PALO ALTO, Calif. — LDS students at Stanford University gathered Oct. 13 to hear Elder Jeffrey R. Holland talk about the dynamics of an international Church, the difficulties of prioritizing and the underpinnings of his own testimony.
"I plead with you to believe that God loves you," said Elder Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve.
After a luncheon with recent converts and a conference with local press, the annual Convocation of the Latter-day Saints of Stanford University was held that evening at Memorial Church, a non-denominational chapel located at the center of the Stanford campus.
The convocation focused on the principles of learning and faith, as taught in Doctrine and Covenants 88:118: "Seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith."
Stanford University Provost John Etchmendy spoke first, complimenting the LDS community for its civility, sense of duty, generosity and ennobling presence that "raises the bar" for all of Stanford.
Following two students' remarks and several musical selections, Elder Holland addressed the congregation of students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends.
Elder Holland called the present a dramatic and exciting time to be alive, with more than 100 temples and 60,000 missionaries, numbers the world has never before seen. He encouraged those in attendance to embrace the privilege of the time, to find ways of giving something back, for "we carry on our shoulders the hopes and dreams of every generation that has gone before."
Speaking as a parent, Elder Holland explained that a fair amount of his life had been spent trying to reach back in gratitude for what went before. He expressed his concern for the young people, "all of whom we love, care about, and pray for," then recalled a song from a movie about Robin Hood, titled, "Everything I Do I Do for You."
In many ways, he said, "that is the Church's love song for your generation."
"We commend you, cheer you on, and pass the baton for a yet better leg of the race," he added.
He reminded the congregation that one of the most powerful ideas or principles of the gospel is that of divine destiny and inheritance, that Church members literally have the potential to come to the throne of God through the Atonement.
Additionally, "God is God because of what He knows, and, inextricably, because of what He does with what He knows."
He told the students to let this principle determine what they do with their education. One should not strive for education in the abstract, but in order to better live their religion, he explained.
Quoting from George McDonald, the Scottish minister responsible for author C.S. Lewis' conversion, Elder Holland cautioned that members are "bound not to even look like what we do not think."
Concluding, Elder Holland invited those in attendance to live for the gospel, to love it, to embrace it, to make the world a better place by stepping up and being counted.