I\u2019m very humbled to be here today. First, I would like to say how much BYU means to my family and me. My father\u2019s formal education only went through the eighth grade. But he knew how much education meant\u2014four of his six children graduated from BYU, and two of our children also have degrees here, as well as a son-in-law and daughter-in-law. Having been born and raised in Provo, I have always loved this campus and the events that take place here that have been part of my life. As a young man I never imagined having the opportunity to finish my working career at BYU. However, after being here for the past 25 years, my feelings are even deeper for everything Brigham Young University represents. Words aren\u2019t strong enough to express my gratitude to a man named Bill Hays for inviting me to be on this campus and to those whom I\u2019ve had the opportunity to work with since.<\/p>\n
I have chosen to speak today on the cycle of becoming, which describes our progress in this life and, eventually, the kingdom that we\u2019ll choose\u2014one that our Father in Heaven has prepared for us. The three parts of the cycle are learning or knowledge; doing or, in some cases, not doing; and becoming.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve been taught that at some point in our premortal lives, our Father in Heaven presented a plan that would make it possible for us to move beyond what we had become. It seems that the cycle, or some parts of it, had included us having knowledge of our Father in Heaven\u2019s plan and our relationship with our Elder Brother as our Savior. We had done the things necessary to prepare us to move to the next stage\u2014becoming mortal. Faith would have been part of the decision-making process in that premortal life. The things we would experience in mortality had to be accepted on faith. Most important of all, we had to accept the fact that once we left God\u2019s presence, we could not return without the help of the Savior. Our faith had to also be centered in Jesus Christ and His ability to take us back to our Father in Heaven\u2019s kingdom.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) when we came to earth, the knowledge part of the cycle got erased, and we had to start that part over. The Bible Dictonary defines knowledge<\/i> as follows:<\/p>\n
One of the attributes of God (Isa. 46:9\u201310; Acts 15:18; 2 Ne. 9:20). Knowledge of divine and spiritual things is absolutely essential for one\u2019s salvation; hence the gospel is to be taught to every soul. \u201cHow shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?\u201d (Rom. 10:14). Knowledge is not obtained all at once, even by revelation, but line upon line, precept upon precept (Isa. 28:9\u201310).<\/i> [Bible Dictionary, s.v. \u201cknowledge,\u201d 721]<\/p>\n
President Boyd K. Packer said the following about this process:<\/p>\n
Things that grow slowly live longer. You will find that you will acquire the gospel \u201cline upon line, precept upon precept\u201d (2 Ne. 28:30; D&C 98:12; 128:21; see also Isa. 28:10,<\/i> 13). You may grow more slowly in mind and spirit, but you will learn and your learning will stay with you<\/i>.\u201d [\u201cSome Things Every Missionary Should Know,\u201d Seminar for New Mission Presidents\u2014<\/i>2002 (26 June), 6]<\/p>\n
The Bible Dictionary continues:<\/p>\n
The scriptures, and also living prophets, are given so that the people might have knowledge of things of God and \u201cknow how to worship, and know what you worship\u201d (cf. D&C 93:19). Knowledge is one of the endowments of the Holy Ghost (John 14:26; 16:13; D&C 34:10; 121: 26\u201333) and one of the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:8; Moro. 10:10; D&C 46:18).<\/i><\/p>\n
President Packer also said:<\/p>\n
The basic foundation of knowledge and testimony never changes\u2014the testimony that God the Father lives, that Jesus is the Christ, that the Holy Ghost inspires us, that there has been a restoration, that the fulness of the gospel and the same organization that existed in the primitive church have been revealed to us. Those things are taught everywhere and always\u2014in our classes, the scriptures, the handbooks and the manuals\u2014in everything we do.<\/i><\/p>\n
The fundamental doctrine and instructions on the organization of the Church are likewise found in the scriptures. In addition, there is another source of knowledge relating to what makes the Church work: We learn from experience and observation.<\/i> [\u201cThe Unwritten Order of Things,\u201d BYU devotional address, 15 October 1996]<\/p>\n
At the same time we\u2019re working on the knowledge part of our eternal cycle, we have this cycle within a cycle going on in which we are trying to get educated through \u201cexperience and observation,\u201d as President Packer described, so that we can have the knowledge base to do things that will fulfill temporal needs and aspirations. Your academic knowledge will allow you to become, hopefully, engineers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, counselors, artists, etc. I can tell you as a parent that through your educational experience, regardless of what avenue you pursue, one of the things that your parents want you to become is employed.<\/p>\n
