When Brother Sean R. Dixon, second counselor in the Young Men general presidency, was graduating from Brigham Young University in 1994, the commencement speaker — a professor of management from the University of California, Los Angeles, James Q. Wilson — noted that many commencement speakers urge graduates to “pursue the impossible dream” or rise to lofty ambitions.
Instead, Wilson encouraged listeners to do the harder thing — to be a good husband or wife, mother or father, friend and neighbor.
“The truly good deeds are the small, everyday actions of ordinary life,” said Wilson. “The employee who gives an honest day’s work; … the stranger who stops to help someone in need; the craftsman who builds each house as if he were going to live in it himself; … the father who wants the respect of his children more than admission to the executive suite; the mother who knows that to care for an infant is not an admission of professional failure; … These are the heroes of everyday life. May you join their ranks” (“The Moral Life,” BYU commencement, April 21, 1994).
Speaking to students and faculty gathered in the Marriott Center for the campus devotional on Tuesday, March 17, Brother Dixon related how graduates erupted into a standing ovation following Wilson’s speech.
“I felt impressed that day, that my greatest ambition should be to become an everyday disciple of Jesus Christ in the simple, daily decisions of life,” said Brother Dixon, who encouraged listeners to do the same.
“Many everyday disciples have gone before us. May we join their ranks.”
What is a disciple?
A disciple of Jesus Christ not only believes in Him but, like the apostle Peter and the other fishermen, will forsake all to follow Him, said Brother Dixon.
“Discipleship is not an activity to be crammed into a busy schedule; it is who we are at the core.
“Disciples don’t compartmentalize their lives. They strive to be the same whether they are at school, work, church, playing BYU intramurals or driving down the interstate.
“Disciples do not just have paintings of the Savior on their walls; they bring Him into the center of their daily lives,” Brother Dixon said.
‘Christ is the way’
In the news conference when he was announced as the new President of the Church, President Dallin H. Oaks was asked what he would want Latter-day Saints to remember. His response: “Jesus Christ is the way.”
As individuals find themselves torn between natural-man desires and acting as a disciple of Jesus Christ, it will help to slow down the moment and remember those five simple words by President Oaks, said Brother Dixon.
“As you follow [Christ’s] way, you may decide to say ‘I’m sorry,’ offer that ride, stay in an awkward conversation, do the dishes — again, let something roll off your back, call your mom, give yourself a break, let someone merge, show up to the activity, soften your opinion, hold your tongue, pause to pray or make room for someone on your bench,” he said.
Brother Dixon warned that, even with a desire to follow Christ, it can be easy to over rely on one’s own efforts. “As we make mistakes, we may hear a negative voice in our head condemning us and making us feel hopeless,” he said.
However, the journey along the path of discipleship is not overseen by a condemning God eager to catch individuals in the wrong. “Rather, we are led by a Heavenly Father and a Savior who … love us and want us to learn, grow, overcome setbacks and ultimately become like Them,” said Brother Dixon.
He promised, “While we won’t always make the right decisions, when we choose to act as one of His disciples in the day-to-day moments of our life, we will be filled with light, peace, deeper relationships and opportunities to be part of the Lord’s miracles.”
‘A soft heart’
Brother Dixon spoke of two choices individuals can make to help maintain the soft, or open, heart of a disciple. The first is to be intentional.
“This includes carving out time to build a relationship with the Lord through heartfelt scripture study, prayer, and pondering, so He can teach and prepare us for whatever comes to us that day. This choice has less to do with the amount of time we spend and more about our intent to connect with heaven,” he said.
The second choice is to worship in the house of the Lord. “There is no better way to get to know someone than being with them in their house,” he noted.
