with other assignments later in my

life, I panicked in the public eye and went stone silent.  I refused to

sing a note.



	But my silence seemed to work out all right anyway because my

mother and my grandmother and my aunts were all crying and nobody cared

much whether I sang or not.  I asked why they were crying, and they

said it was because Uncle Herb was going to war.  I asked, "How long

will he be gone?"--not knowing then that some of the boys were never

coming home.  Through her tears my grandmother said, "He will be gone

as long as it takes.  He will be gone for the duration of the war."



	Well, I had no idea whatsoever of her meaning.  "As long as it

takes to do what?" for crying out loud--which is exactly what they were

doing.  And what was "the duration of the war"? I was totally confused

and very glad I didn't sing my song.  That would only have added to the

confusion, and the Big Hand Cafe never could stand much confusion.



	As you might suppose, I have thought a lot more about my

grandmother's words later in my life than I ever thought about them in

my youth.  Lately they have been on my mind again, and I hope they

might have some significance for you this morning.



	The longer I live the more I come to realize that some things in

life are very true and very permanent and very important.  They are, I

suppose, matters that might collectively be labeled " eternal" things. 

Without listing a whole catalog of these good and permanent

possessions, let me say that all of them are included collectively, in

some way or another, in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As Mormon told his

son, "In Christ there ... come[s] every good thing" (Moroni 7:22).  So,

as time goes by, we ought--as a matter of personal maturity and growth

in the gospel--to spend more of our time with and devote more of our

energy to the good things, the best things, the things that endure and

bless and prevail.



	This is why, I believe, family and true friends become

increasingly important the older we get, and so does knowledge and so

do simple acts of kindness and concern for the circumstances of others. 

Peter lists a whole handful of these virtues and calls them "the divine

nature," and he promises us "divine power" in possessing and sharing

them (see 2 Peter 1:3-8).  These gospel qualities and principles, as I

understand them, are the most important as well as the most permanent

of life's acquisitions.  But there is a war going on over such personal

possessions, and there will yet be a bazooka shell or two falling into

your life that will prompt--indeed, will require--careful examination

of what you say you believe, what you assume you hold dear, and what

you trust is of permanent worth.



	When difficult times come upon us or when temptation seems all

around, will we be-are we now?-prepared to stand our ground and outlast

the intruder? Are we equipped for combat, to stay loyal for as long as

it takes, to stay true for the duration of the war? Can we hold fast to

the principles and the people who truly matter eternally to us?



	It is, I suppose, this quality of your faith, the determination of

your purpose, that I wish so much to stress this morning.  I am asking

you to reexamine and more clearly understand the commitment you made

when you were baptized not only into Christ's church, but into his life

and his death and his resurrection, into all that he is and stands for

in time and in eternity.  Nearly 98 percent of this audience are

baptized and confirmed members of the LDS Church.  Virtually that same

percentage of the men are also ordained priesthood bearers, and many of

the men and women here have already taken upon themselves  the highest

covenants and holiest ordinances available in mortality--those of the

holy temple.



	So surely we have as a congregation already thrust ourselves into

the most serious and most eternal of issues.  The war is on, and we

have conspicuously enlisted.  And certainly it is a war worth waging. 

But we are foolish, fatally foolish, if we believe it will be a casual

or convenient thing.  We are foolish if we think it will demand nothing

of us.  Indeed, as the chief figure, the great commander in this

struggle, Christ has warned us about treating the new testament of his

body and his blood trivially.  We are told emphatically not to pilfer

and profane, prevaricate and fornicate, satiate ourselves in every

indulgence or violation that strikes our fancy and then suppose that we

are still "pretty darn good soldiers." No, not in this army, not in

defending the kingdom of God.



	More is expected than that.  Much more is needed.  And in a very

real sense eternity hangs in the balance.  I truly believe there can be

no casual Christians, for if we are not watchful and resolute, we will

become in the heat of battle a Christian "casual-ty." And each of us

knows some of those.  Perhaps we ourselves have at sometime been

wounded.  We weren't strong enough. We hadn't cared enough.  We didn't

stop to think.  The war was more dangerous than we had supposed.  The

temptation to transgress, to compromise, is all around us, and too many

of us, even as members of the Church, have fallen victim.  We partook

of Christ's "flesh and blood unworthily," and we ate and drank

damnation to our soul (3 Nephi 18:28-29).



	Some of us may still be taking such transgression lightly, but at

least the Master understands the significance of the side we say we

have chosen.  Let me use just one example.



"ARE YE ABLE?"



	At the conclusion of his Perean ministry, Jesus and the Twelve

were making their way back to Jerusalem for that last, prophetically

foretold week leading up to his arrest, trial, and crucifixion.  In

that most sober and foreboding sequence of events, the Savior--who

singly and solitarily alone knew what lay ahead of him and just how

difficult the commitments of his final hours would be--was approached

by the mother of two of his chief disciples, James and John.  She

rather straightforwardly asked a favor of the Son of God.  She said,

"Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and

the other on the left, in thy kingdom" (Matthew 20:21).



	This good mother, and perhaps most of the little band who had

faithfully followed Jesus, were obviously preoccupied by the dream and

expectation of that time when this, their Messiah, would rule and reign

in splendor, when, as the scripture says, "the kingdom of God should

immediately appear" (Luke 19:11).  The  question was one more of

ignorance than impropriety, and Christ uttered not a word of rebuke. 

He gently answered as one who always considered the consequence of any

commitment.



	"Ye know not," he said quietly, "what ye ask.  Are ye able to

drink of the cup that I shall drink of? " (Matthew 20:22; emphasis

added).  This startling question did not seem to take James and John by

surprise.  Promptly and firmly they replied, "We are able." And Jesus's

response to them was, "Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized

with the baptism that I am baptized with" (Matthew 20:23).



	Without any reference to the glory or special privilege they seem

to have been seeking, this may strike one as a strange favor the Lord

was granting James and John.  But he was not mocking them by offering

the cup of his suffering rather than a throne in his kingdom.  No, he

had never been more serious.  The cup and the throne were inextricably

linked and could not be given separately.



	I am sure that you and I, being not only less worthy than Christ

but also less worthy than apostles like James and John, would leave

such troublesome issues alone if they would only leave us alone.  As a

rule we usually do not seek the bitter cup and the bloody baptism, but

sometimes they seek us.  The fact of the matter is God does draft men

and women into the spiritual warfare of this world, and if any of us

come to genuine religious faith and conviction as a result of that--as

many a drafted soldier has done--it will nevertheless be a faith and a

conviction that in the first flames of the battle we did not enjoy and

certainly did not expect. (See A. B. Bruce, The Training of the Twelve

[New York: Richard R. Smith, 19301.)



STAND FIRMLY BY YOUR FAITH



	I am asking this morning that we put ourselves in the place of

James and John, put ourselves in the place of seemingly committed,

believing, faithful Latter-day Saints, and ask ourselves, "If we are

Christ's and he is ours, are we willing to stand firm forever? Are we

in this church for keeps, for the duration, until it's over? Are we in

it through the bitter cup, the bloody baptism, and all?" And please

understand that I am not asking if you can simply endure your years at

BYU or serve out your term as gospel doctrine teacher.  I am asking

questions of a far deeper and more fundamental sort.  I am asking about

the purity of your heart.  How cherished are our covenants? Have

we--perhaps beginning our life in the Church as a result of  parental

insistence or geographic happenstance--have we yet thought about a life

that is ultimately to be tempted and tried and purified by fire? Have

we cared about our convictions enough and are we regularly reinforcing

them in a way that will help us do the right thing at the right time

for the right reason, especially when it is unpopular or unprofitable

or nearly unbearable to do so?



	Indeed, you may one day be released as the glamorous gospel

doctrine teacher and be called to that much vacated post of gospel

doctrine believer and obeyer.  That will test your strength! Surely our

sometimes cliched expressions of testimony and latter-day privilege

don't amount to much until we have had open invitation to test them in

the heat of battle and have in such spiritual combat found ourselves to

be faithful.  We may speak glibly in those Sunday services of having

the truth or even of knowing the truth, but only one who is confronting

error and conquering it, however painfully or however slowly, can

properly speak of loving the truth.  And I believe Christ intends us

someday to truly, honestly love him--the way, the truth, and the life.



	Tragically enough, the temptation to compromise standards or be

less valiant before God often comes from another member of the Church. 

Elder Grant Bangerter wrote of his experience years ago in the military

shortly after he had returned from his mission.  "I realized," he

concluded, "throughout those years that I was considered different. . .

. [But] I never found it necessary to break my standards, to remove my

garments, or to apologize for being a Latter-day Saint." Then came this

very telling observation.



	I can honestly say that no nonmember of the Church has ever tried

to induce me to discard my [LDS] standards.  The only people I remember

trying to coerce me to abandon my principles or who ridiculed me for my

standards have been non-practicing members of [my own] Church. [Wm. 

Grant Bangerter, "Don't Mind Being Square," The New Era, July 1982, p.

6]



	What a painful observation if we were to apply it at a place like

BYU, where the temptation to compromise may come from a "practicing"

member of the Church.



	Even here--maybe especially here, because we have been given so

much--we must be prepared to stand by principle and act on conviction,

even if that seems to leave us standing alone.  Remember these lines

from Paradise Lost:

	I alone Seemed in thy world erroneous to dissent From all; my sect

thou seest.  Now learn too late

	How few sometimes may know, when thousands err.

[Book VI, lines 145-48]



	I do not think thousands err at BYU, but some do, and I believe

that you will leave here to work and live in a world where many do,

more than Milton's thousands.  So my call--especially while we are in

an environment that requires and expects it--is to live by the highest

principles and to stand firmly by your faith.  I ask it however

difficult or lonely that may seem, even at a place as beautiful as BYU. 

You may be tempted, you undoubtedly are tempted. But be strong.  The

cup and the throne are inextricably linked.



OUR CHRISTIAN CHALLENGE



	I think perhaps so far I have made you think only of the rather

obvious transgressions young Latter-day Saints face, the temptations

Satan never seems to keep very subtle.  But what about the

gospel-living that isn't so obvious and may be of a higher order still?

Let me shift both the tone and the temptations just slightly and cite

other examples of our Christian challenge.



	On the night of March 24, 1832, a dozen men stormed the Hiram,

Ohio, home where Joseph and Emma Smith were staying.  Both were

physically and emotionally spent, not only from all the travails of the

young Church at the time but also because on this particular evening

they had been up caring for their two adopted twins, born eleven months

earlier on the same day that Emma had given birth to--and then

lost--their own twins.  Emma had gone to bed first while Joseph stayed

up with the children; then she had arisen to take her turn, encouraging

her husband to get some sleep.  No sooner had he begun to doze than he

heard his wife give a terrifying scream and found himself being torn

from the house and very nearly being torn limb from limb.



	Cursing as they went, the mob that had seized him were swearing to

kill Joseph if he resisted.  One man grabbed him by the throat until he

lost consciousness from lack of breath.  He came to only to overhear

part of their conversation on whether he should be murdered.  It was

determined that for now he would simply be stripped naked, beaten

senseless, tarred and feathered, and left to fend for himself in the

bitter March night.  Stripped of his clothing, fighting off fists and

tar paddles on every side, and resisting a vial of some liquid--perhaps

poison--which he shattered with his teeth as it was forced into his

mouth, he miraculously managed to fight off the entire mob and

eventually made his way back to the house.  In the dim light his wife

thought the tar stains covering his body were blood stains, and  she

fainted at the sight.



	Friends spent the entire night scraping and removing the tar and

applying liniments to his scratched and battered body.  I now quote

directly from the Prophet Joseph's record:



	By morning I was ready to be clothed again. This being the Sabbath

morning, the people assembled for meeting at the usual hour of worship,

and among them came also the mobbers [of the night before. Then he

names them.] With my flesh all scarified and defaced, I preached to the

congregation as usual, and in the afternoon of the same day baptized

three individuals. [HC 1:264]



	Unfortunately, one of the adopted twins, growing worse from the

exposure and turmoil of the night, died the following Friday. "With my

flesh all scarified and defaced, I preached to the congregation as

usual"! To that slimy band of cowards who by Friday next will quite

literally be the murderers of your child? Stand there hurting from the

hair of your head that was pulled and then tarred into a mat, hurting

right down to your foot that was nearly torn off being wrenched out the

door of your own home? Preach the gospel to that damnable bunch of

sniveling reprobates? Surely this is no time to stand by principle.  It

is daylight now and the odds aren't twelve to one anymore.  Let's just

conclude this Sunday service right now and go outside to finish last

evening's business. It was, after all, a fairly long night for Joseph

and Emma; maybe it should be an equally short morning for this dirty

dozen who have snickeringly shown up for church.



	But those feelings that I have even now just reading about this

experience 150 years later--and feelings I know that would have raged

in my Irish blood that morning--mark only one of the differences

between me and the Prophet Joseph Smith.  You see, a disciple of

Christ--which I testify to you Joseph was and is--always has to be a

disciple; the judge does not give any time off for bad behavior. A

Christian always stands on principle, even as old Holland is out there

swinging a pitchfork and screaming an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a

tooth--forgetting, as dispensation after dispensation has forgotten,

that this only leaves everyone blind and toothless.



	No, the good people, the strong people, dig down deeper and find a

better way.  Like Christ, they know that when it is hardest to be so is

precisely the time you have to be at your best.  As another confession

to you, I have always feared that I could not have said at Calvary's

cross, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." Not after

the spitting, and the cursing, and the thorns, and the nails.  Not if

they don't care  or understand that this horrible price in personal

pain is being paid for them.  But that's just the time when the

fiercest kind of integrity and loyalty to high purpose must take over. 

That's just the time when it matters the very most and when everything

else hangs in the balance--for surely it did that day.  You and I won't

ever find ourselves on that cross, but we repeatedly find ourselves at

the foot of it.  And how we act there will speak volumes about what we

think of Christ's character and his call for us to be his disciples.



TESTED IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE



	Yes, our challenges will be a lot less dramatic than a

tar-and-feathering; certainly they won't involve a crucifixion.  And

maybe they won't even be very personal matters at all.  Maybe they will

involve someone else--perhaps an injustice done to a neighbor, a person

much less popular and privileged than yourself.



	In cataloging life's little battles, this may be the least

attractive kind of war for you, a bitter cup you especially don't wish

to drink because there seems to be so little advantage in it for you. 

After all, it's really someone else's problem, and like Hamlet you may

well lament that "time is out of joint; O cursed spite, / That ever

[you were] born to set it right!" (William Shakespeare, Hamlet, act 1,

sc. 5, lines 187-88).  But set it right you must, for "Inasmuch as ye

have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done

it unto me" (Matthew 25:40).  And in times of such Doniphan-like

defense, it may be risky, even dangerous, to stand true.

	Martin Luther King once said,



	The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of

comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and

controversy.  The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige,

and even his life for the welfare of others.  In dangerous valleys and

hazardous pathways, he will lift some bruised and beaten brother to a

higher and more noble life. [Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love

(New York: Harper and Row, 1963)]



	But what if in this war it is neither a neighbor nor yourself at

risk, but someone desperately, dearly loved by you who is hurt or

defamed or perhaps even taken in death? How might we prepare for that

distant day when our own child, or our own spouse, is found in mortal

danger? One marvelously gifted man, a convert to Christianity, slowly

watched his wife dying of cancer.  As he observed her slipping away

from him with all that she had meant and had given him, his new-found

faith about which he had written so much and with which he had

strengthened so many others now began to waver.  In times of such

grief, C. S. Lewis wrote, one runs the risk of asking:



	Where is God? ... When you are happy ... [you] turn to Him with

gratitude and praise, [and] you will be ... welcomed with open arms. 

But go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain,

and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of

bolting and double bolting on the inside.  After that, silence.  You

[might] as well turn away.  The longer you wait, the more emphatic the

silence will become.  There are no lights in the windows.  It might be

an empty house.... [Yet he was once there.] What can this mean? Why is

[God] so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very

absent a help in time of trouble? [C.  S. Lewis, A Grief Observed (New

York: Seabury Press, Inc., 1961), pp. 4-5]



	Those feelings of abandonment, written in the midst of a terrible

grief, slowly passed, and the comfort of Lewis' faith returned,

stronger and purer for the test.  But note what self-revelation this

bitter cup, this bloody baptism, had for him.  In an obligation of

quite a different kind, he, too, now realized that enlisting for the

duration of the war is not a trivial matter, and in the heat of battle

he hadn't been so heroic as he had encouraged millions of his readers

to be.



	"You never know how much you really believe anything," he

confesses, until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and

death to you.  It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong and

sound as long as you are merely using it to [tie] a box.  But suppose

you had to hang by that rope over a precipice.  Wouldn't you then first

discover how much you really trusted it? ... Only a real risk tests the

reality of a belief. [Lewis, p. 25]



	... Your [view of] ... eternal life ... will not be [very] serious

if nothing much [is at] stake.... A man ... has to be knocked silly

before he comes to his senses. [p. 43]

	... I had been warned--[indeed,] I had warned myself... [I knew]

we were ... promised sufferings. [That was] part of the program.  We

were even told, "Blessed are they that mourn, " and I accepted it. 

I've got nothing that I hadn't [agreed to].... [So] if my house ...

collapsed at one blow, that is because it was a house of cards.  The

faith which "took these things into account" was not [an adequate]

faith.... If I had really cared, as I thought I did [care], about the

sorrows of [others in this] world, [then] I should not have been so

overwhelmed when my own sorrow came.... I thought I trusted the rope

until it mattered.... [And when it indeed mattered, I found that it

wasn't strong enough.]



	... You will never discover how serious it [is] until the stakes

are raised horribly high; [and God has a way of raising the stakes] ...

[sometimes] only suffering [can] do [that]. [pp. 41-43]



	[So God is, then, something like a divine physician.] A cruel man

might be bribed--might grow tired of his vile sport-might have a

temporary fit of mercy, as alcoholics have [temporary] fits of

sobriety.  But suppose that what you are up against is a [wonderfully

skilled] surgeon whose intentions are [solely and absolutely] good.

[Then], the kinder and more conscientious he is, [the more he cares

about you,] the more inexorably he will go on cutting [in spite of the

suffering it may cause.  And] if he yielded to your entreaties, if he

stopped before the operation was complete, all the pain up to that

point would have been useless.... [pp. 49-50]



	[So I am, you see, one] of God's patients, not yet cured.  I know

there are not only tears [yet] to be dried but stains [yet] to be

scoured. [My] sword will be made even brighter. [p. 49]



	God wants us to be stronger than we are--more fixed in our

purpose, more certain of our commitments, eventually needing less

coddling from him, showing more willingness to shoulder some of the

burden of his heavy load.  In short, he wants us to be more like he is

and, if you haven't noticed, some of us are not like that yet.



	The question then, for all of us milling around the Greyhound bus

depot about to report for duty, is: When gospel principles get

unpopular or unprofitable or very difficult to live, will we stand by

them "for the duration"? That is the question our experiences in

Latter-day Saint life seem most determined to answer.  What do we

really believe, and how true to that are we really willing to live? As

university students--bright and blessed and eager and prosperous--do we

yet know what faith--specifically, faith in the Lord Jesus

Christ-really is, what it requires in human behavior, and what it may

yet demand of us before our souls are finally saved?



	May I close by telling you how much I love you and how much I care

about what you become at BYU and beyond.  I think about you day and

night, and I pray for your brightest possible future.  My testimony to

you this morning is that God does live and good does triumph.  This is

the true and living Church of the true and living Christ.  And because

of him and the restored gospel and the work of living

prophets--including President Ezra Taft Benson--there is for each of us

individually and for all of us collectively, if we stay fixed and

faithful in our purpose, a great final moment somewhere when we will

stand with the angels "in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of

glass and fire, where all things for [our] glory are manifest, past,

present, and future" (D&C 130:7).  That is a triumphant day for which I

dearly long, and for which I earnestly pray for all of you.  To earn

the right to be there may we, as Alma said, 'stand as witnesses of God

at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in,

even until death" (Mosiah 18:9), I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. 

Amen.

	

	





               YOUR INHERITANCE: SECURE OR IN JEOPARDY?



                            Ardeth G. Kapp



	Ardeth Greene Kapp was sustained 7 April 1984 as the Young Women

general president.  She follows Sister Elaine A. Cannon in this calling

as head of an organization of 300,000 young women from the ages of

twelve to eighteen.  President Kapp served previously in the general

presidency of the Young Women from 1972 to 1978.  She has served on the

Youth Correlation and General Curriculum committees of the Church and

has held numerous administrative and teaching positions in the Relief

Society, Young Women, and Primary on a ward and stake level. 

Professionally, Sister Kapp has been a consultant to the Charles R.

Hobbs Corp., Salt Lake City, and has travelled widely conducting

time-management seminars for the firm.  A native of Glenwood, Alberta,

Canada, Sister Kapp grew up in a small farming community.  She came to

Utah for her college education, receiving a bachelor of science degree

in elementary education from the University of Utah, an associate

degree from Weber College, and a master of science degree in curriculum

development from Brigham Young University.  She taught in the Davis

County School District, supervised student teachers in BYUs College of

Education, and has been coordinator of student leadership development

and chairman of the Advisory Committee for Women's Concerns at BYU. 

Sister Kapp wrote and instructed a series of television programs for

the Utah Network of Instructional Television and has authored six

books, as well as many articles for Church publications, educational

brochures, and study guides.  She has also been a lecturer for the BYU

Education Week program.  President Kapp is the wife of Heber B. Kapp. 

This fireside talk was given on 1 February 1987 in the Marriott Center.



                          HOW DO WE RESPOND?



	Tonight I would like to talk with you about your rightful

inheritance--that which you are heir to, your birthright.  Some months

ago I visited a sacrament meeting in another ward.  It was a missionary

farewell for a friend of mine.  After a few words of greeting and the

opening song and prayer, the bishop attended to  some ward business. 

Then, looking out across the audience as though there was only one of

his flock he cared for at that moment, he asked, "Chad, are you here?"



	Immediately the sound of a folding chair knocking noisily against

another could be heard.  A young boy a few rows ahead of me made his

way awkwardly into the aisle.  As he turned to maneuver past the

chairs, I observed that his facial features showed some abnormality. 

It appeared that he may not have the same mental abilities as other

young people his age.  He was facing life with obvious handicaps, or so

it seemed.



	I watched with others as this young man, with great enthusiasm,

literally ran in his awkward way, making his short legs move as fast as

possible from the back where he was sitting, up the full length of the

chapel.



	As the bishop put his protective arm around Chad and drew him

close for only a moment, the two looked at each other as though it were

a private exchange only they understood.  With Chad nestled securely in

the fold of his arm, the bishop announced with pride to the audience,

"Chad has earned his Duty to God Award.  He has qualified in every

way." Then, glancing down at the young man, he said with deep feeling,

"We're all proud of you, Chad."



	Following the presentation there was the usual handshake and an

additional warm and sustained embrace.  As Chad turned to leave, he

broke with tradition and raised his hand high in the air.  The bishop

understood the signal and responded to Chad's invitation by raising his

hand to meet Chad's, giving a resounding clap in the air.  Outside the

meeting he would likely have added the words, "Give'em five."



	Chad then turned from the bishop, but before leaving the stand

moved enthusiastically toward the chorister, who stood and wrapped him

in his arms.  I learned later that the man was his father.



	The young boy then left the podium, making his way down the aisle

wearing a broad smile with his arm raised high in the air as if to

"give'em five" to every ward member who had helped him along and now

shared in his victory.



	It has been months since that memorable Sunday, but in my mind I

keep replaying that scene over and over again.  What struggles and

challenges preceded that day for Chad? Were there times when he might

have wanted to give up? Certainly some of the requirements must have

been harder for him than they were for others his age. Were there times

of discouragement and maybe disappointment? He was smiling when the

bishop called him forward to receive his Duty to God Award, but there

must have been many times when even duty to God was difficult.  I

wonder if there were times when Chad, in the privacy of his own heart,

asked the  Father why--why does it have to be so hard; it doesn't seem

fair. And while he waited for the answer, he kept going.



	Each of us has some circumstances that might seem like handicaps,

not necessarily like Chad's, but challenges that test our courage and

strength, our commitment, and ultimately our faith in a loving Heavenly

Father.  And how do we respond? It goes on every day.



