Place of Refuge, Rising, and Resilience

Choir, that brought a lot of peace and comfort to my heart. And so did the opening prayer, Alexia, you prayed for the Spirit to be in the air, and that brought me also a lot of comfort. Alejandra, what a beautiful testimony. It takes a lot of courage to stand in front of a room full of people—some of whom you know—and speak in a second language and bring the Spirit perfectly. The music, the prayer, the testimony... And, as I looked to my right and just looked over at everyone here today who are my friends, we are just blessed with comfort and with the Spirit. I think we should call it a day!

Brothers and sisters, I'm so pleased to be with you today speaking at this devotional.

Devotionals have been precious places in my life, and they've been a refuge in my life. Each week I have the opportunity to slow down and put the worries of the world behind me and on hold and get more in tune with my Father in Heaven, His Son Jesus Christ, and the confirmations of the Holy Ghost—confirmations of what is true.

During my employment at Ensign College, I have come to understand that this is a place of refuge, rising, and resilience. Today I will cover those three points.

First: Ensign is a refuge

In my life I’ve been privileged to learn about and experience places of refuge. As I opened and referred to Ensign College devotionals and even Ensign College as an institution, I regard this place as a place of refuge in my life. During my undergraduate degree, I took a local history class where I learned how that area was historically considered a city of refuge. Where those who were cast out of a larger community would go to the North Shore of that island, where they would work in sugarcane fields and earn their place back into society.

In our Church history, we read about other places of refuge like Kirtland and Nauvoo, for the Saints who crossed the plains and ultimately settled in this Salt Lake Valley, where we're blessed to sit today.

There have been many other places of refuge in my life where I have felt safe from life’s challenges. Perhaps Ensign College has been a place of safety and refuge in the lives of some who are here today.

While I was growing up, I enjoyed athletics of almost every kind. I paid particular attention to running long distances, following examples from my brothers, and spent countless hours in the mountains and hills above my home in Provo, Utah. Those hills were a place of fun and became a place of refuge as I turned to the Lord for direction in those quiet moments. Another great place of refuge is the house of the Lord, where we are able to attend and find protection from the storms of this world.

All these places I’ve listed are locations. Now I would like to talk about moments of refuge in our life. These locations listed are simply places—it depends on what we do that can turn these locations into moments of refuge.

For example, a temple is a holy building, and it becomes the house of the Lord after it is dedicated and, to us, a place of refuge as we participate in the ordinances and make covenants with the Lord.

Other moments of refuge in my life have been driving in the car, offering a sincere prayer of gratitude and learning that the Lord cared about me more than I ever knew... at my bedside, taking away some of my greatest fears... and walking down the sidewalk with my three-year-old and acting on a prompting to stop and say a prayer.

A bishop’s office can be a moment of refuge and relief—as can camping, hiking, serving your neighbor, putting forth extra effort, listening to testimonies, devotionals, conference talks, and more. These places in our lives can all be places of refuge when we use our agency to fully be present in these moments.

Let me give an example from a General Conference talk in April 2024. Elder Dushku gave a talk entitled “Pillars and Rays.” We are given some examples in that talk of how we can experience the light and the Spirit of the Lord. In discussing ways we can feel the influence of the Spirit in our lives and grow our testimony, Elder Dushku said:

“Perhaps you've been in a class at church or at youth camp and felt a strong desire to follow Jesus Christ and stay faithful. Maybe you even stood and shared a testimony that you hoped was true—and then felt it. Or maybe you've been praying and felt a joyful assurance that God loves you. You may have heard someone bear testimony of Jesus Christ, and it touched your heart and filled you with hope. Perhaps you were reading the Book of Mormon and a verse spoke to your soul—as if God put it there just for you. And then you realized that He did. You may have felt God’s love for others as you served them.”

Highlighted in this paragraph are some key words of action that I would like to point out.

• You must be in that class at church or at youth conference.
• You will need to stand and bear your testimony. Praying will be an act of your will.
• Hearing someone share a testimony will require you to listen.
• Reading the Book of Mormon may require picking up that book and taking time to read.
• Serving others is rarely convenient, but consistently a blessing.

It is my testimony that what we do in our free time and with our free agency will make the difference and show the Lord our consecrated effort. He will bless us when we use our time. We become more authentic when our choices align with His. The heavens can be opened. The highest learning can take place. We have the power to act. We will need to become agents unto ourselves (D&C 58:28). Indeed, with God as our refuge, we will ride the high places of this earth (Isa 58:14).

