Illuminating Your Place in God’s Masterpiece

What a privilege it is to be here with you today! I would like to briefly share with you the spiritual experience that accompanied this assignment. When I said yes to giving a BYU devotional, I felt what I can only describe as a “whoosh” of the Spirit. Immediately I felt the incredible love that God has for all of you. And I felt the magnitude of this responsibility to share a meaningful message that invites the Spirit during this time that has been specifically reserved and dedicated for you to take a break from your studies and allow the Holy Ghost to be the master teacher. My words are not nearly as important as the message the Holy Ghost wants to impress upon your heart today. I pray that together we may cherish the Spirit’s gentle whisperings.

Reflections of Light

Today I want to talk to you about reflecting the Light of Christ in your journey of becoming you. As new temples continue to dot the land, they add such light and joy. I particularly like to see the stained glass windows uniquely designed for each temple. I love how the images add local significance as they reflect the beauty of God’s creations specific to the area, such as the hibiscus flower you can find in the Laie Hawaii Temple and the olive leaves that intertwine throughout the Rome Italy Temple. I was recently told that if you removed the building structure of the new Orem Utah Temple, all the windows would combine to make a giant, beautiful cherry tree. These images magnify God’s hand in the world around us.

I am enamored with the rich play of color and texture in stained glass and with how the artist utilizes a variety of individual, unique pieces that work together to create something grand and beautiful. Working with lead and glass, the artist has the privilege to partner with God, who provides the third essential element to give this art form its greatest glory: light. Stained glass is most brilliant when it refracts rays of sunlight.

My fascination with light’s play on this medium allowed the Spirit to nudge me as I watched the broadcast for the 2024 youth theme.¹ A group of youth had each made a small stained glass of the new theme’s artwork. Discussing the experience, one youth shared how the glass was beautiful on its own, but wow, when held up to the light, the color changed, and it was much more vibrant.² As the group continued to talk about how that transformation relates to the Light of Christ, my heart was full, and this thought impressed upon my mind: That is exactly what we have the privilege of experiencing here at BYU. No matter your field of study, everything you are learning, producing, researching, or performing is beautiful all on its own, but wow, when illuminated with the Light of Christ, it becomes more vibrant and magnificent, radiating its influence even further. It is not despite our “double heritage”;³ it is directly because of our double heritage—a heritage of integrating the secular and the spiritual—that we can illuminate our work with the Light of Christ and magnify the glory of God.

Becoming You at BYU

I am so grateful to be a part of the work taking place on this campus!

It is a work that asks us to lean into our faith, expand our double heritage, and have the courage to be different as we engage in President C. Shane Reese’s emphasis on “becoming BYU.”⁴ As you join BYU in this effort, you too will embark on your own journey of becoming, because all of us constitute the “you” found in BYU.

In his October 2000 general conference talk “The Challenge to Become,” Elder Dallin H. Oaks said:

In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.⁵

We all have to-do lists, but what is on your to-become list?

As President Spencer W. Kimball delivered his second-century address in 1975, he provided prophetic direction for BYU’s to-become list.⁶ The approaching BYU sesquicentennial extends a valuable opportunity to check in and see how we, as a university, are doing. Likewise, each of us has access to prophetic direction for our personal lives through blessings given by faithful patriarchs. We would be wise to check in often and see how we are doing on our own journey of becoming. Invite the Spirit to teach you what you need to know right now for the next steps in your journey toward becoming the inspired you of whom the patriarch prophesied.

While I was serving in the Switzerland Zurich Mission, President Alan Johnson challenged all of us missionaries to memorize our patriarchal blessings and open a door for the Holy Ghost to bring the exact words to our minds for the moments we needed them most. In memorizing my blessing, I have found that the words of Patriarch T. Ardie Adams are like the perfect sidekick companion—always showing up just in the nick of time, providing me with the exact tools I need to navigate the challenge in front of me, and offering comfort and encouragement. I invite you to memorize your blessing and allow the Holy Ghost to enlighten your mind with its words that are just for you and that are key to your journey of becoming. As you do so, you will catch a glimpse of and begin to understand your divine identity and potential.