	A bishop calls.  The call is heard, and thousands of you are

responding.  You who have learned to listen for the call are prepared

and ready to respond--you don't wait, you don't walk, you don't stop to

explain, you don't ask why.  However wearisome the test or whatever the

circumstances, however severe the handicaps or steep the road, still

you prepare to come running when called.



	As we learn to listen and follow the counsel of the Lord, both

written and spoken, we prepare for that day when there will be a call

for each of us--a call to come home--not later when we are better

prepared, but now.  We might hear the words, "Come, my son, my

daughter.  Come as you are, but come now."



	With unwavering faith in our ultimate reward and our divine

inheritance as rightful heirs, will we, like Chad, be prepared to run

forward with confidence when we hear that call?



	Alma in the Book of Mormon invites us to envision the alterative:



	Can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord,

saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your

works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?

...



	Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the

tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a

remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your

wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the

commandments of God?



	I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure

heart and clean hands? I say unto you can you look up, having the image

of God engraven upon your countenances? [Alma 5:16, 18-19]



	The answer to that question is found in the choices we make each

and every day.  Every choice counts one way or the other.  We are free

to choose to follow or not to follow, to abide by the law or to

disregard it, to have freedom or to forfeit our freedom, to claim our

inheritance or to leave it unclaimed.



EXERCISING OUR AGENCY



	Several weeks ago, during the time I was giving thought to this

message, I was asked to participate in an institute program and speak

to a gathering of men in a small chapel.  These men had an

understanding of law, agency, freedom, blessings, choice, and

accountability.  To reach the chapel I had to go through tight

security, present identification, and be escorted by an officer of the

law down a long corridor through sets of metal doors with bars that

sounded a haunting echo as the metal clanged against metal. As each

door in sequence closed tightly behind me, I knew I was locked in. 

There was no doubt in my mind about that.  As I, with a friend,

proceeded down the long corridor, there were odors revealing habits of

enslavement.  As we approached the chapel we heard a sound that seemed

foreign to that setting--beautiful male voices harmonizing with

feeling.  Entering the meeting that was already in session, I observed

each man wearing the same uniform.  It wasn't a dark suit and white

shirt, although I learned that more than one of them had worn a

missionary suit. Their uniforms each had an identification number

across their hearts.



	Looking at their numbers I wondered, "Who are they really?" Almost

everyone was holding one of the new green hymnbooks.  Would you be

interested in knowing what song these men who had made choices that

robbed them of their freedom and put them behind bars were singing? I

wish you could hear that song sung by these men--"How Gentle God's

Commands." I'll never hear that song again without reliving that

experience.  Listen with me to the words:



How gentle God's commands!

How kind his precepts are!

Come, cast your burdens on the Lord

And trust his constant care.

Beneath his watchful eye,

His Saints securely dwell;

That hand which bears all nature up

Shall guard his children well.

Why should this anxious load

Press down your weary mind?

Haste to your Heav'nly Father's throne

And sweet refreshment find.

 

His goodness stands approved,

Unchanged from day to day;

I'll drop my burden at his feet

And bear a song away.

["How Gentle God's Commands," Hymns, 1985, no. 125]



	Shaking hands with one of the inmates, I introduced myself. "I'm

Sister Kapp" I said.  "I'm Brother So-and-So," he said.  As I looked

into his sad eyes, the feeling came over me: My brother, when did you

begin to exercise your agency, your freedom, and begin little by little

to move from freedom to enslavement and finally imprisonment? Did you

not know that you were an heir with a birthright, a divine inheritance?

Did you realize you were moving in this direction? Did it begin in high

school when the influence of peers spoke louder than the wisdom of

parents? Or was it the freedom from parents in the environment of

college that opened a door that appeared to lead to freedom and that

has now closed and locked behind you? When did the chains that bind

begin to form just one small link at a time? Who else shares in the

responsibility? Is it perhaps that I am not only my brother's keeper

but also my brother's maker? What is the impact of my influence on

those around me?



	As children of God we are his heirs, but first we must be tested

before we can be trusted with our inheritance--the power and blessings

of God our Eternal Father.  We can become joint heirs with Jesus Christ

with glory added upon our heads forever and ever. Think of it.



BEING TRIED AND TEMPERED



	When we come to fully understand our promised blessings, our

inheritance, and the mission of the Savior and the price he paid in our

behalf to help us claim it, I believe, with that spiritual perspective,

that even on our hardest days our tests will hardly seem severe enough. 

It seems unfathomable that after the price paid by our Savior because

of his great love for us, we are still free to choose whether or not

that sacrifice in our behalf is accepted or rejected.  We are given our

agency.  "Why?" we ask.



	President Lorenzo Snow taught that



	The Lord has determined in His heart that He will try us until He

knows what He can do with us.  He tried His Son Jesus.  Thousands of

years before He came upon the earth the Father had watched His course

and knew He could depend upon Him when the salvation of worlds should

be at stake; and He was not disappointed.  So in regard to ourselves,

He will try us, and continue to try us, in order that He may place us

in the highest positions in life and put upon us the most sacred

responsibilities. [The Millennial Star, August 24, 1899, p. 532]



	As we are tried and tempered in the furnace of affliction, it is

not to consume us but to refine us, to qualify us, to prove us. Our

severe tests are designed to try us "even as Abraham" (D&C 101:4).  And

if you're not experiencing any tests, I would recommend that you pray

for a few, though I suspect that you have enough.  It's possible that

some of you may even have some to spare or at least swap if you could.



	The temptations and testing begin very early in life and continue

so long as we dwell in this mortal state.  It begins something like

this:



	My little nephew, Kent, was pleading with his mom just before

dinnertime to go over to his friend's to play.  His mother denied his

request. "No," was the answer, "not now." He went outside in his

sandpile to ponder.  Something in the inherent nature of everyone

reaches out for freedom and a desire to exercise agency.  Kent's mom

looked out the kitchen window and observed this little boy not playing

but in thoughtful meditation.  All of a sudden he came running to the

house.  Coming into the kitchen he posed a question: "Mom, what if I go

to Dougie's anyway?"



	She said, "Then I guess I would have to discipline you for

disobeying."



	He said, "What would you do?"



	Being pressed for an answer without having much time to ponder the

magnitude of the disobedience, she said, "I guess I'd have to spank

you."



	He thought momentarily and then inquired further concerning the

consequence before making his decision: "Would it be with my pants up

or on my bare bottom?"



	His mom was not quite prepared for this interrogation but

responded, "I guess it would be with your pants up."



	And then he pressed further, "How many times?"

"Five," she said.



	"Five!" he exclaimed.  "Five for just going to Dougie's? That's

not fair."



	"It might not seem fair," she explained, "but that's how it is. 

You suit yourself."



	He needed more information before he made a decision.  "Can I go

after lunch?" he asked.



	"Kent, if you choose to be obedient and not go over to Dougie's,

then after lunch we'll do something even better.



	You can go with me to pick up your daddy."



	Kent had not known of that alternative.  With that in the plan the

desire to go to his friend's house was of little consequence. He used

his agency, was spared the spanking, and participated in an even more

desirable activity.



LAWS AND COMMANDMENTS



	Sometimes we are shortsighted and are not aware of what awaits us

just around the corner following our obedience.  We do not "receive a

witness until after the trial of [our] faith" (Ether 12:6).  We don't

negotiate with our Father in Heaven on these matters.  The laws are in

place.  We know that "there is a law ... upon which all blessings are

predicated," and we know that when we receive any blessing "it is by

obedience to that law" (D&C 130:20).



	And so our Father, wanting us to qualify for all of the blessings,

has given us laws and commandments.  These commandments are given not

to restrict us but to redeem us--not to just reform us but to exalt us. 

Therefore, as Nephi said, "Cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye

are free to act for yourselves--to choose the way of everlasting death

or the way of eternal life" (2 Nephi 10:23).



	Some of us will resent, resist, even recoil from the apparent

restrictions imposed upon us.  And so it was in the Savior's time.

There were those who didn't like what he taught.  "This is an hard

saying; who can hear it?" they said.  "When Jesus knew in himself that

his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?"

(John 6:60-61).  And we read that "From that time many of his disciples

went back, and walked no more with him" (John 6:66).



	There are, at least in the minds of some, too many rules, too many

commandments, honor codes, housing rules, all kinds of regulations,

standards, and restrictions.  In the springtime of the year there are

even signs that say, "Keep off the grass." These serve as constant

reminders.  And leaders who love us and believe in us will give of

their time to meet with us at regular intervals and help remind us of

what we have the capacity to become. Especially in times of

discouragement, trials, and tests, leaders will help us, carry our

burdens, and believe in us when we may otherwise not even believe in

ourselves.  Obedience is the key that unlocks the door and sets us

free.



	I am reminded of a short, stocky Bolivian woman who roamed  the

altiplano driving her llama herds day after day with little direction

or purpose.  It didn't matter too much the direction in which they

wandered until one day she was drawn into the gospel net and her spirit

responded to truth.



	When she was learning of the mission of the Savior, the meaning of

the Atonement and his ultimate sacrifice, and the purpose of her earth

life, with her dark eyes now opened wide, she whispered, "You mean he

did that for me?" And then, more as a testimony than a question,

contemplating the reality of the Atonement, she repeated, "You mean he

did that for me?" And he did, brothers and sisters, for you and for me. 

But if we are to claim our inheritance, we must individually find him.



	Consider how Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, must have felt when he

found his brother and told him, "We have found . . . the Christ" (John

1:41), and Philip, too, who told Nathanael, "We have found him. . . .

Come and see" (John 1:45-46).



	Have you found him? Because of the Atonement and by obedience to

gospel law, we can find him and become joint heirs with him in the

fullness of our Father's kingdom.  With this knowledge, what could

possibly threaten or put in jeopardy our inheritance? Agency plays a

major part.  It is with our agency that we cast our vote; and make no

mistake, there are influences of an unseen enemy that seek relentlessly

to entice us to what appear to be attractive alternatives and will

lobby for our vote.  Throughout the scriptures we read, "Satan did stir

up [their] hearts" (Helaman 6:21)-that same being who put it into the

hearts of the people to "carry on the work of darkness" (Helaman 6:29). 

"It is he who is the author of all sin ... from generation to

generation according as he can get hold upon the hearts of the children

of men" (Helaman 6:30), "And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord

began to withdraw" (Helaman 6:35).  We read "that the devil should

tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves;

for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet"

(D&C 29:39).



	Nephi, in concern for his people, asked, "How could you have given

way to the enticing of him who is seeking to hurl away your souls down

to everlasting misery and endless woe? . . . Why will ye die?" (Helaman

7:16-17).



	On occasion I hear someone try to excuse themselves of the

responsibility of wrong decisions saying, "But the devil made me do

it." Such a thought is foolishness.  The teachings of President Brigham

Young help us better understand our responsibility.  He taught that



	God is the author of all good; and yet, if you rightly understood

yourselves, you would not directly attribute every good act you perform

to our Father in heaven, nor to his Son  Jesus Christ, nor to the Holy

Ghost; neither would you attribute every evil act of a man or a woman

to the Devil or his spirits or influences; for man is organized by his

Creator to act perfectly independently of all influences there are

above or beneath.  Those influences are always attending him, and are

ready to dictate and direct-to lead him into truth or to lead him to

destruction.  But is he always guided by those influences in every act?

He is not. It is ordained of God that we should act independently in

and of ourselves, and the good is present when we need it.  If we will

ask for it, it is with us.  (JD 9:122)



BATTLING WITH THE ADVERSARY



	Our time is the time spoken of by the prophets when the adversary

is aggressively marshalling his forces as never before in the last

great battle against righteousness.  And he is using the same tactics

he employed in his attempts to distract the Savior from his appointed

mission.  The first was a temptation of the appetite, an inherent

craving to satisfy hunger and the demands of the flesh.  An

uncontrolled appetite attacks one's reasoning.  It begins with

rationalization, then justification, and finally the actual use of

artificial stimulants such as drugs and alcohol and the addicting

influence of pornography. When out of hand the result is personal

devastation--not freedom, but enslavement.  The question, then: "Do I

have an appetite for anything that could be enslaving?"



	The second temptation is to have us yield to pride, fashion,

vanity, the praises of men, peer influence, and those things that

separate us from the things of God.  Our hearts become centered on the

things of the world rather than on things of the spirit. Popularity,

prestige, power, and positions become more important than humility,

meekness, and teachability.  Does your passion for popularity affect

how you dress, where you go, what you do and do not do, publicly and

privately, in your apartments and at your parties, on and off campus?

Is your inheritance ever in jeopardy?



	As a trustee of this remarkable institution, and one who cares

deeply about you young people, I not only wonder but worry about these

things.  I want you to know that you are on my mind and in my prayers.



	The third temptation is to gratify the hungering for the riches of

the world.  Some of you will remember the statement of Jeb Stuart

McGruder, sentenced to a federal prison for his part in Watergate.  He

told Judge Sirica, "My ambition obscured my judgment.... I know what I

have done and your honor knows what I have done." He said that

somewhere between his ambition and ideals, he lost his ethical compass

(see "McGruder Gets Jail on Watergate," Salt Lake Tribune, Wednesday,

May 22, 1974, p. Al).



	Is your ethical compass useful and visible and dependable? Can you

say with Job, "till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me"?

(Job 27:5).  It is true that some people seem to have more temptations

than others, and some have greater power of resistance than others. 

"But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that

ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,

that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).



GETTING THE GOSPEL ON THE INSIDE



	There could be no condemnation for our doing what we can't help,

but we can help doing the things that violate the laws and

commandments.  God has given us power to resist these things, and we

can call upon him for the strength we lack.  And by our habits we gain

control.  It works like this.



	I am your constant companion.  I am your greatest helper or

heaviest burden.  I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. 

I am completely at your command.  Half the things you do, you might

just as well turn over to me and I will be able to do them quickly and

correctly.



	I am easily managed.  You must merely be firm with me.  Show me

exactly how you want something done and after a few minutes I will do

it automatically.  I am the servant of all great men, and alas, of

failures as well.  Those who are great, I have made great. Those who

are failures, I have made failures.



	I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a

machine plus the intelligence of man.  You may run me for profit or run

me for ruin--it makes no difference to me.



	Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at

your feet.  Be easy with me, and I will destroy you.  Who am I? I am

habit! [Anonymous]



	It is our habits in relation to the gospel of Jesus Christ that

bind us or free us.  It is our habits that determine whether our

inheritance is to be claimed or unclaimed.  We are what we are because

of our habits.  The habit of striving to keep all of the commandments

will change us from what we are to what we are to become.  It is a

process that changes our souls, our appetites, our desires.  When we

get the gospel on the inside and make it part of our very being, we

have not just changed our habits; our habits have literally changed

us--a mighty change.



	We can have the gift of the Holy Ghost with us always, and that

gift is more than a prompting to do right and wrong.  As Elder Parley

P. Pratt wrote



	It quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges,

expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections. . . . It

inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and

charity.  It develops beauty of person, form and features, It tends to

health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It ... invigorates all the 

faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, . . .

and gives tone to the nerves.  In short, it is, as it were, marrow to

the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and

life to the whole being....



	... Such is the gift of the Holy Spirit, and such are its

operations when received through the lawful channel, the divine,

eternal Priesthood. [Key to the Science of Theology (Salt Lake City:

George Q. Cannon and Sons, 1891), p. 101]



	One evening last year, just before Christmas, my husband, Heber,

and I made our way through the deep snow of an unshoveled walk and rang

the doorbell.  We were immediately greeted by Brent, an eight-year-old

boy.  He invited us in.  We exchanged greetings with others while Brent

stood by, anxiously waiting for the first opportunity to pose a

question.  In a most forthright and direct way, he simply asked, "Have

you ever shaken hands with the prophet?"



	His eagerness gave me reason to believe that he may have rehearsed

that question in his mind several times in anticipation of our visit. 

"Yes, Brent," I said, "I have shaken the hand of the prophet."



	"Oh," he said, "if I could just shake the hand of the prophet."



	Sensing the love and respect Brent obviously felt for our

prophet-leader, and wanting to somehow provide a tie between the

prophet and the young boy, I reached out my hand.  "Brent," I said,

"this hand has shaken the hand of the prophet." To that offer he

grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously.  Then, letting go, he turned

his right hand over from front to back to examine it thoroughly.  "I'll

never wash my hand," he said.



	I suggested that he probably should wash his hand and just keep

the memory in his mind.  This suggestion was not acceptable to Brent. 

He had a better idea.  "Okay," he said, "I'll wash my hand, but I'll

save the water." That seemed like a good suggestion, although I

supposed he was only joking.



	A few minutes later, he came into the room carrying a plastic bag

dripping with water.  Before anyone could question him, he proudly

announced, "I washed my hand," holding the bag full of water for all to

see.  Brent sat on the floor facing the Christmas tree, his knees

poking through his faded blue jeans.  From the corner of my eye I

watched him examine the bag full of water as if he were expecting to

see some evidence that it was holy water.



	As we continued visiting, Brent got up and, taking his treasure

with him, left the room.  He returned again, this time without the

plastic bag full of water.  He had determined a better solution.  Brent

stood there in the doorway with his faded gray T-shirt wet all the way

down the front.  Without hesitation he gave a complete explanation.  "I

drank the water," he said.



	Brent's creative solution was not to be viewed as a joke or

something to make fun of.  He was serious.  He was carrying something

important--not on the outside where he could lay it down, but on the

inside.  The water from the hand that he had washed that had shaken the

hand of someone who had shaken the hand of the prophet was now part of

him, on the inside, and he wanted to keep it there.  He seemed very

pleased with his solution.



	Would it really make any difference? I wondered.  What did it

really mean to Brent? It was much more than water I was sure.  It was

in sacrament meeting the Sunday before Christmas that I received a

deeper understanding of what I felt this young boy, just recently

baptized, was feeling and waning.  The sacramental prayer had been

offered, and the sacred ordinances were being passed quietly and

reverently.  It was a time of recommitment and rededication, sorrow for

wrongdoings, and resolve and hope with the beginning of a new year to

do better.



	The sister on my right passed the sacrament tray and held it while

I raised the small cup of water to my lips.  Into my mind came the

thought, "I want to get this water on the inside." I remembered the

baptismal covenant; I thought of the symbolism of the water and the

covenants made.

	I   remembered	what	President	Marion G.	Romney had said:



	Now there is a doctrine abroad in the world today which teaches

that the physical emblems of the sacrament are transformed into the

flesh and blood of Jesus.  We do not teach such a doctrine, for we know

that any transformation which comes from the administration of the

sacrament takes place in the souls of those who understandingly partake

of it.  It is the participating individuals who are affected, and they

are affected in a most marvelous way, for they are given the Spirit of

the Lord to be with them. [CR, April 5, 1946, p. 40]



	When we find ourselves out of control for a time, out of harmony,

and disappointed in our actions in relation to our desires, we need not

despair.  There is a place of spiritual repair.  We can take our

wounded spirit faithfully and regularly to the sacrament altar and

there renew our covenants, our  commitments, by offering a broken heart

and a contrite spirit.  Then we begin, in part at least, to feel the

healing, the peace, the deep, abiding love when we ponder the meaning

of the Atonement in our personal lives.  There we will feel what Andrew

and Nathanael must have felt and say with them, "We have found Christ. 

We have found him.  Come and see."



HOLDING ON TO THE LIFELINE



	Come with me if you will, in your mind's eye, to an experience I

had while participating in a survival camp with a group of youth in the

High Sierras a couple of years ago.  After three days of physically

challenging and spiritually strengthening experiences, we faced one of

the last activities--that of rappelling down an eighty-foot cliff,

which from the top looking down appeared to be more like an enormously

high mountain.  Some of the youth had gone before and some would

follow, but now it was my turn.



	I surveyed the setting.  Overhead the sky was blue and clear.

Looking over the edge of the cliff, it was a long, long way down. The

edge of the cliff jutted out so I could not see the landing place at

the bottom or the people who would welcome me or pick up the pieces

down below.  I quickly looked to the sky again to catch my breath.  The

instructor securely wrapped a strap around my legs and waist, placed

the rappelling rope in my hand, and proceeded with instructions.  It's

fascinating how much better you can listen and concentrate when you

know it really matters.  He had explained the skill of rappelling and

the importance of the safety rope with individual instruction as each

took their turn; but when it was my turn, I listened more intently.  I

wanted to know all that he knew.  I didn't want any of the rules of

rappelling overlooked or minimized.  He told me that the safety rope

would secure me, but if I was to get to my destination safely, I had a

few things I must do.  If I followed the instructions I'd get there

safely; if not, I would suffer varying degrees of discomfort according

to my ability to follow the instructions.  I learned right away that

his instructions were accurate as I experienced some discomforting rope

burn on my hands.



	Without looking down, but always looking up and straining to

listen for instructions, advice, and encouragement, I began to ponder

at that halfway position, forty feet from the top and forty feet from

the bottom, about this experience.



	Holding onto the rope, I was reminded of the teachings of

President George Q. Cannon.



	When we went forth into the waters of baptism and covenanted with

our Father in heaven to serve Him and keep His commandments, He bound

Himself also by covenant to us that He would never desert us, never

leave us to ourselves, never forget us, that in the midst of trials and

hardships, when everything was arrayed against us, He would be near

unto us and would sustain us.  That was His covenant. [Gospel Truth;

Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon, sel. Jerrald L.

Newquist, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City: Zion's Book Store, 1957), August 6,

1893, p. 170]



	The Savior, I thought, bound himself to us.  He is our safety

rope.  He throws out the lifeline--literally, our lifeline.



	Through obedience to the laws and the commandments, we tie

ourselves securely to him.  The rope I held was the safety rope. I had

my agency.  I could hang on or I could let go.  Or if I wanted, I could

take my pocketknife, exercise my agency, and cut just one fine strand

at a time.  Surely one strand at a time would be no risk.  I likened

the rope to the commandments.  I can break one commandment at a time. 

Surely one commandment at a time won't hurt.  Would you ever consider

letting go of a rope and challenging your ability to survive against

the law of gravity? Would you ignore the commandments of God and pit

your resistance against the power of the adversary?



	If we choose to hold onto the rope, we are limited, restricted,

curtailed, but through that very process our Father in Heaven has said

he will make us free.  Only after we are tried and tested can we be

trusted with our inheritance as heirs to the kingdom of God, joint

heirs of Jesus Christ.  If you choose to let go of the rope and release

yourself from the laws and commandments, you also choose the

consequences, because even God obeys the law.  Through disobedience to

laws we will fall.



	Those men, your brothers and mine, in the prison chose to let go

of the rope.  They cut themselves free of the laws, they rejected the

"hard sayings," and now, within their prison walls, they sing, "How

Gentle God's Commands."



	Let us protect ourselves from enslavement and release ourselves

from those prison walls of our own making that weaken our grasp on the

safety rope--the lifeline, the iron rod.  The Savior taught that should

one choose to willfully leave his father and waste his inheritance in

sin, his repentant return should be treated with rejoicing and

acceptance.  Thus he illustrated the worth of souls to the Father and

the love his disciples should have for each other.  Through the

parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son, Jesus

taught that every soul is of great worth in the kingdom of God.



	When we want what he wants, we will have all that we desire and a

thousand times more.  It was Mary, the mother of the Savior, who

exemplified in the most glorious way her preparation and submission to

the will of God when she responded to the angel Gabriel, "Behold the

handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word" (Luke 1:38).



	The Lord said, "Come ... follow me" (Matthew 19:21).  I know from

my own experience that on those occasions when we follow with full

purpose of heart, acting with integrity-no hypocrisy and no deception

before God, but with all intent, repenting of our sins (see 2 Nephi

31:13)-we can feel that quiet assurance that we are free, free from the

chains that bind; free from darkness, unbelief; free from depression,

anger, hatred; free from jealousies, envy, cravings of the appetite,

hungering for the riches of the world; free from fear; and free to

claim our inheritance.



	The way is simple.



	"Come, follow me," the Savior said. Then let us in his footsteps

tread, For thus alone can we be one With God's own loved, begotten Son.

...

	Not only shall we emulate His course while in this earthly state,

But when we're freed from present cares, If with our Lord we would be

heirs. ...



