{"id":20310,"date":"2019-08-26T13:17:11","date_gmt":"2019-08-26T19:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/?post_type=speech&p=20310"},"modified":"2023-05-16T23:26:08","modified_gmt":"2023-05-17T05:26:08","slug":"creating-conveying-christlike-culture-more-job","status":"publish","type":"speech","link":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/dale-g-renlund\/creating-conveying-christlike-culture-more-job\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating and Conveying a Christlike Culture: More Than a Job"},"content":{"rendered":"
Thank you, Sister Johnson, Sister Evans, and Sister Haws for singing and accompanying the hymn \u201cSavior, Redeemer of My Soul.\u201d1<\/sup> I am here to declare what Sister Johnson just sang, those remarkable words by Elder Orson\u00a0F. Whitney: that our Savior and Redeemer is the only One whose mighty hand can make us whole. He is the only one who can fill with sweet a bitter cup. Our united prayer is that we all can come to be in perfect harmony with Him and be fit for the life above. That is what I would like to talk about.<\/p>\n I am delighted to be with you today. I am so grateful for what you do and for the effect that you have on Brigham Young University students and the Church. My wife and I meet former Brigham Young University students all over the world. They create admirable families, contribute meaningfully to their communities, and serve ably in the Church. On behalf of the Lord and His Church, I thank you for your faith and faithfulness, for your dedication and diligence, and for your caring concern for Heavenly Father\u2019s children.<\/p>\n As teachers, administrators, and employees of every stripe, whatever your job may be at Brigham Young University, you are participating in one of the reasons for the gathering of Israel, creating an environment for a special type of education. The education available at Brigham Young University prepares students to \u201cgo forth to serve\u201d as disciples of Jesus Christ. But this special kind of education depends on all who are employed here to consistently strive to create and convey Christlike attributes. Yes, you have more than a job. You are fulfilling one of the important purposes for the gathering of Israel. Let me explain.<\/p>\n Few prophets in this dispensation have spoken more about the gathering of scattered Israel in preparation for the Second Coming of the Savior than President Russell\u00a0M. Nelson. President Nelson told the Church that the gathering is<\/p>\n the greates<\/i><\/b>t<\/i><\/b> challenge, <\/i>the greates<\/i><\/b>t<\/i><\/b> cause, and <\/i>the greates<\/i><\/b>t<\/i><\/b> work on earth. .\u00a0.\u00a0.<\/i><\/p>\n .\u00a0.\u00a0. There is <\/i>nothin<\/i><\/b>g<\/i><\/b> happening on this earth right now that is more important. .\u00a0.\u00a0. There is <\/i>nothin<\/i><\/b>g<\/i><\/b> of greater consequence. Absolutely <\/i>nothin<\/i><\/b>g.<\/i><\/b>2<\/sup><\/p>\n The gathering involves inviting all of Heavenly Father\u2019s children to \u201cknow that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel,\u201d3<\/sup> to anchor themselves to the Savior, and to be propelled along the covenant path that is explicit in Heavenly Father\u2019s plan.<\/p>\n But scattered Israel must be gathered to a place, to a physical location. Why? As the early leaders of the Church were encouraging members to gather to a central location, Heber\u00a0C. Kimball explained that<\/p>\n as the branch of the vine cannot gather sap and nourishment from the body when separated from it, so the members of the church abroad, when commanded to gather to the body, cannot receive life and <\/i>intelligenc<\/i><\/b>e<\/i><\/b> away from it, nor grow in the things of the kingdom of God.<\/i>4<\/sup><\/p>\n To acquire both intelligence and knowledge of the kingdom of God are reasons God commanded a gathering.\u00a0In fact, early Church leaders said:<\/p>\n Intelligence is the great object of our holy religion. .\u00a0.\u00a0. Intelligence is the result of education, and education can only be obtained by living in compact society. .\u00a0.\u00a0.<\/i><\/p>\n One of the principal objects then, of our coming together, is to obtain the advantages of education; and in order to do this, compact society is absolutely necessary.<\/i>5<\/sup><\/p>\n The compact society that we call Brigham Young University fulfills a key role in furthering the great objective of our religion: acquiring intelligence.<\/p>\n Intelligence, once attained in this life, \u201cwill rise with us in the resurrection\u201d and provides advantages to the individual in the hereafter.6<\/sup> It is more important than the alphabet and astrophysics; it is more important than multiplication tables and the periodic table; it is more important than Aeschylus and Euripides and brushing up on our Shakespeare. This kind of teaching and learning is not limited to classrooms; it is taught by administrators and cooks, librarians and facility engineers. It can occur in a classroom even when you teach partial differential equations or poetry. The unique teaching available at Brigham Young University stems from the character and attributes of individuals who work here. It derives more from who you are than from what you do or can explain or what you know. For this reason your role at Brigham Young University is more than a\u00a0job.<\/p>\n Each employee at Brigham Young University contributes to the Christlike culture of this campus. Lest you think I exaggerate, consider what your impression is of the finest physician in the world if he or she is surrounded by people who are grumpy, sarcastic, and unempathetic. Your impression of your medical care and the doctor\u2019s advice will be difficult to separate from the environment in which that medical care is provided.<\/p>\n The same is true for students at Brigham Young University. The entire university environment contributes to the learning that occurs here. Everyone matters in this educational enterprise. While \u201cno unhallowed hand can stop the [Master Physician\u2019s] work from progressing,\u201d7<\/sup> hallowed hands or employed hands can impede it.<\/p>\n I would like to take Elder Jeffrey\u00a0R. Holland\u2019s teachings as he was speaking about parents and children and apply them to Brigham Young University employees and students. To any employees \u201cwho may be given to cynicism or skepticism, who in matters of whole-souled devotion always seem to hang back a little .\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0, please be aware that the full price to be paid for such a stance does not always come due\u201d during the time of your employment. No student at Brigham Young University \u201cshould be left with uncertainty about\u201d your \u201cdevotion to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Restoration of His Church, and the reality of living prophets and apostles.\u201d If you are a little off center, you may inadvertently lead a student \u201caway from faithfulness, away from loyalty and bedrock belief.\u201d Elder Holland went on: \u201cIn matters of religion a skeptical mind is not a higher manifestation of virtue than is a believing heart. .\u00a0.\u00a0. And such a deviation from the true course can be deceptively slow and subtle in its impact.\u201d8<\/sup><\/p>\n Let me illustrate. I will use an optical example. Consider a beam of light that originates at the left of a diagram. In the center of the diagram is a concave lens. At the right of the diagram is a target. If the beam of light strikes the lens off center, the beam diverges and will not hit the bull\u2019s-eye. The more off center the beam hits the lens, the farther away from the bull\u2019s-eye the beam ends up. Only when the beam of light hits the lens right in the center will it pass through the lens and hit the target at the bull\u2019s-eye. Like the light and lens, your attitude, your speech, and your empathy create a beam that can center on the Savior or miss the Master altogether.<\/p>\n I realize it is not always easy to be cheerful and empathetic. We all have off days or off weeks as we deal with our own trials and difficulties. But no matter what, no matter when, no matter where, the Lord expects us to live the gospel to the best of our ability and unwaveringly keep the covenants we have made.<\/p>\n All Brigham Young University employees are<\/p>\nThe Gathering of Israel<\/b><\/h2>\n
Teaching by Personal Example<\/b><\/h2>\n