Hello everyone!
Wherever you are and however you are participating, welcome!
I'm Paul V. Johnson, a General Authority Seventy.
Thank you for participating in this worldwide devotional.
We are so pleased to be here with Elder Gary E.
Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
and his wife, Lesa.
Due to the pandemic, we are still
following the guidelines of local leaders
to socially distance, wear masks, and be
mindful of others' health and concerns.
We pray for all of you and for those struggling
in any way at this time.
We love you and are thankful that you're here
to listen to the messages this evening.
Some of the music for this broadcast has been prerecorded.
We express our appreciation to the performers
for the spirit and messages they bring to this meeting.
Our opening hymn will be performed live
by members of the Alapa family.
They will sing "Lord, I Would Follow Thee."
The singers are Aitana, Brookelyn, Chalyse, Deasia,
and Eternity.
They will be accompanied by their father Ka'au.
After the hymn, Julianne Binns from Salt Lake City, Utah,
will offer the invocation.
Dear Heavenly Father, as we gather
both physically and virtually, we
are so very grateful for the technology
that allows us to unite together despite distance or time.
We are so very grateful for Elder Stevenson and Sister
Stevenson for being with us tonight and sharing their words
with us.
We are very grateful for their discipleship and their examples
to us.
We ask Thee, Heavenly Father, that Thou wilt please
be with us tonight, that as we open up
our hearts and our minds, we may be filled with Thy Spirit
and be good disciples ourselves, that we
can carry the words that we listen to tonight with us
forward.
Heavenly Father, we ask Thee that Thou would also
please bless all those who helped plan
and prepare for tonight's proceedings,
that their efforts may be blessed as well.
We are so very grateful to Thee, Heavenly Father,
and we love Thee, and we say these things
in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.
I'm very pleased to introduce Elder and Sister Stevenson
today.
I've known Elder Stevenson for over 60 years.
We grew up in the same ward.
I remember him well from those years.
He was kind to others, hardworking, and just
a very good person.
He had a testimony of Jesus Christ and lived the gospel.
We served missions in different parts of the world
and then went to school at different universities,
so there were several years we did not have contact.
During this time, Elder Stevenson met Lesa Jean Higley
while they were both university students,
and they were married in the Idaho Falls Temple.
A few years later, Elder Stevenson and I
served in the same stake.
This is when I first met Sister Stevenson.
Elder and Sister Stevenson were raising a young family,
which eventually grew to include four sons as Elder
Stevenson was serving as a caring bishop
and working hard building a successful business.
It wasn't a surprise to me to see
that they were both dedicated to the gospel of Jesus
Christ and their family and that they treated people
with kindness.
The next time I had close contact with the Stevensons
was when he was called as a General Authority Seventy.
I watched their service in the Asia North Area
and also watched his service as Presiding Bishop of the Church.
My hand was raised extra high when
he was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles in October 2015.
Through the years, I've personally
watched as those traits and talents
he showed as a boy and young man have been strengthened
and multiplied.
Sister Stevenson brings her own set of gifts and talents
to the work of the Lord.
They are both fully dedicated to the Lord, are great people,
and treat others with Christlike love.
Together, these two servants of the Lord
have blessed countless lives and will bless our lives
this evening.
We're broadcasting from the new Pioneer Center
at This Is the Place Park in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Elder and Sister Stevenson will begin their message
in front of the vaulted windows looking out over
the This Is the Place Monument.
During their message, we will see The Bonner Family singing
"Come, Come, Ye Saints."
Following their testimonies, the closing music video
will be "Peace in Christ," and the benediction
will be offered by Oba Bonner from Salt Lake City, Utah.
Elder and Sister Stevenson.
My dear young sisters and brothers, Lesa and I
are so happy to welcome you to this worldwide devotional
for young adults.
As we begin, we bring you the sincere, warm greetings
of President Russell M. Nelson and the First Presidency.
They love you, and we love you, and together
we honor and sustain them.