	For thrones, dominions, kingdoms, pow'rs,

And glory great and bliss are ours, If we, throughout eternity, Obey

his words, "Come, follow me."

["Come, Follow Me," Hymns, 1985, no. 116]



	As we consider that day when the bishop called, "Chad, are you

here?" and he came running, we can anticipate a similar day for each of

us.  As Latter-day Saints, let us keep ever in our minds an

anticipation of that glorious day.  President George Q. Cannon helps us

envision that event with these words:



	We are the children of God, and as His children there is no

attribute we ascribe to Him that we do not possess, though they may be

dormant or in embryo....



	... we existed with Him in the family relationship as His

children.



	... when we see our Father in heaven [again] we shall know Him;

and the recollection that we were once with Him and that He was our

Father will come back to us, and we will fall upon His neck, and He

will fall upon us, and we will kiss each other.  We will know our

Mother, also. [Gospel Truth, vol. 1, pp. 1, 3]



	I can believe that with outstretched arms our Father will say, "My

son, my daughter, I have you again." And we will respond, "Oh, my

father, my mother, I am home again." Then we will, when prepared,

receive our inheritance and become the sons and daughters of God-heirs

of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ-to this I testify in the name

of Jesus Christ.  Amen.









                        WHAT IS TRUE GREATNESS?



                           Howard W. Hunter



	President Howard W. Hunter, Acting President of the Council of the

Twelve Apostles, was a prominent Southern California lawyer and

businessman before his call to full-time service to the Church.  Born

almost eighty years ago in Boise, Idaho, to John William and Nellie

Marie Rasmussen Hunter, he moved to California as a young man in 1928. 

In 1931 he married Clara May Jeffs, and they became the parents of two

sons (a third son died in infancy).  President Hunter attended

Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and graduated in 1939

with his juris doctor degree.  He then practiced corporate law in the

Los Angeles area until his call to the Council of the Twelve in 1959. 

In 1976 he was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree from Brigham

Young University.  President Hunter is on the board of directors of

several large industrial and landholding corporations and also of

Beneficial Life Insurance Company, First Security Corporation, and the

New World Archaeological Foundation.  He is also on the Brigham Young

University Board of Trustees and has served as president of the

Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii and of the Genealogical Society. 

An Eagle Scout, President Hunter has been associated with programs of

the Boy Scouts of America for many years.  He has served the Church as

a bishop, president of a high priests quorum, stake high councilor, and

president of the Pasadena California Stake.  While serving as stake

president, he was chairman of the Southern California Welfare Region

and later chairman of the Los Angeles Welfare Region.  He has also

served as vice-chairman of the  Temple and Genealogy Council.  This

devotional address was given on 10 February 1987 in the Marriott

Center.



	I am happy to be with you today.



	Over the years the Brethren have had dreams and visions regarding

Brigham Young University, yet such hopes and prophetic utterances are

not self-executing.  They are fulfilled by righteous and devoted people

who make the prophecies come true.  Your generation now shares in this

responsibility.  Part of your privilege while you are at BYU is not

only to become acquainted with some of humanity's noblest knowledge and

achievements, but to participate in personal and spiritual development

in this ideal setting.



	President David O. McKay once observed that



	"the university is not a dictionary, a dispensary, nor is it a

department store.  It is more than a storehouse of knowledge and more

than a community of scholars.  The University life is essentially an

exercise in thinking, preparing, and living." . . . It must concern

itself with not only the dispensing of facts, but with the preparation

of its students to take their place in society as thinking, thoughtful,

and sensitive individuals who ... come here dedicated to love of God,

pursuit of truth, and service to mankind. [Spencer W. Kimball, "The

Second Century of Brigham Young University," Speeches of the Year, 1975

(Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1976), p. 250]



	For many of you, these years invested at BYU will be among the

most challenging and rigorous, yet rewarding of your life. Many of you

presently are happy and enjoying the opportunities given to you.  Some

of you are even ready for your next exam.



	Yet I am concerned that some among us today are undoubtedly

unhappy.  Some of us feel we are falling short of our expected ideals. 

I have particular concern for those who have lived righteously, but

think--because they haven't achieved in the world or in the Church what

others have achieved--that they have failed. Each of us desires to

achieve a measure of greatness in this life.  And why shouldn't we? As

someone once noted, there is within each of us a giant struggling with

celestial homesickness.



	Realizing who we are and what we may become assures us that with

God nothing really is impossible.  From the time we learn that Jesus

wants us for a Sunbeam until we learn more fully the basic principles

of the gospel, we are taught to strive for perfection.  It is not new

to us then to talk of the importance of achievement.  The difficulty

arises when inflated expectations of the world alter our definition of

greatness.



	What is true greatness? What is it that makes a person great?



THE WORLD'S HEROES



	We live in a world that seems to worship its own kind of greatness

and produce its own kind of heroes.  A U. S. News and World Report

survey of young people ages 18 through 24 revealed that today's youth

prefer the "strong, go-it-alone, conquer-against-all-odds 

 individuals," and clearly seek to pattern their lives after the

glamorous and "boundlessly rich." During the 1950s, heroes included

Winston Churchill, missionary Albert Schweitzer, President Harry

Truman, Queen Elizabeth II, and Helen Keller, the blind and deaf

writer-lecturer.  These were figures who either helped shape history or

were noted for inspiring sacrifice.  Today among the top ten heroes are

Clint Eastwood, Eddie Murphy, and Jane Fonda (see "Heroes Are Back,"

U.S. News and World Report, April 29, 1985, pp. 44-48).  That brief

list suggests something of a shift in our attitudes.



	It's true that most of the world's heroes don't last very long in

the public mind, but, nevertheless, there is never a lack of champions

and great achievers.  We hear almost daily of athletes breaking

records; scientists inventing marvelous new devices, machines, and

processes; and doctors saving lives in new ways.  We are constantly

being exposed to exceptionally gifted musicians and entertainers, also

to the work of unusually talented artists, architects, and builders. 

Magazines, billboards, and television commercials bombard us with

pictures of individuals with perfect teeth and flawless features,

wearing stylish clothes, and doing whatever it is that successful

people do.



	Because we are being constantly exposed to the world's definition

of greatness, it is understandable that we might find ourselves making

comparisons between what we are and what others are, or seem to be, and

also between what we have and what others have.  Although it is true

that making comparisons can be beneficial and may motivate us to

accomplish much good and improve our lives, yet we often allow unfair

and improper comparisons to destroy our happiness when they cause us to

feel unfulfilled or inadequate or unsuccessful.  Sometimes, because of

these feelings, we are led into error, and we dwell on our failures

while ignoring aspects of our lives that may contain elements of true

greatness.



	In a short editorial written by President Joseph F. Smith in 1905,

he made this most profound statement about what true greatness really

is.  These are his words:



	Those things which we call extraordinary, remarkable, or unusual

may make history, but they do not make real life.

 After all, to do well those things which God ordained to be the common

lot of all mankind, is the truest greatness.  To be a successful father

or a successful mother is greater than to be a successful general or a

successful statesman.  (Juvenile Instructor, 15 Dec. 1905, p. 752)



	This statement raises a query as to what are the things God has

ordained to be the common lot of all mankind.  Surely they include the

things that must be done in order to be a good father or a good mother,

a good son or a good daughter, a good student or good roommate or good

neighbor.



THOUSANDS OF LITTLE DEEDS



	Pablo Casals, the world's greatest cellist, spent the morning of

the day he died, at the age of 95, practicing scales on his cello. 

Giving consistent effort in the little things in day-to-day life leads

to true greatness.  Specifically, it is the thousands of little deeds

and tasks of service and sacrifice that constitute the giving or losing

of one's life for others and for the Lord.  They include gaining a

knowledge of our Father in Heaven and of the gospel.  They also include

bringing others into the faith and fellowship of his kingdom.  These

things do not usually receive the attention or the adulation of the

world.



	Joseph Smith is not generally remembered as a general, mayor,

architect, editor, or presidential candidate.  We remember him as a

prophet of the Restoration, a man committed to the love of God and the

furthering of his work.  Joseph was an everyday Christian.  He was

concerned about the small things, the daily tasks of service and caring

for others.  Elder Lyman O. Littlefield was a thirteen-year-old boy who

accompanied the camp of Zion when it went up to Missouri.  He later

narrated this incident of a small, yet personally significant act of

service in the life of the Prophet.  He said:



	The journey was extremely toilsome for all, and the physical

suffering, coupled with the knowledge of the persecutions endured by

our brethren whom we were traveling to succor, caused me to lapse one

day into a state of melancholy. As the camp was making ready to depart

I sat tired and brooding by the roadside.  The Prophet was the busiest

man of the camp; and yet when he saw me, he turned from the great press

of other duties to say a word of comfort to a child.  Placing his hand

upon my head, he said, "Is there no place for you, my boy? If not, we

must make one."  This circumstance made an impression upon my mind

which long lapse of time and cares of riper years have not effaced.

[George Q. Cannon, Life of Joseph Smith the Prophet (Salt Lake City:

Deseret Book Company, 1986), p. 344]



	On another occasion, when Governor Carlin of Illinois sent Thomas

King, sheriff of Adams County and several others as a posse to

apprehend the Prophet and deliver him to the scandalous emissaries of

Governor Boggs of Missouri, Sheriff King became deathly ill.  At Nauvoo

the Prophet took the sheriff to his home and nursed him like a brother

for four days (Cannon, p. 373).  Small, kind, and significant acts of

service were not occasional to the Prophet.



	Writing about the opening of the store in Nauvoo, George Q. Cannon

records:



	The Prophet himself did not hesitate to engage in mercantile and

industrial pursuits; the gospel which he preached was one of temporal

salvation as well as spiritual exaltation; and he was willing to

perform his share of the practical labor.  This he did with no thought

of personal gain, [Cannon, p. 385-86]



	And in a letter, the Prophet said:



	The store has been filled to overflowing and I have stood behind

the counter all day, distributing goods as steadily as any clerk you

ever saw, to oblige those who were compelled to go without their

Christmas and New Year's dinners for the want of a little sugar,

molasses, raisins, etc.; and to please myself also, for I love to wait

upon the Saints and to be a servant to all, hoping that I may be

exalted in the due time of the Lord. [Cannon, p. 386]



	George Q. Cannon then comments:



	What a picture is presented here! A man chosen by the Lord to lay

the foundation of His Church and to be its Prophet and President, takes

joy and pride in waiting upon his brethren and sisters like a servant. 

The self elected ministers of Christ in the world are forever jealous

of their dignity and fearful of showing disrespect to their cloth; but

Joseph never saw the day when he did not feel that he was serving God

and obtaining favor in the sight of Jesus Christ by showing kindness

and attention "even unto the least of these." [Cannon, p. 386]



	To be a successful elders quorum secretary or Relief Society

teacher or loving neighbor or listening friend is much of what true

greatness is all about.  To do one's best in the face of the

commonplace struggles of life, and possibly in the face of failures,

and to continue to endure and persevere with the ongoing difficulties

of life-when those struggles and tasks contribute to the progress and

happiness of others and the eternal salvation of one's self-this is

true greatness.



THINGS OF THE  GREATEST  WORTH



	I am reasonably assured all of you want to achieve a measure of

greatness in this life.  Many of you want to be leaders in your chosen

fields--corporate presidents, statesmen, musicians, or artists.  We

encourage you to achieve.  At the same time we encourage you to

remember who you are.  Don't let the illusion of fleeting worldly

greatness overcome you.  Many people are losing their souls to such

temptations.  All one needs to do is look at the recent scandals

uncovered on Wall Street.  Your good name is not worth selling for any

price.  True greatness is to remain true-"True to the faith that our

parents have cherished, true to the truth for which martyrs have

perished" (Hymns, 1985, no. 254).



	I am confident that there are many great, unnoticed, and forgotten

heroes among us today.  I am speaking of those of you who quietly and

consistently do the things you ought to do.  I am talking about those

who are always there and always willing.  I am referring to the

uncommon valor of the mother who-hour after hour, day and night-will

stay with and care for a sick child while her husband is off to school. 

I'm including those who always volunteer to give blood or volunteer to

work with the elderly.  I am thinking about those of you who faithfully

fulfill your priesthood and church responsibilities.  I am thinking of

the student who writes home regularly to thank Mom and Dad for their

support.



	I am also talking about teachers and administrators who teach and

instill faith and a desire to learn in the hearts of their students-who

actively work to build and mold the lives of others physically,

socially, and spiritually.  I am referring to those who are honest and

kind and hardworking in their daily work, but who are also servants of

the Master and shepherds of his sheep.



	Now, I do not mean to discount the great accomplishments of the

world that have given us so many opportunities and provide culture and

order and excitement to our lives.  I am merely suggesting that we try

to focus more clearly on the things in life that will be of greatest

worth.  You will remember that it was the Savior who said, "He that is

greatest among you shall be your servant" (Matthew 23:11).



	Each of us has seen individuals become wealthy or successful

almost instantaneously, almost overnight.  But I believe that even

though this kind of success may come to some  without prolonged

struggle, there is no such thing as instant greatness.  This is because

the achievement of true greatness is a longterm process.  It may

involve occasional setbacks.  The end result may not always be clearly

visible, but it seems that it always requires regular, consistent,

small, and sometimes ordinary and mundane steps over a long period of

time.  We should remember that it was the Lord who said: "Out of small

things proceedeth that which is great" (D&C 64:33).



	True greatness is never a result of a chance occurrence or a

one-time effort or achievement.  It requires the development of

character.  It requires a multitude of correct decisions for the

everyday choices between good and evil that Elder Boyd K. Packer spoke

about when he said, "Over the years these little choices will be

bundled together and show clearly what we value" (Ensign, Nov. 1980, p.

21).  Those choices will also show clearly what we are.



	As we evaluate our lives, it is important that we look, not only

at our accomplishments, but also at the conditions under which we have

labored.  We are all different and unique individuals.  We have each

had different starting points in the race of life.  We each have a

unique mixture of talents and skills.  We each have our own set of

challenges and constraints to contend with.  Therefore, our judgment of

ourselves and our achievements should not merely include the size or

magnitude and number of our accomplishments; it should also include the

conditions that have existed and the effect that our efforts have had

on others.



	It is this last aspect of our self-evaluation--the effect of our

lives on the lives of others--that will help us understand why some of

the common, ordinary work of life should be valued so highly. 

Frequently it is the commonplace tasks that have the greatest positive

effect on the lives of others, as compared with the things that the

world so often relates to greatness.



	It appears to me that the kind of greatness our Father in Heaven

would have us pursue is within the grasp of all who are within the

gospel net.  We have an unlimited number of opportunities to do the

many simple and minor things that will ultimately make us great.  To

those who have devoted their lives to service and sacrifice for their

families, for others and for the Lord, the best counsel is simply to do

more of the same.



	To those who are furthering the work of the Lord in so many quiet

but significant ways, to those who are the salt of the earth and the

strength of the world and the backbone of each nation--to you we would

simply express our admiration.  If you endure to the end, and if you

are valiant in the testimony of Jesus, you will achieve true greatness

and will live in the presence of our Father in Heaven.



	As President Joseph F. Smith has said, "Let us not be trying to

substitute an artificial life for the true one" (Juvenile Instructor,

15 Dec. 1905, p. 753).  Let us remember that doing the things that have

been ordained by God to be important and needful and necessary, even

though the world may view them as unimportant and insignificant, will

eventually lead to true greatness.



	We should strive to remember the words of the Apostle Paul,

especially if we are unhappy with our lives, feeling that we have not

achieved some form of greatness.  He wrote:



	For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for

us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;



	While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things

which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the

things which are not seen are eternal. [2 Corinthians 4:17-18]



	The small things are significant.  We remember not the amount

offered by the Pharisee, but the widow's mite, not the power and

strength of the Philistine army, but the courage and conviction of

David.



	That we may never be discouraged in doing those daily tasks that

God has ordained to the common lot of man is my prayer, in the name of

Jesus Christ.  Amen.









                          "ON STAYING POWER"



                             L. Tom Perry



	Elder L. Tom Perry was sustained as a member of the Council of the

Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in April

1974.  From October 1972 until that time he was an Assistant to the

Council of the Twelve.  His previous Church positions include terms as

stake president, member of stake high councils and of bishoprics, and

missionary in the Northern States Mission.  Following his mission he

served for two years with the U.S. Marines in the Pacific. Then, after

completing his undergraduate work in finance at Utah State University,

he entered the retail industry in the field of finance in department

store operations, working in Idaho, California, and New York.  At the

time of his call in 1972 he was employed as vice-president Of finance

and treasurer for two large retail firms in the Boston area.  Elder

Perry and his late wife, Virginia Lee, are the parents of three

children.  In 1976 he married his second wife, Barbara Dayton.  This

devotional talk was given on 17 March 1987 in the Marriott Center.

	I will never lose the feeling of awe that comes over me when I

enter this great building and gaze upon this vast sea of faces, the

students of Brigham Young University.  To me it is overwhelming to see

all of you gathered here together and realize the great responsibility

we both have--you, to your committed course of study and everything

else that goes with being on your own in a college setting, and me, to

help provide useful guidance and counsel to you.  I hope you know of my

love for each of you.  I hope you feel of my concern for your welfare. 

I do care about you and want the best out of life for each of you.



	As I pondered this assignment, I discovered in my raw materials

file an article entitled, "On Staying Power." It was written by John

Wooden, the legendary coach for UCLA, and printed in the Wall Street

Journal on April 23, 1986.  It reads in part:



	Like most coaches, my program revolved around fundamentals,

conditioning, and teamwork.  But I differ radically in several

respects.  I never tried to get my team "up" for a game emotionally, I

never worried about how our opponents would play us, and I never talked

about winning.



	I believe that for every artificial peak you create, you also

create valleys.  When you get too high for anything, emotion takes over

and consistency of performance is lost and you will be unduly affected

when adversity comes. I emphasized constant improvement and steady

performance.



	I have often said, "The mark of a true champion is to always

perform near your own level of competency." We were able to do that by

never being satisfied with the past and always planning for what was to

come.  I believe that failure to prepare is preparing to fail.  This

constant focus on the future is one reason we continued staying near

the top once we got there.



	I probably scouted opponents less than any coach in the country. 

Less than most high school coaches.  I don't need to know that this

forward likes to drive the outside.  You're not supposed to give the

outside to any forward whenever he tries it. Sound offensive and

defensive principles apply to any style of play.



	Rather than having my teams prepare to play a certain team each

week, I prepared to play anybody.  I didn't want my players worrying

about the other fellows.  I wanted them executing the sound offensive

and defensive principles we taught in practice.



	To me, success isn't outscoring someone, it's the peace of mind

that comes from self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best. That's

something each individual must determine for himself. You can fool

others, but you can't fool yourself. [Wall Street Journal, April 23,

1986, p. 39]



	From the philosophy of this great coach, John Wooden, there are

three principles I would like to discuss with you here today. The first

is to develop a pattern in your life of consistently doing the best

with the talents given you by our Father in Heaven.  Second, subscribe

to basic principles that are always appropriate for any situation or

season of life.  Third, develop character, rather than worry about your

reputation.



PRINCIPLE NUMBER ONE



	Develop a consistency in your lives of always trying to do the

best with the talents you have.  One of my favorite scriptures is found

in the eighth chapter of Psalms.



	O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who

has set thy glory above the heavens....



	When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and

the stars, which thou hast ordained;



	What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man,

that thou visitest him?



	For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast

crowned him with glory and honour. [Psalms 8:1, 3-5]



	I guess this scripture appeals to me because I like to think of

myself as a junior angel with the power and opportunity of an eternal

being.  I am absolutely amazed as I watch the growth and development of

the next generation in our family.  I study the emergence of each of

our grandchildren, and I marvel at how different each one is in

appearance and personality, even though they all come from a common

heritage and a similar environment.



	Let me describe my three oldest grandsons from each of the

families of my three children.  The son of my eldest daughter is a

student.  He leads his class, he is very disciplined, he schedules

himself very carefully.  He is consistently goal-oriented.  I remember

how frustrated I used to become when I would baby-sit.  I would gather

the children around me and read them a story before they retired to

bed.  The clock would strike eight o'clock, and my grandson would

announce to the others that it was time to go to bed.  He wouldn't

allow me to even finish the page, not even a sentence.  Eight o'clock

is the established bedtime, and that was it.



	My son's eldest boy is our great debater.  He has a sound argument

supported by numerous facts for everything he doesn't want to do.  His

reasoning is often brilliant.  He also has an attention span for things

he enjoys doing that is most uncommon for a child his age.  He is

unusually fascinated with animal and insect life.  I have watched him

sit by the hour observing a spider disposing of a fly entrapped in its

web.



	The son of my youngest daughter has a fascination for anything

mechanical.  A screwdriver in his hand is almost a lethal weapon.  When

he had just learned to walk, I took him on a tour of Temple Square to

show him the beautiful flowers, trees, and buildings.  He had no

interest in them whatsoever.  He wanted to spend his time trying to

find every sprinkler head on the grounds to test them and see if they

were screwed in tightly.



	All three grandsons spring from the same family tree, but, oh, how

different each of them will be in appearance and talent as they grow to

maturity.



	It is the same with each of us as creations of our Father in

Heaven.  We have been given an abundance of talent, beauty, and

ability.  Lack of progress can never be blamed on the lack of raw

material.  Richard L. Evans once wrote:



	We know of no one in life who isn't an Important Person.  We know

of no man on the street (or in the gutter, for that matter) who isn't a

child of God with the same rights and with the same relationship to his

Father in heaven as all the rest of us have.



	We know of no one, young or old, from infants to elderly

individuals, whose past or whose potential we would want to appraise as

being unimportant.  We know of no one we might see in any public

place--on subways or busses, or walking in shabby shoes--or any boy

selling papers, . . . who doesn't have an inestimable, unknown

potential, here and in the hereafter. [Richard L. Evans, Jr., Richard

L. Evans--The Man and the Message (Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft,

Inc., 1973), p. 304]



	What is needed, then, is for us to make this mortal experience one

that is rewarding and fulfilling by developing a consistency in doing

our best with whatever talents the Lord has blessed us with.  I was

thrilled with the talk Peter Vidmar gave in the priesthood session of

general conference after he had successfully won his Olympic gold

medals.  His theme was that the Lord had blessed him with a talent.  It

was his responsibility to make himself a champion.  His formula was

simple.  He spent fifteen minutes longer each day perfecting his

routines than any of those competing against him.  The multiplication

of those extra fifteen minutes daily gave him the edge and prepared him

for winning the gold medals in the Olympics.



PRINCIPLE NUMBER TWO



	Subscribe to basic, tried-and-true principles.  Just as Coach

Wooden taught that it was fundamental never to give the outside to any

forward who tries to drive around you, there are basic principles of

life we can always live by.  One of these principles is integrity. 

Integrity is tantamount to good character.  It is the one trait that

reaches all facets of our life and touches each aspect of our

personality.



	The Lord loves those who have integrity.  He said about the

Prophet's brother Hyrum Smith, "And again, verily I say unto you,

blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith; for I, the Lord, love him because of

the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right

before me, saith the Lord" (D&C 124:15).



	What is the meaning of integrity? We can find several definitions

in the dictionary: (1) rigid adherence to a code or standard of values;

(2) moral soundness, especially as it relates to steadfastness to

truth, purpose, responsibility, or trust; (3) moral and ethical

strength; (4) the quality of being honest; (5) the quality of being

whole, complete, undivided.



	We can describe a person of integrity, therefore, as a person who

is honest and genuine, trustworthy and honorable.  He is loyal,

truthful, upright, virtuous, fair, and consistent.  A person with

integrity is faithful, incorruptible, praiseworthy, reliable, and

steadfast.



	We have not been left without abundant evidence of the blessings

that follow those who have integrity.  In the Old Testament there was

Job, described by the Lord as a man who was perfect and upright.



	As Job suffered untold trials and tribulations, his wife said to

him, "Dost thou still retain thine integrity?" (Job 2:9).  Even with

all of his problems and challenges, Job sinned not (see Job 1:22).  And

the Lord still described him thus: "There is none like him in the

earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and

escheweth evil ... and still he holdeth fast his integrity" (Job 2:3).



