LAIE, Hawaii — Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve congratulated the more than 300 graduates — who come from more than 40 countries — in BYU-Hawaii's Dec. 16 commencement and urged them to follow five points of "instruction, counsel and blessing that I pray may be beneficial to you."
"The first thing I would like to impress upon you is that you not let your fears get in the way of your dreams," said Elder Wirthlin, speaking in the Cannon Activities Center. He illustrated the point with a story of his boyhood dog, Ruff, that used to chase people and cars until one day a policeman shot it in the foot. From then on the dog was afraid of loud noises.
"People can sometimes act like old Ruff. Fear can do that to you. Sometimes, fear makes us run away from things — things like setting and achieving goals, developing relationships that last a lifetime, or becoming the people we know we should become," Elder Wirthlin said. "There are some who, because of fear, give up on the great goals of their lives."
Elder Wirthlin, who visited Laie many times when he was vice chairman of the Polynesian Cultural Center board of directors, pointed out even though "we may not be immune to being afraid," people have the "power of reason and the gift of faith."
He drew on his experience as a high school and University of Utah football player to make his second point: "Keep your eye on the ball. It's easy to get distracted. It's easy to take your eye off the things that are most important in life," Elder Wirthlin said. "The ability to focus is one of the common traits of the great men and women I have known. Setting goals helps me to keep focused on those things that are of greatest importance."
In his third point, Elder Wirthlin counseled, "Settle into the harness. No great cause ever succeeded without great effort. From the days of Adam and Eve until now, Heavenly Father has commanded that we work. Work is the foundation of success and creation. It is the secret of every successful enterprise," he said.
"President Hinckley has testified to how he has immersed himself in his work since losing his beloved wife, Marjorie, and how that work has given him renewed purpose and energy," said Elder Wirthlin, whose wife, Elisa, also recently passed away.
"Remember the words of President Hinckley: The major work of the world is not done by geniuses. It is done by ordinary people, with balance in their lives, who have learned to work in an extraordinary manner."
"Fill your hearts with kindness," Elder Wirthlin emphasized, as his fourth point. "Over the years, I have watched as men and women have been called by inspiration to minister in the Lord's Church. I have noticed that the Lord does not always choose the most capable or intelligent people to serve in positions of leadership. More often than not, when the Lord chooses a shepherd of His flock, He does not look to those who would drive His sheep. Rather, the Lord seeks out those who, through love, and kindness, lead by example and with compassion."
For his final point, Elder Wirthlin asked the graduates to "become disciples of Jesus Christ."
He asked them what it would have been like to "live in the days of the Savior" and be on the shores of Galilee when He "looked into the eyes of four fishermen and spoke the words that would change their lives forever: 'Follow me.' If you had been there, would you have heeded the Savior's call? Perhaps, a more productive question might be: If the Savior were to call to you today would you be just as willing to follow Him?"
Elder Wirthlin explained we follow the Savior "by exercising faith, by believing in Him, by believing that a loving God still speaks to man on earth today. We follow Him by repenting of our sins, and entering the waters of baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. We follow Him by loving Him. We learn of Him, and strive to follow His example of compassion and righteousness."
Earlier in the commencement program, BYU-Hawaii President Eric B. Shumway presented Honolulu businesswoman and community volunteer Mildred Wong with the university's Distinguished Service Award.
