Eternal 7
Kody Baril
When I received my patriarchal blessing, one of the key messages I received was that as I share my testimony with others, my testimony will grow. I could never have imagined that would mean I would be in front of the BYU students, faculty, employees, and families who are here today. I am humbled by this opportunity. Thank you.
Growing up with the interests I mentioned, I found that studying information technology was a perfect preparation for my profession, which has spanned the last thirty years. I would encourage everyone, including women, to study technology. You may be wondering if there are a lot of women in technology. Happily, I can say there are more than there used to be, but we are still far from the majority.
After being hired at BYU, I recall coming in on a Monday morning and sitting in a meeting that was full of employees. To begin the meeting, one person stood up and prayed. After they were seated, another person shared a spiritual thought with everyone. I sat there looking around the room in total amazement. I left that day knowing that I had joined a different world of business that was completely foreign to me. I continued to observe that in meeting after meeting: prayers were frequently offered before business was conducted. This was a place where the Spirit was invited every day and sometimes every hour. Was it unusual? From a business perspective, yes. Was it uncomfortable? At first, yes. Was it wonderful? Yes!
As wonderful as it was, the question that came to my mind was did I belong? Did I fit in? Did I measure up to the high standards and expectations that existed here? BYU is a place of high expectations. However, the gospel of Jesus Christ also has high expectations, and there may be times in your life when you question if you belong.
Recently, employees at OIT were challenged to search the scriptures and find a scripture that related to or laid a foundation for their work. It has been amazing to hear how ancient scriptures and gospel principles apply in our everyday, modernized, technology-centric work. This focus to bring sacred meaning and divine guidance into even our most routine tasks has spiritually strengthened me and many others at OIT.
There is a spiritual meaning of all human acts and earthly events. . . . No man is quite so happy . . . as he who backs all his labors by such a spiritual interpretation and understanding of the acts of his life.7
We are all at different levels of understanding the gospel. However, the elevation our understanding has risen to is not an indication of our strength. Rather, it is the strength of our foundation and the rock it is built on that determines our ability to survive the harsh abuse of the elements in a telestial world. Strength does not come from the height of the building but from the base.
remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; . . . which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.10
To build our foundation on the rock, on Christ and His gospel, we must come to know Him through frequent study. We must dedicate ourselves to searching the scriptures and the words of living prophets and attending Church services, general conferences, and devotionals. We must do His work by living as He would, by serving others, and especially by worshipping and providing service as an offering in His holy temples.
In my first message as President of the Church, I encouraged you to begin with the end in mind. This means making the celestial kingdom your eternal goal and then carefully considering where each of your decisions while here on earth will place you in the next world.17
Think of the ultimate gift of eternal life and eternal families. To achieve this, we must work to improve our lives. We achieve this by learning concepts and principles, organizing our time to focus on key outcomes, and attending the house of the Lord to improve our understanding so that we are prepared to pass the requirements of this course on earth.
We are promised that these experiences will lead to spiritual growth and eternal progression. Although we received these promises, they came with expectations of us doing our part, which should include turning to the Lord. When you are in the middle of a trial or watching another go through one, it is sometimes hard to be humble and understand there is growth and progression.
Before I relate the conclusion of this story, I want you to think about your own experiences. Have you had times in your life when you have felt that you just needed to do it on your own? That you needed to absorb the pain, the affliction, and the trial alone? But why? Physical injuries pose challenges, but emotional and spiritual wounds can be even more crippling. When we confront personal battles, there is often a fear of appearing inadequate or weak or of having failed others. Despite our natural inclination to hide our struggles, we should remember that Jesus Christ is always there for us and that He took on additional suffering so He could more perfectly help us in our personal trials.21
Jesus Christ taught that a good shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep.22 You are worth being found, being comforted, being helped. If you swallow your pride and let Him in, He will direct you, comfort you, heal you, and believe in you.
The injury resulted in a severe concussion. I had never experienced anything like it before. I could not do anything. I curled up in bed in a dark room. I found myself highly dependent, and I had to accept help from others as my brain healed over the course of the following months. I sincerely prayed to Heavenly Father for guidance, strength, and assistance. Through a blessing from my husband, persistent prayers, and a continual process of trusting the Lord, I was provided a degree of comfort and assurance as I healed.
Prayer changes things. The ability to pray is always with us. Every child of God comes to this earth with the right to communicate with Him through prayer. It is the most widely available but also the most underutilized source of power in this world.
When you think about what you love, it brings you joy. I love playing with my grandchildren. I love my husband. I love being with my family. I love basketball. I love working at BYU. And while my children roll their eyes and constantly tell me I am a nerd, I love technology. All these things bring me joy. When you love something, the joy it brings will show in your countenance, your thoughts, your words, your deeds, your habits, and eventually your destiny.
As we strive to improve, to find how we belong, and to overcome trials and tribulations, remembering to keep Jesus Christ at the center of our lives helps us find joy. We can easily get fixated on our busy schedules, our responsibilities, and the digital world while missing out on opportunities to focus on what gives us true joy.
As you immerse yourself in this study to improve yourself temporally and spiritually, enjoy all of it. Even as you ride the roller coaster of life with its ups and downs, remember to keep Christ at the center of all you do. With that focus will come eternal joy.
While we work hard at the secular things, we need to put forth equal effort on the spiritual side of our lives. Nurturing both and seeing the relationships between the two will have a multiplying effect on development. In our quest for eternal life, we must work and study, organize our time to focus on key outcomes, and reach out to others along the way. You will find great opportunities and blessings as you embrace and explore the dual heritage of your BYU education in both spiritual and temporal endeavors.
As the world changes around you, sometimes in great commotion, you can depend on a Savior who is constant. As you build on the rock of our Redeemer and change your perspective to think celestial, working to do all you can do within your scope of ability and understanding, you can gain an assurance that one day you will return to your Heavenly Father, receiving eternal salvation and eternal life, which will bring you eternal joy. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
To prove it to myself at the time, I took down my bright red New American Bible, took a pink highlighter in hand, and started reading through the New Testament epistles, underlining everything that contradicted eternal security.
Below are just a few of the lines I highlighted back then. The pink ink is faded and bleeding a bit now, but the words underneath still powerfully point to the truth that the gift of our salvation may, because of our God-given free will and dignity, be continued or refused.
I hope I can bring to you the aloha from people in Provo who actually turn to you. I just received an invitation to an event at BYU in Provo referencing you and the temple here. You mean much more than you can know to the kingdom of God on this Earth. I am so grateful to be here.
It was on our first visit to Hawaii, hiking on the Big Island, that I saw my first Banyan tree. It is something I will never forget. I felt reverent standing in front of this magnificent creation. We walked around its massive expanse marveling at the dozens of trunks that had formed by spreading new roots from the original branches.
When we returned to Hawaii with our children some years ago, I stood again in awe of the magnificent Banyan tree outside of the beautiful old chapel in Honolulu. Brothers and sisters, the Banyan tree speaks to me because the plan of salvation is the story of a remarkable family.
You and I are all part of that eternal family. You are my brothers and sisters. The divine nature of our heavenly parents is carried in the composition of our spiritual bodies. Their bond of love is at the core of our beings. Through Them, we have been given the capabilities, powers, and faculties They possess, now in an undeveloped state. [2] They yearn for us to experience eternal life with them, in the fullest oneness, a oneness that is possible only as we become like them.
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