Now, we join with you from a very unique and special place
in our history as Latter-day Saints.
And I do mean "place."
We're here at the newly dedicated Pioneer Center next
to the monument at This Is the Place Heritage Park
in the foothills above Salt Lake City,
Utah--the place that celebrates that far-reaching declaration
by President Brigham Young, "This is the place,"
following their arduous trek with the first pioneer party
nearly 175 years ago.
Worn and tattered, these early Latter-day Saints
fled from fierce persecution to settle here
in this wilderness valley.
Imagine the image of the Salt Lake Valley that awaited them.
The wide-open desert space with rolling sagebrush
provided proof that settling here was not going to be easy.
However, they were blessed with an incomprehensible heavenly
vision, supported by the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah
that the Lord would "lift up an ensign to the nations."
These faithful Saints would once again know peace and purpose,
with an elevated gospel vision far higher
than the mountaintops they climbed
to reach the Salt Lake Valley.
These pioneers and those that came afterward
would make history carving out this place in the desert.
God blessed them as the gathering of Israel had begun.
Even today, that same pioneer spirit and vision
can be found in Latter-day Saints everywhere in the world.
Just a few weeks ago, M. Russell Ballard,
Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,
dedicated this new Pioneer Center.
Here, people and families can come and absorb
the monumental achievements of early Latter-day Saints
in the face of rigid hardships.
The odds were stacked against them.
The pioneers called upon the Lord
day and night as they forged ahead
to grow food; steer water out of the mountain canyons;
build homes and shelters, schools and meetinghouses,
and even a temple.
It's almost too much to contemplate what they did.
Divine vision--instilled by the Lord upon living
prophets--blessing the lives of His elect children to bring
about His purpose.
As you can see, just a few feet from where I'm standing here
at the Pioneer Center is the vaulted glass
that overlooks the monument of This Is the Place.
And below that, we have a sparkling glimpse
of a city they started building so long ago.
And beyond that, you have a wide view--a vision,
if you will--that looks to the west and the horizon
of the setting sun.
This elevated view, coupled with our understanding of the past,
expands and informs our perspective
of the vision of the pioneers.
It can also serve as a metaphor to help
deepen our personal gospel vision
and guide us as we face decisions
and challenges in our lives.
Within days of the prophet's declaration,
"This is the place," the vision for a temple,
Church headquarters, and a place to become an ensign
to the nations began its initial steps becoming a reality.
So this evening we'll use the past, the vision of our pioneer
forebearers, to help us get a clarity of vision
for our future.
Winston Churchill's inspiring words
seem especially relevant for our conversation tonight:
The farther backward you can look,
the farther forward you can see.
There's no question we face uncertainty in the world.
After nearly a year and a half of an unprecedented pandemic,
what lies ahead?
Each of us requires the same divine vision and heavenly
guidance experienced by those early Saints
as we look towards our future.
You might feel unsure of which direction to go.
You could be holding on tightly to dreams
of serving a mission, of getting an education,
of launching a career.
Or you could be thinking about falling in love,
getting married and having a family,
and seeing the blessings of the temple come
to you and your loved ones.
Or perhaps you have started your eternal family
and are now experiencing the challenges
of raising young children.
OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS THE SAME: to progress along the covenant
path, faithfully preparing for exaltation.
A gospel perspective provides vision
for you and me to clearly see that path.
When speaking about staying on the covenant path,
President Russell M. Nelson has said:
"The key is to make and keep sacred covenants.
We choose to live and progress on the Lord's covenant path
and to stay on it.
It is not a complicated way.
It is the way to true joy in this life and eternal life
beyond."
And so our hope is to share with you
a few of our own personal experiences
that may offer guidance as you navigate
all the demands in your life to assist you in going forward
with vision and balance.
Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
'Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell--
All is well!
Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
'Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we'll have this tale to tell--
All is well!
We'll find a place where God for us prepared,
Far away in the West,
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the Saints will be blessed.
We'll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we'll tell--
All is well!
And should we die before our journey's through,
Happy day!