	When Job's friends complained of all the hardships he suffered, he

said:



	All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my

nostrils;



	My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit,



	God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove

mine integrity from me.



	My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go.  (Job

27:3-6)



	Job invited judgment from God so "that God may know mine

integrity" (Job 31:6).  Job's conscience was clear, for he knew he was

honest and upright in all of his endeavors.  He would never compromise

his integrity.



	

	It was the Savior, himself, who declared, "He that doeth truth

cometh to the light" (John 3:21).  Throughout our history we have

honored those who would serve with honesty and integrity. Every

American applauds the honesty and integrity of Abraham Lincoln when he

trudged miles to return a customer's change.



	Lincoln said at one time, "I am not bound to win, but I am bound

to be true; I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the

light that I have" (Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle

[Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1972], p. 246).



	Lincoln also said, "Stand with anybody that stands right.... And

part with him when he goes wrong" (Speech, Peoria, Illinois, 16 October

1854).  Lincoln was so wise that he knew there was no freedom for any

man while another man was held a slave.  No man today could doubt the

honesty and heart of this great man.  He charmed men with his integrity

and nobility of soul.  His life was spent in serving humanity, and his

example bears record that honor is an essential element in building a

great nation.



	There are times when we have watched with alarm as leaders in our

community, state, and nation have lost their popularity and their

ability to function because of their failure to be honest and

honorable.



	Our thirteenth article of faith begins with the statement, "We

believe in being honest." We do not believe in honesty merely as a

matter of policy.  It is far more important than that. Honesty is a

principle of salvation in the kingdom of God.



	I will always be grateful that my tenure as a General Authority

reaches back to the time when N. Eldon Tanner was a member of the First

Presidency.  He was recognized throughout the United States and Canada

as "Mr.  Integrity." There was never any question about a Church

contract being valid so long as President Tanner had approved the

action.  Many times I sat in financial meetings where staff members

proposed questionable actions that might be considered common practice

in a country in which we were doing business.  President Tanner quickly

and absolutely turned them down because they did not conform to his

definition of honesty.  And that's what he expected in all of our

Church dealings.



	He said this:



	The integrity of which we speak is not impossible to attain. In

fact, we should all be convinced that it is far easier to emulate the

example of our Savior than it is to follow Satan, whose path leads us

away from integrity and into darkness and misery.  There is no

happiness in sin, and when we depart from the path of righteousness we

begin to do those things which will inevitably lead us to unhappiness

and misery and loss of freedom. ["Integrity," Ensign, May 1977, p. 17]



	Elder Faust describes integrity as "the light that shines from a

disciplined conscience.  It is the strength of duty within us" (James

E. Faust, "Integrity, the Mother of Many Virtues," Ensign, May 1982, p.

47).



	Moses gave us the following counsel: "If a man vow a vow unto the

Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break

his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his

mouth" (Numbers 30:2).



	And Elder Faust reminds us that



	The power of keeping an oath was manifested by Nephi, who held

Zoram, the frightened servant of Laban, to keep him from fleeing.  Dr.

Hugh Nibley has written: "Nephi, a powerful fellow, held the terrified

Zoram in a vise-like grip long enough to swear a solemn oath in his

ear, 'as the Lord liveth, and as I live' (I Ne. 4:32), that he would

not harm him if he would listen.  Zoram immediately relaxed, and Nephi

swore another oath to him that he would be a free man if he would join

the party....



	". . . As soon as Zoram made an oath unto us that he would tarry

with us from that time forth ... our fears did cease concerning him."

[Faust, p. 47]



	I learned early in my business career that dishonesty is almost

like a disease.  It requires a great deal of medication to effect a

cure.  I hate to admit it, but in my earlier business experience, every

time I exercised compassion in giving a person a second chance after

catching them in a dishonest act, I caught them later in a repeat

performance.  It almost seemed as if they had to hit the bottom and

suffer severe punishment before there was any hope of administering a

cure.



	I am sure that one of the great blessings of enrollment in this

university is that you have committed yourself to live by a prescribed

Code of Honor.  Each of you, as you enroll at Brigham Young University,

promises by signing your good name on an entrance application that you

will keep all of the requirements of the school's Honor Code.  You

promise that:



	I will live the law of chastity.  I will live the Word of Wisdom. 

I will respect the property rights of others.  I will not become

involved in drug abuse.  I will comply with all university regulations. 

I will respect the personal rights of others.  I will be honest in all

my behavior.  I will live the standards of the Church.  I will observe

the high standards of taste and decency.  I will help others fulfill

their responsibilities under the Code of Honor.  I will observe

standards of dress and grooming.



	It is vitally important that we are honest in our acts and adhere

to these standards.  You signed a pledge! Your integrity is now at

stake.  Most of you will have the courage to live by the high standards

required here.  You will emerge with a habit of being honest and

trustworthy.  It will be the highest distinction you can achieve from

your schooling at Brigham Young University.  You will distinguish

yourself along all avenues of life as one who can be trusted without

question. This integrity, which you can develop and strengthen here, is

of infinite and eternal value.



	A few of you will violate the Code of Honor and either be

discovered or voluntarily confess to the violation.  Either course will

be hard to handle, but how much better off you will be than those who

lie and cheat their way through school.  They will leave here with a

disease.  Someday it will be discovered. The longer it takes, the more

devastating it will be to them.  If you have a problem, correct it now!

The longer you wait, the more deeply the disease of dishonesty infects

your soul, and the greater its damage can be to your eternal nature.



	It was Brigham Young who said:



	Simple truth, simplicity, honesty, uprightness, justice, mercy,

love, kindness, do good to all and evil to none, how easy it is to live

by such principles! A thousand times easier than to practice deception!

[DBY, p. 232]



	May we all live to say as Job said, "Till I die I will not remove

mine integrity from me" (Job 27:5).



PRINCIPLE NUMBER THREE



	Develop character.  Webster's Dictionary defines character as

three distinctive traits: behavior typical of a group or person, moral

strength, and reputation.  President David O. McKay relates an

experience of standing in a sculptor's yard in Florence, Italy.  There

he observed unbroken, irregular pieces of granite from which the

sculptor would create a work of art.  In the yard he also observed a

magnificent figure, a statue of David, carved over 400 years ago from

pieces of stone as crude as those seen around the yard.  He then

compared the carving of the stone to the carving of a soul and asked

the question, "Is it going to be a deformed one, or is it going to be

something admired and beautiful for time and throughout all eternity?"



	He reminds us that it is our responsibility to carve out our own

lives, to carve out the character we would like to have, and that our

tools are our ideas and our thoughts.



	It has often been said:



	Sow a thought, and you reap an act;

	Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

	Sow a habit, and you reap a character;

	Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.

	[Quoted by Samuel Smiles in Life and Labor, 1887]



	Man becomes ultimately what he thinks and does.  Habits become the

vehicle molding his character.  What kind of character and destiny are

you after? Our acts are the outgrowth of our beliefs and our thoughts. 

Good habits are not acquired by just resolves, but are developed in the

workshop of our daily lives. They are fashioned in often uneventful,

commonplace routines of life, and acquired by practice.



	President Ernest L. Wilkinson once said:



	Good character is not something to be obtained by ease and

indulgence, or by something socially agreeable.  It cannot be acquired

by absorption or by proxy, or on the auction block.  It is a reward

derived from honest trial in overcoming difficulties.  We grow by

mastering tasks which others consider to be impossible.



	Thus, every day you are forming habits that will be part of your

life forever.  The principles of morality, sincerity, honesty, and

integrity are worth all of the effort it takes to make them an integral

part of your personality and character. Samuel Johnson, one of

England's famous authors, wrote, "The chains of habit are generally too

small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken" (International

Dictionary of Thoughts [Chicago: J. G. Ferguson Publishing Co., 1969],

p. 348).



	Habits are not made or broken easily.  It takes desire,

repetition, and time to form them, whether they be good or bad.



	Many years ago, when the railroad was finally crossing the country

regularly, President Brigham Young said to a group of Church members:



	We want the Saints to increase in goodness, until our mechanics

... are so honest and reliable that this Railroad Company will say,

"Give us a Mormon elder for an engineer, then none need have the least

fear to ride, for if he knows there is danger he will take every

measure necessary to preserve the lives of those entrusted to his

care." I want to see our elders so full of integrity that they will be

preferred by this Company for their engine builders, watchmen,

engineers, clerks and business managers.  (JD 12:300)



	The prophets through the ages have counseled us and encouraged us

to build the type of character that would be entirely trustworthy and

responsible in anything we do.  Paul warned the Galatians:



	Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,

that shall he also reap.



	For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap

corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap

life everlasting.



	And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall

reap, if we faint not. [Galatians 6:7-9]



	John Wooden concludes his article in this way:



	I always taught players that the main ingredient of stardom is the

rest of the team.  It's amazing how much can be accomplished if no one

cares who gets the credit.  That's why I was as concerned with a

player's character as I was with his ability.



	While it may be possible to reach the top of one's profession on

sheer ability, it is impossible to stay there without hard work and

character.  One's character may be quite different from one's

reputation.



	Your character is what you really are.  Your reputation is only

what others think you are.  I made a determined effort to evaluate

character.  I looked for young men who would play the game hard, but

clean, and who would always be trying to improve themselves to help the

team.  Then, if their ability warranted it, the championships would

take care of themselves. [Wooden, p. 39]



	And so, my dear friends, the message I would like to leave with

you today is to hold fast to those basic principles that are tried and

true.  Consistently develop your talents, hold fast to your integrity,

and build your character.  These are principles that will not

depreciate with time.  Why? Because they are God-given principles

founded on eternal truths, and will endure through time and for all

eternity.



	It is as certain as life itself that real joy comes from partaking

of the fruit that will never perish.  Real tragedy comes from following

a path that only leads to heartache and misery.  God has revealed his

will to mankind.  He has charted a course that will lead us back to the

joy of his eternal presence. Of this I bear solemn witness, in the name

of Jesus Christ. Amen.







                        THE MAGNIFICENCE OF MAN



                           Russell M. Nelson



	Elder Russell M. Nelson was called to be a member of the Council

of the Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in

April 1984.  An internationally renowned surgeon and medical

researcher, Dr. Nelson received his B.A. and M.D. degrees from the

University of Utah. He served his residency in surgery at Massachusetts

General Hospital in Boston and at the University of Minnesota, where he

was awarded his Ph.  D. degree.  He also received an honorary degree of

Doctor of Science from Brigham Young University.  Author of numerous

publications and chapters in textbooks, Elder Nelson has lectured and

visited throughout the United States and in 65 nations abroad.  His

professional work has included the positions of research professor of

surgery and director of the Thoracic Surgery Residency at the

University of Utah, chairman of the Division of Thoracic Surgery, and

member of the board of governors of the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City. 

He has served as president of the Society for Vascular Surgery and

chairman of the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery for the American

Heart Association.  Elder Nelson has held many positions of

responsibility in the Church as well.  He served as stake president of

the Bonneville Stake, as general president of the Sunday School, and as

Regional Representative for the Kearns Utah Region and for Brigham

Young University Region 1.  Elder Nelson and his wife, Dantzel White,

are the parents of nine daughters and one son. This devotional address

was given on 29 March 1987 in the Marriott Center.



	I invite you to ponder things magnificent.  To assist, let us

define the word magnificent.  It is derived from two Latin roots. The

prefix magni comes from a term meaning "great." The suffix comes from

the Latin facere, meaning "to make" or "to do." A simple definition of

magnificent then might be great deed" or "greatly made."



	Think, if you will, of the most magnificent sight you have ever

seen.  It could be a meadow in springtime filled with beautiful

wildflowers.  Or perhaps you have been awestruck, as I have, at the

magnificence of a single rose with its special beauty and perfume.  I

have come to appreciate the magnificence of an orange-each droplet of

juice neatly packaged in an edible container, joined with many other

packets, grouped in sections, and all neatly wrapped in a disposable,

biodegradable peel.



	Some would say the most magnificent sight they have ever beheld is

looking heavenward on a summer night, seeing stars beyond number

dotting the sky.  Those who have traveled in orbit through space say

that their view of planet earth was one of the most magnificent sights

ever observed by man.



	Some might choose the view of the Grand Canyon at sunrise--others,

the beauty of a mountain lake, river, waterfall, or desert.



	Some might select a peacock with its tail in full fan or a

handsome horse.  Others would nominate the beauty of butterfly wings,

or a hummingbird seemingly suspended in midair while feeding.



	These magnificent sights are wondrous beyond measure.  They are

all "great deeds" of our divine Creator.



	You may be surprised at what I am going to suggest now. Ponder the

magnificence of all you see when you look in the mirror.  Ignore the

freckles, unruly hair, or blemishes, and look beyond to see the real

you--a child of God created by him, in his image.



	Tonight I would like to peek beyond the surface we see in the

mirror, lift the lid on the treasure chest of understanding the

marvelous attributes of your body, and discover, at least in part, the

magnificence of man.



	Time won't permit us to do more than sample some of the glittering

jewels of magnificence in this treasure chest, but we might reach in

and look at some of the gems awaiting our view.



EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT



	In the first compartment of the treasure chest, we might look at

the magnificence of our creation itself.



	We don't know precisely how two germ cells unite to become a human

embryo, but we do know that both the female cell and the male cell

contain all the new individual's total hereditary material and

information, stored in a space so small it cannot be seen by the naked

eye.  Twenty-three chromosomes from both the father and the mother

unite in one new cell.  These chromosomes contain thousands of genes. 

A marvelous process of genetic coding is established by which all the

basic human characteristics of the unborn person are determined.  A new

DNA complex is thus formed.  A continuum of growth is instituted that

results in a new human being.  Approximately twenty-two days after

those two germ cells have united, a little heart begins to beat.  At

twenty-six days the circulation of blood begins.  Cells multiply and

divide, some becoming differentiated to become eyes that see, or ears

that hear, while others are destined to become fingers that feel the

wonderful things about us.  Yes, awareness of the magnificence of man

begins with the miracles of conception and our creation.



SPECIFIC ORGANS



	In our treasure chest of understanding, we can look to the

compartment of capability of selected organs.  Time won't permit

complete consideration, but each jewel merits admiration, appreciation,

and awe.



	Let's mention the magnificence of the eyes with which we see.  No

doubt you have stood before the mirror, as have I, watching pupils

react to changes in the intensity of light dilating to let more light

in, constricting to reduce the light allowed to reach the sensitive

retina of the eye.  A self-focusing lens is at the front of each eye. 

Nerves and muscles synchronize the function of two separate eyes to

produce one three-dimensional image.  Eyes are connected to the brain,

ready to record sights seen.  No cords, no batteries, no external

connections are needed; our visual apparatus is marvelous--infinitely

more priceless than any camera money can buy.



	As we admire good stereophonic equipment for sensing sound, ponder

the magnificence of the human ear.  It is so remarkable. Compacted into

an area about the size of a marble is all the equipment needed to

perceive sound.  A tiny tympanic membrane serves as the diaphragm. 

Minute ossicles amplify the signal that is then transmitted along nerve

lines to the brain, which registers the result of hearing.  This

marvelous sound system is also connected to the recording instrument of

the brain.



	A large portion of my life's study and research has been focused

on the jewel of the human heart--a pump so magnificent that its power

is almost beyond our comprehension.  To control the direction of the

blood's flow through the heart, there are four important valves, each

pliable as a parachute and delicate as a dainty silk scarf.  They open

and close over 100,000 times a day-over 36 million times a year.  Yet,

unless altered by disease, they are so rugged that they stand this kind

of wear seemingly indefinitely.  No man-made material developed thus

far can be flexed this frequently and for so long without breaking.



	The amount of work done by the heart is most amazing.  Each day it

pumps enough fluid to fill a 21000-gallon tank car.  The work it

performs daily is equivalent to lifting a 150-pound man to the top of

the Empire State Building, consuming only about four watts of

energy-less than that used by a small light bulb in your home.



	At the crest of the heart is an electrical generator transmitting

energy down special lines, causing myriads of muscle fibers to beat in

coordination and in rhythm.  This synchrony would be the envy of the

conductor of any orchestra.



	All this power is condensed in this faithful pump--the human

heart--about the size of one's fist, energized from within by an

endowment from on high.



	One of the most wondrous of all jewels in this treasure chest is

the human brain with its intricate combination of power cells,

recording, memory, storage, and retrieval systems.  It serves as

headquarters for the personality and character of each human being.  As

I observe the lives of great individuals, I sense that the capacity of

the brain is seemingly infinite.  Wise men can become even wiser as

each experience builds upon previous experience.  Indeed, continuing

exercise of the intellect brings forth increased intellectual capacity.



	Each time I marvel at a computer and admire the work it can do, I

respect even more the mind of man that developed the computer.  The

human brain is certainly a recording instrument that will participate

in our judgment one day as we stand before the Lord.  The Book of

Mormon speaks of a "bright recollection" (see Alma 11:43) and of a

"perfect remembrance" (see Alma 5:18) that will be with us at that

time.  Each one of us carries that recording instrument guarded within

the vault of the human skull.



	As we symbolically sift through the treasure chest of

understanding, we could spend hours, even a lifetime, studying the

incredible chemical capacity of the liver, the kidneys, and any or all

of the endocrine and exocrine glands of the body. Each is a shimmering

jewel, worthy of our study and our deepest gratitude.



CONCEPTUAL CONSIDERATIONS



	Now let us turn our attention to jewels in another compartment in

the treasure chest of understanding, leaving behind those representing

the marvelous functions of each specific organ.  Let us consider some

concepts that bridge beyond individual organ systems.



	The first concept that I would mention is that of reserve, or

backup.  In the theater, major actors have understudies.  In electrical

instruments, backup in the event of power failure may be provided by

batteries.  In the body, think of the backup provided by a number of

organs that are paired, such as the eyes, ears, lungs, adrenal glands,

kidneys, and more.  In the event of illness, injury, or loss of one,

the other is there ready to keep our bodily functions intact.  In the

event of loss of sight or hearing altogether, other sensory powers

become augmented in a miraculous manner.



	Some backup systems are not so apparent.  For example, crucial

single organs like the brain, the heart, and the liver have a double

blood supply.  They are all nourished by two routes of circulation,

minimizing damage in the event of loss of blood flow through any single

blood vessel.



	Another dimension of backup I shall describe as collateral

pathways.  For example, if our nasal passageways are obstructed by a

"stuffy nose," we may breathe through our mouths. Similarly, collateral

pathways may grow in the event of obstruction or severance of blood

vessels or nerves.



	Consider another concept--that of self-defense of the body. I

watched some three-year-old children playing one day. I saw them

lapping water from the sidewalk after it had spilled through a

neighbor's garden.  I suppose the germs they ingested were incalculable

in number, but not one of those children became ill.  They were

defended by their bodies.  As soon as that dirty drink reached their

stomachs, hydrochloric acid went to work to purify the water and

protect the lives of those innocent children.



	Think of the protection provided by the skin.  Could you make, or

even conjure in your mind how to create a cloak that would protect you

and yet, at the same time, perceive and warn against injuries that

excessive heat or cold might cause? That is what the skin does.  It

even gives signals indicating when another part of the body is ailing. 

The skin can flush and sweat with fever.  When one is frightened or

ill, the skin pales.  When one is embarrassed, the skin blushes.  And

it is replete with nerve fibers that communicate and often limit

possible harm through perception of pain.



	Pain itself is part of the body's defense mechanism.  For example,

protection is provided by sensory areas of the mouth guarding the

delicate esophagus, which has very few nerve fibers. Like a sentinel,

the mouth receives warnings to protect the tender esophagus from

becoming burned by drinks that are too hot.



	The defense of the body includes chemical antibodies manufactured

in response to infections acquired along life's way. Each time we are

exposed to bacterial or viral infections, antibodies are made that not

only combat infection but persist with memory to strengthen resistance

in days to come.  When military conscription was required during World

War II, soldiers who had come from isolated rural areas had much less

immunity and were more prone to infections than were those from more

highly populated urban areas whose resistance was better developed.



	Closely related to the concept of self-defense is that of

self-repair.  Consider the fact that broken bones mend and become

strong once again.  If I were to break one of the legs of the chair I

was just sitting on, how long would we have to wait for that chair leg

to heal itself? It would never happen.  Yet many here tonight walk on

legs that once were broken.  Lacerations in the skin heal themselves. 

A leak in the circulation system will seal itself, but circulatory

systems outside the body do not have this power.  I gained appreciation

for this miracle early in my research career when I was working in the

laboratory to create an artificial heart-lung machine.  Whenever tubing

in that machine would spring a leak, it meant long hours cleaning up

the lab, and I came home late for dinner.  Never did a leak in the

artificial heart-lung machine ever seal itself.



	The concept of self-renewal is remarkable.  Each cell in the body

is created and then regenerated from elements of the earth according to

the recipe or formula contained within genes unique to us.  The average

red blood corpuscle, for example, lives about 120 days.  It then dies

and is replaced by another.  Each time you bathe, thousands of dead and

dying cells are scrubbed away to be replaced by a younger crop.  To my

thinking, this process of self-renewal prefigures the process of

resurrection.



	Another concept that is truly remarkable is that of

autoregulation.  In spite of wide fluctuations in the temperature of

man's environment, the temperature of the body is carefully controlled

within very narrow bounds.



	Have you wondered why you can't swim under water very long?

Autoregulation limits the time you can hold your breath.  As breath is

held, carbon dioxide accumulates.  Partial pressure of carbon dioxide

is monitored continuously by two carotid bodies situated in the neck. 

They transmit signals up nerves to the brain.  The brain then sends

stimuli to muscles of respiration, causing them to work so that we

might inhale a fresh supply of oxygen and eliminate retained carbon

dioxide.  This is but one of many, many servomechanisms that

autoregulate individual ingredients in our bodies.



	The number of these systems exceeds our ability to enumerate them. 

Sodium, potassium, water, glucose, protein, nitrogen are but a few of

the many constituents continuously monitored by chemical regulators

within our bodies.



	Consider the concept of adaptation.  People on the earth dwell

amidst climatic and dietary differences of vast scope.  Eskimos in the

Arctic Circle consume a diet with a large component of fat that is

acceptable and even necessary to sustain life in a very cold climate. 

The Polynesian, on the other hand, eats a diet provided by a tropical

environment.  Yet these different groups work and adapt to varying

conditions and diet available to them.



	The concept of identity in reproduction is marvelous to

contemplate.  Each one of us possesses seeds carrying our unique

chromosomes and genes that control our own specific cellular identity. 

For this reason, tissues surgically transplanted from one person to

another can only survive by suppressing the host's immune response that

clearly recognizes tissues foreign to one's own inherited genetic

formula.  Truly we are blessed with the power to have children born in

the likeness of parents on earth as well as in heaven.



	As we consider self-defense, self-repair, and self-renewal, an

interesting paradox emerges.  Limitless life could result if these

marvelous qualities of the body continued in perpetuity. Just think, if

you could create anything that could defend itself, repair itself, and

renew itself without limit, you could create perpetual life.  That our

Creator did with the bodies he created for Adam and Eve in the Garden

of Eden.  If they had continued to be nourished from the tree of life,

they would have lived forever.  According to the Lord, as revealed

through his prophets, the fall of Adam instituted the aging process,

which results ultimately in physical death.  Of course, we do not

understand all the chemistry, but we are witnesses of the consequences

of growing old.  This, and other pathways of release, assure that there

is a limit to the length of life upon the earth.



	Yes, troubles do develop in our bodies that do not repair

themselves with time.  To the skilled physician, this profound question

is posed by each sick patient seen: "Will this illness get better, or

will it get worse, with the passage of time?" The former needs only

supportive care.  The latter requires significant help to convert the

process of progressive deterioration to one that might improve with

time.



	Death, when it comes, generally seems to be untimely to the mortal

mind. Then we need to have the larger view that death is part of life.



	It was not expedient that man should be reclaimed from this

temporal death, for that would destroy the great plan of happiness.

[Alma 42:8; see also D&C 29:43]



	When severe illness or tragic injuries claim an individual in the

flowering prime of life, we can take comfort in this fact: The very

laws that could not allow life to persist here are the same eternal

laws that will be implemented at the time of the resurrection, when

that body " shall be restored to [its] proper and perfect frame" (Alma

40:23).