This cycle of learning, doing, and becoming is literally going on in some micro or miniature form every day of our lives. That\u2019s how we\u2019ve become who we are today. The question then becomes \u201cAre we where we\u2019re supposed to be in becoming who we told our Heavenly Parents we would become?\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s somewhat easier to measure from a temporal perspective than it is from a spiritual. From an academic perspective, you know where you are in school and how much you have left to do before you can graduate. There are systems put in place to help you measure your progress in entering whatever professional career you\u2019re pursuing. One purpose of academics is to assist you in gaining positions in this life that will allow you to provide for yourself and your family.<\/p>\n
The second part of the cycle, in an ideal situation, would be the wise use of our knowledge by doing things that keep us moving along life\u2019s path both temporally and spiritually. This is often the tough part. In our premortal lives I would think that our knowledge was more complete, but there were certain things we couldn\u2019t do without a mortal body. In this life, with our somewhat limited knowledge, we often reach a point where we must make choices to do or not do things that meet immediate and long-term wants or needs. These choices, and what we do with them, shape our lives and define who we are and who we will become. Many of us know by firsthand experience that it\u2019s not always easy to do the right thing every time.<\/p>\n
To illustrate this, here are two stories of young men in different centuries who answered a call from a prophet. The first happened in 1856. Most of you have heard this story about the last of the handcart companies coming west. The Martin and Willie group was in desperate trouble because of a late start and an early winter. President Brigham Young put out a call in general conference for men to gather their wagons, supplies, and teams and go and rescue these people. As part of those that left, three young men, all 18 years old, answered the call.<\/p>\n
Three eighteen-year-old boys belonging to the relief party came to the rescue and to the astonishment of all who saw, carried nearly every member of that ill-fated handcart company across the snowbound stream. The strain was so terrible, and the exposure so great, that in later years all the boys died from the effects of it. When President Brigham Young heard of this heroic act, he wept like a child, and later declared publicly, \u201cThat act alone will ensure C. Allen Huntington, George W. Grant and David P. Kimball an everlasting salvation in the Celestial Kingdom of God, worlds without end.<\/i>\u201d [Solomon F. Kimball, \u201cBelated Emigrants of 1856,\u201d Improvement Era,<\/i> February 1914; also in LeRoy R. Hafen and Ann W. Hafen, Handcarts to Zion<\/i> (Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1960), 132\u201333]<\/p>\n
Now, fast forward to several years ago and consider three young men who also answered a call from the prophet at approximately the same age of 19 years and came to the Missionary Training Center as missionaries. For some reason they couldn\u2019t quite grasp why they were there and immediately started having problems. As their branch president, I received reports that they were causing problems in their classes and doing other inappropriate things. Although they were companions, I met with each of them individually, discussed these problems, and challenged them to remember who they were and who they represented and, if nothing else, to simply look at the Savior\u2019s name on their badges on a regular basis as a reminder. A week later I received a report that things had not improved. So on a Sunday I met with them again and went over what was and wasn\u2019t appropriate. That same day they went back to their room and played what turned out to be a very inappropriate prank on another missionary, which led to more serious consequences. At this point, the decision from Church headquarters in Salt Lake City was that they apparently were not ready to be representatives of the Church and needed to go home.<\/p>\n
In both cases, three young men had answered a call, but each set chose to take different routes. What was the difference? Two of the words that come to mind are agency<\/i> and perspective.<\/i> I\u2019m guessing that each of us can find examples in our own lives in which opportunities have been given us, and, in looking back, we can see either that we utilized them and growth took place or that we missed out and paid the price for not following our conscience.<\/p>\n