All is well!
"Happy Day!
All is well!"
is, in reality, a remarkable vision statement
from the early pioneers.
Their vision that "all is well" in the midst of challenges
and afflictions was possible because of their gospel
perspective.
We could spend an hour speaking about vision,
which some characterize as "the art of seeing
things invisible to others."
This leads to a question that you will all ask yourselves
at one time or another: "What do I currently see
for myself in the years ahead?
Where have I been?
And where am I going?"
Sometimes we just need to realize that with a gospel
perspective and the gift of the Holy Ghost,
we have a greater vision of what is possible.
Such is the case as you have launched yourself
into your current educational or professional endeavors,
even though you are still likely feeling your way.
I found myself in this place in my early professional career.
I began my professional life with a childhood friend
starting a business as university students,
importing giftware from Asia.
Over the next 30 years, our enterprise
changed completely and grew significantly in scale.
A question often asked of us was "When
you started your business, was this in your vision?"
Well, the short answer is "not completely."
Vision needs to be adjusted regularly and routinely.
Starting as a small importer of brass giftware
and then growing to become a large provider of fitness
products required a lot of luck and adjustment
to our vision in between.
Abandoning and creating a new plan, reinvention,
and adjustment is really a strength, not a weakness.
However, this is where we point out the significant advantage
we share in finding our vision.
Because you have a knowledge of the gospel,
just like the pioneers, you are blessed
with a gospel perspective.
Your advantage is to see your mortal journey with a view that
is literally heavenly.
An eternal or gospel perspective provides helpful clarity that
others do not enjoy--even in temporal matters of education
and profession.
We'd like to attempt to demonstrate this
with images rather than words.
So we ask you to look at this picture.
Now, what do you see?
Do you know what this image portrays?
Now, does this new perspective help give you clarity?
Is this all there is to see?
What do you think?
Let's take a look at the sequence as it unfolds,
so watch closely.
Now, through this simple exercise,
you can see--quite literally--beyond what is right
in front of you at the moment.
Your vision is enhanced the farther out you go.
A wise and familiar adage in Proverbs
states, "Where there is no vision, the people perish."
This true principle was further described in our day
by President M. Russell Ballard when
he said, "Those who accomplish the most in this world
are those with a vision for their lives."
How true that is!
Our spiritual vision, which comes from our gospel
perspective, provides insight into all of life's priorities.
It allows us to align those priorities
and to keep them properly balanced.
This is why we see a very close connection between vision
and balance.
I'd like to share with you the principle of balance
by relating a personal experience I had.
A friend of mine, renowned in his profession,
also happened to be a skilled and experienced helicopter
pilot.
On a warm fall day, he called and told us
he was flying to Salt Lake City and asked my business partner
and I if we'd like to be dropped off at a mountain property
en route.
To get there by truck would take over two hours.
By helicopter, it would only take us 15 minutes.
So we decided to go.
It was a beautiful day to be flying.
We could see the colors of the fall
leaves as we began to land.
We were less than a minute from touching down
when the tail rotor of the helicopter malfunctioned.
This sent the helicopter into an uncontrolled spin.
These were dire circumstances.
Fortunately for us, the pilot's training
in emergency landing protocol was almost instinctive to him.
He knew if we landed nose first or on the helicopter's belly,
we would not survive the landing.
In the midst of uncontrolled spinning,
he skillfully turned the helicopter on its side,
and we crashed to the ground.
Fuel was leaking and fire was coming from the engine.
He was able to turn off the engine,
and we exited the helicopter without explosion.
Through the pilot's actions and the hand of the Lord,
we were blessed to survive the helicopter crash.
I've learned a lot about helicopters since that day.
Our experience of the helicopter crash
was the outcome of a tail rotor malfunction which
created imbalance between the critical elements that
keep a helicopter in the air.
When balance is achieved among the speed of the main rotor,
the tail rotor, and the angle, helicopter flight
can be exhilarating.
If not, it is terrifying!