Second: Ensign is rising.

In January of 2006—it's a long time ago—I was a student at BYU–Hawaii, and my cross-country season had just ended the prior month. We continued to train each day with our coach in the off-season.

One day, a teammate of mine and I had to miss our team practice because of an academic conflict. We went to our coach’s office later to receive instructions for the afternoon workout. We were elated when it wasn’t in the gym or doing speed intervals. He said, “Just go on a nice, long run.”

Now, on the North Shore of Hawaii, there are many places that we liked to explore. Being close to the Koʻolau Mountain Range, we knew many trails, and we could pick any canyon—and if one went up far enough, we would find a waterfall, especially if it was raining. This particular winter semester, it was especially rainy, so we knew we could find a waterfall. We ran to the next town over and picked a canyon that we had always heard had a majestic waterfall at the end. We were in the best shape of our lives and had a goal to reach the end and see something amazing.

As we started up that canyon, we noticed that the trail became more and more faint and hard to follow. We thought, “We’ve done this before in other locations,” and started to follow the banks of the river—around one bend and then another.

As we continued, the trail disappeared completely, and at one point we were jumping from rock to rock in the river, forging ahead to our goal. Because of our ambition and how the mountains were situated, we did not notice how late in the day it was getting and that the sun was getting low in the sky. Soon after that moment, we decided it would be best to turn around and return to the canyon when we had more time.

As the bright blue daylight sky started to turn a deeper blue, we knew that we had to hustle to get back to safety. Despite all of our best efforts—jumping now from rock to rock and hoping that we could find that faint trail around the next bend—we realized that we were soon going to be in the dark. The sun must have completely set to the west. The sky became completely dark.

With tropical trees bending over the river, providing a canopy to the sun during the day, it now provided complete darkness and became even more treacherous. This now was a situation I had not been in before.

We didn’t know if the moon was out. We could not see any stars because of the steep mountainsides, the trees, and the heavy growth all around us. We were totally unprepared. These were the days before cell phones had flashlights. My cell phone was sitting safely on my dorm room bed—and even received a text message from a girl who had taken my breath away the day before on our first date. I’m so grateful that she’s sitting behind me today. I’m sure she was also wondering why I wouldn’t text her back.

Our running pace quickly turned into a crawl—feeling with our hands and feet for the next boulder to keep us out of the river water. We inched our way forward, brushing trees and branches from our faces in the dark.

Now we stood in the river with water up to our knees, wondering what to do. Logic came to our minds. We knew where we had come from. The road—the town road—was at the bottom of the river, as well as the beach and the ocean. We thought it would be easy to press forward and keep following the river down to safety.

We proceeded and became more and more frustrated—unable to even see each other. All the confidence we had in ourselves was gone. We called for each other. We stood close in the darkness, not being able to see one another, and we both offered a very sincere prayer.A prayer for help—that we would know what to do. A prayer for safety. We both felt—and here’s the lesson—the prompting to get to higher ground.

We couldn’t see anything, but we knew there was a mountainside to our right and to our left. As we chose one and started up the side, new challenges arose. We couldn’t see where we were going, but we knew we were rising. Fallen branches, sharp trees, and roots made our climb very difficult. As we followed our prompting, we forged higher and higher. Eventually, we were able to get above the dense jungle growth, and we knew that if we continued in that direction, we would start to see more and more light.

Once we got to the top of the mountain, we were able to see the Polynesian Cultural Center and the end of the night show. We knew, when the volcano went off, it was about 9:30 p.m.

We looked down the mountain at where we had come from—out of the darkness—and enjoyed being able to see the stars. We knew that when the sun came up the next morning, we could get down and home safely. I had never wanted a sunrise so much.

After a long night waiting for the eastern horizon to lighten, we headed down the mountain and quickly found the river and the trail that we had run up the day before. We saw the route that we would have navigated the night before—it was much more treacherous and dangerous than we could have imagined, especially in the dark. We were so grateful we followed the prompting to get to higher ground.

I am grateful that I was raised in a family that taught me to stop and pray. And I probably did that because of a book my mother gave me a couple months prior—I probably read it on the airplane on the way—and it referred to getting to higher ground. It is also my testimony that as we study, the Lord can really use what we study to bring it back to our minds in our moments of greatest need.