	Thoughts of life, death, and resurrection bring us to face crucial

questions.  How were we made? By whom? And why?



CREATED BY GOD



	Through the ages, some without scriptural understanding have tried

to explain our existence by pretentious words such as ex nihilo (out of

nothing).  Others have deduced that, because of certain similarities

between different forms of life, there has been a natural selection of

the species, or organic evolution from one form to another.  Still

others have concluded that man came as a consequence of a "big bang"

that resulted in the creation of our planet and life upon it.



	To me, such theories are unbelievable! Could an explosion in a

printing shop produce a dictionary? It's unthinkable! But it could be

argued to be within a remote realm of possibility.  Even if that could

happen, such a dictionary could certainly not heal its own torn pages,

or renew its own worn corners, or reproduce its own subsequent

editions!



	We are children of God, created by him and formed in his image. 

Recently I studied the scriptures simply to find how many times they

testify of the divine creation of man.  Looking up references that

referred either to create or form (or their derivatives) with either

man, men, male, or female in the same verse, I found that there are at

least fifty-five verses of scripture that attest to our divine creation

(Genesis 1:27; 2:7, 8; 5:1, 2; 6:7; Deuteronomy 4:32; Isaiah 45:12;

Malachi 2:10; Mark 10:6; Romans 9:20; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 3:10; 2

Nephi 1: 10; 2:15; 9:6; 29:7; Jacob 4:9; Mosiah 4:2, 9; 7:27; Alma 1:4;

18:32, 34, 36; 22:12, 13; Mormon 9:12, 17; Ether 1:3; 3:15, 16; Moroni

10:3; D&C 20:18; 29:30, 34; 77:2; 77:12; 93:29; Moses 1:8; 2:27; 3:5,

7, 8, 9; 6:8, 9; 7:32; 8:26; Abraham 4:26, 27; 5:7, 8, 14, 16). I have

selected one to represent all those verses that convey the same

conclusion:



	And the Gods took counsel among themselves and said: Let us go

down and form man in our image, after our likeness....



	So the Gods went down to organize man in their own image, in the

image of the Gods to form they him, male and female to form they them.

[Abraham 4:26, 27]



SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT



	I believe all of those scriptures pertaining to the creation of

man.  But the decision to believe is a spiritual one, not born solely

by an understanding of things physical:

	But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:

for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because

they are spiritually discerned. [1 Corinthians 2:14]



	It is incumbent upon each informed and spiritually attuned person

to help overcome such foolishness of men who would deny divine creation

or think that man simply evolved.  By the spirit we perceive the truer

and more believable wisdom of God.



	With great conviction I add my testimony to that of my fellow

apostle, Paul, who said:



	Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of

God dwelleth in you?



	If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for

the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. [1 Corinthians 3:16,

17]



DUALITY OF MAN



	The Lord said that "the spirit and the body are the soul of man"

(D&C 88:15).  Each one of us therefore is a dual being--a biological

(physical) entity, and an intellectual (spiritual) entity.  The

combination of both is intimate throughout mortality.



	In the beginning, man, as that intellectual entity, was with God. 

Our intelligence was not created or made, nor can it be (see D&C

93:29).



	That spirit, joined with a physical body of such remarkable

qualities, becomes a living soul of supernal worth.  The Psalmist so

expressed this thought:



	When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and

the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful

ofhim? ...



	For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast

crowned him with glory and honour. [Psalms 8:3-5]



	Why were we created? Why are we here? Why are we upon the earth?



	God has made it plain over and over again that the world was made

for mankind to exist.  We are here to work out our divine destiny,

according to an eternal plan presented to us in the great council of

heaven.  Our bodies have been created to accommodate our spirits, to

allow us to experience the challenges of mortality.



AVOID DESECRATION OF THE PHYSICAL TEMPLE



	With this understanding, it is pure sacrilege to let anything

enter the body that might defile this physical temple of God.  It is

irreverent to let even the gaze of our precious eyesight or the sensors

of our touch or hearing supply the brain with memories that are unclean

and unworthy.  Could any of us lightly regard precious seeds of

reproduction--specifically and uniquely ours--or disregard the moral

laws of God, who gave divine rules governing their sacred use?



	Knowing we are created as children of God, and by him given agency

to choose, we must also know that we are accountable to him.  He has

defined the truth and prescribed commandments. Obedience to his law

will bring us joy.  Disobedience of those commandments is defined as

sin.  While we live in a world that seems increasingly reluctant to

designate dishonorable deeds as sinful, a scripture so warns: "Fools

make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour" (Proverbs

14:9).



	No one is perfect.  Some may have sinned grievously in

transgressing God's laws.  Mercifully, we can repent.  That is an

important part of life's opportunity as well.



	Repentance requires spiritual dominion over appetites of the

flesh.  Every physical system has appetites.  Our desires to eat,

drink, see, hear, and feel respond to those appetites.  But all

appetites must be controlled by the intellect for us to attain true

joy.  On the other hand, whenever we allow uncontrolled appetites of

the body to determine behavior opposed to nobler promptings of the

Spirit, the stage is set for misery and grief.



	Substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and harmful drugs are

forbidden by the Lord.  We have similarly been warned about the evils

of pornography and unclean thoughts.  Appetites for these degrading

forces can become addictive.  Physical or mental addictions become

doubly serious because, in time, they enslave both the body and the

spirit.  Full repentance from these shackles, or any other yokes to

sin, must be accomplished in this life while we still have the aid of a

mortal body to help us develop self-mastery.



	When we truly know our divine nature, our thoughts and behavior

will be more appropriate.  Then we win control our appetites.  We win

focus our eyes on sights, our ears on sounds, and our minds on thoughts

that are a credit to our physical creation as a temple of our Father in

Heaven.



	In daily prayer we may gratefully acknowledge God as our Creator,

thank him for the magnificence of our physical temple, and then heed

his counsel.



MORE YET TO LEARN



	Though we cannot fully comprehend the magnificence of man, in

faith we can continue our reverent quest.  We may join with Jacob in

this marvelous declaration:



	Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord.  How

unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is

impossible that man should find out all his ways....



	For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the

earth, which earth was created by the power of his word....



	Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take

counsel from his hand. [Jacob 4:8-10]



	For years I have attended scientific meetings of learned

societies.  Medical scientists and practitioners by the thousands

participate in such assemblies annually from all over the world. The

quest for knowledge is endless.  It seems that the more we know, the

more there is yet to learn.  It is impossible that man may learn all

the ways of God.  But as we are faithful and are deeply rooted in

scriptural accounts of God's magnificent creations, we will be well

prepared for future discoveries.  All truth is compatible because it

all emanates from God.



BEWARE OF FALSE DOCTRINE



	Of course, we know that "there is an opposition in all things" (2

Nephi 2:11).  In the world even many so-called "educators" teach

contrary to divine truth.  Be mindful of this prophetic counsel:



	O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men!

When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not

unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of

themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth

them not.  And they shall perish.



	But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of

God. [2 Nephi 9:28-29]



	You need not be reminded that the work and glory of the Lord are

opposed by forces of Satan, who is the master of deceit. Many follow

his teachings.  Remember,



	Man may deceive his fellow-men, deception may follow deception,

and the children of the wicked one may have power to seduce the foolish

and untaught, till naught but fiction feeds the many, and the fruit of

falsehood carries in its current the giddy to the grave.   [JS-H 1:71

footnote]



	Be wise and keep away from temptations and snares. Cautiously

avoid "foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and

perdition" (1 Timothy 6:9).



	Flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness,

faith, love, patience, meekness.



	Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life. [ 1

Timothy 6:11-12]



SPIRITUAL DOMINION



	The magnificence of man is matchless.  Remember, glorious as this

physical tabernacle is, the body is designed to support something even

more glorious the eternal spirit that dwells in each of our mortal

frames.  The great accomplishments of this life are rarely physical. 

Those attributes by which we shall be judged one day are spiritual. 

With the blessing of our bodies to assist us, we may develop spiritual

qualities of honesty, integrity, compassion, and love.  Only with the

development of the spirit may we acquire "faith, virtue, knowledge,

temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility,

[and] diligence" (D&C 4:6).



	Pattern your lives after our great Exemplar, even Jesus the

Christ, whose parting words among men included this eternal challenge:

"What manner of men ought ye to be? . . . even as I am" (3 Nephi

27:27).



	We are sons and daughters of God.  He is our Father; we are his

children.  Our divine inheritance is the magnificence of man. May we

honor it and magnify it, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.









                           CARRY YOUR CROSS



                           Marvin J. Ashton



	Marvin J. Ashton has been a member of the Council of the Twelve of

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1971. Previously

he had been a Assistant to the Twelve since 1969.  Elder Ashton was

born in Salt Lake City to Marvin O. and Rae L. Ashton.  He graduated

from the University of Utah in business administration.  While serving

in the British Mission from 1937 to 1939, he captained a team that won

the British National Basketball championship and was associate editor

of the Millennial Star.  He has been active regionally and nationally

in the Boy Scouts of America.  He holds the Silver Beaver and Silver

Antelope Scouting awards for outstanding service to boys, is an Eagle

Scout, and has served on the General Board of the Young Men Mutual

Improvement Association.  He is presently serving as a member of the

following Church committees: Personnel, Missionary, Welfare Services,

Boundary Change, and Temple and Genealogy Executive Committees.  He is

chairman of the board of the Polynesian Cultural Center, Laie, Hawaii,

and is a member of the Church Board of Education and a Trustee of

Brigham Young University.  Elder Ashton is an official of several

business firms, including Deseret Book Company and ZCMI.  He is well

known for his work with youth, and, as a Utah state senator, he

spearheaded legislation to improve statewide juvenile detention

facilities.  On June 9, 1984, he received a doctorate degree of law

from the University of Utah.  He is married to Norma Bernston, and they

are the parents of four children.  This fireside address was given in

the Marriott Center on 3 May 1987.



	Why don't you have crosses on your buildings of worship?



	Why aren't your chapels built in the shape of a cross? Why don't

you encourage your people to wear and display crosses? What is the

Church's policy toward crosses?



	From Matthew 16:24-25:



	Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me,

let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.



	For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will

lose his life for my sake shall find it.



	We in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in response

to these questions, try to teach our people to carry their crosses

rather than display or wear them.  Over the centuries the cross has

been recognized as a symbol of Christianity in the minds of millions. 

The Savior himself has given us the bread and water as emblems of his

sacrifice and death.



	My message to you this day is take up your cross.  Take yourself

the way you are and lift yourself in the direction of the better. 

Regardless of where you have been, what you have done, or what you

haven't done, trust God, believe on him, relate to him, worship him as

you carry your cross with dignity and determination.



	We save our Eyes by losing them for his sake.  As you find

yourself, you will find God.  This is true.  I declare that to you.  It

is his promise.  Take up the real cross of Jesus Christ.



	What kind of cross do you bear? What is its shape, weight, size,

or dimension?



	We all have them.  Some are very visible, while others are not

always evident.  Sometimes the heaviest personal cross could be to

carry no cross at all.  Some crosses we bear are these (maybe you will

relate to one or more): the cross of aloneness; the cross of physical

limitations-the loss of a leg, an arm, hearing, seeing,

mobility-obvious crosses (we see people with these crosses and admire

their strength in carrying them with dignity); the cross of poor

health; the cross of transgression; the cross of success; the cross of

temptation; the cross of beauty, fame, or wealth; the cross of

financial burdens; the cross of criticism; the cross of peer rejection.



	What if we are challenged with more than one cross? A beautiful

young lady once said to me, "Elder Ashton, it just isn't time for me to

have another cross.  I'm not quite used to the one I'm carrying now. 

How can I handle both?" Truly, suffering is part of our mortal

existence, and suffering is not all bad.



HIDDEN CROSSES



	Today I'd like to talk in more detail about certain crosses in

life that are real, but that are not always recognized or visible. 

Number one is the cross of the violated trust--on the part of a parent,

a family member, a teacher, a bishop, a stake presidency member, a

boyfriend, a classmate, a returned missionary, a girlfriend, and so on. 

Some of us let an act of mistrust on the part of someone close to us

shatter our todays and tomorrows.  A friend of mine said, "When my

endowed father left Mom for a scheming secretary, it was more than I

could bear." She was bitter.  This cross was causing her to crumble. 

She had never looked upon it as a cross, but it was a cross of hatred

and resentment: "I can't believe my father would let us down! What is

the use?"



	Another one: "When my boyfriend talked me into a couple of drinks

and then took advantage of me morally, it caused me to never trust

anyone again." This cross is breaking her because she has not decided

that with God's help she can carry it.  Another one I heard from a

broken-hearted were of a year and a half: "My husband, a returned

missionary, told me it was okay, so I did it"--compromising immoral

intimacies.



	And I received this in a letter from the father of two BYU coeds

who were the victims of improper conduct on the part of imperfect

people on campus--the father and mother were shattered: "We can't stand

to believe and know that that could happen to our students at Brigham

Young University!"



	We're proud of BYU, but it is made up of imperfect people, and

sometimes very imperfect things happen even though we thank God they

are fewer here than at any other university we know of.



	Can even these hidden crosses be carried for future strength

instead of causing us to fall and not get back up? "Behold, he who has

repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember

them no more" (D&C 58:42).  Sometimes it is easier for the Lord not to

remember our sins than it is for us.  They become crosses because we

will not do ourselves the favor of carrying on.  "By this ye may know

if a man repenteth of his sins--behold, he will confess them and

forsake them" (D&C 58:43). Can you carry appropriately the cross of

forgiveness? Some of us would rather carry a cross than confess and

start anew.



	George Q. Cannon, in his wonderful book The Life of Joseph Smith

the Prophet, points out repeatedly that the greatest cross that Joseph

Smith had to bear-and he had many--was the cross of trusted friends who

were not worthy of the word trust.  His heartaches, his death, his

inconveniences were caused by those in whom his trust had been

misplaced.



A HEAVY CROSS



	Number two, another cross that isn't always visible but on

occasion can be very heavy and worrisome, is the cross of

self-unacceptance--a continuing rejection of oneself through

self-condemnation and low self-appraisal.  Can you find it in your

heart to once in a while give yourself a good grade on your behavior?

Or do you give yourself low marks no matter what you do because you

carry the cross of self-unacceptance?



	An unannounced, but obviously self-imposed, personal

enemy-number-one status in regard to ourselves is a heavy cross. 

Sometimes in solitude and in humility there is only one person on earth

that can be your advocate, and that must be you-someone who will not

condemn you under that cross and cause you to fail.



	Being down on ourselves is destructive.  As we bear this kind of a

cross we have a tendency to reach only the low levels we expect of

ourselves.  What a cross it is to convince yourself, "I'm no good.  I

can't do it.  I can't make it." What a cross! It doesn't even show. 

But by lifting that cross we can become more than we would have been

had we not been required to carry the cross.  Some of us spend too much

time protecting our wounded selves.



	Always wishing you were some other person with greater talents and

greater strengths is a handicap--it's a cross that is not visible, but

it is so real.  Is it a cross to bear when we realize that with God's

help we can overcome, we can be victorious, and we can accomplish much?



	I love the following quotation.  I suppose I use it more than any

other one when I try to give encouragement to family and friends like

you:



	And it came to pass that when Ammon had said these words, his

brother Aaron rebuked him, saying: Ammon, I fear that thy joy doth

carry thee away unto boasting.



	But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in

my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with

joy, and I will rejoice in my God.



	Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak;

therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for

in his strength I can do all things. [Alma 26:10-12]



	I wish we believed that.  I wish we practiced that.  I wish we

knew that.  There are days when people who have been called to

positions of responsibility, as I have been, have to humbly say, "God,

I'm weak, but with your help I can do it," and give him a chance to

help lift that cross of inadequate strength.



	Yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land,

for which we will praise his name forever.



	Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the

pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this

because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not

great reason to rejoice? [Alma 26:12-13]



	It is a fact of life that God can make our crosses easier to bear

if we are but willing to admit we have them and then seek his help.  In

D&C 56:2 we read, "And he that will not take up his cross and follow

me, and keep my commandments, the same shall not be saved."



	A willingness to take yourself as you are and build from there is

pleasing to God.  If you have more than one cross--three or

four---maybe you could build a ladder out of them and use them to climb

to new heights.  Sometimes becoming is more important than achieving or

arriving.  I'm not talking about self-indulgence. I'm talking about

self-acceptance.  All tomorrows can be in our favor if we carry on in a

spirit of commitment and self-encouragement.



RESISTING COUNSEL



	Number three is the cross of resisting counsel.  Some of us have a

tendency to resent, resist, rebel, and delay, and to debate worthy

direction, supervision, and communication.  I plead with you to avoid

the ranks of professional counsel resisters, who make such statements

as, "Who are you to tell me?" "I didn't come here to be babysat." "Why

all the restrictions?" "Where does the free agency come in?" "Why don't

you just leave us alone?" Some carry that heavy cross of wanting to

rebel or to resist counsel from friends.  They reject that counsel

because it may cause inconvenience, or because they may not be able to

see far enough ahead to see its value.



	In D&C 23:6, Joseph Knight was counseled to pray:



	Behold, I manifest unto you, Joseph Knight, by these words, that

you must take up your cross, in the which you must pray vocally before

the world as well as in secret, and in your family, and among your

friends, and in all places.



	Sometimes we are given crosses so we can be taught to pray.

Crosses become lighter and more manageable when we learn to pray and

when we learn to patiently wait for the answers to our prayers.



	An unwillingness to listen and learn can be a silent cross of

considerable weight.  Carry the cross of constant prayer even when

answers are slow in coming or are difficult to accept.



THE CROSS OF COMPLACENCY



	Number four is the cross of living among many Mormons.  Did you

ever think of it as a cross? Having many Mormons for many Church

assignments may not be as rewarding and developing as situations in

which there are few Mormons to do many Church responsibilities.  You

may come from a location where your strength, commitment, and

attendance made the difference.  Sometimes it's easy to let the cross

of many Mormons make us weak because we feel in our hearts that someone

else will do what needs to be done.  Complacency, lack of enthusiasm

and involvement, can be the fruit of having too many of us together. 

Often there is great strength and development where Mormons are in the

minority.  It's like being the deacon (one of two in a small branch)

who said, "I must be awfully important because I'm 50 percent."



	How sad, and I hope untrue, is the statement, "There aren't enough

Church jobs to go around." Beware of the cross of complacency and an

attitude of not being needed.  It is a cross when you say, "Someone

else can do that.  I'll wait for another assignment."



A DESTRUCTIVE CROSS



	Number five is the cross of caustic comments-taking pleasure in

constantly putting people down, in murmuring, ridicule, contention,

slander, gossip, and even putting yourself down and enjoying it.  Avoid

being a rumor reservoir.  If you're part of a rumor reservoir, you're

entitled to drown.  Some people enjoy being caustic.  Some have

careless and sharp tongues as crosses. Our job is not to live with

them, but to reshape and manage our own tongue and mind if we enjoy

being caustic.



	A home of contention is more than a cross, it is a curse. Some

homes without decoration and rehearsal train the inhabitants to be

critical.  This is an invisible cross of tremendous power, and it is

destructive if we carry it.  From 2 Nephi 26:32: "The Lord God hath

commanded that men should not ... contend one with another." A caustic

tongue can construct additional crosses that are so unnecessary.  A

critical tongue is a cross easily removed, but only you can do it.



TOO MUCH PRAISE



	Cross number  six  is  the  cross  of adulation.  Be careful, be

aware, be wise when people speak well of you.  When people treat you

with great respect and love, be careful, be aware, be wise.  When you

are honored, pointed out, and recognized, it can be a cross, especially

if you believe what is said about you.  Being a BYU student, a Mormon,

a returned missionary, a member of the BYU faculty or administration, a

General Authority, a prophet, temple-married some people know these

identifications for you and, although you might take them for granted,

they're lofty.  But these can be crosses, and you must bear them well.



	Praise of the world can be a heavy cross.  How often I have heard

it said over the years, "He was great until he became successful, and

then he couldn't handle it." I'm not talking about money and position. 

I'm talking about recognition, even in Church responsibilities.  We

should honor callings and responsibilities and realize that what we are

and what we do will depend on the strength of the cross.



	I would pray that we would avoid being carried away by praise,

success, or even achieving goals that we have set for ourselves.  In

Mormon 8:38-39 we read:



	O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves

for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of

God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye

not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that

misery which never dies-because of the praise of the world?



	Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet

suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the

afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?



	How great, how strong, how pleasing it is to be recognized,

honored, and respected, but we must realize in our hearts that true

greatness is visiting with the Savior Jesus Christ by helping those who

are sick, afflicted, discouraged, homeless, and burdened with crosses.



COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS



	In conclusion, we do not reverence crosses.  As stated in the

beginning, ours is to carry them with dignity and power.  Our right and

responsibility is to carry our crosses, and while we are doing so to

have the good sense and judgment to count our blessings.  These phrases

you'll recognize:



	When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,

	When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

	Count your many blessings; name them one by one,

	And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

	Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your blessings;

See what God hath done.

	Count your blessings; Name them one by one [as you carry your

cross].

	Count your many blessings; See what God hath done.

	Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem

heavy you are called to bear?

	Count your many blessings;  every  doubt  will fly,

	And you will be singing as the days go by.

	Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your blessings;

See what God hath done.

	Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your many

blessings; See what God hath done.

	[Hymns, 1985, no. 241]



	There is an aid, there is a strength, there is a power when we

count our blessings as we labor under crosses that sometimes seem

unreasonable and unfair but that can be for our good and for our

strength.  I bear special witness to you that carrying our crosses and

following our Lord will bring strength, peace, and purpose in our quest

for the abundant life.  God has made this promise.  Carry your crosses

with strength, with purpose, and while you do, count the blessings of

God's strength.  I say this in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.









                          ON BEING TEACHABLE



                            Kate L. Kirkham



	Kate L. Kirkham, associate professor of organizational behavior at

BYU, received a bachelor's in sociology from the University of Utah in

1966, a master's in human resource development from George Washington

University in 1972, and a doctorate in organizational behavior from the

Union Graduate School, Union of Experimenting Colleges and

Universities, in 1977.  A native of Salt Lake City, Sister Kirkham

worked in training and development for the National Education

Association for 10 years and for three years as co-director of

Resources for Change, Inc. (both in Washington, D. C.), before joining

the BYU faculty in 1978.  Formerly associate director of the MBA

program at BYU, Sister Kirkham's research is focused on race and gender

diversity in organizations, specifically on the behavior and

perceptions of majority group members.  She is also a specialist on how

individuals learn and develop in organizations and how to develop

management strategies.  She has written numerous training and

educational materials for programs on institutional racism and

discrimination and is a member of the Organizational Behavior Teaching

Society and the Academy of Management. ?& A consultant to many

government, educational, volunteer and business organizations, Sister

Kirkham has received several awards for her work and most recently

received an Exxon Outstanding Teaching Award.  The $1,000 award is

given to faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding teaching

ability.  In addition to her academic pursuits, Kate Kirkham is active

in church and community service.  She is president of the Relief

Society in the BYU First Stake and has served on several boards,

including the Utah County Council on Drug Abuse.  This devotional talk

was given on 19 May 1987 in the de long Concert Hall.

ON BEING LEARNERS



	In the Book of Mormon we read:



	"And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to

speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls" (Moroni

6:5).



	This also seems like an important time to meet together often to

fast and to pray and to speak one with another concerning the welfare

of our souls.  Some of us may experience too many meetings--are we not

meeting and talking together all the time?



	But there is in this scripture, and in others, a particular spirit

of meeting one with another-a mutual caretaking, a spiritual

reciprocity--even as the Apostle Paul entreated: a kindness, a desire

to be tenderhearted one to another (Ephesians 4:32).



	In preparing for today, I felt I should focus on what readies us

to learn of the welfare of other souls.  What readies us to be taught?

And why, when we as a people are engaged in teaching the gospel of

Jesus Christ, should we also be concerned with being teachable?



	Several years ago, a theme of the General Relief Society meeting

was "Learn, Then Teach." However, we sometimes only think about

learning when we are in a classroom.  We associate being teachable with

being in attendance.  In a campus setting we can further link learning

to a required curriculum, specified prerequisites, sequenced electives,

and defined areas of study.  We develop beliefs about who can and

should be teaching us.  So as students, when we finally get into the

classes we want, it is fairly easy to adopt the attitude "Well, I'm

here, the rest is up to you."



