BYU Devotional: Pres. Monson urges students to be a 'righteous example'
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PROVO, UTAH
Providing a message that would be helpful to them not only for the present but also throughout their lives, President Thomas S. Monson addressed students at Brigham Young University in a devotional assembly Tuesday, Nov. 1, and called upon them to be righteous examples, to be "a light unto the world."
The Church leader noted the students come from many states and countries and have varied backgrounds but there is much that he and they have in common.
"We have in common the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And we know it is our responsibility to share the truths of the gospel with others," President Monson declared. "One of the chief ways in which we can share the gospel is to be a righteous example."
He quoted the Apostle Paul's admonition, "Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12) and his call that the followers of Christ should be "as lights in the world (Philippians 2:15).
President Monson used Webster's definition of light as "something that illuminates." He said that just as turning on a light switch in a dark room will bathe the room in light, so providing an example of righteousness — being a light — can help illuminate an increasingly dark world.
"Each of us who came to earth having been given the light of Christ," he said. He quoted from Moroni 3:16, in which is explains "the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil…."
"Unfortunately," said President Monson, "for many that light with which all were endowed at birth has dimmed — in some cases almost to the point of being extinguished — as outside influences have come to bear and the sometimes harsh realities of life have been experienced. Ours is the responsibility to keep our lights aflame and burning brightly, that they might shine for others to see and follow.
"With the decline of religion in our society, many people have come to feel that they are sufficient unto themselves and have no need of a higher power." That is a wrong assumption, he noted. "A loss of religious faith implies a loss of faith in anyone greater than oneself."
Further, he said, "It can at times be easy to fall into the erroneous thinking that we ourselves are capable of handling anything that comes our way, that we have all the answers, and that there is no need for assistance from a higher power. When we realize, as one person put it, that 'We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience,' (Pierre Teilhard de Cardin, 1881-1955) we come to understand where our main emphasis should be and on Whom we are reliant.
"In order for us to be examples of the believers, we ourselves must believe."
President Monson said that he would think each person "within the sound of my voice" has a testimony, although testimonies are of varying degrees. Some, he surmised, rely on the testimonies of others, however, "it is up to each of us to develop the faith necessary to survive spiritually and to project a light for others to see. Amidst the confusion of our age, the conflicts of conscience and the turmoil of daily living, an abiding faith becomes an anchor to our lives. Remember that faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other. Among the most effective ways to gain and keep the faith we need would be to read and study the scriptures and to pray frequently and consistently."
President Monson asked, "Have you read the Book of Mormon? Have you put to the test the promise found in Moroni chapter 10, verse 4, asking your Heavenly Father with a sincere heart, with real intent and having faith in Christ whether or not that which is found in that book is truth?"
He shared the experience of Clayton M. Christensen, who has served as an Area Seventy and in many other Church positions and is the Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He told how Brother Christensen who, while at Oxford University in England as a Rhodes Scholar studying econometrics, had a demanding academic schedule yet decided to read the Book of Mormon every night from 11 p.m. to midnight in pursuit of a knowledge that the book is true.
Through prayer and pondering each night, Brother Christensen soon "could see the truth in those words that he never imagined he could comprehend before. He could see the glories of eternity and what God had in store for him as one of His sons."
President Monson quoted Brother Christensen's summation of that experience: " 'I use applied econometrics maybe once a year, but I use my knowledge that the Book of Mormon is the word of God many times every day of my life. In all of the education that I have pursued, that is the single most useful piece of knowledge I have ever gained.'"
President Monson said that many present probably had come to BYU already knowing that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith is indeed a prophet, and that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ. Others, however, might still be living on the testimony of others. He suggested that they set aside time every day, as did Brother Christensen, "to find out for yourself if the Book of Mormon is a true book, for it will change your heart and change your life. If you seek this knowledge with a sincere heart, with real intent and having faith in Christ, I promise that you will receive an answer."
A personal testimony, President Monson declared, "is essential if we are to safely navigate the sometimes treacherous paths through life, with the adversary attempting to deceive us at every turn. As you keep the flame of testimony burning brightly, you will become a beacon of righteousness —even a light — for all to see. Said the Savior: 'Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
President Monson told of a letter he received from a Catholic woman who commended the compassionate service two Latter-day Saint men gave her brother-in-law, Tom Brown, who was not a Latter-day Saint and had terminal cancer. The woman wrote that she used to indulge in "Mormon bashing," but after having seen how Church members treated her family, she not only would never again criticize the LDS faith but would not allow it to be criticized in front of her."
President Monson said, "Our opportunities to shine are limitless. They surround us each day, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. As we follow the example of the Savior, ours will be the opportunity to be a light, as it were, in the lives of those around us — whether they be our own family members, our coworkers, mere acquaintances or total strangers."
He said when he presided over the Canadian Mission one of the missionaries became seriously ill and was hospitalized. The evening before the missionary was to be operated on, President Monson and the missionary's father gave him a blessing. The five other men in the hospital ward, impressed with what the missionary had taught them during his hospitalization, fasted on the morning of the surgery. The surgeon refused payment, saying, "'It would be dishonest for me to accept a fee. I have never before performed surgery when my hands seemed to be guided by a power which was other than my own. No, I wouldn't take a fee for the surgery which Someone on high helped me perform.'"
President Monson quoted from the "Lion King," in which Mufasa, the spirit of Simba's departed father, tells him, "Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become….Remember who you are….Remember."
President Monson said, "To all who are here today, I say, 'Look inside yourself. You are more than what you have become. Remember who you are.' You are a son or a daughter of Heavenly Father. You have come from His presence to live on this earth for a season, and to live in such a way that you are an example of the believers and a true light to the world. When that season has ended, you will be able to return to live with Him once again."
