By combining spiritual learning with secular learning, BYU-Hawaii graduates can be armed and prepared for the daily assaults on their values and morals, said President James E. Faust.
Speaking June 20 during the university's summer commencement exercises, President Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, talked about a "spiritual aristocracy" that is grounded in purity and faith.Belonging to this spiritual aristocracy means "submission to the sovereign God, a willingness to do things in the Lord's own way," President Faust told the 223 graduates from more than 20 countries. "You will need to be strong."
President Faust was accompanied to the graduation ceremony by his wife, Ruth.
BYU-Hawaii Pres. Eric B. Shumway conducted the commencement and presented a presidential citation to Dr. Stephen L. Brower, who was president of the Church College of Hawaii (which later became BYU-Hawaii) from 1971 to 1974. The award was given to Brother Brower for "lifting academic service to BYU-Hawaii."
During his keynote address, President Faust said graduation opens up great challenges, opportunities and blessings.
"You must continually learn to function and live in this increasingly complex world," he said. "You will need to be smart. You will need to learn wisdom."
President Faust asked the graduates why they came to BYU-Hawaii. "Fundamentally, you came here to learn," he said. "You came to learn a small part of the knowledge that is available to mankind. You also came here to prepare to better meet life's many challenges. You also came here to further your knowledge of God; so in addition to gaining secular knowledge you came here to progress spiritually."
President Faust told the audience he was giving them a message of hope, which "concerns a conviction as well as a challenge that the young graduates of this college can be part of a new spiritual aristocracy who do things in the Lord's way."
How is this new spiritual aristocracy is to be distinguished, asked President Faust. "First," he said, "no one needs to be excluded."
He then told the graduates that they should know three things about guidance from the Holy Spirit of God:
It is very real.
It is available to every person who lives righteously so as to enjoy it.
It is the sure and only solution to the graduates' problems.
"To be a part of this new spiritual aristocracy," President Faust said, "one must be involved in noble and selfless activities."
One must also adopt moral styles of dress, he said, and not be led astray or intimidated by the sophistries of the insincere, hypocritical, of self-righteous.
"This new spiritual aristocracy is not haughty, snobbish and arrogant, but humble and strong," said President Faust. "They live productive and useful lives. . . . This new spiritual aristocracy will not be politically or socially powerful, but will have great inner moral strength.
"The spiritual aristocracy will do things in the Lord's way."
