Thank you, President Keach.
Thank you, wonderful choir.
You're wonderful.
Appreciate it.
First of all, I would like to clear up that rumor making the
rounds in certain singles wards.
I did not date Brigham Young.
[LAUGHTER]
At least give me the benefit of Heber J. Grant.
[LAUGHTER]
Some of you may wonder what I could say that you haven't
heard before.
Well, I've been wondering that same thing.
I can promise you that I won't talk about the saving powers
of scrapbooking or tuna casseroles.
I don't do either of those very well.
You see, the reason I've worried so much about this
talk is because I know who you are.
I see how valiantly you strive to live the gospel.
I feel a great love for you.
And so I've wanted to say something that would matter in
your lives, that would give you hope to not give up, that
would lift and inspire you.
But I wasn't getting any answers.
And so I finally just resigned myself to stand here and sing
"Give, Said the Little Stream" or other Primary songs.
I can guarantee you haven't heard that before.
To spare you that fate worse than death, I
returned to the temple.
[LAUGHTER]
I returned to the temple fasting and praying.
And this time I received specific direction.
Oh, for a spiritual laser printer.
President Hinckley recently described you as being
faithful and true in your desires for righteousness.
Heavenly Father sees your goodness,
and that is why He has inspired me with this message
specifically for you.
As my four sons were growing up, I had a few sayings that I
used repeatedly to keep them on track.
Some of them are here this evening.
My oldest son called them "Bonnie-isms."
Here are a few examples.
The Holy Ghost goes to bed at midnight.
Truth is truth, wherever it is found.
Fair is where you go to see the pigs.
Among my many Bonnie-isms, there were two that I used
frequently.
If I had to remind my sons about unfinished chores and
they responded, "I know," my standard reply was
"To know is to do."
And almost every time they ran out the back door for a date
or a football game or a dance, I would call another
Bonnie-ism after them:
"Remember who you are."
There is power in these two phrases.
Let me explain.
When we know who we truly are, when we know something, truly
understand it, then we do it.
For example, once you know it's easier to get a date when
you use deodorant, you'll use it, right?
And one of the most important things to know is something
that Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught.
You have been you for a long time.
He's trying to help us remember who we are,
because knowing who you are changes what you do.
Case in point, if you know and remember who you are and
remember your divine birthright, you will date
noble people, wear modest clothing, use clean language,
surf worthy websites, listen to good music, watch enriching
movies, keep the Word of Wisdom, stay morally clean,
study your scriptures, forgive each other, say your prayers,
repent of your sins, serve others, magnify your callings,
and love one another.
But remembering what you know can be tricky, especially
during this time of your life.
You're pursuing so many worthwhile goals—an
education, a job, an eternal companion.
Get out there and find each other, will you, please?
And sometimes in the pursuit of worthy goals, we lose sight
of what matters most.
I know you think life has yet to begin.
But gaining the knowledge of your eternal identity happens
right now, at your very stage of life, not after you're
married, not after you've graduated or after you've
learned to use deodorant.
It comes right now, before all that other stuff.
"Seek not the things of this world," said Jesus,
"but seek ... to build up the kingdom of God, and to
establish his righteousness, and all these things shall be
added unto you.
Part of seeking the kingdom first is seeking your
specific place in the kingdom.
That changes everything.
Let me tell you a story.
A few years ago, a little baby was taken from his poor family
to be raised by a wealthy family as their son.
Initially, he knew nothing of his true identity.
He lived like royalty, taking advantage of the poor,
including his own family, to increase his
adoptive family's wealth.
But one fateful day, he learned the
truth of his origin.
Even his religion was different.
He was heartsick about having inflicted such pain on those
whom he should have protected and loved.
And so he knew he would have to make things right.
That man's name was Moses.
After this mighty change of heart, Moses
became a great prophet.
He knew the Lord and witnessed incredible miracles,
especially escaping from Egypt, parting the Red Sea,
and receiving the Ten Commandments.
And he had innumerable spiritual experiences.
Yet he never stopped asking Heavenly Father for further
light and knowledge.
Thus, the more he learned from God, the more
he became like God.
Isn't that our desires?
Open your Pearl of Great Price--
I think I can get mine out--
if you have yours with you.
And let's look at chapter one.
Let's figure out firsthand what we must do to learn what
Moses knew.
As we think about his journey, liken it unto yours,
for what was promised to Moses is promised to you.
The chapter opens with Moses at the top of a high mountain.