Almost fifty years ago, President Kimball saw your brightness and the contributions you would make to this campus and to the world. In his 1967 “Education for Eternity” address, he shared, “It is notable that numerous students change their lives on this campus.”⁷

That is you!

“Brilliant Stars”

Later, President Kimball said:

There will rise brilliant stars in drama, literature, music, sculpture, painting, science, and in all the scholarly graces. This university can be the refining host for many such individuals who will touch men and women the world over long after they have left this campus.⁸

If you think those “brilliant stars” President Kimball spoke of are for a future time in BYU’s history, that it is a prophecy yet to be fulfilled, I want to tell you that I have seen this greatness in seemingly ordinary students walking the halls of our campus today. These are students who embrace BYU’s “dual heritage”⁹ of “by study and . . . by faith.”¹⁰ They invite the Spirit into their studies by following President Russell M. Nelson’s admonition to have the continual companionship of the Holy Ghost.¹¹

As stained glass artist Tom Holdman worked on the design for the Rome Italy Temple, he created hundreds of little crystal stars that were placed in the corners of window panels.¹² The edges of each crystal were beveled and angled by hand so they could enhance and reflect the most light. In the artist’s hands, the crystal is transformed from a beautiful piece of glass to a magnificent, brilliant star.

How is the Savior beveling you? Where is He cutting and shaping so that you may reflect the most of His light? When you place yourself in the hands of the Master Artist, He can transform you too.

I believe one of BYU’s brilliant stars is Jared Steele. Jared was not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he came to BYU, and he had no interest in pursuing religion while he was here. He just wanted to focus on completing his education without any distractions, and BYU’s reputation for chocolate milk consumption over partying fit the bill.

Jared worked closely with Professor Iain Hunter to better understand the biomechanics of distance running. He pursued his education and research with rigor. Because faith is so seamlessly integrated with scholarship at BYU, in Jared’s words, “it just started to seep in.”

Professor Hunter, along with other students and faculty in the BYU Department of Exercise Sciences, magnified their work through the Light of Christ. They captured the essence of what President Kimball referenced as “bilingual”: speaking “in the language of scholarship” and in the language of faith.¹³ In 2023, Jared was baptized by Professor Matt Seeley and then confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Professor Hunter.

Jared shared, “I always used to think that science and religion were two very distinctly different things. But the longer that I have been here, I see that they actually help each other. As my faith has grown, so has my ability to be a scientist.”

Jared, I think President Nelson would agree with you. In the dedication of the BYU Life Sciences Building, he said, “Whether truth comes from a scientific laboratory or by revelation from the Lord, it is compatible.”¹⁴

Through his experience with the integration of faith and science, Jared found that he was in the beveling process—preparing for the light he would shine for the world.

Jared’s research focused on the super shoe, a running shoe that helps distance runners reduce their running time. This is a significant endeavor all on its own, but, like stained glass, when illuminated by the Light of Christ, its reach and impact are even more magnificent. This was manifest as Jared was inspired to expand the shoe’s benefits to bless the lives of countless others.

Jared’s dad had suffered a heart attack, and Jared was actively part of the recovery process. He frequently walked with his dad, who became winded after only two minutes. Through this experience, the Spirit, who often talks to us through thoughts, sparked the idea of adapting the super shoe to speed up the recovery time for vulnerable populations, including heart attack and stroke patients. Jared was confident that he could leverage the technology to make each step more efficient and less taxing on the body. In the lab, he dedicated his time to testing his theory—with great success.

As one of the brilliant stars at BYU, Jared is ready to share his light and knowledge to improve the quality of life for those who suffer from heart attacks, strokes, or illnesses or who are recovering from surgeries—all for the benefit of the world.

Jared is a great reflection of Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father [who] is in Heaven.”

Remembering President Nelson’s one hundredth birthday service initiative, I see Jared as a great example of ninety-nine plus one.¹⁵ While Jared may have been “the one” when he first came to BYU—one who Professors Hunter and Seeley saw and served—Jared readily took on the other role as he ministered to the one, caring for his dad at home. When Jared served the one, God was able to show him how he could expand his reach and serve countless others.

