THIS DEVOTIONAL ADDRESS WITH PRESIDENT KEVIN J. WORTHEN AND SISTER PEGGY
WORTHEN WAS GIVEN ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2016
GOOD MORNING, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND WELCOME TO OUR VERY FIRST DEVOTIONAL
OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR.
WE ARE ESPECIALLY PLEASED TO HAVE ALL THE NEW STUDENTS
HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU AND ALL OTHERS TO MAKE DEVOTIONALS A PRIORITY THROUGHOUT YOUR UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE.
MY NAME IS MATTHEW RICHARDSON, AND I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO
CONDUCT THIS DEVOTIONAL.
TODAY, WE ARE PLEASED THAT PRESIDENT KEVIN J. WORTHEN
AND SISTER PEGGY WORTHEN WILL SPEAK TO US.
THE WORTHENS WERE RAISED IN PRICE, UTAH.
ALTHOUGH THEY GREW UP ONLY THREE BLOCKS FROM EACH OTHER,
THEIR THREE-YEAR AGE DIFFERENCE MEANT THAT THEY NEVER
WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL AT THE SAME TIME AND DIDN'T KNOW EACH OTHER VERY WELL.
AFTER PRESIDENT WORTHEN RETURNED FROM SERVING A
MISSION TO MONTERREY, MEXICO, AND WHILE BOTH WERE ATTENDING
THE COLLEGE OF EASTERN UTAH, THEY MET AT A CHURCH DANCE,
AND THE TWO SOON BEGAN DATING.
AND...
WELL, THE REST IS HISTORY.
THE WORTHENS WERE MARRIED IN THE PROVO, UTAH LDS TEMPLE.
EARLY IN THEIR MARRIAGE, SISTER WORTHEN WORKED IN A
NUMBER OF JOBS TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILY AS PRESIDENT WORTHEN
FINISHED HIS EDUCATION AND BEGAN HIS CAREER.
SHE WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO SCHOOL AFTER THEIR YOUNGEST CHILD
STARTED SCHOOL AND SUBSEQUENTLY EARNED HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE
IN ENGLISH FROM BYU IN 2003, THE SAME YEAR THAT THEIR OLDEST SON
GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
SISTER WORTHEN ENJOYS READING, HIKING, AND SPENDING TIME
WITH THEIR GRANDCHILDREN.
SHE IS AN AVID COUGAR SPORTS FAN.
PRESIDENT AND SISTER WORTHEN ARE THE PARENTS OF TWO
SONS AND A DAUGHTER, AND THEY HAVE THREE GRANDCHILDREN.
I AM OFTEN TEMPTED TO CREATE A T-SHIRT OR A SIGN THAT SAYS,
STAY CALM.
THE WORTHENS ARE HERE.
[LAUGHTER] WE WILL NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF HEARING FROM PRESIDENT AND
SISTER WORTHEN.
BYU IS A WONDERFUL PLACE BECAUSE IT HAS WONDERFUL STUDENTS.
I HOPE YOU ALL REALIZE HOW MUCH POTENTIAL YOU HAVE.
YOU ARE ALL FUTURE LEADERS.
YOU WILL LEAD IN THE CHURCH, YOU WILL LEAD IN BUSINESSES,
YOU WILL LEAD IN COMMUNITIES, YOU WILL LEAD IN
VOLUNTEER EFFORTS, AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU WILL LEAD IN YOUR FAMILIES.
ONE OF THE THINGS I HOPE YOU LEARN HERE IS HOW
TO BE BETTER LEADERS.
IF YOU DO, YOU WILL BE AN ENORMOUS FORCE FOR GOOD.
I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME THINGS I HAVE LEARNED
ABOUT LEADERSHIP OVER THE YEARS; THINGS I WISH I HAD KNOWN ABOUT
LEADERSHIP WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE.
I BEGIN WITH A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, ONE THAT PROVIDES SEVERAL LESSONS ABOUT LEADERSHIP.
FROM THE TIME WE WERE FIRST MARRIED, KEVIN AND I HAVE GONE TO VISIT MY PARENTS
AT THEIR CABIN IN THE MOUNTAINS ABOUT 75 MILES SOUTH
OF PROVO.
A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, WHILE PREPARING TO COME HOME
AFTER ONE OF THOSE VISITS, MY THEN-YOUNG SON NEEDED
TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF OUR LOCKED CAR, SO I GAVE HIM THE KEYS AND TOLD HIM TO BE
CAREFUL NOT TO LOCK THE KEYS IN THE CAR.
A FEW MINUTES LATER, HE RETURNED, LOOKING A LITTLE SHEEPISH.