	As a teacher, I share with any of you who have faced a classroom

the challenges of looking at faces, watching body postures, listening

to questions, and trying to determine each person's "readiness to

learn." I accept there is a responsibility and a requirement to be

ready to teach; but today I want to focus on that powerful part of the

interaction we influence as learners.



	What are we like as learners? Over the years I've watched and had

students describe to me (usually after grades were in) their roles as

learners.



	Some would take the posture "Go ahead, get my attention if you

can" or "I already know about this subject." Some would say, "I don't

want to know about this subject--it's required," or "I need to know

exactly what I'm supposed to learn here," or "You've got my attention,

but I don't understand you."



	There are also those who come inquiring, ready to risk asking the

"dumb question," ready to contribute to the learning of others.  My

point is: Are we willing and able to look at what we are like as

learners? Are we paying attention to how we ready ourselves to

learn-our style, assumptions, expectations, attitudes, etc.? Are we

aware how much we really influence, if not control, how teachable each

of us really is?



	Now, if the place of learning is not the traditional classroom,

but a congregation or an interdenominational community, and the

curriculum is not math or English, but the gospel of Jesus Christ--the

character of our being one with another heretofore, here and

hereafter--then what would describe us as learners? Who may instruct

us?



	What does it mean to be teachable? This is a difficult concept for

me to explain.  I have experienced it in myself and in others with more

certainty than I can articulate a description.  Because of our

individuality, the expression varies.  The common characteristics seem

to be (although listed separately, these form a tangible whole) a sense

of one's incompleteness--a gnawing awareness of a desired, divine and

future state; a contrite spirit; a humble heart; a knowledge of one's

worth; a reverence for the worth of others; the trusting readiness

often most apparent in little children; a belief in one's abilities and

one's capacity to grow and to contribute; and an acknowledgement of our

interdependency as sons and daughters of our heavenly parents.



	Perhaps, fundamentally, being teachable means that we daily open

ourselves to the consistency of God's love for us.  We accept we are

loved and make real in our complex, earthly lives the cornerstone

commandments to love our God and our neighbors as ourselves.



	We can acknowledge that no matter who we are or where we are,

encoded into each of us are two things: (1) this common language of

learning that is love, and (2) a most common bond of purpose: we came

to learn and to "speak one with another concerning the welfare of our

souls"--in fact, to progress eternally.



	Our capacity to be taught is infinite--whatever our current

circumstances, whatever the conditions of our physical abilities, and

whatever status we may hold in the eyes of others. It is often easy to

move away from such a compelling awareness of our potential.  We can

both allow and assist others in getting in the way of our being

teachable.  We can find for a variety of reasons--fear, doubt,

convenience, comfort--ways to deny our capacity for learning, to lose

faith in ourselves, to lose faith in the love of those around us, or to

lose faith in God's love for us.  By not believing in our capacity to

learn (even from our mistakes), by not believing in our capacity to

influence others for good, we attempt to deny the power of God in us.



	I hope I have conveyed to you my belief in our capacity and

responsibility to remain ever the learning children of our Heavenly

Father and my belief as well that this condition of being teachable is

fundamentally linked to God's love for us and ours for him and for one

another.  Now I would like to suggest five things that can have an

impact on this quality of being teachable and comment on three areas

where we can currently edify each other as we speak one with another.



TO IMPROVE OUR  TEACHABLENESS



	First, let us demonstrate what we say we already know so that our

preparation to learn even more is evident to our earthly parents, to

our Heavenly Father, and to others around us in the congregation.



	Why are we constantly reminded of things? Why are basic principles

repeated so frequently? Perhaps we have not demonstrated in our daily

behavior our ability to do those things.  Long ago, King Benjamin

advised his congregation:  "If you believe all these things see that ye

do them" (Mosiah 4:10).



	If we are demonstrating what we have learned, even a reminder will

be heard without offense.  When I was sixteen I backed out of our steep

driveway directly into the only car parked on the other side of the

street.  I think that over the decades I've now proven I can navigate

my parents' driveway, and because of that their reminders are not heard

the same way they were the first few times after the accident when I

had not yet proved myself."



	Sometimes we treat requests to visit teach, home teach, prepare

for meetings, or even to be compassionate as things we could do if we

really had time or if we really wanted to do them. I have experienced

the deception that can come when we confuse thinking about possible

actions with the actual effort required to do them.  I don't learn as

much from thinking about opportunities to be charitable as I do from

exercising charity in my conduct with others and learning from those

very real experiences.



	What if, as a ward or stake congregation, when we next met

together, we had all paid our tithes, made clear our love for our

neighbors in how we had treated them and spoken with each other, had

proven obedient to the commandments, and in diverse ways of expression

given evidence of the fullness of our faith? What would the speakers

say to us? By our efforts wouldn't we have demonstrated a readiness to

learn that would call forth even greater instructions?



	In discussing the glory of the city of Enoch, Neal Maxwell

presented a narrative progressively illustrating the readiness of a

people and included these observations:



	Our unity is not the unity born of compulsion or of mindless

rapport, but of the realization that such unity is a necessity....



	It helps greatly to do first things first, not only because these

are most important, but because the order of things does matter....



	... In our meetings we recount our own blessings, and as we hear

the blessings of others, we both feel and seethe accumulations of

affection from God to his people. [Neal A. Maxwell, Of One Heart (Salt

Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 1975), pp. 44-45]



	As Alma said, "By small and simple things are great things brought

to pass" (Alma 37:6).  Let us demonstrate our ability to do even "small

and simple things."



	Second, we learn about being teachable when we seek to balance

being directed and being anxiously engaged. There are absolutes in

life--things we are not supposed to do.  But there is also

ambiguity--several possible ways to do good, to influence others, and

multiple avenues to excel.  In the face of ambiguity, some of us will

be directed and will know for certain what to do; for others of us, it

will be up to us to figure out what to do!



	Sometimes what I personally should be learning is painfully

obvious to myself and to others.  Sometimes I have struggled for years

to understand, to discern the meaning of an experience, or to embrace a

principle.



	Being receptive and being active are both ways to enhance our

teachableness.  There is probably a little bit of both Julia Child and

MacGyver in each of us.  Some of us want the recipe; we want the

ingredients explicitly identified and their relationship clarified. On

the other hand, some of us just want the basic principles and will make

do with whatever "materials" or conditions are around us. (Ask anyone

who watches ABC's MacGyver what a MacGyverism is.) Our differences in

how we approach learning should invite interest from each other and not

judgment.



	If we err in the extreme--either in thinking "if we are not told,

we don't have to try" or "I resent being told, I can figure it out for

myself"--we diminish our ability to be taught.



	Third, we can seek to increase our capacity to discern.  Our lives

are complex, our circumstances varied.  Failure to develop our

spiritual capacity to discern could leave us overwhelmed, overdependent

on others for meaning, overcommitted, or overreacting to the next thing

that pops up.  We are here to make choices.  This was made evident to

me quite powerfully in a priesthood blessing in which I was told in

essence, "You will know what is good to do if you do not reason it

away." I have often remembered that instruction and thought about the

criteria it suggests for discerning what is good to do in my life.



	I believe we develop discernment by exercising it.  We can combine

our efforts with the guidance of the Spirit.  We can compare our

experiences with those of others without feeling we are competing.  We

can rejoice in their excellence and sill know there are ways we can

also excel.



	We can monitor our own progress and discern the gains we make and

the patterns in which we are vulnerable to temptation.  I am indebted

to a wise old friend (both in years and association) of another faith

who taught me to take an active interest in learning about the patterns

in my life and how temptations occurred.  He struggled a long time with

some of his temptations and finally decided to take a pro-active

interest. He would try to anticipate where in his life he might

encounter that "ole trickster devil" again.  He became a good scout. 

He watched the terrain of his life and could tell where it looked like

his own form of quicksand might be.  He rerouted and gave up trying to

see how close he could get to that quicksand without getting caught.



	Fourth, we are teachable when we can trust in the Lord. Sometimes

we won't know in advance; sometimes in our lives we will "wait upon the

Lord" for a long time.  But we still need to ready ourselves.  We need

to be learning even though the specific opportunities to express what

we are learning may not be as apparent or as exciting as we wish.



	I gained an appreciation of this point a few weeks ago when I

accompanied my sister to St. George.  Her three children sing in the

Utah Valley Children's Choir, and she wanted to hear their concert.  I

wanted to sleep or read; she convinced me I could do both in the car

while she drove.



	The kids had worked hard, paying attention to Beverly Thomas'

direction, learning lyrics, rehearsing harmony, and trying to show up

at performances in the appropriate outfits. They did a good job.  After

their last concert the kids had a chance to stop in Zion National Park

on the way home.  Diane and I pulled up alongside the bus as it

unloaded sixty noisy kids who raced up the path to Weeping Rock.  We

decided it would be safer to wait in the parking lot.



	All of a sudden it was strangely quiet in the canyon.  We couldn't

see the kids.  And then truly angelic sounds filled the canyon.  People

in the parking lot who were not in our group stopped.  We all heard the

words echoing in the canyon: "We will sing for the Lord is listening. 

He hears the praise of our hearts.  We will sing for the Lord is

listening.  We lift our voices and start to sing for the Lord" ("Sing

for the Lord Is Listening," Steven Kapp Perry, 1986).  It was a

beautiful moment of clarity and harmony.



	When the song ended there was a joyous shout followed by the more

familiar chaotic noises of kids racing back to the bus. When they got

back their excitement and joy was tangible.  "Did you hear us?" They

relayed the story of an older couple who were nearby as they started. 

When they offered to sing for them, the couple smiled and started to

back away, only to stand transfixed as the kids began singing.



	Now when they started choir, nobody promised them a perfect moment

in Zion Park on April 29, but there it was.  If they had not been

ready--individually prepared and collectively willing to

participate--they could not have had that experience.  It is one thing

to arrive at a place like Zion's Weeping Rock and realize, "Yes, this

could be a great place for a group of kids to spontaneously experience

the product of their learning and the Lord's love through music," and

quite another to feel, "Oh, here is the place you have prepared, and

having been taught, I am ready."



	Earlier, in describing the qualities that contribute to being

teachable, I listed self-worth.  How we understand self-worth greatly

impacts the degree to which we are teachable.  So my fifth point is

that self-worth is different from self-importance.  God loves us and we

are of value to him.  If I am teachable I can learn from those who

acknowledge their worth without becoming vain, I can assess their

strength and talents without becoming boastful, and, when surrounded by

the blessings of a loving God, I can remember Alma's caution to his

son:



	Do not say: O God, I thank thee that we are better than our

brethren; but rather say: O Lord, forgive my unworthiness, and remember

my brethren in mercy. [Alma 38:14]



	If we do not care much for ourselves, then to love our neighbor as

ourself doesn't mean much.  Loving ourselves can magnify our charity

toward others.  If we overvalue or undervalue ourselves, we are less

able and ready to learn from others.  We either think we can't learn

much from them, or we don't trust their motive for interacting with us.



	Helping someone to love himself or herself is harder than just

telling that person you love them.  We each have a gift.  We can learn

how to remind each other of the value of our part and the contribution

we can make to the whole.



STRENGTHENING OUR INTERACTIONS



	Now, having sought to be more teachable and able to embrace the

qualities and to comprehend the challenges, I want to suggest three

aspects of our interaction where being teachable seems to be a very

needed goal.



	First, that we might better know the experience of being a woman

or a man in our congregation.  What is it like for someone who is

different from us? If we are women, what can we know of the experience

of men as fathers, husbands, siblings, and brothers in the gospel? If

we are men, what can we know of the experience of women?



	If we too quickly assume we know what the experience of someone

else is or should be, then we are less prepared to learn from "speaking

together concerning the welfare of our souls." I can imagine that Elder

Maxwell's description of the quality of conversation in the city of

Enoch is instructive to us as both men and women:



	You should observe ... how ... they listen to each other instead

of seeking to display their own learning.  They are more unwilling to

be impressed than they are eager to impress. [Maxwell, p. 15]



	I think that description is important no matter if we are "eager

to impress" others of our "conservative" or "liberal" values.  We have

much to learn from one another in living the gospel, and we can best do

that by staying in relationship to each other.  I know in my own life

it is easier to talk about somebody than with them--but my learning is

different when we are speaking together. I have learned to listen

without fearing that others will think my listening means agreement. 

And I have learned that being too anxious to tell others where our

differences exist hasn't helped me understand them.



	I welcome the opportunities to share the similarities and

differences of our experiences as sisters in living the gospel. I am

interested in how men around us support our sisterhood and our

learning.  I want to know how they experience women supporting their

friendships as men as well as sustaining the priesthood they hold.



	A second area where being teachable can strengthen our interaction

has to do with the quality of our service to one another in our

congregation and communities.  Having heard that where much is given

much is expected, I have sometimes allowed my own need to be serving to

determine what I did rather than paying close attention to the needs of

others.  Seeking to meet the needs of others is more of a challenge

than doing what is convenient for me to be "helpful."



	Paying attention to others is a powerful factor in how well we

serve.  Tim Gallwey wrote about the necessity of paying attention to

service.  Interestingly enough, he was talking about tennis.  He was

suggesting that to improve our serve we had to learn to love the tennis

ball.  "What!" I remember saying.  "Love a tennis ball?" But he meant

pay attention to it, see how it bounces, see where the seams are when

it comes at you--concentrate. 



	When we love, we concentrate our attention.



	By truly paying attention to others around me and concentrating on

them, I can place myself in their service and am taught what is needed. 

I saw a very pragmatic example of this a few semesters ago when a study

group member who obviously had better computer skills than the others

didn't take the attitude "I learned it, so can they," and didn't say,

"I'll do it since you'll never learn this anyway." Instead, he watched,

he made himself available, he answered questions, he encouraged.  He

didn't exaggerate.  In his daily interactions with his study group he

was taught how he could best teach them, and he did.



	Now, last of all, the best expression of our willingness to be

teachable is to be ever ready to say at any moment in our lives,

"Nevertheless, not my will, but thine. 



	Elder Maxwell states, "The Lord loves both the teachable and the

unteachable, but it is through the obedience of the teachable that God

can help these helpers, that all might be benefitted thereby" (Maxwell,

p. 48).



	For each of us and for myself, I pray that we will realize that

our obedience; our agency; our acknowledgement of God's love for us and

our love for him, for our neighbor, and for ourselves; our testimony of

the truthfulness of his gospel; and our willingness to trust his

further instruction are never more evident than when we can echo in a

small way in our lives the words of our elder brother: "Here am I, send

me." I say this in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.



                      NO JOY WITHOUT THE STRUGGLE



                           Barbara W. Winder



	Sister Barbara Woodhead Winder was named as general president of

the Relief Society in April 1984.  Prior to her call she served with

her husband, Richard W. Winder, who was president of the Church's

California San Diego Mission.  Born in Midvale, Utah, Sister Winder

grew up in the East Milicreek area of Salt Lake City and attended the

University of Utah for several years before her marriage.  Along with

being the mother of four children, she has worked as chorister, den

mother, teacher, Primary president, and Young Women president on a ward

level.  She has served on the Melchizedek Priesthood MIA General Board

as well as the Relief Society General Board. For nine years she was

International President of Lambda Delta Sigma, the Church sorority for

college girls.  Active in the community as well as the Church, she has

worked in PTA, politics, cancer crusades, and other projects.  This

fireside address was given on 7 June 1987 in the Marriott Center.



EVERYONE STRUGGLES



	Do any of you ever get discouraged? Men, women, fathers, mothers,

young and old--discouragement comes to all.  Let me share with you a

story about a discouraged young college man.  This young man couldn't

get enthusiastic about anything.  He didn't seem to have any sense of

responsibility.  He lacked motivation.  I suppose there was no mission

call, no engagement, nothing exciting on the horizon.



	He had a mature friend who came to him and said, "I can help you. 

Let me accept full responsibility for you, for your worries." He then

told him, "I'm going to pay your tuition and I'm going to buy your

clothes, and then I'll give you an automobile with a credit card for

gas."



	Does that sound like it would take a few of your worries away?



	"And when you marry, I'll look for a wife for you." (I've heard of

some cultures where they do that.) "And after you're married, I'll even

buy a house for you, and I'll furnish it. Now, what do you think of

that? Do you like my offer?"



	I can see some very thoughtful faces right now.  And this young

man became thoughtful.  He looked sober for a few minutes and then

replied, "Well, if you did that, what would there be for me to live

for?"



	"Exactly.  That is what I wanted you to see," said the man. "There

is no joy without struggle and the exercise of one's own abilities."



	This story was told in general conference by President Lee in

1972.  But, you see, life's struggles go on--whether it is 1972 or 1982

or 1987 they are pretty much the same, aren't they?



	I am impressed each day as I travel, read the newspaper, and hear

the news on the radio or see it on television how many problems there

are in the world: crime, accidents, sickness, natural and man-made

disasters, hunger, and poverty.  There seems to be no end to it.  All

of this may lead us to believe that there is nothing good occurring.



	Of course that isn't true.  Every day there are great events

happening all around us--acts of heroism, courage, faithfulness,

determination, commitment--things that may not seem newsworthy but are

significant nonetheless.  How wonderful it is when people can overcome

discouragement, can rise above personal loss and move forward, gaining

a victory where defeat appeared to be certain.



	Each of us becomes discouraged at times.  This is normal. But we

need to recognize that we are not the only ones who have problems, and

we must learn to be supportive of one another.  It is easy to look at

others and think how serene and trouble free their lives are and to

feel sorry for ourselves.  I was astonished one day when a neighbor,

who had experienced a disappointment in her career, exclaimed angrily

to me, as if I had caused her difficulty, "You don't know what it is

like to have troubles.  Everything has always gone smoothly for you.

You've never had any frustrations or rejections in your life." Little

did she know that at that time I had great concerns about one of my

sons who was afflicted with a life-threatening illness. My problems

were as troubling to me as her's were to her.



	When I was working in Lambda Delta Sigma, one of our national

officers was a single girl named Diane.  One of the young college women

with whom Diane had been relating had a lot of problems, and she

expressed her feelings to me like this: "Well, none of you have any

problems.  Diane is perfect and she has everything going for her." As

she said those words, I inwardly reflected on Diane's life.  She had

lost her sister to cancer, and now her only living relatives were this

sister's two little motherless children.  Diane's mother had passed

away just a couple of years earlier, and her father had died when she

was only a child.  So Diane quit her job at the Church Office Building

and took care of those preschool children full-time. She lost all of

her benefits, retirement, seniority--everything--in order to care for

them.  She mothered those children for a year and a half until her

brother-in-law remarried and could again provide nurturing care for

them in his own home.  I thought, "This girl does not see at all what

Diane is going through." Sometimes we have a tendency to think, "I'm

the only one that has a mountain to climb, the only one with a

problem." We need to know that others also have problems and that the

purpose of this life is to be tested, to experience both joy and

sorrow.



HELP FROM THE LORD



	The Prophet Joseph Smith cried to the Lord from Liberty Jail, in

anguish of soul, at one of the most difficult periods of his life, and

received this answer:



	If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in

perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if

thou art in perils by land or by sea;



	If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine

enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy

father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword

thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine

offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall

cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can't

you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you?

and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be

dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for

the blood of the lamb;



	And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of

murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast

into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce

winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the

elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws

of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son,

that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy

good.



	The Son of Man hath descended below them all.  Art thou greater

than he?



	... Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less;

therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever

and ever. [D&C 122:5-9]



	Few of us will ever pass through such adversity as Joseph Smith

endured, but we will all need our Father's comfort and admonition many

times in our lives.



	I remember one particular day in the San Diego Mission Home, when

my husband was the mission president.  It was time to bid one group of

missionaries good-bye and welcome and train new ones.  The zone leaders

were in for training.  Food had to be prepared.  Linens needed to be

changed and laundry done.  The home was crowded, full to overflowing; I

was supposed to give the missionaries an encouraging, inspirational

talk.  I felt pressured, even desperate.



	I found a quiet corner among the crowd and prayed almost out loud

to Heavenly Father, asking, "What am I to do about all these

responsibilities that come so fast? There is no time to prepare. Please

help me." I suppose I expected the sympathetic words of a parent to

come to me, "You poor, dear child." But instead I heard a voice saying,

"This is not your time, but my time." The voice was firm and strong,

and from that I knew I should rely on the Lord and I would find help

from him.



	I began my scripture study in earnest, first priority.  I am so

grateful now for that inspiration.  I received great solace and comfort

as I read the Book of Mormon.  A guide came to me when I read Alma

37:35-37.



	Learn wisdom... to keep the commandments of God....



	... cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be

unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea,

let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections

of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.



	Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee

for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord,

that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the

morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these

things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.



	I have put these things to the test and bear witness that they are

true.  If we rely on the Lord, live his gospel, converse with him

daily, and are obedient to his teachings, he will provide the way for

us to accomplish his work!



	This lesson continues to bless me and bear me up.



THE ETERNAL NATURE OF THINGS



	Our Heavenly Father is our Father, and he is watching over us,

looking after us, guiding us, and directing us.  And he will be there

to help us if we have questions, problems, or trials if we will but go

to him.  And then, through the strength we find in him, our lot will

not seem so difficult.



	The gospel helps us to put things in their proper perspective, to

see the eternal nature of things, and, through faith, to overcome our

problems and recognize that many of them are blessings in disguise. 

Sometimes those who have suffered the greatest tragedies in life are

brought to recognize that even those tragedies have been great

blessings for growth and development.



	Botanists say that trees need to flex their trunks and main

branches so the sap is drawn up to nourish the budding leaves. In a

like manner, perhaps we too need the gales of life, as difficult as

they are to endure.  A blustery period is often the prelude to a new

spring of life if we keep steadfast in faith and look to the good.



	Faith to overcome is what we need to help us in our trials. A

number of years ago, a man in our community impressed me with his

testimony.  He was a convert from Ireland, joining the Church against

the wishes of his family.  They disowned him and never spoke to him

again.  Tragedy seemed to follow him.  His first child developed a

serious illness that left him $5,000 in debt (a huge sum at that time). 

Not long after this, his bishop called in sixty faithful members of his

ward, telling them they needed to raise $30,000 immediately.  When the

bishop called for a show of hands of those who would contribute

substantially, his faith wavered momentarily, but his wife quickly held

up his hand.  He did make his contribution, and the windows of heaven

opened. Somehow he was able to pay his debts as well.  He recounted

what great blessings had come to him because he was faithful.



BARBARA JAYNE RICHARDS



	Not long ago we went to a wedding and saw the parents of a girl I

knew a number of years ago--a girl who had been a great inspiration to

me.  I asked these parents, "How is Barbara doing?" They said, "She is

doing just fine." Let me share her story with you in her words, which

appeared in the Instructor a number of years ago.  Barbara was a

student at BYU at the time this incident occurred.



	It  was  just   a   normal,   ordinary   day....



	We were  driving  home  from  California.  It  was raining, and

the roads were slick.  The driver lost control.  I remember the

sensation of the car turning over and over, shutting my eyes, being

tossed about with no control, the banging of my head and arms, the pain

and confusion, and then the final, awful silence--it was over.  When I

opened my eyes it was to a new and frightening world--to the reality of

being paralyzed from the waist down.

	Once I might have thought of paralysis only as a terrible tragedy,

but after it became a part of my life I discovered it could also bring

blessings.  My paralysis introduced me to a whole new way of living, to

many wonderful people, to a new assemblage of problems, adjustments,

frustrations, tears, laughter, and joy. [I gained an] appreciation--for

myself as a person and as a child of God, appreciation for other

people, and especially a love and appreciation for my Father in heaven.



	Oh, what a self-image I used to have! I used to feel

self-conscious wearing glasses; and now I had to "wear" a wheelchair, I

used to be embarrassed if I did a clumsy, awkward thing ... ; and now

clumsy was my middle name.  I used to think people stared at me before,

but now! ... I had to learn to laugh so others would feel at ease

around me and I wouldn't feel so self-conscious.  It may seem strange,

but I appreciate myself more now than before I was paralyzed.



