6 Speeches for Stargazers

July 30, 2026 • Blog Post

The universe is unimaginably vast, but these six BYU devotionals remind us that we each have a place in it. Using stars, telescopes, and galaxies as metaphors for the love of God, BYU speakers have testified of our eternal worth and value. So join us on an interstellar journey of wonder and self-discovery through these speeches for stargazers!

“Finding Your Place in the Universe” by Denise Stephens

Amid competition and comparison, finding our place in the universe can seem impossible. Remembering our divine potential is key.

Each star is different: each has different attributes, each is at a different stage in its development, and each has a
different mission. Likewise, each child of God is different: we each have different attributes or talents, we each are at a different stage in our eternal development, and we each have a different mission on this earth. . . . Just like the sun, each of you has the perfect attributes and qualities you need to fill the measure of your creation.Never forget to look up. He is there, and He is waiting for you, and He will help you find your place in this universe.

“For God So Loved You” by William B. Lund

God is the creator of the universe, but He is also our Father. He knows us, loves us, and desires to help us individually.

Our Father in Heaven’s work is individual salvation and individual happiness for eternity. We aren’t specks in the universal expanse of God’s creations but individuals loved and cherished by God. Whereas we use huge telescopes to see the expanse of God’s creations, it is as though our Father in Heaven uses a huge microscope so that He can see each of us individually and be with us.

“Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth” by Barry Willardson

You lived with Him before this life, and in a universe this vast, He still knows your name—because you were never just a number to Him, but His child.

There is a great lesson to be learned from correcting Hubble’s vision. Sometimes small flaws can put our lives out of focus and we cannot see our divine origins. In such circumstances, our lives need not be scrapped like a piece of interstellar junk, but correcting mirrors can be installed—thanks to something more than a herculean effort that we call the Atonement of Jesus Christ. . . . We can trust in Him and in His power to make things right again, and our lives can someday reflect views even more glorious than those from the repaired Hubble telescope.

“Witnesses in Stars and Stones” by John D. Lamb

God’s creations are always whispering the same quiet witness: He is real, and He is near.

When we look at the night sky . . . the wonders of nature bear witness to us day in and day out of a Heavenly Father who brings order to all we see around us. . . .
I grow in appreciation of God’s great plan in which all of nature participates, and it heartens me to know that I, together with you, lie at the center of that plan. Just think that all this vast creation was made for you and me! Doesn’t that make you feel both humble and wonderful at the same time?

“Perspective, Purpose, Peace” by Andrew J. Maxfield

Like a star whose light travels far beyond itself, this message calls graduates to let their perspective, purpose, and pursuit of peace shine outward and bless others.

A star occupies a finite region of space, but the light it produces radiates across millions of light years in every direction. In a similar vein, when we honor our education, . . . [it] will become a means whereby we may bless others through our influence—today and every day that we are permitted to sojourn on
God’s footstool.

“How to Be Happy Now—and Forever” by Jean B. Bingham

God views us through both a microscope and a telescope—close enough to know our struggles, vast enough to see our eternity—so that with His perspective, we can find real happiness now and forever.

From His vantage point, God sees us and everything around us. . . . And He looks at all His creations through the lens of love. As if using a powerful microscope, He sees into the heart and mind of each of His children from a perspective of loving mercy and eager support rather than hope-crushing criticism. And with a range more complete than the most powerful telescope, He sees the big picture, viewing progress in individuals as well as galaxies from all eternity to all eternity.

All of God’s creations testify that we are seen, known, and loved—not as specks in a vast universe, but as His children with purpose, potential, and a place prepared for us both now and forever. Whatever stage of celestial development you’re in, don’t forget to look up!