HE THEN HESITANTLY, BUT BRAVELY, CONFESSED THAT HE HAD
LOCKED THE KEYS IN THE CAR.
WHAT THEN ENSUED WAS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS THAT MY CHILDREN
STILL REFER TO MANY YEARS LATER: DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT
MOM DID WHEN THE KEYS WERE LOCKED IN THE CAR?
YES, UPON HEARING THE BRAVE CONFESSION OF MY YOUNG SON,
I RESPONDED IN A WAY THAT CORRESPONDED MORE TO HIS AGE THAN MINE.
I THREW A TANTRUM.
I RAISED MY VOICE.
I EVEN KICKED THE CAR TIRE.
I LET MY EMOTIONS TAKE OVER.
FORTUNATELY, THAT LASTED ONLY A FEW MOMENTS.
MY FATHER CALMLY REMINDED ME THAT I HAD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
INSURANCE FOR TIMES LIKE THIS.
HIS CALM REMINDER INSTANTLY CALMED ME.
I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, AND WE WERE SOON
ON OUR WAY HOME.
NOW, YOU MIGHT WONDER WHAT LESSONS COULD POSSIBLY COME
FROM AN EXPERIENCE LIKE THAT.
LET ME SUGGEST THREE.
FIRST, I LEARNED THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES.
I IMMEDIATELY REGRETTED THE WAY I BEHAVED THAT DAY.
I REFLECTED ON THE FACT THAT AS A MOTHER, I WAS A LEADER AND A TEACHER TO MY CHILDREN.
AND I RESOLVED TO DO BETTER.
THAT EXPERIENCE HAD A POWERFUL IMPACT ON ME.
WHILE I AM NOT PERFECT, I THINK I AM DOING BETTER IN THAT REGARD.
FORTUNATELY, AS ELDER BRUCE C. HAFEN ONCE OBSERVED,
BECAUSE OF THE ATONEMENT, WE CAN LEARN FROM OUR
MISTAKES WITHOUT BEING CONDEMNED BY THEM.
THAT IS A POWERFUL LESSON FOR LEADERS TO LEARN.
SECOND, I LEARNED THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THE GOOD EXAMPLE OF OTHERS.
MY FATHER'S CALM REACTION TO MY OUTBURST QUICKLY AND
POWERFULLY REMINDED ME HOW I SHOULD ACT IN THOSE SITUATIONS.
ALTHOUGH I ALREADY KNEW HOW I SHOULD ACT, SEEING HIS EXAMPLE HAS PROVIDED ME WITH A
DISTINCT REMINDER THAT HAS GUIDED ME THROUGHOUT THE
REST OF MY LIFE.
IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT SUCH EXAMPLES DON'T
ALWAYS COME FROM THOSE WHO ARE MORE EXPERIENCED.
I WENT TO BYU AS A NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENT, RETURNING TO SCHOOL AFTER OUR YOUNGEST CHILD
BEGAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SO I WAS OFTEN THE OLDEST
STUDENT IN THE CLASS.
A FEW YEARS AFTER I RETURNED, I ATTENDED A CLASS IN
WHICH THERE WERE ONLY A HANDFUL OF STUDENTS.
TOWARDS THE END OF THE SEMESTER, I HAD BECOME WELL ACQUAINTED
WITH THE OTHER STUDENTS.
ONE DAY, BEFORE CLASS BEGAN, I WAS VISITING WITH A
CLASSMATE WHO WAS SEATED IN THE AISLE NEXT TO ME.
WHILE WE WERE VISITING, A YOUNG MAN, WHO ALSO ATTENDED THE CLASS, WALKED INTO THE
ROOM AND STARTED TO YELL AT MY CLASSMATE.
THE YOUNG MAN WAS OBVIOUSLY VERY ANGRY.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED BETWEEN THEM.
HOWEVER, I WAS SHOCKED THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING AT ALL.
I WASN'T SURE WHAT TO DO.
I EVEN WONDERED IF I SHOULD GO GET SECURITY.
WHILE I WAS SURPRISED AT THE ORIGINAL CONFRONTATION, WHAT HAPPENED NEXT WAS EVEN MORE SURPRISING:
MY CLASSMATE WHO I WAS TALKING TO STOOD UP TO
FACE THE YOUNG MAN.
I THOUGHT, OH NO, A FIGHT.
JUST THEN, MY CLASSMATE QUIETLY AND CALMLY SAID,
I AM SORRY THAT I HAVE UPSET YOU.
WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE THIS RIGHT?
I REMEMBER SITTING BACK IN MY SEAT THINKING THAT THIS
RESPONSE WAS PROBABLY THE MOST MATURE THING I HAD EVER WITNESSED.