Frequently in the scriptures, a mountain represents a holy
place away from the world, a place of
revelation like the temple.
To learn the things of heaven, Moses removed
himself from the world.
This is significant.
I recently asked a group of sisters your same age what
single thing kept them from knowing who they truly are.
Can you guess their first answer?
They said, the loud, distracting,
powerful pull of the world.
Can you relate?
Separating ourselves from the world, both in distance and
worthiness, is an act of great struggle, like Moses scaling
the mountain.
But what incredible blessings await those who will.
Verse two tells us that here, away from the world, Moses "saw
God face to face,
and he talked with him,
and the glory of God was upon Moses."
Can you imagine such an experience?
I hope so, because Heavenly Father also wants to talk to
you face to face and shine His glory upon you.
As of right now, you probably haven't
experienced God's full glory.
But each time that you feel the love of the Lord in your
life, you're experiencing a portion of his glory.
Never take those experiences for granted, because the glory
of God is powerful stuff.
It enabled Moses to endure God's presence, to judge
between good and evil, to receive saving strength.
Would you like to know what Moses and Heavenly Father
talked about in that glory?
First, Heavenly Father introduced Himself.
He spoke tender, comforting words to Moses:
"Behold, thou art my son."
What a powerful statement.
Moses is a child of the living God.
Throughout this chapter, Heavenly Father continues to
call Moses "my son."
This revelation should be no less powerful for you, because
you too are a child of the living God.
"Wherefore," says Heavenly Father, or in other words,
because you are my son, "look, and I will show thee the
workmanship of mine hands."
And so it is with you
because you too are His child.
Look, and He will show you what you need to know.
And then Heavenly Father reveals, "I have a work for
thee, Moses, my son."
Wow.
He who can do all things has a mission, a purpose, for Moses.
Moses was being entrusted to assist God.
Do you think at that moment Moses might have felt a little
inadequate?
I certainly would have.
When President Hinckley extended my current calling as
the general Relief Society president, I was more than
overwhelmed.
I was flusterpated.
But remembering my divine heritage gave me confidence to
accept this assignment.
I imagine it was similar for Moses.
Maybe that's why President Harold B. Lee once observed,
"What a difference it would make if we really sensed our
divine relationship to God, our Heavenly Father."
You are a child of God, and He has sent you here.
Thus, it is essential that you learn why you're here.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, "Unless the Saints of
God have actual knowledge that the course they are pursuing
is according to the will of God, they will grow weary in
their minds and faint."
What might your work be?
You have unique talents and abilities to develop.
You need to marry, to have a family.
You have callings to fulfill.
You have brothers and sisters to love and serve.
You see those gifts that are most unique are those that
require your energy.
Some assignments can be accomplished by anyone, but
others require someone special.
Think of Jesus or Joseph Smith or Moses.
And think of yourself.
For "who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for
such a time as this?"
Who knoweth?
Well, your Father in Heaven,
that's who.
How can He tell you the work He has for you?
Of course, there are many ways.
But chief among them is your patriarchal blessing.
President Hinckley explains that when you receive your
blessing, a man of God lays his hands upon your head and
speaks as a prophet,
bestows a blessing setting forth your great possibilities
that you have in this life.
Your patriarchal blessing protects you from becoming
weary of mind.
It reminds you who you are.
It is personal scripture of the work that you have to do
and what you need to know about yourself.
Look what Heavenly Father tells Moses about himself:
"Moses, my son, ... thou art in the
similitude of my Only Begotten;
and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior."
Now, Moses's mission was not to unlock the
gates of eternal life,
but in the similitude of the Savior, he saved the children
of Israel from bondage.
He led them to the promised land.
And Moses is not alone at being in the similitude of
Jesus with a unique work to do.
You are right there with him—
you with your unique mission, which includes being a savior on
Mount Zion.
Have you received your patriarchal blessing?
Do you read it often?
Do you pray about it?
I hope so,
because it's pretty hard to do what you don't know.
Right now is the time for you to discover your mission.
And if you will oppose the world's pull, Heavenly Father
will show you.
And so Heavenly Father shows Moses this world and worlds
without end and "all the children of men which are, and
which were created," to which Moses "greatly
marveled and wondered."
But then, after such awesome enlightenment, "the presence of
God [withdraws] from Moses,
that his glory is not upon Moses."
Now listen to the next phrase:
"And Moses was left unto himself.