In my own case, on an even more personal note, a few years ago I was preparing some rooms in our house to be painted. I was going through the living room patching nail holes. There was a dent in the ceiling above the entryway. That house had a split entry, so the ceiling was a floor and a half from the entry landing. I got my six-foot ladder and put it on the landing, assuming that it would be high enough. I took my perfatape mud and putty knife and climbed up the ladder. When I reached the top platform, I read printed on the ladder \u201cThis is not a step.\u201d Now, I was sure that did not apply to me, and I climbed up. (You know where this is going, don\u2019t you?) I stood on top of the ladder and reached as far as I could, fully extended. Just as I filled the hole with the first pass of the putty knife, the ladder tipped and I crashed to the floor\u2014not the landing, but the basement floor. Now, the ladder is six feet tall, and I\u2019m over six feet tall. There are some five steps to the basement, so my head was more than 16 feet from the basement floor.<\/p>\n
When I crashed, Linda and our daughter rushed to see what had happened. I was lying there, not able to breathe because the wind had been knocked out of me. They kept asking if I was all right. Finally I caught my breath and told them I thought I was okay. I was hurting but could get up. They insisted I go to the emergency room. When the doctors checked me, they found that I had two cracked vertebrae, a cracked rib, and some bruises. Other than that I was okay. I knew I had been blessed because I could have broken my neck or my back.<\/p>\n
When my wife called one of our daughters that evening to tell her about the accident, she repeated it for our granddaughter, and my granddaughter said, \u201cTell grandpa what he always told his kids when they were growing up.\u201d My wife said, \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d She said, \u201cWhen you\u2019ve got a dumb head, the whole body suffers.\u201d She was absolutely right, and my words came back to me because my whole body was suffering.<\/p>\n
Maybe you can think of dumb things that have happened in your lives that may or may not have led to your whole physical body suffering. But is our spiritual body suffering because of poor choices, missed opportunities, and unrepented transgressions?<\/p>\n
We often know more than we choose to do. As we mature, our goal should be to find wisdom in the application of the knowledge we are gaining along the way. The proper use of our knowledge is how we demonstrate wisdom. Making choices that lead to doing things that keep us on the eternal path to becoming what our Heavenly Father wants us to become must be part of our daily quest. Marion G. Romney said:<\/p>\n
Since knowledge is <\/i>[according to Webster\u2019s dictionary] an \u201cacquaintance with, or clear perception of, facts\u201d; and \u201cwisdom is the capacity of judging soundly and dealing broadly with facts; especially in their practical\u201d application \u201cto life and conduct,\u201d it follows that wisdom . . . is nevertheless a product of, and is dependent upon knowledge.<\/i><\/p>\n
. . . Thus, as God\u2019s perfect wisdom is a product of His knowledge of all things, so man\u2019s wisdom is dependent upon his knowledge<\/i>. [\u201cConverting Knowledge into Wisdom<\/a>,\u201d Ensign, <\/i>July 1983, 5]<\/p>\n As we consider our daily wants and needs as mentioned earlier, we must find ways to be guided along the right path. On the one hand, we\u2019re told, \u201cIt is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.\u201d (D&C 58:26). On the other hand, we need help in keeping an eternal perspective. How do we get and keep this eternal perspective? It starts with the basic things we hear on a regular basis. Daily prayer and scripture study are absolute musts. In my various ecclesiastical callings, I\u2019ve never worked with anyone who had lost their testimony or fallen away while they were praying and studying the scriptures on a daily basis.<\/p>\n At the MTC we often discussed doing things that lead to becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ. My approach in teaching that was one I called \u201cliving above the line.\u201d I would explain that there is a gumption trap some fall into regarding minimums and maximums in life. You as students are very familiar with it. When you begin a class, your professor explains what the requirements are to pass and what level of performance you\u2019ll need to earn each grade. In many cases the grade that you decide you want or need as defined by the professor represents the minimum you can do. If that\u2019s your main focus or objective for the class, then that minimum level becomes your maximum effort.<\/p>\n I would challenge the missionaries to not get caught up in the minimum and maximum lines. As a true disciple of the Savior, you wouldn\u2019t have to be reminded about the rules in the little white missionary handbook. You wouldn\u2019t need to be reminded to get up at a certain time, to pray and study each day, and to seek the Spirit for guidance. You wouldn\u2019t even need to be reminded to be nice to your companion. All of those things would be the natural consequences of becoming a disciple of Christ. Access to the Spirit is much more available \u201cabove the line.