THE YOUNG MAN SUDDENLY STOPPED, AS IF ALL THE WIND HAD JUST
BEEN KNOCKED OUT OF HIM.
THEY BOTH SAT DOWN IN THEIR SEATS.
THE TWO OF THEM BEGAN TO HAVE A VERY CALM DISCUSSION,
AND THAT WAS THE END OF WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A
VERY EXPLOSIVE SITUATION.
MY CLASSMATE HAD TOTALLY DEFUSED THE SITUATION WITH A
QUICK, QUIET, AND CALM RESPONSE.
NOT ONLY DID HE REMAIN CALM, BUT HE RESPONDED WITH
THE SOFT ANSWER THAT PROVERBS TEACHES US WILL TURN AWAY WRATH.
WHAT A POWERFUL EXAMPLE.
AS I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE AND CONTRASTED IT WITH MY OWN LESS THAN IDEAL RESPONSE TO
MY SON'S LOCKING THE KEYS IN THE CAR, I REALIZED ANOTHER
IMPORTANT LESSON FOR LEADERS- THAT IN EVERY SITUATION-
EVEN THOSE THAT ARE PACKED WITH HIGH EMOTION- WE ALL HAVE OUR AGENCY TO CHOOSE HOW TO ACT.
ONE NOTED PSYCHIATRIST OBSERVED THAT BETWEEN STIMULUS AND RESPONSE, THERE IS A
SPACE.
IN THAT SPACE IS OUR POWER TO CHOOSE OUR RESPONSE.
IN OTHER WORDS, THERE IS ALWAYS A SPACE, OR AN INSTANT, IN WHICH WE DECIDE WHETHER
WE WILL PUT OUT THE FIRE OR IGNITE THE FUSE.
ELDER L. TOM PERRY ONCE TAUGHT THIS LESSON BY TELLING THE
STORY OF A YOUNG MISSIONARY, WHO WAS IN HIS FIRST DAY IN BRAZIL.
HE AND HIS SENIOR COMPANION WERE ASSIGNED TO OPEN A NEW
CITY SOME DISTANCE FROM THE MISSION HEADQUARTERS.
AS THEY ARRIVED IN THIS NEW CITY AND WALKED DOWN THE STREET, THEY PASSED A CHURCH WITH
A MINISTER STANDING AT THE FRONT DOOR.
AS THEY WALKED BY THE CHURCH, THE MINISTER WENT IN AND
CALLED TO HIS WHOLE CONGREGATION TO FOLLOW HIM OUT INTO THE STREET.
THERE THEY FOLLOWED THE MISSIONARIES AND STARTED CALLING THEM NAMES; THEN THEY BECAME MORE
VIOLENT AND STARTED TO THROW ROCKS AT THEM.
THE YOUNG ELDER WAS EXCITED ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE- HIS FIRST DAY IN THE MISSION FIELD AND ALREADY
HE WAS BEING STONED, HE THOUGHT.
[LAUGHTER] THEN, A BIG ROCK SUDDENLY HIT HIM SQUARELY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BACK,
AND HIS FEELING CHANGED TO ANGER.
BEFORE ENTERING THE MISSION FIELD HE HAD BEEN QUITE
A BASEBALL PITCHER; AND IN THE FLUSH OF ANGER HE WHEELED AROUND, GRABBED THE FIRST ROCK
HE COULD FIND ON THE GROUND, REARED BACK IN HIS
FAMOUS PITCHING POSE, AND WAS JUST READY TO LET
THE ROCK FLY AT THE CROWD WHEN SUDDENLY HE REALIZED
WHY HE WAS THERE.
HE HAD NOT BEEN SENT ALL THE WAY TO BRAZIL TO
THROW ROCKS AT PEOPLE; [LAUGHTER] HE WAS THERE TO TEACH
THEM THE GOSPEL.
BUT WHAT WAS HE TO DO WITH THE ROCK IN HIS HAND?
IF HE DROPPED IT TO THE GROUND, THEY WOULD THINK IT A SIGN OF
WEAKNESS AND PROBABLY CONTINUE TO THROW ROCKS AT THEM.
YET HE COULD NOT THROW IT AT THE CROWD.
THEN HE SAW A TELEPHONE POST SOME DISTANCE AWAY.
THAT WAS THE WAY TO SAVE FACE!
HE REARED BACK AND LET THE ROCK FLY DIRECTLY AT THE TELEPHONE POST, HITTING IT SQUARELY
IN THE MIDDLE.
THE PEOPLE IN THE CROWD TOOK A COUPLE OF STEPS BACK.
THEY SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT THAT ROCK PROBABLY COULD
HAVE HIT ANY ONE OF THEM RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES.