And as he was left unto himself, he [falls to] the earth."
There is great truth there.
When we are separated from God's glory,
we are left to ourselves.
And when we are left to ourselves, it is
much easier to fall.
It took many hours for Moses to regain his strength.
And he sums up his experience thus far with a new
perspective, saying, "I know that man is nothing, which
thing I never had supposed."
Can you relate?
Moses sees his place amongst God's creatures and is
astonished.
And yet of all those creatures, God appears to
Moses to show him his mission.
I find that astonishing.
And yet I know this is how He operates with each of His
children, including you.
Reflecting on it all, Moses does not
question what he has seen.
In fact, he acknowledges how he saw it:
"But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my
natural, but my spiritual eyes,
for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should
have withered and died in his presence;
but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face."
As was true with Moses, we cannot come to know our
calling with our natural eyes.
Natural eyes do not require faith.
Paul teaches us the beautiful truths of the kingdom are
revealed unto us by God's Spirit.
"For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the
spirit of [God]?
even so the things of God knoweth no man, but
the Spirit of God."
But after such a life-changing experience, Moses's struggles
are not over.
In fact, because there is opposition in all things, his
great heights will be matched with deep lows.
And after all, it's easy to remain true to our faith
without the challenges to try that faith.
True faith is only made manifest in the face of heart-
piercing trials.
Moses, like all of us, must prove and learn just how
stalwart he is with his new knowledge.
And so as Moses rejoices in what he has witnessed, "behold,
Satan came tempting him, saying: Moses, son of man,
worship me."
Did you notice the very first thing Satan says to Moses?
It is in direct opposition to what God has said.
Listen to Lucifer again:
"Moses, son of man, worship me."
Do you see it?
Satan goes for the jugular by calling into question Moses's
divine birthright, and thus his very identity.
"You're no son of God," Satan says.
"You're a mere son of man."
For Satan understands that the slide into captivity begins
with doubts about who we really are.
But Moses is a pretty smart guy.
He doesn't say, "OK, you're probably right.
Let's just go eat, drink, and be merry."
Instead, he fires right back.
"Who art thou?
For behold, I am a son of God."
And then Moses strengthens that declaration by adding, "I
am ... in the similitude of his Only Begotten."
Do you see the power that comes from
knowing who you are?
And did you detect one of Satan's fixations?
It is two simple words:
"Worship me."
That obsession hasn't changed.
Because of their past, Lucifer is insanely jealous of his
brother Jehovah.
Lucifer craves being idolized.
But he mistakes idolization for adoration, reverence,
veneration.
Thus, like a spoiled child in a tantrum, he screams, "Worship
me, not him."
But most of us aren't that stupid to just worship Satan
outright, are we?
We need a little enticement.
So Old Scratch is happy to provide it.
When tempting Jesus, who was Jehovah in the flesh, Lucifer
used the same bait he still uses today,
appetites, riches, and power—
in short, the things of this world.
And Jesus could have had all that cash and those fabulous
prizes if he would only worship Satan.
I know that you're a choice group of Heavenly Father's
children, but the Lord has specific
counsel for His chosen.
"There are many called, but few are chosen.
And why are they not chosen?
Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of
this world, and [they] aspire to the honors of men."
Lucifer knows this.
Why else would he put so much energy into showing us the
things of this world?
You see, "no man can serve two masters;
for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or
else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.
Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
Unfortunately, there are legions listening to Lucifer's
calls to worship him.
Just two months ago, President Hinckley said something that
stopped my heart.
He said, "I do not know that things were worse in the times
of Sodom and Gomorrah than they are today.
Such conditions prevail all across the world.
I think our Heavenly Father must weep as He looks down
upon His wayward sons and daughters."
This is a powerful pronouncement, but I agree.
Again, you are a chosen group of Heavenly Father's children.
Your attendance at this fireside further demonstrates your
desire for righteousness.
But like Moses, this also makes you a larger target for
the adversary.
Every righteous soul that Satan seduces from the truth
becomes a game hunter's trophy prominently displayed and
mounted on the walls of hell.
How does Satan entice us to worship him?
By indulging our appetites, offering us riches, and
promising us power.
Of course, he needs someone to show us his wares, and he has
no end of eager salesmen.
One of the most powerful persuasives is visual image.
A brother I know calls television the
devil's home teacher.
And aside from the Lord, nobody understands the power
of images, decibels, and repetition better than Satan.
Satan knows the sway of "everybody's doing it."
