Sean K's Response to "What I Now Believe"

Brother Richards spoke at a BYU devotional back in 97. He talked about his personal experiences with devotionals back when he attended, I find that we have a similar outlook on devotional attendance; I find that when I attend devotionals I get blessings, sometimes they come subtly through the speaker but oftentimes, just being in such a spiritual setting just helps me through the day. A friend once told me he planned to attend all the devotionals because he needed the blessings that come from attending them. I feel the same way now.

Brother Richards highlighted three beliefs of retrospective prominence for him. First off he said, "I wish I had placed my education in its eternal context." I don't think its really helpful for me to be re-telling the material so I'll just tell you another story. I have  a friend who likes to talk about "deep stuff". He literally called me thap one day and asked if he could talk about deep stuff with me because he was scared he might scare off his new friends by being so forward about deep subjects. So on a particular night we started talking about our futures. We both aspire to be medical professionals so he went off on his big plans he made for every year of his life for about the next fifteen years. His eternal perspective on this situation was through the parable of the talents. Basically, he believes that if we slack off, that is a waste of our educational capacity, therefore we'll be punished at the last day. My life hasn't quite been planned as well as his was. My perspective contrasted his because I believe that even if we aren't constantly learning in an academic sense, most everything else we do with our time, we are gaining experience in some way. Which to me means that I'm still learning something even if I take it easy and take longer getting to the career field, I can still be learning things and still be progressing. Just food for thought.

His second belief was that: "I wish I had believed that m professors were nothing more and nothing less than my brothers and sisters." I triple dog dare (oOoOOO) someone to address SWILUA as her royal highness. (although, I suppose If we constantly addressed her as She Who Is Like Unto Aphrodite, we'd get a similar response anyways). I just find this example so stunningly true. Back in high school, I had the system down. I knew how to make teachers like me, I knew what would press their buttons and what would make them believe I was worthy of their concern. Many times I felt as if they were tyrants and I was playing the game trying to please them and stay out of their angry tantrums. Brother Richard's belief is really insightful, I think too many students separate their church and school-life; so people in their wards might be brothers and sisters, but teachers in school suddenly become absolute, power-hungry tyrants.  I don't mean to preach, but I think its important to remember that every person is a brother or a sister, some just have more experience than others and it is the opportunity for the less-experienced to learn from the more-experienced people.

The final retrospective wish was that: "I wish that I had believed that the standards of the worlds were not sufficient for a consecrated people." When I asked one of my cousins from out of state, why they wanted to come to BYU, they said, "I just don't want to deal with any of the worldly things that are on every other campus than this one." And although I haven't had much experience outside this "Provo Bubble" I still do feel blessed to be going to such a campus where I can keep my standards with people around me who have similar standards.

I can't say it any better than the way he put it. "The reality is, however, that you are not on this earth to maintain a scholarship, enter prestigious graduate schools, or beat someone else in the marketplace. You have a much higher standard. You need to please the Lord God Omnipotent. I promise you that if you please him, with an eye single to his glory, your life will not be without GREAT OPPORTUNITIES" (emphasis added)