THEIR MOOD CHANGED; INSTEAD OF THROWING ROCKS AT THE MISSIONARIES, THEY BEGAN TO THROW THEM
AT THE TELEPHONE POST.
[LAUGHTER] AFTER THIS INCIDENT, EVERY TIME THE ELDER WENT DOWN THAT STREET
HE WAS CHALLENGED TO A ROCK-THROWING CONTEST.
THE ROCK-THROWING CONTESTS LED TO DISCUSSIONS OF THE GOSPEL,
WHICH LED TO CONVERSIONS, WHICH LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF A BRANCH OF THE CHURCH IN THAT COMMUNITY.
NO MATTER HOW HIGH OUR EMOTIONS OR HOW ACUTE THE CRISIS,
THERE IS ALWAYS A SPACE IN WHICH WE CAN CHOOSE HOW TO ACT.
AND IN THAT CHOICE, GREAT LEADERS ARE MADE.
THIRD, I LEARNED FROM MY EXPERIENCE THAT HOW A LEADER
ACTS IN THOSE IMPORTANT MOMENTS SETS THE TONE FOR THOSE AROUND THEM.
MY FATHER'S CALM RESPONSE IMMEDIATELY CALMED ME DOWN,
JUST AS MY YOUNG STUDENT FRIEND'S REMARKABLY TRANQUIL
RESPONSE CALMED DOWN HIS FELLOW STUDENT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, MY LESS THAN CALM RESPONSE SERVED MERELY TO UPSET MY CHILDREN.
MOSIAH CHAPTER 20 PROVIDES US AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TWO
DIFFERENT LEADERS SET THE TONE FOR THOSE WITHIN THEIR
STEWARDSHIP WITH TWO DIFFERENT RESPONSES DURING A CRISIS.
WHEN THE DAUGHTERS OF THE LAMANITES WERE CAPTURED BY
THE PRIESTS OF KING NOAH, THE KING OF THE LAMANITES
ASSUMED THAT THE PEOPLE OF KING LIMHI WERE THE CAPTORS.
BASED ON THIS ASSUMPTION, THE KING OF THE LAMANITES,
WITH HIS ARMIES, ATTACKED THE PEOPLE OF KING LIMHI WITHOUT FIRST VERIFYING WHAT REALLY
HAPPENED TO THEIR DAUGHTERS.
DURING THE ATTACK, THE LAMANITE KING WAS WOUNDED AND LEFT FOR DEAD BY THE LAMANITES.
THE PEOPLE OF KING LIMHI BROUGHT THE WOUNDED LAMANITE
KING BEFORE KING LIMHI.
THE PEOPLE DEMANDED THAT THE KING OF THE LAMANITES SHOULD BE SLAIN.
INSTEAD OF GIVING INTO THE DEMANDS OF HIS PEOPLE,
KING LIMHI TOLD THEM NOT TO SLAY THE LAMANITE KING.
INSTEAD, KING LIMHI SIMPLY ASKED THE LAMANITE KING
WHY THE LAMANITES WAGED WAR AGAINST THEM.
THE KING OF THE LAMANITES REPLIED, BECAUSE THY PEOPLE DID CARRY AWAY THE
DAUGHTERS OF MY PEOPLE...
IN MY ANGER I DID CAUSE MY PEOPLE TO COME UP TO
WAR AGAINST THY PEOPLE.
THROUGH THIS CONVERSATION, THE TWO NATIONS WERE
ABLE TO RECONCILE- ALBEIT TEMPORARILY- AND END THE WAR.
IT WAS IN ANGER THAT THE KING OF THE LAMANITES ATTACKED
THE PEOPLE OF KING LIMHI, CHOOSING TO IGNITE THE FLAME.
HIS CHOICE TO DO SO COST THE LIVES OF MANY OF HIS
FOLLOWERS AND OTHERS.
BY CONTRAST, KING LIMHI'S CHOICE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE RETURNED PEACE TO THE LAND AND
TO THE SOULS OF THOSE HE LED.
I AM GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL EXAMPLES OF
LEADERSHIP I HAVE IN MY LIFE.
AS FUTURE LEADERS, IT IS MY HOPE THAT AS YOU OBTAIN YOUR FORMAL EDUCATION HERE AT BYU,
THAT YOU TOO WILL STRIVE TO LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES AND
FROM THE EXAMPLES OF OTHERS AND CHOOSE TO SET A PEACEFUL
TONE FOR THOSE AROUND YOU- ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF CRISIS.
AS YOU DO SO, I AM CONFIDENT THAT YOU WILL OBTAIN THOSE QUALITIES THAT WILL HELP YOU
TO BE TRUE LEADERS AND BECOME AN ENORMOUS FORCE FOR GOOD.
AND I SAY THIS IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, AMEN.