Give the Lord equal time. That was the plea offered by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to roughly 10,000 youth and young adults on Sunday, Oct. 13.
Noting the pressures many young people face, Elder Rasband told his listeners, “You might be thinking, ‘I just do not have time, Elder Rasband. I am already over-committed; I have to get good grades; I am taking too many credit hours; I have tough professors who expect my full attention; I am working; and I can barely get to church on Sunday.’”
To which the Apostle responded: “Know this, you cannot put your testimony on the shelf during your college years.”
Learn to balance learning by study and by faith by attending seminary and institute, Elder Rasband encouraged. “Equal time, brothers and sisters. Give the Lord equal time in your university experience. Then give Him equal time the rest of your life.”
Roughly 10,000 seminary-age youth and their parents from throughout the Salt Lake Valley, as well as members of local young single adult and married student wards, gathered in the Jon M. Huntsman Center indoor arena on the University of Utah campus for Sunday’s devotional. The event was hosted by the nearby Salt Lake City Utah University Institute of Religion, which also provided an open house following the event with refreshments and information about housing, activities and programs to new or prospective students.
The upper deck of the Huntsman Center, normally closed off with a black curtain, had to be opened as young people continued to fill the seats to the topmost rows.
“Tonight, the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is filling this magnificent structure all the way up there to the rafters,” Elder Rasband said, looking to the Huntsman Center’s domed ceiling. “You cannot see the Spirit on the jumbotron,” he said. But they could feel Him in their hearts and take the feeling with them.
The evening also included remarks by Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson; Elder Kevin W. Pearson, a General Authority Seventy and Utah Area president; University of Utah President Taylor Randall; and Clark Ivory, the CEO of Ivory Homes — all University of Utah alumni.
Elder Rasband, who also attended the University of Utah, took a moment to recognize some of his “dear friends” in attendance, including Spencer Eccles and family members of the Garff, Gardner and Ivory families, who have all been “good friends to the university and to the Church.”
Elder Rasband also acknowledged the family of Jon M. Huntsman, who donated the funds to build the arena and was Elder Rasband’s employer, mentor and friend. The Latter-day Saint industrialist and philanthropist passed away in 2018.
Seeing the Huntsman arena filled for the devotional, Elder Rasband said, made him feel that “whatever that veil of life and death is, Jon Huntsman is smiling down on his family tonight.”
Giving time to the things of God
The New Testament book of John records how many of Christ’s disciples murmured at His teachings and “walked no more with him.” When Christ asked the twelve if they would also go away, Simon Peter responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:66-69).
“The truths of His teachings had sunk deep in their hearts, and the Spirit had testified to them that Jesus is the Christ,” Elder Rasband said of the twelve. The others who went with Jesus “no more” became distracted by a teaching or something that did not sit right with them and the correctness of the day.
“You can see that downward spiral around you,” Elder Rasband noted. “It can come with one small step and then another off the covenant path. … Please do not risk it. Please do not take those first steps off the covenant path.”
President Nelson has pleaded with the young people of the Church to take charge of their testimonies. “Work for it. Own it. Care for it. Nurture it so that it will grow. Feed it truth,” President Nelson said.
Elder Rasband added, “That will happen if you are involved in seminary and institute.”
In closing, Elder Rasband left an apostolic blessing, promising his young listeners that as they give the Lord equal time in the pursuit of higher learning, “the Spirit will enhance your academic pursuits; that you will find you have extra time and capacity for your courses; and that doors will be opened to you that might have otherwise been closed.”
The Apostle also blessed them to stay strong, courageous and believing in Jesus Christ. “I bless you in your prayers that you might feel the Lord’s tenderness towards you and His faith in you. I bless you to rejoice in your knowledge that Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords and your personal Redeemer. He knows you; He knows your heart. Turn to Him. As you do, I promise that you will feel the Lord ‘encircle [you] in the arms of [His] love’ (Doctrine and Covenants 6:20) as you study His gospel here at the institute or in seminary or wherever you may attend, that you will learn of Him as you attend the many Christ-centered activities.”
Pursue truth
During her remarks, President Johnson invited those sitting in the indoor arena to cover their eyes with their left hand, point to the north with their right and then uncover their eyes. “It seems we have many opinions about which way is north,” President Johnson observed. “But north is north. Truth is truth.”
The world would have individuals decide truth based on popularity or persuasion or position. But President Nelson has taught: “Truth is truth. It is not divisible, and any part of it cannot be set aside. Whether truth emerges from a scientific laboratory or through revelation, all truth emanates from God.”
The pursuit of higher education must be accompanied by the pursuit of spiritual education, President Johnson said. “You must make strengthening your relationship with the Savior a priority. You must maintain spiritual momentum by deepening your testimony of Jesus Christ. You do that by enrolling in and attending institute. Make it part of your pattern and practice to feed your soul truth by participating in institute.”
Elder Pearson shared how his experiences at the University of Utah and the adjoining institute profoundly shaped his life and faith in Jesus Christ.
As a freshman, he recalled, he had a professor call him a “mindless puppet” for choosing to serve a full-time mission. The encounter led him to make a firm decision to not allow anyone or anything to stop him from serving.
“To serve a mission in Finland dramatically impacted the trajectory of my life and helped me develop greater faith in Heavenly Father and the Savior,” Elder Pearson said, adding, “Wherever you go, I will pray that you will make sure the institute is a part of your education. I promise you that as you put the Lord first in your life, and as you keep your sacred covenants, that the Lord has a plan for you.”
Faith and education
In his brief remarks, Randall noted the different metaphorical hats he wore during the devotional: As the president of a secular university and as a person of faith and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Randall said one thing he has learned as president of the University of Utah is that the exercise of faith complements secular learning. He quoted Eboo Patel, the founder and president of Interfaith America who spoke at the university’s last commencement, who compared the diversity of faith available on campus to a potluck where everyone’s distinct dish — or faith — enhances the experience — or education — of others.
“Bring your faith to our potluck,” Randall said.
Ivory, who also attended the university and participated in the nearby institute as a young man, noted the 623-bed facility — called the Ivory University House — built across the street from the institute, allowing residents to live with other students from all over the world who have similar standards and make similar commitments.
During his time at the university, Ivory said, he had many professors and friends who were not members of the Church, but they learned to respect and challenge one another. Ivory then encouraged listeners to rise up, be bold and stand for their faith. “Will you stand for the Church of Jesus Christ and do so in the most positive way?”
Also during Sunday night’s event, Troy D. Virgin, the director of the Salt Lake University Institute of Religion adjacent to the university, outlined many of the activities offered at the institute, noting they offered 117 different activities last year with more than 25,000 young adults participating. “We have felt and experienced that the Lord is deeply interested in meeting the needs of His young adult children, and we are experiencing a new vibrancy and excitement at the institute,” Virgin said.
Aspen White, the president of the institute student council, shared her experience attending institute, calling it a “safe place” and “refuge from the chaos of the world.”
