Trust the Lord, Elder Nelson advises BYU graduates
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Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve advised BYU graduates to avoid trusting in the arm of flesh as they move on to another stage of life in the face of economic and other worldly difficulties. He addressed the graduates Thursday, April 23, during the commencement ceremony in the Mariott Center on BYU's campus.
He illustrated his meaning with an experience from his own life: He was attending a meeting in 1978 with members of his medical school graduating class and their wives in Manzanillo, Mexico. One evening during the stay at the relatively remote location, one of the doctors became ill, bleeding from his stomach.
Even though there were several medical specialists present, there weren't the facilities available to care for the serious emergency. The nearest hospital, he said, was "100 mountainous miles away" in Guadalajara. It was nighttime, so planes couldn't fly. "Blood transfusions were out of the question because of lack of equipment," he explained. "All of our combined knowledge could not be mobilized to stop his hemorrhage. We were totally without the facilities or equipment needed to save the life of our beloved friend."
Though extremely ill, the LDS doctor requested a priesthood administration, Elder Nelson continued.
"Several of us held the Melchizedek Priesthood," he said. "We responded to his request immediately. I was asked to seal the anointing. The Spirit dictated that he be blessed to the end that the bleeding would stop and that he would continue to live and return to his home. Miraculously the bleeding stopped. . . . In a couple of days he was able to return to his home."
The lesson of that experience, he said, was to trust in the Lord. That doesn't preclude the need to pursue education, which he called "a religious responsibility," and doing well the work of a chosen career.
"But," he added, "the learning of man has its limitations. And sometimes, as in our circumstance in rural Mexico, the combined learning of many experts cannot be applied when we need it most. We have to place trust in the Lord."
He called a chosen occupation "only a means to an end; it is not an end in itself."
"The end for which each of you should strive is to be the person that you can become — the 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 — the work that will have supported you and your family — will one day be behind you.
"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."
Elder Nelson said, "Keep learning and preparing for your ultimate graduation day. From time to time ask yourself these questions: 'Am I ready to meet my Maker?' 'Am I worthy of all the blessings He has in store for His faithful children?' 'Have I received my endowment and sealing ordinances of the temple?' 'Have I remained faithful to my covenants?' 'Have I qualified for the greatest of all God's blessings — the blessing of eternal life?'"
