Young men, you have probably heard
before that you are a chosen generation, meaning
that God chose and prepared you to come to earth
at this time for a great purpose.
I know this to be true.
But this evening, I would like to address you
as the choice generation, because never before in history
have individuals had so many choices.
More choices mean more opportunities.
More opportunities mean more potential to do
good and, unfortunately, evil.
I believe that God sent you here at this time
because he trusts you to successfully
discern among the mind-boggling choices available.
In 1974, President Spencer W. Kimball said,
"I believe that the Lord is anxious to put into our hands
inventions of which we laymen have hardly had a glimpse."
Close quote.
And he has.
You are growing up with one of the greatest
tools for good in the history of man-- the Internet.
With it comes an elaborate buffet of choices.
The abundance of choice, however, carries with it
an equal portion of accountability.
It facilitates your access to both the very best and the very
worst the world has to offer.
With it, you can accomplish great things
in a short period of time, or you
can get caught up in endless loops of triviality that
waste your time and degrade your potential.
With the click of a button, you can
access whatever your heart desires.
And that's the key.
What does your heart desire?
What do you gravitate toward?
Where will your desires lead?
Remember that God granteth unto men according to their desire
and that He will judge all men according to their works,
according to the desires of their heart.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie said, "In a real though figurative
sense, the book of life is the record of the acts of men
as such record is written in their own bodies.
That is, every thought, word, and deed
has an effect on the human body.
All these leave their marks, marks
which can be read by him who is eternal
as easily as the words in a book can be read."
Close quote.
The Internet also record your desires,
expressed in the form of searches and clicks.
There are legions waiting to fill those desires.
As you surf the internet, you leave tracks--what you
communicate, where you have been,
how long you've been there, and the kinds of things that
interest you.
In this way, the Internet creates a cyber-profile
for you--in a sense, your "cyber book of life."
As in life, the Internet will give you
more and more of what you seek.
If your desires are pure, the Internet
can magnify them, making it ever easier
to engage in worthy pursuits.
But the opposite is also true.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell put it this way:
"What we insistently desire, over time,
is what we will eventually become
and what we will receive in eternity.
...
Only by educating and training our desires can
they become our allies instead of our enemies!"
Close quote.
My young brothers, if you are not
proactive in educating your desires,
the world will do it for you.
Every day, the world seeks to influence your desires,
enticing you to buy something, click on something,
play something, read or watch something.
Ultimately, the choice is yours.
You have agency.
It is the power to not only act on your desires
but to also refine, purify, and elevate your desires.
Agency is your power to become.
Each choice takes you closer to or further
from what you were meant to become.
Each click has meaning.
Always ask yourself, where will this choice lead?
Develop the ability to see beyond the moment.
Satan wants to control your agency
so he can control what you become.
He knows that one of the best ways to do this
is by trapping you with addictive behavior.
Your choices determine whether technology
will empower you or enslave you.
May I offer four principals to help you, the choice
generation, educate your desires,
and guide your use of technology?
First, knowing who you really are makes decisions easier.
I have a friend who learned this truth in a very personal way.
His son was raised in the gospel,
but he seemed to be wandering spiritually.
He frequently declined opportunities
to exercise the priesthood.
His parents were disappointed when
he declared that he had decided not to serve a mission.
My friend prayed earnestly for his son,
hoping that he would have a change of heart.
Those hopes were dashed when his son announced
that he was engaged to be married, not in the temple.
The father pleaded with his son to get
his patriarchal blessing.
The son finally agreed but insisted
on visiting the patriarch alone.
When he returned after the blessing,
he was very emotional.
He took his girlfriend outside where
he could talk to her privately.
The father peeked out the window to see the young couple wiping
away each other's tears.
Later, he shared with his father what had happened.
With great emotion, he explained that during the blessing,
he had a glimpse of who he was in the premortal world.
He saw how valiant and influential
he was in persuading others to follow Christ.
Knowing who he really was, how could he not serve a mission?
Young men, remember who you really are.
Remember that you hold the holy priesthood.
This will inspire you to make the correct choices
as you use the internet and throughout your life.
Second, plug into the source of power.
Right in the palm of your hand, you have the wisdom
of the ages--more importantly, the words of the prophets from
Old Testament days to Thomas S. Monson.
But if you don't regularly recharge your cell phone,
it is useless, and you feel lost and out of touch.
You wouldn't think of going a single day
without charging your battery.
As important as it is to leave home every day
with a full charge on your cell phone,
it is far more important to be fully charge spiritually.
Every time you plug in your phone,
use it as a reminder to ask yourself if you have plugged
in to the most important source of spiritual power--prayer
and scripture study--which will charge you with inspiration
through the Holy Ghost.
It will help you know the mind and will of the Lord,
to make the small but important daily choices that
determine your direction.
Many of us immediately stop whatever
we are doing to read a text message.
Should we not place more importance
on messages from the Lord?
Neglecting to connect to this power
should be unthinkable to us.
Third, owning a smartphone does not make you smart.
But using it wisely can.
Young men, don't do dumb things with your smartphone.
You all know what I mean, don't you?
There are countless ways technology can distract you
from what is most important.
Follow the adage "Be where you are when you are there."
When you're driving, drive.
When you're in class, focus on the lesson.
When you are with your friends, give them
the gift of your attention.
Your brain cannot concentrate on two things at once.
Multitasking amounts to quickly shifting your focus
from one thing to another.
An old proverb says, "If you chase two rabbits,
you won't catch either one."
Lastly, the Lord provides technology
to accomplish His purposes.
The divine purpose of technology is
to hasten the work of salvation.
As members of the choice generation,
you understand technology.
Use it to accelerate your progress toward perfection.
Because you have been given much, you too must give.
The Lord expects you to use these great tools to take
His work to the next level, to share the gospel in ways that
are beyond my generation's wildest imagination.
Where generations past influenced their neighbors
and their town, you have the power
through the Internet and social media to reach beyond borders
and influence the whole world.
I testify that this is the Lord's Church.
You were chosen to participate in His work at this time
because He trust you to make the right choices.
You are the choice generation.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.