He knows if he dangles his merchandise in front of you
long enough, your heart just might get hooked on the things
of this world.
In last October's general conference, Elder M. Russell
Ballard said, "The choices we make in media can be symbolic
of the choices we make in life.
Choosing the trendy, titillating, and tawdry in the
television programs or movies we watch can cause us to end
up, if we're not careful, choosing that same thing in
the lives we live."
And then he counseled that we should follow the First
Presidency's counsel in the pamphlet For the Strength of
Youth: "Do not attend, view, or participate in
entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, or violent, or
pornographic in any way.
Do not participate in entertainment that in any way
represents immorality or violent behavior as
acceptable."
It continues, "Have the courage to walk out of a movie or a
video party, turn off the computer or the television,
change a radio station, or put down a magazine if what is
being represented does not meet
Heavenly Father's standards.
Do these things, even if others do not."
What words do you use to describe a temple?
I use words like holiness, peace,
worthiness, calmness, light.
The Lord Himself said His house is "a house of prayer, a
house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a
house of glory, a house of order, a house of God."
The increase in temples around the world is another testament
to me of the truthfulness of the gospel.
But as God's temples spread across the
world, so too do Satan's.
And the success of his missionary work also requires
a place for his converts.
After all, how can he worship without a sanctuary?
Opposed to the words we just used for God's temples
describe Satan's:
filthy, wicked, loud, dark.
Consider the ever lengthening strip of Las Vegas casinos.
In Lucifer's temples, now advertised as family friendly,
appetites are satisfied in spades, more is not enough,
anarchy trumps order.
And all the while, our spirits are blinded by the lights,
deafened by the din, and bludgeoned by the beats.
But one day, that power will shut off
and the lights and music will cease.
And they who are filthy will be filthy still and shall go
away unto everlasting fire.
I don't emphasize these things to scare you.
But "we wrestle not against flesh and blood," said Paul,
"but against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places."
Listen to what President Boyd K. Packer taught just
over a month ago:
"I know of nothing in the history of the Church or in
the history of the world to compare with the present
circumstances.
The world is spiraling downward at an
ever quickening pace.
And I'm sorry to tell you that it will not get better.
It is my purpose to put you on alert.
These are days of great spiritual
danger for our youth."
Of course, Lucifer's temples are not just casinos.
You know where and what they are.
They are places where men and women are persuaded to do
evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny Him, and
serve not God.
They are places where Satan's demand of
"worship me" is heeded,
where loud music and rough language drown out the still,
small voice,
where darkness is desired, not glory.
How ironic for Satan then that this very contrast between
glory and darkness helps Moses recognize Satan.
Had Moses not experienced God's glory, the darkness
would have been less obvious.
But Moses remembers.
So he asks Lucifer, "And where is thy glory, that I should
worship thee?
For behold, I could not look upon God, except his glory
should come upon me. ...
But I can look upon thee in the natural man, ... [for] thy glory
is darkness unto me.
And I can judge between thee and God."
What empowering words.
All of you have experienced some level of God's glory.
If not, you would not be here.
And all of you have experienced some level of
Satan's darkness.
In this, you are no different from Moses either.
So like Moses, you can judge.
You know the pain of your spirit being wounded by the
sin, or the devastation of the Holy Ghost leaving while
offended, or the despair of losing self-control.
But you also know the sweetness of forgiveness, the
transcendence of testimony, the humble amazement of
answered prayers.
You have felt the love of the Lord in your life.
You have felt His glory.
And that is why you can judge between glory and darkness,
between God and Lucifer.
Because Moses knows that God is completely honest, Moses
knows that Satan is deceitful.
Thus, in verse 16, Moses doesn't invite the father of
lies to stay for lunch so as to not offend him.
No, Moses cuts right to the chase.
"Get thee hence, Satan;
deceive me not."
This is a powerful command, but not too powerful for a son
or a daughter of God to make.
You too are a child of God.
And you too can say, "Get thee hence, Satan."
In fact, there will be times you will have to say it.
Moses is strengthened by knowing his divine birthright,
and thus he declares an unwavering commitment to
Heavenly Father.
He reminds Satan that "God said unto me: Thou art after the
similitude of mine Only Begotten.
And [God] also gave me commandments when he called
unto me out of the burning bush, saying: Call upon God in
the name of mine Only Begotten, and worship me."
In other words, Moses is going to honor his covenants.