Vibrant Agate

To those of you who, like me, see and often celebrate the outstanding achievements of these brilliant stars among us while thinking, “They were destined to do great things; I am happy to just do my little part and support in small and simple ways,” I have a story for you.

When Tom Holdman, whom I mentioned previously, was working on the San Antonio Texas Temple, he wanted to use agate stone in the stained glass windows. Agate looks like a rough rock on the outside, but it can have a vibrant, translucent appearance inside that lets light shine through, highlighting its beautiful, banded layers.

When Tom visited the temple site and mentioned his intention, the missionary overseeing the construction emotionally led Tom to a trailer full of rough stones. He explained that while digging the foundation, they had encountered essentially a cave full of rocks. Without quite knowing why, the construction missionary followed a prompting and instructed the crew to pull out and save all the stones from the cave before proceeding with the dig. This action resulted in significant teasing from the crew—because who saves a pile of rock? But now, standing in front of the trailer next to Tom, the missionary knew why he was led to do so. These stones, with their beautiful agate interiors, were carefully preserved in the earth, ready to come forth when God needed their vibrant quality to shine forth from His holy temple.

Later, Tom came across Isaiah’s prophecy about temples in 3 Nephi 22:12: “And I will make thy windows of agates” (also Isaiah 54:12). Today, Tom tries to include a piece of this prophesied agate in every temple he works on.¹⁶

Perhaps you are like the agate stone, covered in a rough exterior with an undiscovered vibrant interior of beautiful color and banded layers of experience ready to transmit the Light of Christ when the Master Artist needs you. Know that your time will come; He is aware of you and has a purpose for you. If you invite the Spirit into all your life’s endeavors and seek to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, you will be right where you need to be at the right time, with just the right preparation and knowledge to radiate the Light of Christ wherever God places you.

I see this in Tucker Bateman, a microbiology student who was directed and prepared to be in the right place for God to utilize his vibrant qualities. Tucker grew up on a farm but resolved to attend medical school. He felt directed to study microbiology. He was here at BYU pursuing his dreams, and nothing was going to deter him from his ambitions. And then his dad died. Suddenly medical school didn’t feel right. Following spiritual impressions, Tucker continued to study microbiology but was open to God’s direction. Acting on the advice of a professor, Tucker walked into the BYU Technology Transfer Office seeking information, but he walked out with a new direction. The Lord was beginning to cut through the outer layer of stone and was getting ready to polish the banded layers of Tucker’s experience to transmit a light that would benefit the world.

With a background in farming and an education in microbiology, Tucker is now poised to address food insecurity in a way no one else is. “Salinization [the accumulation of salt in soil] is rapidly becoming one of the biggest challenges for food production worldwide.”¹⁷ Currently, more than two and a half billion acres and millions of marginal farming families in developing countries are affected by decreased crop yields due to significantly increasing salt concentration in the soil.¹⁸ Many of these sustenance farmers are living on two dollars a day—and watching even that dwindle.¹⁹ Working with Michael Davis and Fritz-Carl Morlant, Tucker has found a viable solution for the salt salinity problem by focusing on the microbiome. They are in the process of patenting their innovation.

Because Tucker was willing to listen to the Spirit when it directed him toward microbiology to pursue medicine and then away from medicine to explore innovative solutions for an increasingly devastating problem, the Lord was able to polish Tucker’s layers of experience. He placed Tucker in the right place to go forth to serve, with the potential to reduce hunger and poverty around the globe. I find it interesting that Tucker’s pursuit of medical school wasn’t incorrect, even though he didn’t end up there. Rather, it served as a guidepost, sending him in the right direction to fulfill a greater plan God had in store for him. I encourage you to have faith in the guideposts God sets in your life and to walk down inspired paths with the meekness to change course when directed.

Tucker expressed it well when he said, “I think that God always tries to teach us through the things that happen to us, if we are willing to learn. He is inspiring minds, and I have faith that we can make life better for God’s children.”

