I'd like to send my heartfelt greetings
to all of you in our BYU community
during these new, different, and uncertain times.
Even though classes have changed
and for some of you, your location has changed,
you are still a vital part of our community.
And this community, perhaps now more than ever,
is a vital part of your unique BYU education.
You may remember that my devotional address
at the beginning of this school year
was all about the importance of gathering
and how being gathered together enhances our education.
Joseph Smith observed that,
"One of the principal objects, of our coming together,
is to obtain the advantages of education."
There is something powerful about a community
of disciples of Jesus Christ who view themselves,
not just as isolated individuals
pursuing their own goals, but as part
of a covenant community gathered together
to realize their full potential as children of God.
But for many of us, the events of the last week
seem to have torn apart that compact society
as our community has suddenly dispersed.
In such an environment, how can we still create
and enjoy the benefits of such a community?
May I suggest three things we can each do
to build our community, even in these challenging times
when we are physically separated.
First, an extraordinary blessing
of the BYU educational community
is the opportunity to interact
with remarkable faculty members,
professors who are at the forefront
of knowledge in their fields
and also rock-solid in their faith
in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
The physical separation we are temporarily experiencing
should not interrupt the association
you have with faculty members.
I invite you to reach out to them virtually
and respond when they reach out to you.
Seek opportunities to engage with them, individually
and in groups, in academic efforts,
as well as informal discussions.
This extraordinary community
of disciple-scholars still offers you many advantages.
Second, although you may no longer be sharing a room
or a kitchen with your roommates
or attending ward prayer in the evening,
your association with fellow students can continue
to enrich your BYU experience and you can enrich theirs.
The BYU community provides a vital support system
and it gives you the opportunity to serve others,
an important aspect of the kind of character development
that is a critical part of your education.
Don't let distance diminish your support for each other,
especially those who are neglected or on the margins.
Reach out to classmates online, give a friend a call,
share an encouraging text, and enjoy a friendly laugh,
and pray for each other.
Pray for your fellow students' academic success,
emotional comfort, physical health, and spiritual strength.
Your service to them will strengthen others,
fortify our community,
and help you develop the Christlike character
to which the aims of a BYU education point.
Finally, remember to focus on joy.
President Nelson referred to joy as,
"A principle that will only become
more important as the tragedies
and travesties around us increase,
a principle that is key to our spiritual survival."
President Nelson then went on to say,
and you have now heard this quoted over
and over, "The joy we feel has little to do
with the circumstances of our lives
and everything to do with the focus of our lives."
Joy is the key to our spiritual survival
in the trying times in which we live,
as well as in the trying times that lie ahead of us.
When we experience opposition,
anxiety, heartache, pain, disappointment,
and sorrow, things all of us are likely
to face in our current circumstances, how are we to survive?
By tapping into the power of joy.
President Nelson has invited us, as well as all the world,
to experience what he calls enduring joy,
joy that can exist even when we fail a test, feel rejected,
face ridicule, or even confront a global pandemic.
It is a joy that does not need to wait until midterms,
finals, or a pandemic is over before we feel it.
So don't wait for your circumstances to change
before experiencing an increase of joy.
Draw on the power of joy in every situation,
including the one in which you presently find yourselves.
Jesus Christ is not only the author
and finisher of our faith.
He is, in one sense, the author and finisher of our joy.
We begin to have joy when we focus on Christ.
You have been blessed to enjoy
a unique gathering of God's children.
That gathering continues virtually and from a distance.
You are not part of this community by accident.
You have been gathered here by God
to help you learn and develop Christlike attributes.
Whatever your background, whatever your talents,
whatever your challenges or perceived weaknesses,
you are a vital part of this gathering.
You have something to gain from
and something to offer in your interactions
with those around you.
You are loved.
Please take good care of yourself and those close to you.
As we continue to move forward as a BYU community,
let us keep our focus on Christ.
Let us do as He did.
Let us have charity.
Let us find joy.