\u201d Your life can then leave the daily checklists of things you cannot do and things you should be doing and move into the realm of doing the \u201cright\u201d thing.<\/p>\n In referring to these basic commandments, Elder Neal A. Maxwell described the \u201cthou shalt not\u201d commandments as the \u201cmisery prevention\u201d ones (my title for those would be the \u201cdumb head, body suffers\u201d commandments):<\/p>\n Then the major focus falls upon the \u201cthou shalt\u201d commandments. It is the keeping of the \u201cthou shalt\u201d commandments that brings even greater happiness.<\/i> [\u201cThe Pathway of Discipleship<\/a>,\u201d BYU devotional, 4 January 1998]<\/p>\n Your efforts will be blessed in your schooling, your work, your activities, and, most importantly, your relationships with those around you and, ultimately, the Savior Jesus Christ and your Father in Heaven.<\/p>\n When our son was 11 years old, I was serving in a bishopric. There was an annual hike taking place with many of the Scouting age Young Men and some Young Women in this area called the 50\/20 that was established, I think, to help with some of the Scouting program\u2019s hiking requirements. It was held in the fall, and the idea was that you would hike 50 miles in under 20 hours. It started at the This Is the Place Monument on the east side of Salt Lake City and traveled south to Provo, finishing at a park on Fifth West and Center Street.<\/p>\n Many of the Young Men in our ward had participated the year before and were going to do it again. I asked my son if he would like to try it, even though I thought that at 11 years old, he might not be ready. He said he wanted to go. I talked with others who had done it and was told that it was critical to bring fluids and nourishment and to take care of your feet with adequate padding, changes of socks, and good shoes. The hike started at six in the evening and went throughout the night so that there was less traffic on the roads.<\/p>\n The first half of the hike went pretty well, except for the fact that I couldn\u2019t get him to drink and eat enough. Several hours after midnight we reached the top of the Point of the Mountain, approximately halfway. He was pretty tired and worn out. There are many that only make it halfway, so I told him we could make that the end of our hike and just go home. As he watched some of the older boys arrive after us and could see that they were every bit as tired as he was, he realized that they were not quitting. So after some hot chocolate and nourishment, I asked him what he wanted to do. He said, \u201cLet\u2019s keep going.\u201d I asked him if he was sure, knowing that he had never even stayed up all night, let alone hiked that far. He said, \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n We made it down the south side of the point of the mountain, and it was obvious he was tiring very quickly. As we walked the old highway through Lehi in the darkest part of the night, I looked down and saw that tears were running down his cheeks and that he was just barely moving his feet. I asked him if he wanted to quit and go home. He wouldn\u2019t answer. Knowing he\u2019s as stubborn as his father, I just put my arm around his shoulders and walked in silence for a while.<\/p>\n Then I said, \u201cJason, I can make you a promise. This is the hardest part of the hike. It\u2019s the darkest part of the night, and your body knows you should be in bed. But here\u2019s what I\u2019ve learned after working some graveyard shifts. If you want to keep going, there\u2019s a fast-food place down the road. We will stop there and have a hot breakfast. About that time the sun should be coming up. There\u2019s something about the sun coming up after being up all night that gives us new life. I promise you that the hot breakfast and the sun coming up will give you new energy to finish the hike if you want to.\u201d<\/p>\n No answer. He just kept shuffling along. When we got to the drive-in, we ordered breakfast. After we ate and noticed the sun coming up, I said, \u201cHow do you feel?\u201d<\/p>\n He said, \u201cLet\u2019s go, Dad.\u201d We took off, and I could hardly keep up with him. We finished in just under 18 hours. The next year, when the opportunity came again, he signed up, knowing he could do it. It was every bit as hard, but he knew what to expect.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve thought back on our experience many times since. My hope at the time was that he would also look back on that when things got tough, particularly on his mission or at other times, and know that the sun will eventually come up, new life will be given, and you\u2019ll get where you need to go if you\u2019ll keep going.