In your journey of becoming, recognize that whether you are a crystal star that the Master Artist is in the process of beveling or an agate that God has preserved and brought to the right place at the right time to share your vibrance and light, God has a place for you in His grand masterpiece.

Embracing Your Divine Identity

A critical step in the journey of becoming is to embrace your divine identity as a “child of God,” a “child of the covenant,” and a “disciple of Christ.”²⁰ The first identity is a blessing inherent to every one of us; the other two are identities we get to choose to take upon ourselves.

A Child of God

I want you to know that you are a child of God, and He is aware of you. He sees you and is mindful of your needs. Earlier this year, I had a precious experience that opened my eyes to His simple yet tender mercies. I was having a hard day. I stopped the project I was working on and said a little prayer at my desk. As I ended the prayer, a thought entered my mind: “This is a chocolate kind of day!” Taking this as direct, personal revelation, I stepped away from my office and headed to the Wilkinson Center to buy some chocolate.

It was a beautiful day, and the quad was filled with students sitting on the grass and eating lunch, talking, studying, and enjoying the nice weather. But there was one student who caught my attention. Sitting on the grass, she took a bite of her sandwich while giant tears streamed down her cheeks. I didn’t know the burden she carried, but I felt God’s love for one of His children. I thought, “Yep, this is definitely a chocolate kind of day!”

I walked into the BYU Store and purchased two Dove chocolate bars with the intention of sharing one with the student I had seen crying. I started to walk in the direction where she sat on the grass, but doubt quickly entered my mind: “What if I embarrass her?” and “What am I even going to say?” The Spirit nudged me on, and as I extended my hand to offer her the chocolate, the thought—as clear as someone talking to me—entered my mind: “God sees you!” I shared this message with her.

As I walked away, I saw that she still had a tear running down her cheek, but she had a smile too—and so did I!

So, to the student I saw on the grass and to every one of you, I testify that you are a child of God. He sees you and loves you enough even to send someone for chocolate.

We need to recognize this divine identity in all of God’s children. He wants us to stop, step outside of ourselves, and serve one another.

A Child of the Covenant

Second, embrace your identity as a child of the covenant. In his March devotional this year, Elder Dale G. Renlund said that our covenants “transform, save, and exalt us.”²¹

For each of us, the covenant path starts with baptism. With this covenant, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, which testifies of all truth and highlights the value of BYU’s double heritage. With this gift, you are entitled to personal revelation in all your endeavors as you honor your covenant—and that includes in your studies here at BYU.

Elder David A. Bednar said:

The blessings of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost and the spiritual gift of revelation are central to . . . inspiring and experiential learning. Worthiness to receive revelation and the faith to act upon the revelation we receive are key in these learning processes.²²

One great example of applying revelation to our work and studies at BYU is the Strong Youth Project. Initiated by Professor Matt Seeley, the program aims to create lifelong physical activity enthusiasts by improving the culture of youth sports through education and the application of research-based practices.

Ben Barton, a member of BYU’s track and field team who is working on the project, shared how the program leaders invite the spirit of revelation into their work: “We read the scriptures and pray to receive inspiration and answers that we would not have found otherwise.”²³

Callie Floyd, a dancer who is also working on the project, added that she sees divine revelation aiding their efforts: “We spend time in the temple to pray, and eventually ideas start flowing and everyone comes together on the same page.”²⁴

As you invite the Spirit into your studies, you will catch a glimmer of the light God has in store for you. President Thomas S. Monson emphasized the value of learning how the Spirit talks to you: “As we pursue the journey of life, let us learn the language of the Spirit.”²⁵

Follow the promptings that come—the thoughts, the whisperings, and the expansion of your heart—and you will witness how you are becoming one of the bright stars President Kimball prophesied of in his second-century address.

A Disciple of Christ

Third, embrace your identity as a disciple of Christ. Cherish the time you have here at BYU, where a sacred space has been designed to invite the Spirit into all that you learn, all that you do, and all that you are. There is a distinct purpose in God’s plan for establishing a school that educates by study and by faith, for such an experience lays the groundwork and provides a spiritual education on how to be a disciple of Christ.²⁶ Here, you may become a disciple-scholar. And if you learn to integrate faith into all your life’s endeavors, you may also become a disciple-employee, a disciple–family member, a disciple-friend and disciple-neighbor, and, ultimately, a disciple of Christ who radiates His light to everyone you encounter in your journey of becoming.