I can personally testify of that.
Let's take a moment to break down these critical elements
in greater detail.
The first is the main rotor.
Revolutions and blade length create lift and torque.
However, the torque created by the main rotor
must somehow be offset, or the helicopter
will spin out of control.
That's why a helicopter has a tail rotor.
It creates opposition against the torque
created by the overhead blades.
The main rotor speed is controlled by the pilot
through a hand control.
The tail rotor speed is controlled by the pilot's feet.
Constant adjustments to the speed of these two rotors
is absolutely necessary.
If not, once again, the outcome is not a good one.
Next is the stick.
The stick controls the angle of the helicopter, which
in turn controls the helicopter's direction, turning
ability, and stability, working in concert with the main rotor
and the tail rotor.
The pilot operates the stick with his right hand.
Finally, the weight of the payload and angle
of the helicopter determine speed
and the power required for the main rotor and the tail rotor.
When all of these elements are in sync,
the balance is beautiful.
Main rotor, tail rotor, stick, weight,
and angle--it literally defies gravity.
How can you relate the beautiful yet complicated flight
of a helicopter to having balance in our lives?
Let me introduce some thoughts inspired by a message
given by President Gordon B. Hinckley in a leadership
conference I once attended many years ago.
It will maybe create this connection for you.
He described that "each of us has a fourfold responsibility.
First, we have a responsibility to our families.
Second, we have a responsibility to our employers.
Third, we have a responsibility to the Lord's work.
Fourth, we have a responsibility to ourselves."
Using the same analogy of balance
through interdependence of critical elements
of a helicopter, let's look at these four responsibilities
in the same way.
We begin with home and family, critical elements
in each of our lives.
It is important that you not neglect
the family you belong to.
"Nothing you have is more precious.
It is [the] family relationship which [you] will
take into the life beyond."
Much has been done in recent years by Church leaders
to emphasize the importance of home and families.
Recent guidance with respect to the new balance between gospel
instruction in the home and church and the adjusted meeting
schedule are a great indication that home and family should
be considered the main rotor in our lives.
President Nelson challenged us to "diligently work to remodel
[our] home[s] into a center of gospel learning."
As we do, he has promised that "over time your Sabbath days
will truly be a delight.
Your children will be excited to learn and to live the Savior's
teachings, and the influence of the adversary in your life
and in your home will decrease.
Changes in your family will be dramatic and sustaining."
Next, let's consider your work or professional life--your
employment or, if you are a student,
the education you are seeking, which will lead
to your full-time profession or employment.
Education, of course, enhances your employability.
Work allows you to care for yourself,
your family, and others.
Employment leads to self-reliance, both temporal
and spiritual.
In your work environment you have an obligation
to your employer to be honest and loyal,
to provide the expected results for which you are compensated.
You strive to be your very best in your job or profession.
For our illustration, consider employment
as the tail rotor of the helicopter.
In order to be the best for you and your family,
it helps to be the best at your job.
Both are linked together closely,
and balance between the two is critical.
More and more employers, sociologists,
and business consultants are recognizing the benefits
of work-life balance.
The third critical life balance element
is to the Lord and His work.
This is one of the main purposes of why we each came to earth.
We are here to love, honor, obey, and serve
Him and our Heavenly Father's children, our brothers
and sisters throughout the world.
The Lord needs our efforts and talents to build His kingdom.
"Budget your time to take care of your Church
responsibilities."
I find the word budget to be rather instructive.
It requires a conscious choice for us
to both "make time" for service to the Lord and His Church
and to regulate that time.
Lay leadership and service are two
of the distinguishing elements of the restored
Church of Jesus Christ.
Each of you will be asked to contribute
to the kingdom in various ways.
The calls which come to you and others in your family
may come at times which may not seem convenient.
Nevertheless, "if ye have desires to serve God ye
are called to the work."
Additionally, our dear prophet, President Nelson,
taught us that our world is ever changing,
as is our service in the Lord's Church.
He encouraged us to embrace "a new normal."