We ran back to the next town over and then to the campus of BYU–Hawaii, where we saw a helicopter from Honolulu Search and Rescue with blades turning, ready to come look for us in a maze of mountains. There was also a group of my close friends with backpacks on, ready to come look for us. We ran to go see our coach—he was in his office very early and, to say the least, was very relieved to see us. He directed us to the security office, where we found a captain from Honolulu Search and Rescue.

After a short visit and a report of what happened, the captain looked at us and asked what we did. We told him that we were stuck in the river and that we got to higher ground—that we went straight up the mountainside and slept on top of a steep ridge. He told us that we were the first people in his career that he didn’t have to rescue after an unplanned night in those mountains—citing that most rely on their own strength and logic, as we almost did. They follow the river thinking it would lead them to the beach and the road where they can get home. In that process, they become injured—or even worse.

Third: Ensign forms resilience.

Learning absolute truth and knowing how to recognize the truth will help us become more resilient.

At Ensign College, we are taught absolute truths. When I was in my eighth-grade year, I had a biology teacher who helped us prepare for a test and some of the tricky questions. He told us to pay attention to absolute words and phrases.

He taught us that an absolute word or phrase is 100% certain. He said: “Be careful. Not many things in this life are absolute.” Now, in the gospel of Jesus Christ, I pay attention to absolute statements and promises and direction. Knowing absolute truths helps us become more resilient to confusion and temptation that this world will provide.

Let me give an example. In the April 2023 General Conference, our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, gave one talk. It was a short talk. He said:

“Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Learning more about His Atonement, His love, His mercy, His doctrine, and His restored gospel of healing and progression—turn to Him. Follow Him.”

Were you able to catch the absolute word in that statement?
“The answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.” Through the scriptures, we can find words and phrases that are absolute promises and blessings to us.

In Malachi 3:10–12, commonly known as the tithing scripture:

“Bring ye all the tithes into my storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of Hosts.

And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of Hosts.”

As we study the doctrine of Christ and these absolute promises, we become more confident. Let me reference a few more:

In Helaman 5:12:

“And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation.

That when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless woe, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation—a foundation whereon if men build, they cannot fall.”

We learn that storms will come, but we are taught about a sure foundation, where we cannot fall.

In Luke 1:37: “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Missionaries make promises of absolute truth when they invite those learning about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to read the Book of Mormon, which is a cornerstone of our religion.

In Moroni 10:4:

“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true.

And if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, He will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost.”

President Nelson said in General Conference of April 2018:

“But in the coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”

And finally, try searching in your Gospel Library app the phrase:
“I promise you.”

I sustain President Nelson with all my heart. I trust him. As you search that phrase and filter to President Nelson, you’ll see promises from our living prophet. These promises are true, and we all can find peace and comfort in them.

Please study the words of the Lord through His prophets and become more resilient. The teachings at Ensign College are aligned with these.

One of the privileges that I’ve had at Ensign College is to work with many aspects of this organization. As many have noticed, some of our hallways and floors have taken on a new look. This is thanks to countless hours by many who volunteer extra time and effort to make sure that this place of refuge, rising, and resilience can reflect our core values.

As we walk certain halls and floors in this building—now and in the coming months—please notice a deliberate effort and consistency when exiting elevators and heading to your classes. That deliberate effort can help us understand where our true orientation lies. On most floors, as you turn to your left, you will notice a large picture of the Savior Jesus Christ, who is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

You will see Him first—before we turn our thoughts to other destinations, other designs, and décor on the wall, or as many rush to meetings that are necessary, and class instruction, which is necessary. But you will see the Savior first. And that was done intentionally. This is who we are at Ensign College. We put first things first.

As I stated at the beginning of this talk, listening to and enjoying devotionals is a highlight of my week. I hope it is a highlight of your week too.

The challenge from here is to take not just the words or the stories that I’ve spoken today, but the thoughts, impressions, and feelings that you’ve had—into the next hour, into the next few hours, and onto your evening... even onto the TRAX line if you're locked out of the front door. If adjustments need to be made—and that very well might be reading an extra couple minutes of your daily scripture study (that may already be a habit)— it could be beginning a wonderful habit of communicating with the Lord more sincerely. The challenge will be acting on those impressions and remembering after this hour. You are trusted to do those things and you are capable of higher ground.

I testify that the restored keys of the priesthood are back on this earth. Those keys are held and authorized by Jesus Christ and are currently exercised by President Russell M. Nelson.

I am a witness of the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the Only Begotten of our Father, and He is my friend and my advocate.

He leads and guides this Church, and I know that.
And I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.