<\/p>\n We all have times when it seems like the night will never end. It\u2019s dark all around, and we don\u2019t know for sure how far we have yet to go. Those are the times that we can feel the Savior walking beside us with His loving arm around our shoulder, encouraging us to keep going.<\/p>\n President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said this in our recent April conference:<\/p>\n Discipleship is a journey. We need the refining lessons of the journey to craft our character and purify our hearts. By patiently walking in the path of discipleship, we demonstrate to ourselves the measure of our faith and our willingness to accept God\u2019s will rather than ours.<\/i> [\u201cThe Way of the Disciple<\/a>,\u201d Ensign,<\/i> May 2009, 76]<\/p>\n What if we\u2019re not as far along the path of discipleship as we think we should be or if we\u2019ve gotten off the path and now feel we can\u2019t become who we\u2019re supposed to be? Maybe we\u2019ve disappointed ourselves or those who love us. Before we came to earth we knew with a surety that the Savior would take care of all of our shortcomings. Now we can find that same assurance through the process of becoming. It doesn\u2019t matter where we are\u2014it only matters that we are moving along the path and making our best effort. Again, this is a step-by-step process and a lifelong journey.<\/p>\n Daily scripture study and prayer to find out your Heavenly Father\u2019s will for your life will lead to a softer heart that can be influenced by the Spirit. That Spirit will prompt us to repent of those things holding us back from becoming and progressing. What a great blessing we have every week to be able to take a broken heart and contrite spirit to sacrament meeting. Partake of the sacrament worthily and you will be as clean as if you were just baptized, and you will be under the influence of the Spirit for the next thing you need to learn and do. Be worthy for the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Life can be challenging enough by itself. Don\u2019t try to go it alone.<\/p>\n Now, where can we go to learn about this cycle in the most profound way? In our most recent general conference, we were reminded several times of the importance of finding ways to get to the temple on a regular basis\u2014not just to attend but also to engage in actual temple worship.<\/p>\n This is where we can go and, by performing work for others, be taught all that we need to know regarding who we are. Elder Russell M. Nelson said this about the temple:<\/p>\n Each temple is a house of learning. There we are taught in the Master\u2019s way. His way differs from modes of others. His way is ancient and rich with symbolism. We can learn much by pondering the reality for which each symbol stands. Teachings of the temple are beautifully simple and simply beautiful. They are understood by the humble, yet they can excite the intellect of the brightest minds.<\/i> [\u201cPersonal Preparation for Temple Blessings<\/a>,\u201d Ensign,<\/i> May 2001, 33]<\/p>\n Because temples are nearby for many of us, we need to find ways to get there as often as we can. We need to take the opportunity to experience all of the ordinances by rotating our temple experience and, as Elder Richard G. Scott said in our last general conference, by \u201clisten[ing] carefully to the presentation of each element of the ordinance with an open mind and heart\u201d (\u201cTemple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need<\/a>,\u201d Ensign,<\/i> May 2009, 43).<\/p>\n In D&C 109, we read the Kirtland Temple dedicatory prayer and learn some of the blessings of temple attendance:<\/p>\n And that they may grow up in thee, and receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost, and be organized according to thy laws, and be prepared to obtain every needful thing; . . .<\/i><\/p>\n And when thy people transgress, any of them, they may speedily repent and return unto thee, and find favor in thy sight, and be restored to the blessings which thou hast ordained to be poured out upon those who shall reverence thee in thy house.<\/i><\/p>\n And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them.<\/i> [D&C 109:15, 21\u201322]<\/p>\n In conclusion, the final part of the cycle is that of becoming. Regarding the temporal or vocational stage of our lives, Elder Russell M. Nelson referred to this concept of becoming when he spoke at BYU\u2019s commencement exercises on April 23, 2009. He called a chosen occupation<\/p>\n only a <\/i>means to an end; it is not an end in itself<\/i>.<\/p>\n The end for which each of you should strive is to be the person that you can become\u2014the person that God wants you to be. The day will come when your professional career will end. . . . The career that you will have labored so hard to achieve\u2014the work that will have supported you and your family\u2014will one day be behind you.<\/i><\/p>\n Then you will have learned this great lesson: Much more important than what you have done for a living is what kind of a person you have become. . . .<\/i><\/p>\nBecoming<\/b><\/h2>\n