	I used to take so many things for granted, things like showering,

kneeling for prayers, dressing in a minute, getting places quickly. Now

it is a challenge to do these once-simple things. (just try getting out

of a bathtub without using your legs.) I guess it took losing the use

of my legs to make me start appreciating the physical body I have.  Now

I became very grateful for a clear mind with which to think, ears to

hear, eyes to see . . . , hands that could do so many things.



	Although I can't dance, hike, play volleyball or basketball

anymore, I have found there are still many things I can do from a

wheelchair.  I can drive a car, swim better than before, play doubles

in tennis, bowl, play catch in softball (nobody dares try to slide

home), cook, sew . . . , and do many other enjoyable things.



	Since that eventful day [of my accident], I've realized the world

is full of special people. How grateful I have become for a family who

loves me--for parents who have stood by without a complaint, without a

moment's hesitation, willing to give unselfishly of their time, money,

and love.



	Going back to the Brigham Young University put me in a position

where I had to rely on people to pull me up stairs, open doors, reach

books, push me through the snow, etc.  I became indebted to my

understanding, patient, helpful, loving roommates and friends.... I was

also fortunate to have ... professors who [helped] me when the physical

facilities ... limited my accomplishments.  These instructors

encouraged me when I was discouraged, helped me achieve in my studies,

and were especially supportive while I worked to earn my degrees and my

teaching certificate.



	Later I was blessed to meet Mr. Alma Edwards, who gave me the

opportunity to [be a physical education instructor] at West Lake Junior

High School in Salt Lake City. Here at last I proved to myself and

others that I could do a useful, productive job in society.



	Because so many have done so much for me, I have learned how

important it is to serve anyone in any way I can.



	Perhaps the greatest blessing which came from my "tragedy-was the

love and appreciation I developed for my Father in heaven. Without the

gospel . . . , this life in a wheelchair would be hard to bear.  After

my accident I had to depend completely on the Lord for the first time

in my life.  He became a real person with whom I could talk and who

would help me to solve the problems and make the adjustments that were

to come.  Without my understanding of God as my ... loving, concerned

Father, I would be in the same rut I have seen so many others in--that

of blaming God for my misfortune.



	If I had to choose the one thing that has helped me most in my

adjustment it would have to be what Elder Harold B. Lee said in a

blessing he gave me one Sunday in the hospital.



	"Barbara, the Lord loves you," he said. With this knowledge what

more did I need (what more does anyone need!) to keep trying, . . . to

find reason and purpose in my life, to be happy, joyful and grateful

for life, even in a wheelchair! [Barbara Jayne Richards, "A Joyful Life

(in a Wheelchair)," Instructor, July 1970, pp. 244-451



	I am happy to report that Barbara Richards served for many years

as a girls' physical education teacher, instructing and influencing for

good hundreds and hundreds of young women.  She has continued to set

goals for herself.  She wanted to get a Ph. D., so set the goal and

achieved it.  Being in a wheelchair presented weight problems.  She

needed to lose forty pounds.  She set the goal and achieved it.



	Barbara is now teaching at the University of Utah.  Her story

teaches us so many lessons.  When she talks about how self-conscious

she used to be, worrying about her clumsiness, her looks, and what

other people might think of her, I thought about how I felt when I was

growing up, having those same kinds of concerns--concerns that each of

us has--about our looks, our appearance, and what it takes to make us

appealing to those about us.  Some young people were asked in a recent

survey, "What is it that makes a man successful?" Can you think what

those teens replied? According to the survey, it is money.  What is the

second thing that makes men successful, according to those young

people? Their appearance--their looks.  And with a woman--what is it

that makes her successful? Number one thing: appearance.  Number two

thing: money.  Perhaps our values are not where they ought to be. 

Barbara learned, through this hard, hard experience, something of the

deeper and more meaningful values in life.



	Jesus gave us some instructions about those who worry too much

about themselves:



	Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

	And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the

field....

	... even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of

these.

	Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field ... shall he

not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? ...

	But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and

all these things shall be added unto you. [Matthew 6:27-33]



	I was impressed by Barbara's recognition of all the good things

done for her by her friends, relatives, and particularly her Father in

Heaven, and by how she realizes that she must reciprocate and give

service to those about her.



	Remember the words of King Benjamin to his people:



	Learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are

only in the service of God.



	I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you...

and is preserving you from day to day... I say if ye should serve him

with all your whole souls yet ye (still) would be unprofitable

servants. [Mosiah 2:17, 21]



	Barbara learned the importance of having a testimony of our

Heavenly Father's love from the statement of President Lee as he

blessed her, "Barbara, the Lord loves you."



	He loves all of us and will help and guide us if we will but let

him.  How reassuring it is for us to have this knowledge, and how

helpful when things are difficult.  "For God so loved the world, that

he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should

not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).  We must know how

important each one of us is.



THIS LIFE IS OUR TEST



	I have another good friend--a contemporary of mine--Geneva Brown. 

She has also been a great inspiration to me. A number of years ago she

became afflicted with multiple sclerosis.  Her health steadily

deteriorated, confining her to a wheelchair.  It would have been an

easy thing for her to give up, but it was not her nature.  She was a

person who was used to doing and being busy in all kinds of things. 

But she has shown more determination than ever and has kept herself

busy. 



	We saw her one day just coming out of the temple.  I watched as

her husband wheeled her across the street from the temple to the car,

as he opened the door, and as she lifted herself from the wheelchair

into the car.  I kept wanting to reach out and help her some way.  But

she has learned how to manage.  She is interested in people and things. 

How easy it would have been for her to refuse a calling in the Church,

even to be a visiting teacher.  Certainly she had an excuse.  She

didn't need to be a visiting teacher, but it was not her nature to

quit.  She was able to drive a car with special controls, so she would

go on her visiting teaching rounds with her companion. When she arrived

at the home of the sister to be visited, a beep of the horn would bring

the sister out of her home to sit in the back seat of the car and be

taught.  Neighbors along the street, seeing the fun that was going on,

would come out of their homes and join them until there was a car full. 

Many were lifted and edified by this wonderful woman who was willing to

push on and go the extra mile.



	We might ask, "If God is a kind, loving father, why would he allow

his children to suffer"? We must remember that he does not bring

hardships upon us, that this life is our test, and that all of these

things "shall give [us] experience and shall be for [our] good" (D&C

122:7).  We grow and develop spiritually by the things we experience. 

If there were no sadness we would not know joy; without bitterness we

would not recognize the sweetness.  We need the contrasts in order to

progress.



	I remember President Kimball talking about those who were

disgruntled because God didn't do all they asked him to. He pointed out

the folly of such thinking.  If all our prayers were answered to our

satisfaction, there would never be any sickness, no deaths, no

unpleasant events, no poverty; but neither would there be growth. 

There would be no test for any of us.  The purpose of our creation

would be frustrated.



	Some of our greatest problems can be the most help as we work

through to the solution or toward overcoming these obstacles.  And it

is there in the growth and development of our character that we find

great happiness and joy.



AS HAPPY AS WE WANT TO BE



	A couple of summers ago my husband and I went on a trip down the

Danube River.  We went down into the area around the Black Sea and

across to Istanbul.  Each day there were excursions into the various

Eastern European countries.  Some of them were quite taxing and tiring

and required a lot of walking.  A number of the tourists grumbled about

everything.  It was too hot or too cold or there was too much walking. 

It was too far.  There was too much time between meals, and when we did

get them, the meals weren't very good, and so on.  You've seen those

kinds of people. But we were very impressed with the cheerful

disposition of a particular woman on the ship--a lovely lady.  We never

heard her complain about anything, and she was always smiling.  Each

day as we watched her, we would hear her exclaim happily over things

that delighted her.  She was a joy to be around--lifting the spirits of

all who associated with her.



	And what was even more impressive about her was that this cheerful

lady walked with difficulty and with a cane.  In visiting with her we

learned that she had been in an accident some time ago that required

the amputation of a leg.  One of her legs was artificial.  Certainly

she must have gone through many agonizing moments wondering why such a

calamity had befallen her. Undoubtedly, at some point she realized she

was blessed, that things could have been worse, that she yet had much

to offer, and that feeling sorry for herself would not make her happy. 

She may have even reflected on the statement of the Savior when he

said, "Be of good cheer," or perhaps when he said, "Let not your heart

be troubled," and recognized that we can be as happy as we want to be.



WE NEED TO COUNT OUR BLESSINGS



	A great burden to me during my growing-up years was the fact that

my folks were not active in the Church.  I sensed that I was missing

out on many of the things that others were enjoying.  The depression

was on, jobs were hard to get.  Because of this, our family moved

frequently.  Though we had to do without many material things, that

never seemed a hardship to me.  But always there was the longing that

my parents would feel the importance of church activity.  I loved them

dearly and it hurt to see what was happening in our home.  The Word of

Wisdom was not observed. There was not the closeness and solidarity

that appeared to be in the homes of my friends.  I craved that peaceful

atmosphere that was lacking.  Fortunately, each place we moved there

were good people who would encourage me and welcome me.  I came to know

the importance of the Church and the gospel.  It hurt so much on the

day of my wedding when my parents were not able to enter the temple but

remained outside while that special ceremony took place.  I am happy to

report that later, through the help of caring friends and my loving

husband, my parents did become active and were able to enjoy those

blessings they had missed for so many years.



	Just recently my mother and I returned to the neighborhood where

we had lived when I was baptized.  The area is shabby and forlorn.  The

house where we lived looked so tiny and run down. A great feeling of

sadness came over me, not because of the humble circumstances, but

because I vividly remembered how I felt as a child, knowing I was

missing blessings that could have been mine.



	Life is full of frustrations and challenges.  Often we feel

inadequate to deal with them.  It is important that we recognize where

help lies.  A courageous divorced sister with the responsibility of

raising six children wrote:



	Gradually I am coming to realize that God is as close as or closer

to us when we don't feel good as when we do....



	... He relates to each of us intimately, personally, and with

unvarying attention. We only need to ask.  He is unchanging, eternal,

and immovable in His tenderness, His forgiveness, His absolute love....

We can call upon Him for guidance, comfort, and support, we can feel

His arms about us, His smiling eyes encouraging us, at any moment, no

matter how stupid or inept or impatient or selfish we may have been.

[Frances Warden, "To Always Have His Spirit," Single Sheet-A

Publication of the Utah Valley Program for Single Adults, January 1987,

pp. 1-2]



	When we are in the midst of the gale, remember the gospel of Jesus

Christ is the good news.  We are so blessed to have a knowledge of it. 

We need to constantly count our blessings.  We have the physical things

we need: food, clothing, shelter, and, as my dear counselor said the

other day, we have plumbing--running water, potable water.  What a

blessing! We have opportunities for schooling to learn, develop our

talents, and progress.  We live in a free country.  We usually have

good health.  We have friends and associates whom we love and who love

and care about us.  We have the knowledge of God's plan for us.  What

more could we ask?



	I'd like to share with you a poem that was written by Leila Grace

Bassford called "Prerequisite."



	I prayed for strength when life pulsed low

	Until God answered me:

	"Go, lift the load of weary ones

	Then I will strengthen thee.

	I asked for courage when hope despaired,

	Then came a voice benign:

	"Inspire with faith thy brother's soul,

	And I'll inspire thine."

	I longed for light when darkness made

	Me stumble through the night:

	"Thy lamp held high for others' feet

	Will make thy pathway bright."

	I prayed that wisdom, talent, skill

	Increased their meager store:

	"First, share the portions that you have,

	And I will give thee more.

	At length I learned that blessings sought,

	And help for which I pray,

	Are only mine when shed abroad

	And given, first, away.

	[Leila Grace Bassford, in Especially for

	Mormons, vol. 3, compiled by Stan and

	Sharon Miller (Provo, Utah: Kellirae

	Arts, 1976), p. 252]



	I'll close with a statement from Philippians that I think is so

appropriate for us.  "This one thing I do, forgetting those things

which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are

before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of

God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14). There can be joy in the

struggle as we exercise our abilities and press toward the mark.



	Brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father loves us! Jesus Christ

is our hope.  As we lose ourselves in their service we will be blessed

and helped to overcome our difficulties.  I know that our Savior died

for us, that he made it possible for us to have eternal life and

exaltation.  It is my prayer that each of us finds the testimony of

that hope and shares it with others.  I say these things in the name of

Jesus Christ.  Amen.





              SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE LAW OF THE HARVEST



                            A. Don Sorensen



	A. Don Sorensen is a professor of political science at Brigham

Young University.  A native of Hyrum, Utah, Brother Sorensen received a

bachelor of arts degree in political science from Utah State University

in 1960 and a doctoral degree in political science from the University

of Illinois in 1965.  He taught at Indiana University for six years

before joining the BYU faculty in 1970 as a teacher of political and

moral philosophy.  BYU students named him Honors Professor of the Year

in 1986. w Brother Sorensen has served as a bishop off campus and as a

branch president on campus.  In the mid-1950s he served as a missionary

in the New England states.  This devotional talk was given on 14 July

1987 in the de Jong Concert Hall.



	I would like to share, for your prayerful consideration, some

observations on the purpose of our mortal existence--on the point of

our coming here to earth.  According to scripture, that purpose is to

permit us to pass through the death introduced by Adam unto fullness of

life everlasting made possible by Jesus Christ.  About this purpose,

scripture is abundantly clear.  Adam fell and introduced death into the

world.  In doing this he fulfilled the purpose of God in our creation. 

He "fell that men might be"--that humankind might realize their divine

potential. We could not realize that potential if we did not first

experience death.  Jesus Christ came into the world that all might pass

through the experience of death to life full and everlasting.  As he

himself said, "He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent

me ... is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).  "I have come," he

said, "that men may have life, and may have it in all its fullness"

(New English Bible, John 10:10).



	So I repeat: to pass from death unto fullness of life

everlasting--that is the purpose of our mortal existence, why we came

to earth.  Without this mortal experience, without Adam's bringing

death into the world, and without the saving works of Jesus Christ, we

could not attain the very purpose of our being--everlasting fullness of

life.



	Thus my aim is to share some observations about the purpose of

mortal existence.  My desire is that our understanding, our awareness,

of our purpose for coming to earth might be renewed or enlarged.  To

make it easier to follow what I say, I will number each observation I

make.  Needless to say, there is much that could be said that will not

be.



FIRST OBSERVATION



	Consider first the significance of life and death when these terms

are used to express our purpose for coming to earth.  When Jesus says

that whoever receives his word and believes on him who sent him is

"passed from death unto life," the term "life"-the Greek term zoe

-means everlasting fullness of life.  Life in this sense-everlasting

fullness of life-constitutes humankind's Highest Possibility, our

Ultimate Good, the overall End of our existence.  The whole purpose of

God in making possible our eternal existence is to bring to pass our

never-ending fullness of life (Moses 1:39).  That is what God is all

about and what we are all about.



	Death is defined and explained in terms of life as life's

opposition-as life's absolute negation.  So death means the entire

"corruption" (Galatians 6:8) and "destruction" (Matthew 7:13) of all

that makes life full and everlasting.  Death refers to human existence

that is not full.  It refers in the final analysis to human existence

that is void and empty; existence that is dark, spiritless, and

miserable; existence without continuation of lives (2 Nephi 32:4; Alma

12:6; Mosiah 3:25; D&C 132:22).  Scripture teaches that death in this

sense is human existence contrary to the nature of a God, existence cut

off from his presence (Alma 41:11, 40:26).



	Thus defined, life and death constitute the grand alternatives,

the overall possibilities of human existence.  Life everlasting and

full is our highest possibility; and death is the corruption and

destruction of that possibility. Life and death thus defined are our

ultimate options, in terms of which all other choices, all other

options, are finally to be understood.  As Lehi saw, in the final

analysis our freedom as human beings has to do with whether we "choose

liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or ...

choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the

devil" (2 Nephi 2:27).



SECOND OBSERVATION



	Everlasting fullness of life and its opposite, death, are

universal categories, the ultimate possibilities of persons everywhere. 

Whatever their way of living, whatever their time, place, or culture,

all persons finally stand before these grand alternatives--fullness of

life or death.



	We do not face these great alternatives from a position outside

them--from a neutral position.  Because of Adam's fall and the workings

of sin in the world, we all face the possibilities of life and death

from a place in the world already marked by death.  In other words, we

stand before our highest possibility and its negation "in a lost and in

a fallen state" (I Nephi 10:6).  In brief, all of us face the great

alternatives of life and death already in the grip of death, in a mode

of existence contrary to the nature of happiness (Alma 41:11)--a mode

that, as Lehi told his son Jacob, would naturally result in our

perishing from that which is good and in our becoming miserable forever

(2 Nephi 2:5).



	In our fallen state, living in the unredeemed world marked by

death, we all at some time hunger and thirst for life.  Scripture

sometimes represents this hunger and thirst for life as a desire to

partake of the fruit of the tree of life that stands opposite the tree

of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden (2 Nephi 2:15). 

This fruit alone can everlastingly satisfy our hunger and thirst for

life--our desire to realize our highest possibility as human beings. 

As Alma said of those who reach that tree and eat of its fruit and

never become ashamed and depart from it: "And ye shall feast upon this

fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye

thirst" (Alma 32:42).



THIRD OBSERVATION



	Our passing from death unto life is something of profound

seriousness.  Of this the prophets and the heavens are keenly aware. 

Of course, all of us may recognize intellectually that whether or not

we reach our highest possibility is pretty important.  But this sort of

recognition is not the same thing as the moving awareness that God's

prophets and the heavens have of what is ultimately at stake in our

passing through death to life full and never ending.  For them--both

the prophets and the heavens--our purpose for being here truly is a

matter of life and death, whereas for many of us the tragedy of eternal

death has not yet really dawned on us, and the possibility of our own

everlasting fullness of life seems beyond our grasp.



	On this point recall the experience of Enoch.  He witnessed the

mighty God of the whole universe weeping over those who had embraced

the ways of death, and at first Enoch seemingly could not comprehend

what he was witnessing.  In Moses we read:



	And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue

of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is

it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon

the mountains?



	And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep,

seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity? [Moses

7:28-29]



	The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the

workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in

the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his

agency;



	And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment,

that they should love one another, and that they should choose me,

their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate

their own blood. [Moses 7:32-33]



	Wherefore, for this shall the heavens weep, yea, and all the

workmanship of mine hands.



	And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Enoch, and told Enoch

all the doings of the children of men; wherefore Enoch knew, and looked

upon their wickedness, and their misery, and wept and stretched forth

his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels

yearned; and all eternity shook. [Moses 7:40-41]



	What makes spiritual death particularly dreadful in the eyes of

the prophets and the heavens is that our time for passing from death

into life is limited.  The time for escaping death is called our

probationary period.  For those who choose not to take the path from

death to life, the time will come when, in the words of Samuel the

prophet, the "days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the

day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your

destruction is made sure" (Helaman 13:38).



	Because our probationary period is limited, those in the work of

the Lord who are aware of what is at stake in our being here on earth

become consumed with the urgent desire to assist their fellow beings in

embracing the word of life--the gospel of Christ.  The sons of Mosiah,

you may recall, experienced personally the awful state of those who

persist in the ways of death until it is everlastingly too late (Mosiah

27).  Accordingly,



	they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every

creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish;

yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment

did cause them to quake and tremble. [Mosiah 28:3]



	But we--all humankind--can escape death.  None need perish. God

offers to all through his son Jesus Christ the way to life everlasting

and full.  Consider once more the experience of Enoch.  After Enoch

became profoundly aware of the fate of those who suffer spiritual

death, his mind was opened so that he comprehended how all can escape

death through Jesus Christ.  And his soul rejoiced.  Let me read from

the text.



	And as Enoch saw this [the fate of those who had not escaped sin

and death], he had bitterness of soul, and wept over his brethren, and

said unto the heavens: I will refuse to be comforted; but the Lord said

unto Enoch: Lift up your heart, and be glad; and look.



	And it came to pass that Enoch looked; and from Noah, he beheld

all the families of the earth; and he cried unto the Lord, saying: When

shall the day of the Lord come? When shall the blood of the Righteous

be shed, that all they that mourn may be sanctified and have eternal

life?



	And the Lord said: It shall be in the meridian of time, in the

days of wickedness and vengeance.



	And behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man,

even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced, saying: The Righteous is

lifted up, and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world; and

through faith I am in the bosom of the Father, and behold, Zion is with

me. [Moses 7:44-47]



	Lehi underwent an experience similar to Enoch's.  He was deeply

troubled by the wickedness of the people of Jerusalem, and so he

"prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his

people" (I Nephi 1:5).  Then he saw in vision the pathway by which all

humankind could escape death and enjoy eternal life.  



	And he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and

marvelous are thy works, 0 Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the

heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the

inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not

suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!



	And after this manner was the language of my father in the

praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was

filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord

had shown unto him. [I Nephi 1:14-15]



FOURTH OBSERVATION



	The passing from death unto life entails an awakening and

flowering of our vitality as living beings that result in a fullness of

life, which is desirable above all that is desirable. Alma uses an

analogy to describe this coming to life (see Alma 32).  He likens the

word of life to a seed (Philippians 2:16; Alma 32:28) that we can, if

we choose, plant in our hearts.  The word of life is actually the seed

of the tree of life that stood in the Garden of Eden (Alma 32:40-41). 

Alma says that if we nourish the seed, and do not cast it out by our

unbelief, it will begin to grow within us.  This growth Alma describes

as a very literal, actual, special flourishing of our vitality as

living beings.  To use Alma's terms, the 'word" of life begins to

"swell within" our "breasts," begins to "enlarge" the "soul," and

"expand" the "mind" until our life as a living being becomes

everlastingly full (Alma 32:28, 30, 34, 41).  The experience we have of

our life enlarging and expanding as we pass from death unto life, Alma

says, will be very "delicious" and "desirable" to us.  And fullness of

life itself he describes as "most precious, which is sweet above all

that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and

pure above all that is pure" (Alma 32:42).



FIFTH OBSERVATION



	What is contained in the word of life, the gospel of Jesus Christ,

that gives it alone such power to enlarge and expand us until our life

is everlastingly full? Much could be said about that.  But one thing

seems basic to all else that might be said about the power of the word

of life literally to give life. It is revealed by the fact that the

tree of life symbolizes two things.  It symbolizes, of course,

everlasting fullness of life. But it also symbolizes, as Nephi tells

us, the love of God.  Let me quote Nephi's words:



	And the angel said unto me: ... Knowest thou the meaning of the

tree which thy father saw?



	And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which

sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore,

it is the most desirable above all things.



	And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the

soul. [ 1 Nephi 11:21-23]



	When we combine what Alma tells us about the tree of life with

what Nephi says, we get the following picture.  On the one hand,

according to Alma, the tree of life represents life full and never

ending.  The fruit of that tree is "sweet above all that is sweet" and

most delicious (Alma 32:42).  Since every seed, Alma says, produces

after its own likeness (Alma 32:31), we may describe, as Paul does, the

word that grows up in us until our life is full and without end, the

"word of life" (Philippians 2:16; Alma 32:28).  On the other hand,

according to Nephi, the tree of life represents the love of God.  This

love "sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men" and

is "most joyous to the soul" and "most desirable above all things" (1

Nephi 11:22, 23).  Again, since every seed produces after its own kind,

the seed that grows into the tree of life, which represents the love of

God, must be the word of love.  So the word of life is essentially the

word of love.  In the final analysis, it is the growth of divine love

within us that enlarges and expands us until our life is full without

end.  Fullness of life consists of life full of divine love.  Love, in

the special divine sense, is the fundamental source of a fullness of

living existence that never ends, a fullness that is " sweet above all

that is sweet" (Alma 32:42) and "most joyous to the soul" (1 Nephi

11:23).



SIXTH OBSERVATION



	To pass from death unto life we must keep the commandments of God. 

Jesus said that "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments"

(Matthew 19:17).  As Paul insisted,



	[God] will render to every man according to his deeds:



	To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory

and honour and immortality, eternal life. [Romans 2:6-7]



	So Paul tells us "not [to] be weary in well doing: for in due

season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Galatians 6:9).



	But in seeking one's life, there is an important lesson to learn

about keeping the commandments just in order to enter into life. 