He challenged us to "minister to others.
Keep an eternal perspective.
[And] magnify [our] callings."
This encouragement gives each of us
vision to do what we have been called to do
but also advises us to keep an eternal perspective,
or, in other words, to balance it
with our other pressing responsibilities.
I think of Church service as the stick of the helicopter, which
both stabilizes and steers us.
The final element to assure balance
is an obligation to ourselves.
Life can be so busy.
It's important that we slow down at times to recharge
and take a closer look at our own personal needs, like rest,
exercise, recreation, and personal spiritual development.
Church leaders have recently given valuable and practical
suggestions to help us do this.
Yes they have, Lesa.
Recently President Ballard suggested how important
it is to find quiet time.
He said:
"While technology has often been a blessing in my life,
it can also be a distraction that
places a barrier between us and our ability
to hear the Lord's voice.
I tell my grandchildren that they should set aside
quiet time each day to think about their lives
and ponder what the Lord wants them to do.
" I cannot connect with heaven in a mass of clutter.
When I am in [a quiet] mode and striving to be still,
that's when I get impressions."
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland speaks of determined prayer.
He said this: "There is a great lesson in urgent, determined
prayer to fight through the adversary's opposition,
the cares of the day, or the distractions of our mind."
Sister Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society General President,
described three elements to help ourselves
that are each very valuable.
First, she invites the Spirit through the scriptures.
She says: "One of the first things
I do in the morning in order to have the Spirit
is read the scriptures.
It helps me have the right frame of mind
so that I can receive revelation."
Her second element is temple worship.
"Another marvelous way to be able to hear the Savior's
voice more clearly is attending the temple.
Sometimes when I am sitting in the temple,
I will receive an answer to a prayer or something
will come to mind while I am still enough to listen
to the Spirit."
THIRD, SHE SAYS: "Music helps me hear the voice of the Savior.
I love hearing the hymns, even if I just hear instrumental
music without the words.
I know those words because I have sung them for so long,
so they come to my mind."
It seems that taking time for ourselves
is often the most difficult, and yet it is very important.
I have heard it described as pausing
long enough in the busy work of sawing
to sharpen the saw blade.
Remembering we have responsibility to ourselves
and integrating that step by step into our lives
will be a blessing.
I have found that as I develop myself physically,
emotionally, and spiritually, not only does it
bring a great benefit to me personally,
but it allows me to nourish my family and friends.
Look how smoothly these four facets of our lives
run if executed with vision and balance!
They go together so well, don't they?
They really do.
Now, even as we speak of balance in these different aspects
of our lives, we need to put this in the right perspective.
Elder David A. Bednar summarized this
in a very pragmatic way in a recent social media post.
He said: "Sometimes we reflect on all of our responsibilities
at home, school, work, and church and wonder
how we can achieve a balance among the many competing
demands on our time.
Instead of driving ourselves crazy
trying to do everything at the same time,
we should identify the few fundamental things that
are our highest priorities.
We then can strive to give each of them the attention they
need--one at a time."
Lesa, this reminds me of a very memorable experience
with my father.
I was a young father, a newly called bishop with a demanding,
growing business.
One night I walked in late to a family birthday party.
Our children and their cousins were all over the place.
But I walked into the house disengaged and went and sat
in the corner of the room, laboring
over my worries of the business affairs of that day
and what was happening in the ward.
My father came over to me and in an uncharacteristically stern
voice said, "Gary, what are you doing?"
When I told him of my worries with all my responsibilities
at church and work, I was certain he
would be very sympathetic.
Well, he wasn't.
In fact, he sat down next to me and told me
he was worried about me and that I
needed to make some adjustments so I
wasn't so disengaged with my family when I was with them.
Do you remember this, Lesa?
I remember it very well.
HE SAID: "When you are at home, make home
the priority, not church and work.
When you are at work, choose to make work the priority, not
home and church.
When you are at church, choose to make that
the priority, not work and home."
