rise to your potential

My dear young and not so young Brothers and Sisters: Sister Tobler and I have come to this remarkable school with much joy and anticipation. We were here a number of years ago, but much has changed with respect to the campus, the size of the student body and the expansion of the faculty and administration for what has become a full-fledged university. We have watched as each step has unfolded and felt a sense of admiration and deep respect for those who have guided the many academic and campus changes over the past several years.

It is always a joy to be with President and Sister Bednar who have been deeply involved in all that has taken place here over the past number of years. We would also like to mention the joy we have had in working with two wonderful couples who have been associated with BYU–Idaho for many years. President and Sister Kinghorn of the Albania Tirana Mission and President and Sister Strong of the Croatia Zagreb Mission are dear to our hearts as we saw their great faith and commitment in presiding over those missions and the Church in the Europe Central Area. Now we are all awaiting the start of a new House of the Lord with all of its blessings to the student body, faculty and surrounding members in this area. Having been involved in the groundbreaking, construction and dedication or rededication of four temples in Europe over the past several years, we know the great joy this brings to all who prepare to walk through those sacred doors.

As we look into your wonderful faces today, we can't help but be reminded of the great heritage and transcendent prospects we individually have. Most of you today are on the very front end of both understanding and preparing for the potential to become what most of you, and I

would say, most of us, do not yet fully comprehend. Hopefully today we can receive impressions through the power of the Holy Ghost of the unusual potential, both temporally and eternally, in each of us, and be committed to leave no stones unturned in achieving that potential in an acceptable and moral way.

Many years ago when I was a very young teenager, I thought often about what would ever become of me. I felt academically capable, but realized that socially I was a slow developer as many of my school mates will remember and readily confirm. I was born into a wonderful family, the second of four children. Our parents were good people and excellent teachers- both had taught school for a number of years. They had a keen sense of what was right and what was wrong and reinforced those values constantly as we were growing up. Sometimes we would, in a tongue in cheek sense, think of their strong views as the Gospel of Mother Louise and of Father Don. Both were committed to the Gospel and the Church, and we were without any doubts about their commitments. We were coached well, and sometimes firmly when needed, and we knew they expected us to develop our individual capabilities and potential. I remember on several occasions, Mother would remind us about the importance of self-confidence and believing in our potential by saying, “if you don't think you are somebody, no one else will either.” This was not a commission to have an ego trip or to develop a superiority complex.

Even with all of this good teaching and example, there remained for me a deep wonder of what should or could I do with my life. How would I earn a living for a family in the coming years and how could I gain a higher level of confidence in myself and be able to develop trust in others who could play significant roles in my life? While I had many thoughts about how I would cope in world, I would also wonder when older people would talk in sacrament meeting about reaching, in the end, the blessing of eternal life not just for me but for as yet a family that was not yet in the process of formation. Perhaps you have also faced similar questions about your futures.

Now, almost sixty years later I can look back and see and understand some things I didn't understand too well at the time. I'd like to share a few thoughts about these important matters with you today. There may be nothing particularly profound, but maybe they might be helpful in some small way.

First, I have learned how important it really is to develop a healthy belief in ourselves. Some seem to be born with it. Others may have to work much harder at this important task. It is not just to believe in ourselves, but also to believe and see ourselves as capable of achieving good and lofty goals. This is not an encouragement to develop an arrogant pride or ego with all of the unfortunate implications, but it is an encouragement to have a healthy, even inspiring, regard for who we are and what we can do. For many years, I have found encouragement from the Lord's statement of His reliance on humble but confident people. In the Doctrine and Covenants, section 1, we have all read many times these choice verses speaking about the unfolding Restoration preparatory to the Second Coming of the Lord:

Therefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant

Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;

And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets-

The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones (Doctrine and Covenants 1:17-19, emphasis added).

We must believe in ourselves and realize that even in our weakness, the Lord is able and will make us strong and effective people.

I have also learned that a very high cost is associated with depreciating ourselves, or as some say, beating up on ourselves often unjustly. Now it is easier for me to understand and believe that when we become so negative and injurious to ourselves, our Father in Heaven must wonder, how can a spirit son or daughter, carrying my genetics in their spirit, think of themselves in such a way? He knows, and we know, we have flaws which must be dealt with. But He knows, and we should know, that we are valuable and capable children of a loving Father in Heaven.

In developing a healthy belief in ourselves, there is a helpful gospel parallel with respect to the process of how we come to believe in the Savior, our Redeemer. Just as a wanting to believe in the Savior precedes the establishment of a faith in Christ and His Gospel, a desire to believe in oneself must become kindling to the larger fire of truly having an active, deep faith in ourselves. To assist us in the quest for having a deep faith in ourselves, Heavenly Father, knowing our strengths and our weaknesses, often places people in our lives to stimulate our belief in ourselves. That stimulation may come from a number of sources or people. It may come from a Primary or Sunday School teacher. It may come from a Bishop. It may be a Stake Patriarch. It may be your Priesthood Advisor or a Young Women's leader. It may be a Mission President. It may be your Mom and Dad. From whatever credible source it may come, please do not take lightly the impressions or counsel which come of the Holy Ghost to you through their outreaching love and concerns. You might be tempted to be a bit cynical or give little worth to some of the things that they might say to you. Be accepting and appreciate of their outreach. Be believing and not cynical.

I am reminded of the wonderful teaching of Alma about the progression as we move from believing to having strong and active faith. He pleads with us to be positive and even to experiment:

But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words (Alma 32:27).

Excerpt from Rise to Your Potential by: Elder D. Lee Tobler