Consider the experience of King Benjamin's people.  Recall that King

Benjamin, from the time he was a young man until he was very old,

labored unceasingly to assist his people in passing from death unto

life.  In his old age, just a few days before he was to deliver his

last address to his people as their prophet-king, he said of them that

"they have been a diligent people in keeping the commandments of the

Lord" (Mosiah 1:11).  Please keep in mind this description of King

Benjamin's people before he addressed them for the last time: "They

have been," he said, "a diligent people in keeping the commandments of

the Lord." In a moment I will contrast this description of them with

another one that brings out the important lesson to which I just

alluded.



	Despite the fact that his people were a diligent people in keeping

the Lord's commandments, Benjamin knew that his labors as their prophet

and king were not yet finished.  He knew, as the record tells us, that

his people had not yet become a pure-in-heart people--they had not yet

passed through death unto life.  So with this in mind, and with

instructions from an angel of the Lord, Benjamin prepared and delivered

his final teachings to the people he loved.  Let me read now from

Mosiah the impact Benjamin's address had on his people.



	And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had made an end

of speaking the words which had been delivered unto him by the angel of

the Lord, that he cast his eyes round about on the multitude, and

behold they had fallen to the earth, for the fear of the Lord had come

upon them.



	And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even

less than the dust of the earth.  And they all cried aloud with one

voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that

we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified;

for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and

earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.

[Mosiah 4:1-2]



	Think of it! Before he gave his last address, King Benjamin

described his people as a diligent people in keeping the commandments. 

But by the end of his address the people themselves could see that they

in fact were still in a "carnal state," and they pleaded with the Lord

to purify their hearts (Mosiah 4:2).



	As we know, their prayers were answered.  Their hearts were

purified by the Spirit of the Lord.  The record says that they all

"cried with one voice, saying:... the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent...

has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts ' that we have no

more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually" (Mosiah 5:2). 

And Benjamin, his lifetime desire as a prophet for his people finally

fulfilled, said: "Behold, this day he [the Lord] hath spiritually

begotten you; ... ye are born of him and have become his sons and his

daughters" (Mosiah 5:7). King Benjamin's people had passed from death

unto life.  For, you see, to pass from death unto life means being born

of Christ, being purified, becoming his sons and his daughters.



	Why were King Benjamin's people still in a "carnal state" despite

the fact that they were a diligent people in keeping the commandments?

The carnal mind is one that seeks its own life.  So I suspect that part

of the answer is that King Benjamin's people diligently kept the

commandments in order to save their own lives.  Before purification his

people were seeking each his own life through good works.  But keeping

the commandments cannot help save us unless we keep them diligently in

a life-losing way.  Each must lose his life to find it.  That is what

the law of the harvest means.  Each must plant the seed of divine love

in his or her heart and nourish it by faith and good works. Only then

can the "Spirit of the Lord" (Mosiah 5:2; Alma 32:28) enlarge our souls

and expand our minds until fullness of life never ending is ours.



CLOSING OBSERVATION



	All of us hunger and thirst for life and want to escape from

death.  Some of us, for a time, may seek--through fame or fortune,

through power or wealth, through education or scholarship, through

material and physical satisfactions--the life we do not yet have.  But

these ways of pursuing life will all fail.



	The promises of life these ways offer are false promises.  To gain

life--life full and without end--we must fully embrace the gospel of

Jesus Christ and be reborn and become people of pure love.  There is no

other way.  Unless we do this we cannot pass from death unto life, we

cannot satisfy our hunger and thirst for life--not fully, not

lastingly.  Each must come as a little child unto God through Jesus

Christ and plant the word of life in his heart and nourish it until it

becomes within him the tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and

sweet above all that is sweet, and pure above all that is pure.



	My prayer is that the love of God might grow up among us until we

enjoy a fullness of life together in the everlasting kingdom of our

Father.  For this I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.





          SOME LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED FROM LIVING SIXTY YEARS



                            Dean L. Larsen



	Elder Dean L. Larsen is the Senior President of the First Quorum

of the Seventy.  He has served in the Quorum since October 1976. 

Currently serving as Executive Director of the Correlation Department

and of the Church Historical Department, he is also Church Historian. 

At the time of his call to the First Quorum of the Seventy, he was

employed as editor of magazines and director of instructional materials

for the Church.  He has been executive secretary of the Church's Indian

Committee, coordinator of curriculum planning, and the director of

instructional materials for the Church's Curriculum Department.  He was

Executive Director of the Priesthood Department for five years.  Other

Church service includes Regional Representative, member of the Church's

General Priesthood Missionary Committee, member of the Sunday School

General  Board, mission president in southern Texas, stake missionary,

and bishop.  Born and raised in Hyrum, Utah, Elder Larsen graduated

from Utah State University and taught in the public schools and in the

seminaries and institutes.  Elder Larsen and his wife, Geneal Johnson,

are the parents of five children.  This devotional address was given on

18 August 1987 in the Marriott Center during Campus Education Week.



	I always feel inadequate when responding to an invitation to speak

to a group such as this.  I commend you for the interest you have in

self-improvement that has brought you to the BYU campus for the special

activities associated with Campus Education Week.  It has been my

sincere desire in preparing for the remarks I will share with you today

to deal with matters that will be relevant and of some practical value

for you.  I recognize the need I have for the blessings of the Spirit,

and I have earnestly prayed for that blessing on my own behalf as well

as for you.



WE ARE STILL SHORT OF PERFECTION



	When I was younger, I used to wonder if I would ever live to be

sixty years old.  It seemed like a very advanced age not so many years

ago.  Now that I have passed that milestone, I find myself reflecting

more frequently and more seriously upon things that I need to do with

the time that is left --improvements that need to be made, weaknesses

that need to be overcome.  Earlier it always seemed that there would be

enough time for dealing with these things.  Now I am not so sure.  The

imperfections I have always been aware of are, in too many instances,

still there.  I think some progress has occurred as time has passed. 

But has it really kept pace with the opportunities that have come and

the expectations that others have held out for me? How well have I been

qualifying myself in the Lord's eyes? I wonder about this frequently. 

Is there a possibility that I can measure up to his expectations in the

time that is left?



	These are sobering reflections.



	When I am conscious of the imperfections in my own life and am

aware of the frailties that exist in the lives of others, even men and

women for whom I have the greatest love, reverence, and respect--I

wonder how the Lord will be able to accomplish his purposes through

such weak vessels.  I also realize, with 



	increasing awe as my own life passes, how magnificent was that one

perfect life--that of the Savior Jesus Christ--and how absolutely

dependent all of us are upon the mercy that is extended to us through

his atoning sacrifice.



	One of the lessons I have learned from living as long as I have is

that all of God's mortal children, save that one perfect Son, are

imperfect.  God must accomplish his work through those of us who are

still struggling toward some degree of perfection. The determination to

endure in this struggle is what seems to set some apart from others.



	In my readings of the Book of Mormon I am repeatedly impressed by

the greatness of the character and the spiritual powers of Nephi, the

son of Lehi.  To me, Nephi has always been one of the most valiant,

faithful Christians who has ever lived. He seems almost superhuman to

me. As I have read of his life and ministry, I have found myself

standing up against the enormous spiritual image that he casts and

fearing myself a pygmy by comparison.  He seems so perfect in so many

of the things in which I am grossly imperfect.  I find it, for this

reason, a little hard to relate to him.  He is somewhat beyond me.



	And yet this marvelous man, this spiritual giant, reveals his

humanness and imperfection to us in the remarkable soliloquy he

pronounces in the fourth chapter of the second book bearing his name in

the Book of Mormon.  In this recorded outpouring of his soul he makes

no attempt at self-justification.  He doesn't seek for our sympathy or

our empathy.  His cry is simply the honest acknowledgment that, not

withstanding the stature to which he has attained in the eyes of God

and man and the remarkable success that he has enjoyed in administering

the work of the Lord, in his own eyes he is still short of the

perfection that his soul longs for.  He says,



	Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart

pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.



	Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in

showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O

wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my

soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.



	I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins

which do so easily beset me.



	And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my

sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. [2 Nephi 4:16-19]



	Nephi then confesses his dependence upon the love and the strength

that flow to him from the presence of God, without which he simply is

as other men.  In the light of this love and this never-failing source

of strength, Nephi finds hope and reassurance.  He continues,



	O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his

condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much

mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of

sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of

mine afflictions? . . .



	Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, 0 my heart, and

give place no more for the enemy of my soul. [2 Nephi 4:26, 28]



	Paul, the indomitable missionary apostle of the New Testament,

echoed the feelings of Nephi in acknowledging his own struggles against

imperfections.  Paul said,



	For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not;

but what I hate, that do I.



	For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would

not, that I do.



	For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:



	But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my

mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my

members.



	O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of

this death? [Romans 7:15, 19, 22-24]



	Then Paul, of course, acknowledges the ultimate source of his hope

and his strength, just as Nephi has done.



	These acknowledgments of imperfection in the lives of those whom I

admire and sustain as the Lord's servants does not cause me to lose

faith and confidence in them nor in mankind.  It only underlines the

fact that we are all engaged in the same effort to make ourselves

better and to approach increasingly the perfect model of the Savior. 

That effort, according to Joseph Smith, will be a continuing one:



	It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great

work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave.

[Teachings, p. 348]



	I have learned that my own progress cannot always be represented

by a sustained, constant upward curve.  There are ups and downs.  I

observe this same phenomenon in the lives of those with whom I am well

acquainted.  The encouraging thing about this movement along the course

of life is that in most instances the lows experienced in more recent

times are generally higher on the curve toward perfection than some of

the highs were in earlier years.  Often the greatest challenge is to

sustain the effort when some slippage has occurred.  It is particularly

difficult when we are inclined to measure our own weaknesses against

the strengths of others.



THE DETERMINATION NOT TO SUCCUMB



	One lesson life has taught me is that there is absolutely no value

or benefit in being critical and judgmental of failings we observe in

someone else's life.  A sensitivity to our own weakness sometimes seems

to create the temptation to note and underscore the imperfections we

see in others.  Through this process we sometimes try to justify and

condone our own failings. It is a deceitful thing to do.  It not only

impedes our own progress, but it can be hurtful to those whom we judge

and often criticize before others.



	I know that I must appeal not only to the mercy of God, through

the redemption of his holy Son, but I must also rely upon the

forgiveness and compassion of those who know me best and whose lives

brush against mine.



	Sometimes those whom I disappoint or offend are those who look to

me for leadership and example, who must surely despair at times because

of my failings.



	I have learned, perhaps more at times when my own shortcomings are

so evident, that it is not always the degree of observable progress

that matters so much as the unyielding determination not to succumb

finally and irrevocably to the "temptations and sins which do so easily

beset me," to use Nephi's vernacular.  I have come to believe that

enduring, as that term is so frequently used in the scriptures, is as

much related to an attitude or a state of mind as it is to a course of

overt action.  It is manifest in a determination never to yield in the

struggle.  It causes us to say to ourselves constantly: "I will not

give in to my failings.  Regardless of how often I lose my footing and

slip backward on the path of progress, I will get up and I will move

on.  I will not quit.  I will endure to the end that one day I will

qualify for eternal life."



	Incumbent in this determination is the absolute faith and

confidence that through the infinite atonement of Jesus Christ and the

mercies of God there is still hope for me.  Nephi said,



	Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ,

having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. 

Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ,

and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have

eternal life. [2 Nephi 31:20]



THE NECESSARY INFLUENCE OF THE SPIRIT



	Perhaps the most significant lesson of all that I have learned is

that I cannot succeed in this struggle alone.  I must have the love,

compassion, support, and confidence of those who know me best.  But

most important, I must have the strength, the light, and the spiritual

power that only come from a divine source.  I must have this help to

rise above the human frailties that I possess.  Man cannot, by his own

resources, even with the love and support of his fellow beings, rise

above the limitations of human weakness and imperfection.  He is lost

if he tries to stand alone.



	King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon understood this great truth

when he said,



	For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall

of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the

enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and

becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh

as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to

submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even

as a child doth submit to his father. [Mosiah 3:19]



	I don't believe that we are to understand from Benjamin's

statement that mankind is evil by nature.  The Savior himself has said,

"Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning: and God having

redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state,

innocent before God" (D&C 93:38).



	The carnal state of man in mortal life comes as a result of man's

individual transgressions.  Moses made this clear in his description of

the consequences that came to the children of Adam as they fell into

disobedience after they had been taught the law of God.  Moses

explains:



	And Satan came among them, saying: I am also a son of God; and he

commanded them, saying: Believe it not [that is, don't believe the law

of God]; and they loved Satan more than God.  And men began from that

time forth to be carnal, sensual, and devilish. [Moses 5:13]



	The fallen state that Benjamin describes for the natural man is

one that man brings upon himself through disobedience.  His only hope

for rising above this state is through the sanctifying, purifying

influence of the Spirit of God, which comes into one's life as a result

of sincere repentance for sins that are committed and also the adoption

of the nature described by Benjamin: submissive, meek, humble, patient,

willing to submit to every test without faltering.  It is then that the

Spirit of God can work its lifting, refining influence in our lives,

making spiritual progress possible.  I have teamed that without this

influence we have no prospect of attaining to the perfections that our

Eternal Father holds out as a challenge for all of his children.



	It has seemed to me, after sixty years of experience in the mortal

struggle, that the single greatest need I have is to nurture those

qualities described by Benjamin.  I know the Savior has done everything

for me I cannot do for myself.  I have absolute confidence that his

infinite atonement will apply to me if I will endure in my effort to

improve and to become more like him.  My highest goal in life should be

to incorporate into my own nature the qualities that he so perfectly

exemplified in his life and ministry.  In this way I respond to his

invitation to come unto him.  Not only will I then feel comfortable

with being in his holy presence, but I will discover that I have become

more like him and will therefore be more able to assist him in his work

and in the blessing of my fellowmen.



HOW WE DEAL WITH OTHERS



	The Christ-like qualities we need to develop are best demonstrated

in the way we relate to others.  Perhaps I can illustrate to a degree

what I mean by sharing with you something that happened a year or so

ago.  Sister Larsen and I attended church meetings in the little Idaho

town where Sister Larsen was born and where she lived during her

girlhood years.  During priesthood meeting I was participating in a

discussion with the high priests group of the ward.  The subject of the

lesson being reviewed that morning had to do with honesty and

integrity.  The discussion had led us into a consideration of how

honesty, in a strictly legalistic sense, may not always be adequate in

our dealings with others.  There were comments about the need for being

fair and equitable also.  The men in the group came mostly from farming

backgrounds.  Their sense of values was basic and unencumbered by some

of the subtleties we are so often afflicted with.



	To illustrate a point he was attempting to make, one of the men in

the group said, "Let me tell you a story about Uncle Otto." I was

immediately alert with interest. I knew the Uncle Otto referred to was

my father-in-law.  He had passed away more than ten years before.  He

was actually of no blood relationship to the man who was speaking.  He

had simply been known as Uncle Otto to some of those whose parents had

associated closely with him and who had shared his way of life.



	I must explain that my father-in-law had spent his life working a

small farm.  He had homesteaded part of the ground as a young man just

at the turn of the century.  In those early years horses were an

essential ingredient in the success of the farmer. Living conditions

were very stringent by our present standards. Having a good team had

much to do with whether a year's work showed a profit or a loss.



	My father-in-law was a quiet man.  He was not apt to say much

about his inner feelings.  He worked hard, and he loved the land he

farmed.  He was never called upon to carry responsibilities of

notoriety in the Church or in the community. But everyone knew the

principles upon which he stood.  The only sermons he ever preached were

those that came unspoken from the way he lived.



	Returning to the discussion in the priesthood group, the man

continued with the story about Uncle Otto.  He spoke of a long-term

negotiation that had gone on between his father and my father-in-law

over the possible trade of some horses.  Such a transaction was entered

into with the greatest care because so much was at stake.  This was

especially the case in matching pairs of horses as teams.  An agreement

had finally been reached that appeared to be totally acceptable to both

the farmers.  The trade was made.



	The man relating the story concluded in this way.



	It was on the evening of the day the horse trading had taken

place.  We were sitting around our kitchen table, eating our evening

meal.  Father had been telling us how pleased he was with the trade he

had made with Uncle Otto.  Apparently he was totally satisfied with the

outcome of the transaction.  Suddenly there was a knock at our door,

and father went to see who was calling. It was Uncle Otto.  He stood in

the doorway to speak to my father, but we at the table could easily

overhear the conversation.



	"I've been thinking about the trade we made today," Uncle Otto

said.  "I haven't felt exactly right because I think I got a little the

best of the deal."



	His hand went into the pocket of his overalls and came out with a

beautiful Pocketknife that he obviously treasured.



	"I've thought it over," Uncle Otto said, "and I'd feel a lot

better if you'd take this knife.



	The man who shared this story with us told how deeply he had been

impressed, even as a boy, by this act of personal integrity that seemed

to go beyond basic honesty.



	Developing qualities of this kind helps us to move forward toward

greater perfection.



HOW CAN WE JUDGE?



	One  of  the  things  that   has   greatly   concerned me over the

years, and perhaps more so in recent times, is the proclivity some have

for searching out and advertising imperfections in the lives of Church

leaders, particularly those who have now passed on.  I spend much of my

time in direct association with the leadership of the Church on the

general level and in the regions, stakes, and missions as well.  It

isn't difficult to observe the human qualities in all these people, but

I am continually impressed by the great desire and determination they

have to do what is right in God's eyes.  Sometimes they may do it

imperfectly, but I cannot feel that this gives others license to demean

them or scorn them.  I am generally conscious, when I am associating

with these men and women, of a subtly witnessing spirit that they have

the Lord's endorsement.  I see them as fellow participants in the

struggle toward greater excellence and more effectiveness in

administering the Lord's work.  Sometimes I see the anguish they

experience when they know they could have done better.  I know that

feeling so well myself.



	Once in a great while we see a leader betray the trust that is

placed in him, but it is a comparatively rare thing.  It is not

difficult for me to sustain the ones I know best as the Lord's

servants, even though I may not always find myself in total agreement

with them, nor they with me.



	The Lord gives a solemn warning to those who make a practice of

castigating those whom he has chosen to guide his work.



	Cursed are all those that shall lift up the heel against mine

anointed, saith the Lord, and cry they have sinned when they have not

sinned before me, saith the Lord, but have done that which was meet in

mine eyes, and which I commanded them. [D&C 121:16]



	It is so difficult for us to judge justly when we must judge from

a position of imperfection ourselves.



	I have permission from one of my daughters, Kristine Bicker, to

share with you today an extract from some of her writing on this

subject.  Perhaps the spirit of it will convey a feeling to you that

will be more meaningful than my own expressions would be.  I quote from

her writing:



	The top drawer of my mother's desk is always untidy.  It is filled

with unimportant odds and ends that, by nature, accompany a busy life. 

As I sorted through the clutter I smiled to myself at the treasures

this drawer had absorbed through the years. There were old sales slips

from Auerbach's, yellow no. 2 pencils--some without lead or erasers--a

couple of bobby pins, a plastic straw with one end chewed flat, and a

little red spiral notebook.  The notebook fell open in my hand.  The

writing, tiny and crimped, looked unfamiliar, and I wondered who had

filled these pages with such an unsure hand.



	After reading a line or two I knew the mystery of the ledger.  It

had belonged to my late Grandmother Johnson.  She had written in crisp,

incomplete sentences about visiting some friends in Rexburg.  There

were a number of paragraphs about a trip to Europe with my Uncle

Harold.  As I skimmed the pages I found some sketchy gardening tips

copied from an old issue of Better Homes and Gardens and a recipe for

zucchini-oatmeal bread--useless because there were several words I

couldn't quite decipher.  There was also a shopping list that read,

"Two pairs of stockings, one good blouse, five pounds of flour, stamps

at post office, twine to tie up roses.



	Across from each entry was a corresponding price notation, and

then subtractions and additions.  The noting disclosed obviously that

this particular list maker had been mindful of her expenditures and

prudent.



	I had not known this woman, my grandmother, very well.  She

brought ten spirits into the world--my mother being next to the

youngest.  It followed then that by the time I was old enough to be

aware of Grandma Johnson she was almost too old to be aware of me.  I

remembered only bits and pieces of experiences shared with her.  Riding

through the inky blackness of Yellowstone Park at night to get to

Grandma's house and then being carried half-asleep up the steep

sidewalk, past the profusion of rose bushes, to be put in bed with my

sisters in the blue bedroom is one of my recollections.



	My grandmother fed us peaches, homemade bread with preserves, and

lots of soup. Kool-Aid was a staple, sodas a luxury.  She baked lots of

spicy cookies, but hid them very carefully on the top shelf in one of

her big china bowls lest we ruin our suppers.  Her kitchen door had a

very tight spring and always, always banged shut with a resonating

smack, after which my grandmother always, always said, "Don't slam the

kitchen door." (As if we could have prevented it from closing that

way.)



	In Grandma Johnson's house there was a painting of a forest fire

that hung on a shadowy wall of the upstairs landing.  The picture was

dark and ominous, with brilliant, orange flames licking hungrily at the

skeletons of black trees.  It terrified all of us children.  To keep

from becoming too frightened, we ran past it without looking.



	My grandmother liked to dress in pretty suits with soft, crepe

blouses.  She loved to wear hats.  My sisters and I played with

reckless abandon in the bandboxes full of hats on the floor of the

closet in the blue bedroom.  We would pose in pretty cameos in front of

the vanity that had been my mother's when she was a little girl.  After

an hour or so, Grandma Johnson would call up the stairs: "You girls

aren't in my hats, are you?" And we would call back down: "No, Grandma,

we aren't in your hats." We knew she was too unsteady to climb up all

those steep steps to find us out.



	One afternoon, however, without any warning, she appeared in

righteous indignation at the bedroom door, catching us in a profusion

of organza net and straw flowers. We didn't know how she had climbed

those stairs so quietly or gotten past that fire painting, but the joy

went out of playing dress-up, and we didn't bother her hats again.



	Grandmother Johnson had a passion for giving and getting pretty

cards.  She especially liked the ones with cutout borders, artfully

covered with sketches of flowers.  We read and reread the verses inside

that intimated thoughts about love and friendship. She kept those cards

with messages special to her displayed for months on top of the desk

and buffet in her dining room.



	I caught myself smiling at these fragments of memories, and turned

again to the page of the shopping list.  In one corner I could make out

faintly a date, and realized, after a moment or so, that she had

composed a little budget during the semester for which she had paid the

money owed--for my tuition at college. She had also secured my student

housing.  I felt a twinge of uneasiness as I remembered how cavalier I

had been about her generosity.  I had experienced a degree of

gratitude, but being young, I suppose, expected good things as a matter

of course.



	I wondered now, studying her ciphering, if perhaps my grandmother

had passed up a special little hat, or neglected to put in a new rose

hybrid because her spare dollars had been used to purchase my books, I

regretted not telling her I was sorry about playing in her Sunday hats

and for not catching the kitchen door fast enough.  I hope I told her

that I loved her because I just discovered how much she must have loved

me.



	I am grateful for that feeling deep inside that she isn't gone

forever.  I think there are many discoveries we will want to share. 

Perhaps she will remember the missing words in the zucchini-oatmeal

bread recipe, and she can tell me how she got past so quietly that

forest fire painting on the landing of her stairs to find us in her

hats. [Kristine L. Bicker, Memories of My Grandmother, used by author's

permission]



TAKING THE CHALLENGE



	I have some sensibility of the price that is paid regularly by

those who are attempting to administer the Lord's work.  But I am

confident that I cannot begin to understand at my present stage of

development the love and willingness to sacrifice for the good of

others that filled the soul of Joseph Smith, and certainly not that of

the Savior of Mankind.  But, perhaps through my continued experience, I

will learn better and win one day be able to share my feelings more

comfortably with them.



	In summary, I have learned from living sixty years that

imperfections are challenges all of us must deal with.  We cannot

overcome them nor their consequential effects in our lives without the

Lord's help.  We cannot permit ourselves to be overcome by them, and

there is absolutely no benefit to be gained by detecting and

advertising those we see in the lives of others.



	May the Lord help all of us to move purposefully forward along the

path to a greater perfection with a deep sense of gratitude for the

opportunities he provides us--challenging though they may be at

times--to become more like him.



	I say this in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.