Now, this counsel was challenging to integrate,
and even now I am far from perfect,
but it really helped me.
It unburdened me, and it has paid great dividends
in my life.
So I would invite each of you to think about this
and try to do it yourselves.
Interestingly, this is almost exactly what
Elder Bednar counseled in the social media
post that we referred to.
He shared that "it may sound simplistic,
but we should not get frustrated and waste effort and time
trying to achieve a perfect equilibrium among all
of the important things we need to do.
As we pray sincerely for God's help
to identify what matters most, He
will guide and assist us to focus our efforts day by day."
Now I have a bit of bad news to share.
If you follow this counsel and move forward
with balance and vision, you will most likely
still have a few failures.
You are going to take a few scrapes and bruises.
There may be times when your vision seems
obscured by a foggy path, or you may lose your balance.
But here is the good news: You are sons and daughters
of a loving Heavenly Father.
The scriptures teach us, "For God
hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power,
and of a sound mind."
And don't forget this important counsel from the Lord Himself:
"Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I
the Lord am with you, and will stand by you."
And so, you have a constant, divine source of strength
in our beloved Savior--even Jesus Christ.
Now listen to inspired encouragement for each of you
here today from President Nelson.
He said: "God knew the covenant path would not
be easy to find or to stay on.
So He sent His Only Begotten Son to atone for us
and to show us the way.
The godly power available to all who love and follow
Jesus Christ is the power to heal us, strengthen us, cleanse
us from sin, and magnify us to do things
we could never do on our own."
Let the knowledge of who you truly are
and who is on your side help you live
your life with clear vision and a steady balance.
The Lord "will increase your opportunities,
expand your vision, and strengthen you."
Well, it's been wonderful to be with you tonight.
And we'd like to close now by expressing our gratitude
and extending an invitation to each of you
and offering our testimonies.
I invite you to first consider how your gospel vision assures
and confirms your identity as a daughter of God
or a son of God.
Second, consider how you address your fourfold responsibility
to home and family, to education and employment, to the Church,
and to yourself.
Third, I invite you to find a quiet place
and write down some impressions that you have
felt during this devotional.
Remember, as members of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, each of you
is gifted with the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
As you act on the invitations from Elder Stevenson,
don't forget about the pioneers that came before us--those who
we spoke of who settled this valley as well as those in each
of your respective families and home countries.
Their pioneer spirit and example of doing hard things
can give you confidence to do hard things as well.
Like the early Latter-day Saints, we look out.
We look up.
And we look within for gospel vision and balance.
I offer my testimony that you can obtain that
"perfect brightness of hope."
That Heavenly Father knows each of you
by name and that He loves you.
I offer my witness of Jesus Christ
as the Only Begotten Son of the living God,
and I do so in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Amen.
Thank you, Lesa.
I offer my testimony and witness as well to you, our young,
beautiful brothers and sisters.
I bear my testimony that we are children of loving heavenly
parents, that Heavenly Father loves you,
and the doctrine of the Father is
that He desires all of His children to return to Him.
Now, this doctrine is enabled by His Son, our loving
Savior, Jesus Christ.
It is through His Atonement that we
are able to return to the presence of our loving Heavenly
Father.
I offer my witness of that to you.
I offer my testimony of Jesus Christ
and of His sacred role as our Savior and our Redeemer.
And I do that in His name, Jesus Christ, amen.
Our dear Heavenly Father, we're so grateful for this moment
and for life.
We're so grateful for Elder and Sister Stevenson,
for their magnificent words, and we're
thankful for this joyous occasion.
We pray that Thou will bless everyone across
the world--everyone, that they may be blessed,
and that they may find strength and peace in Christ.
And we're so thankful that we can still,
and always may, have Thy revelation.
Lord, we're so grateful for our siblings, our parents,
our friends, our jobs, and so much more.
And we give thanks to Thee and Thy Son, Jesus Christ,
for guiding us.
We love Thee so much and say these things
in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Thank you.
It's really nice to be with you.
We love you!
Thank you!