Fall 2018

The Wrappings of Christmas

This time of year is rich in symbolism that testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ, and my original submitted message that has been advertised along with what I’m going to be talking about--I called last Monday and asked if I could change it, and so, if you were anticipating one thing, you’ll be getting another. I hope that the Spirit of the Lord will direct me as I do this today. I feel, through going to the temple and fasting and contemplating, and just really thinking about the richness of this season, that you will be able to be uplifted and edified through this.

Learning Who You Really Are

That was wonderful, I pause to allow them to have a chance to sit down, so I could look at them and praise what they’ve done. That was wonderful, wonderful beginning.

My dear brothers and sisters, I am honored by the invitation to speak with you today. You are part of a great school, a school honored and respected by the Lord’s living prophets. I have personally heard them praise it as a unique and treasured part of the Church Educational System. As nearly as I can discern, those praises come because of the exceptional nature of the students who choose to study here and the teachers who have been drawn to this place. These qualified teachers understand the true nature and hearts of their students and so encourage them to rise toward their great potential.

“Continual Learning: A Joy and a Duty for Everyone”

My dear brothers and sisters, I feel so privileged to be with you today. I am also grateful for the warm welcome from President and Sister Kusch. They are a wonderful couple, and I know they bless both the LDS Business College as an institution and each one of you individually.

What Gift Will You Give?

Brother Decker and the choir, that was beautiful, thank you so much. And President and Sister Kusch thank you for this opportunity. Brothers and Sisters, Merry Christmas! It is absolutely wonderful to be with you this morning! I am truly humbled and I am grateful for the opportunity to share a few thoughts with you. Not only I am grateful for that, but I am grateful that my wife, Rachel, is here. Sweetie, I love you, thank you and thank you for being here, she hear from me all the time and she decided to come! And to my students, those of you that are here, you all get A’s, but the final is still due on the last day of the semester, remember that!

Oh my dear friends the Christmas message would not be a Christmas message without first going to the scriptures and reading the words of ancient prophets who prophesied of that first Christmas day! So, can we start by going to the scriptures?

I Am More Than Just a Name by Sister Alynda Kusch

This is wonderful, it wonderful to be here with you today, I am so grateful to join with you in this really historic building, it is lovely to be with you this morning.

One semester when I was teaching at BYU-Idaho, on the very first day of class there  was a young woman that approach me after the class was over, and she said “I’m not registered for your course but I really want to take it, so would you add me?” So I wrote her name down and as soon as I got back to my office I looked her up and added her to the course.

Well, that was extremely beautiful, I thank the choir, and also Savannah and Pablo for bringing the spirit to the meeting.  

Buenos días, bom dia, mālō e lelei, magandang umaga, and good morning! That greeting should cover the greater portion of the 56 foreign countries represented at the college, along with everyone else.

It is great to be with you today and to see many familiar faces in the audience. I thank President Kusch, whom I consider a dear friend, for the invitation—it is a pleasure to share with you, your wife Alynda, and other colleagues this morning.

Today I would like to start my remarks by using an example from classic rock, perhaps becoming the first devotional speaker to quote Jimi Hendrix in this venue—I hope the ceiling won’t come down, but at least be grateful I’m not quoting Justin Bieber.

Getting Engaged

President & Sister Kusch

Thank you very very much, that was beautiful and I am thrilled to be here with you today. I appreciate this opportunity. I’m just thinking as President Kusch announced me and talk about the speaker next week, I bet you last Tuesday when President Eyring was here up on the stand and he announced the next week, – James Tidwell, accountant will be here – that sent a wave of excitement like no one could believe as you were waiting for President Eyring to speak.

I’ve known President Kusch for a long time and I love him, he is a great man, very humble, inspired and talented man. He is your friend, you’re blessed to have him as your president. You do well to carefully observe and follow his example and the example of his wife, Alynda.

My Wife, Anna, and Family

PEACE IN CHRIST

Thank you, I am grateful to be here today. Starting from the prayer, to the testimony, to that beautiful musical number. The Spirit is so strong, and you, each of you brought that Spirit in here, that just didn’t come from people seating up here, you brought that here and I’m grateful for each of you. I’m grateful for you being here and I pray that the Holy Ghost will guide us. Each of us is trying to have daily peace. I would like to share my perspective of how that comes. I invite the Holy Ghost to be here and to teach us individually of how we can have peace.

Expect, Recognize, Appreciate Miracles – ERA

Susan W. Tanner

Thank you for that beautiful music and for the beautiful testimony, it’s been a rich meeting already. ALOHA brothers and sisters! We are so happy to be here with you today, we’re proud of you for the good things you are doing with your life and we hope to give messages that may help you continue for those good things you’re doing.

You know, children often can quote their parents’ oft-repeated sayings like “remember who you are: or ‘return with honor.” Well, my children will remember me saying often “Has the day of miracles ceased?” And then I would quote to them the rest of that wonderful scripture that I love so much from Moroni:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour”

Thank you choir. That was wonderful, beautiful rendition of a very familiar and favorite hymn. Brothers and Sisters, I am very grateful and thankful to be with you today. I was with President Nelson and others this morning. He would want me to extend to you his love and thanks for your goodness and your faith. I’m also grateful to be with your president and his wife, President and Sister Kusch. And I’m also grateful to have Sister Funk with me today, not only because of the fact that I love her and like having her with me, but what I will talk about will be something that we have experienced together.

"Be the Instrument"

Brothers and sisters good morning, Sister Chambers and I are very pleased to be here with you, especially in this historic Assembly Hall, I’m so grateful for the spirit that has been brought to us by the prayer, the testimony, the music has been wonderful. I want you to know about our great love for President Bruce and Sister Alynda Kusch, they are truly amazing people, and we love them very much.

I understand that you have here at the Business College a campaign or a theme, entitled “discover, grow, become.” I hope that my remarks today, will not only complement that theme, but encourage it as well.

That was wonderful, thank you, there is a calming power about music, it’s wonderful. I’m really excited to be here with you today brothers and sisters, the Kusches have been my great friends. As president Kusch mentioned, for number of years I served with him with him while he was our stake president up in the  BYU-Idaho 3rd stake, and had much association there. I’ve traveled to India and Bangladesh with one of your Vice Presidents, Guy Hollingworth and spent time there, and Craig and Susan Bell were neighbors in our ward in Rexburg, along with Eva Sommer. So LDS Business College has stolen some of BYU-Idaho’s best people. And your punishment is that you have to listen to me speak. So what come around, goes around, so here I came around.