PROVO — Marjorie Pay Hinckley counts her blessings for elocution lessons her parents asked her to take in her formative years.
As wife of the leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sister Hinckley has delivered countless messages of the heart to standing-room-only crowds around the globe.
Her heartfelt, sage words came to Brigham Young University on Thursday at the school's commencement rites, during which she received an honorary doctorate of Christian service from the school.
Jerold D. and JoAnn Ottley, who served in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, also received presidential citations for some 25 years of service in the world-renowned music group.
More than 6,100 students — who hailed from 48 countries — were to be awarded bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees at convocations Friday, the largest class in the history of the university.
"Giving advice is one of the few rewards of old age," said Sister Hinckley in her delightful address at the Marriott Center in front of 21,400 people.
"My advice to you is: Just do what needs to be done."
Sister Hinckley, who reared five children with her husband, Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, wanted to attend the University of Utah as a young woman. Hardships during the Depres- sion forced her to the workplace, where she used shorthand and typing skills to help earn more money for her family.
But she loved to read and developed a passion for learning through literature. Sister Hinckley continues to read voraciously, including two daily newspapers and the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal.
"Keep learning — there is no end," she urged students. "Remember that insignificant things prepare us for the future."
With a motherly, gentle nudge, she reminded graduates to thank those who helped them earn their degrees.
"God loves a cheerful giver," she said. "Everyone does.
"Never let a day go by without saying thank you," she said. "If you can't find someone to say thank you to, then take a look at your toothbrush and say, 'My, you're a wonderful gadget.' "
"I love the graduates for what they have done, for their hard work and their excellence," she said. " We need to lock arms and go forward, for you are truly wonderful."
President Hinckley said he "had absolutely nothing to do with" the school's decision to honor his wife with the honorary degree.
"It has never been discussed in any meeting in which I have been in attendance. They completely bypassed the chairman of the board of trustees," he said. "It has come out of a love for this dear woman, which is shared by so very many."
President Hinckley said the goodness he sees in his children comes from the years of Sister Hinckley's work in the home.
"They phone us regularly and if I happen to answer the phone they say, 'Hi, Dad, is mother there?' " he said. "They have been saying that since they were tiny tots. They say hello to me, but they wish to talk to their mother."
In his short remarks, President Hinckley congratulated the degree recipients of the LDS Church Education System's flagship school. Still, he reminded the students, credentials on the wall do not make a decent human being.
"It is the small acts of kindness that made the big difference between civilization and the jungle," he said. "Give something of yourself, without fee or recompense, to those in need, and as you give, your own life will enlarge."
BYU President Merrill J. Bateman said the university is well known for its talented and capable graduates. More important, he said, graduates of BYU are known to be honest and hard-working.
A survey of BYU students by Duke University researchers showed that 92 percent of the men and women at the Provo school had never seen another student cheat on a test, he said.
"Can you put a value on honesty?" he said. "Ultimately, it is of infinite worth."
"Brigham Young University's student body is unique," he said. "You have demonstrated the ability to learn. And now you have been blessed with the extraordinary opportunity to learn from one of the finest faculties in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, in an environment that is conducive to the growth of character as well as intellect."
You can reach Jeffrey P. Haney by e-mail at jeffh@desnews.com