He reiterates his commitment by saying, "I will not cease to
call upon God,
I have other things to inquire of him: for his glory has been
upon me, wherefore I can judge between him and thee.
Depart hence, Satan."
Do you see the pattern again and again?
Moses has seen God's glory or felt the love of the
Lord in his life.
He remembers it.
His judgment is not impaired by Satan's deception,
and thus he can cast Satan out with confidence.
Make this your pattern too.
Further, if a man of Moses's stature and testimony is still
humble enough to realize that he cannot cease to call upon
God, what does that mean for you?
Brothers and sisters, at all times and in all places, but
especially in the face of great trials and tribulations,
you cannot give up praying to Heavenly Father.
You must just keep trying, even if the heavens seen
sealed and silent.
President Hinckley said, "We must get on our knees and
plead with the Lord for help and strength and direction."
So after Moses commanded Satan to leave, "Satan cried with a
loud voice, and ranted upon the earth, and commanded, saying:
I am the Only Begotten,
worship me."
That is a lie, plain and simple.
Lucifer is forever trying to be someone he's not.
Lucifer's exit must have exceeded anything Moses had
ever witnessed, because he began to fear exceedingly.
And as Moses began to fear, he saw the bitterness of hell.
Verse 20 is crucial to remember because it shows us
that Satan does not give up easily or go quietly.
He might preach instant gratification and self-
indulgence, but he knows the power of
patience and self-denial.
Why else is he called the cunning one?
Thus, Satan's fury can strike fear into the hearts of men,
even like Moses and like you.
That is a scary thought.
Because as soon as Moses becomes afraid, he could see
into the very depths of hell.
But did you know that fear can overcome faith?
All of us have times of fear.
Remember Peter walking on the water?
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught a most
extraordinary truth:
"For doubt and faith do not exist in the same person at
the same time.
Persons whose minds are under doubts and fears cannot have
unshaken confidence.
And where unshaken confidence is not, their faith is weak.
And where faith is weak, their persons will not be able to
contend against all the opposition, tribulations, and
afflictions which they will have to encounter in order to
be heirs of God and joint heirs of Christ Jesus.
And they will grow weary in their minds, and the adversary
will have power over them and destroy them."
Jesus told Peter, "Behold, Satan hath desired to have you,
that he may sift you as wheat:
but I have prayed for thee, that they faith fail not."
Jesus knew that faith, not fear, will conquer Satan.
And it is fear that overtakes Moses.
But his fear does not last long enough to
give Satan any advantage.
Do you know why?
Look at verse 20 again.
"Nevertheless, calling upon God, [Moses] received strength,
and he commanded, saying: Depart from me, Satan,
for this one God only will I worship, which
is the God of glory. ...
And [Satan] departed hence, even from the presence of Moses."
What did Moses, the great prophet, do
to escape his fear?
He had no secret weapon that you don't have.
He prayed.
He needed that divine assistance because Satan is
persistent.
It takes Moses four times to drive Satan out.
Four times.
Now, even my sons usually minded after three.
Well, most of the time they did, anyway.
Imagine if Moses had given up after three.
In your deepest times of temptation and fear, like
Moses you must plead with Heavenly Father as frequently
and as long as necessary to retain your faith.
If you do not, Satan will lurk nearby until
your defenses drop,
and then he will return with enticements to worship him and
fears to stop your heart.
It is not easy, but nothing of worth is.
Nearly 30 years ago, Eldred G. Smith gave some wonderful
counsel about standing up to Lucifer:
"The only power I know that will bind Satan or render him
powerless is righteous living.
Even Jesus Christ had to bind Satan when he was tempted in
the wilderness."
And he continued, "When you have resisted a temptation
until it no longer becomes a temptation, then to that
extent, Satan has lost his power over you.
And as long as you do not yield to him, to that degree,
he is bound."
With Satan finally gone, Moses "lift[s] up his eyes unto heaven,
being filled with the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of
the Father and the Son."
You have been given the gift of the Holy Ghost, which
testifies of truth.
You are entitled to His presence and directions
according to your faithfulness.
Let Him help you.
After calling upon the name of God, Moses beholds His glory
again, for it is upon him.
Did you notice that Heavenly Father's glory has returned?
Continuing in verse 25, Heavenly Father begins pouring
out blessings upon Moses to reward his loyalty.
God's first words are ones of comfort and encouragement:
"Blessed art thou, Moses, for I, the Almighty, have chosen thee."