As President Henry B. Eyring said in his April 2003 general conference address:

Your worthiness and your desire will shine in your face and your eyes [like the light shining through stained glass]. You will be excited about the Lord’s Church and His work, and it will show. You will be His disciple 24 hours a day in every situation. . . . Speaking what you believe will be part of what you are.²⁷

President Eyring continued in his talk to give an example of his father, who spoke to audiences around the world. At a large scientific convention, his father referenced creation and a Creator as he talked about his science.

Young President Eyring declared, “Dad, you bore your testimony,” and his father responded, “Did I?”²⁸

It was simply who he was.

This can be simply who we are too. As we grow in our discipleship, we will speak naturally of faith and science, faith and law, faith and leadership, faith and art, and faith and humanity.

BYU is a great training ground for becoming a disciple-scholar, but it is up to you to translate that into your next phase as a disciple-professional. In her book 21 Days Closer to Christ, Emily Belle Freeman shared a story of Susan Marinda Bullock, who detailed in her journals how as a nurse

she would pray before visiting her patients and then listen for the direction that she knew the Spirit would send. [Susan] Marinda learned to rely on this direction. She recorded many examples of when a . . . life had been saved because she had followed those whisperings of the Spirit.²⁹

While I don’t personally have stories of lives saved, I can tell you that I feel my work here at BYU is a sacred stewardship. As I have prayed over projects, my role, and the amazing students I get to work with, I too have heard the tender whisperings of the Spirit giving me insights and direction because God cares about the work that goes on at this university. Because He cares about you.

Standing in front of an art installation at the law school, I spoke with Mike Middleton about how the original Jorge Cocco Santángelo paintings depict seven roles of the Savior that BYU Law encourages its students to emulate. Mike told me that there are nearly two hundred law schools in America, but BYU is the only one in which the Savior is part of the curriculum.

Mike then said, “I think Jesus walks the halls of the law school with these students.”

As he spoke the words, the Spirit testified to me with a tender feeling of warmth in my soul that yes, yes, He does.

Then the thought entered my mind: “Not only does He walk with the students in the halls of the law school, but He walks by the side of students in every hall on this campus.”

I hope that you can feel it too and can receive a witness that He is next to you in your journey of becoming. Part of becoming is recognizing that we are not there yet and that, “after all we can do,”³⁰ we need our Savior’s Atonement and grace to get us there.

In his magazine article “The Positive Difference Christ’s Grace Can Make,” Bradley R. Wilcox, first counselor in the Young Men general presidency, wrote:

I determined to teach more clearly, as President Russell M. Nelson has taught, that “repentance . . . is a process” [as are we] that often takes time and repeated effort. I wanted the members of my ward to know God meets us where we are and offers grace to help us throughout the entire perfecting process, however long it takes.³¹

As you embrace your identity as a disciple of Christ, know that He is there with you every step of the way!

Reflecting the Light of Christ

Referencing the stained glass I spoke of at the beginning of my remarks, I believe that each of you is like a raw piece of glass in the hands of the Master Artist, the Creator of our world. He knows your texture, your color, and your value. He fully understands your potential, and if you allow Him to shape you and maybe even bevel a few of your edges, He will place you in the exact location He needs for you to have the greatest impact on His work of creating His masterpiece. Like the piece of glass in a stained glass window, you are beautiful, and you make a valuable contribution on your own. But when you allow the Light of Christ to shine through your countenance, your influence is expanded, allowing you to play a part in the greatest work and in the miracles President Nelson spoke of for the coming days.³²

I look forward to seeing what BYU becomes over this last half of its second century, but I am more eager to learn what you will become as you embrace your divine identity as a child of God, a child of the covenant, and a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I hope you each can feel the magnitude of His love for you and have caught a glimmer of your divine identity! I love our Savior, and I say these things in His sacred name, Jesus Christ, amen.

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