Being chosen by God is no small thing.
Do you remember why many are called, but few are chosen?
Satan had offered Moses the worldly menus, but Moses
denied himself of all ungodliness.
Thus, Moses is chosen because his heart is set upon the
things of his Father.
And now, after that crucible of temptation, God knows Moses
can be trusted completely.
And just as important, Moses knows He is completely
trustworthy.
So Heavenly Father is able to further reward Moses with
increased knowledge about his mission.
Listen:
"And thou shalt be made stronger than many waters; for
they shall obey thy command as if thou wert God.
And lo, I am with thee, even to the end of thy days;
for thou shalt deliver my people from bondage, even
Israel my chosen."
What great promises.
Can you hear the foreshadowing of all that my Father hath
shall be given you?
Heavenly Father proceeds to reveal His innumerable
creations and answers Moses's
questions about those creations.
And then Heavenly Father says something that even though I
cannot comprehend it, I know it to be true:
"For behold, ... innumerable are [these many worlds] unto man;
but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine
and I know them."
Can you believe it?
Even with all the innumerable creations, God knows Moses.
And I testify that He also knows you
because He knows me,
because He has inspired my words for you tonight.
We are numbered to Him because we are His.
My counselor and dear friend Anne Pingree made a wonderful
observation that not only are we blessed to know who we are,
we are blessed to know whose we are.
Moses has been taught who he was.
He has been given his work.
He has been shown whose he was.
And now, because he has proven himself unshakable, he was
ready to learn Heavenly Father's work and glory.
From this seemingly simple revelation, the gospel and
everything we do in it is unified and infused with
eternal significance.
Here is the stunning revelation in verse 39:
"For behold, this is my work and my glory--
to bring to pass the immortality and
eternal life of man.
This sublime statement is the crowning reward of Moses's
faithfulness and steadfastness.
Its insights extend to us, changing our actions.
It is a perfect example of knowing leads to doing.
But remember that this pearl of great price
came at a great price.
It was received only after Moses had removed himself from
the things of this world,
had experienced divine love and glory,
had learned who he was and what his work would be,
had made covenants with his Father in Heaven,
and had resisted Satan unceasingly with
testimony and prayer.
Some of you may be struggling with knowing who you are.
There's a little secret about to know is to do.
The flip side is also true.
To do is to know.
In other words, if you're unsure, just do anyway.
Jesus has promised, "If any man will do [my Father's] will, he
shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God."
Do, and you'll know.
Like Moses, you are a son or a daughter of God in the
similitude of His Only Begotten Son.
Like Moses, you can do every single one of these things.
And therefore you, like Moses, can receive every
single one of these incredible blessings.
Listen to the words Peter taught, referring to the
promises that the Savior had made to others,
for the promise is unto you and to your children and to
all that are far off.
And so this is why I tell my children and my grandchildren,
"Each one of you, remember who you are."
Or as the Lord said, "Remember the worth of souls is great."
This is why I say, "To know is to do."
Or as the Savior said--
and I like what He's added--
"If ye know these things, happy are ye if you do them."
I hope you feel energized and, as my boys say, "pumped up" to
overcome the challenges that are uniquely yours for this
unique time.
You can conquer.
When you feel down, remember you don't have to do it alone.
Many, like Moses, have gone before you, and have
successfully overcome hard things.
You can too.
Many, like President Hinckley, the Apostles, your bishops,
and even I pray for you daily.
You can and you must pray too.
You are children of God, and He has sent you here.
His work and His glory is to bring to pass your immortality
and eternal life.
Recently, President Hinckley gave us wonderful
encouragement:
"We must not give up.
We must not become discouraged.
We must not surrender to the forces of evil.
We can and must maintain the standards for which this
Church has stood since it was organized.
There is a better way than the way of the world.
If it means standing alone, we must do it.
We must get on our knees and plead with the Lord for help
and strength and direction."
He continued, "We must then stand on our
feet and move forward."
I am absolutely confident that heaven will smile upon you.
The Lord will hear and answer your prayers if you will
commit yourselves, giving your very best to this work.
Moses shows us that this is true.
Tonight, as you run out the door to life's adventures, let
me just give you two Bonnie-isms for the road.
They are filled with all the love in my heart.
Remember who you are.
To do is to know.
I pray that you, like your brother Moses will let
Heavenly Father lead you, guide you,
and walk beside you,
because I testify that He will.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Amen.