Offering five keys that "have been a blessing to me in my life," Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin addressed graduates of LDS Business College on May 5 in Salt Lake City.
"I believe that if you will apply them in your life, they will be a blessing to you as well," the apostle told the 352 graduates gathered in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square.
Elder Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve was the keynote speaker on the cloudy spring day during which some 580 two-year degrees were awarded, along with 205 certificates. Also offering remarks during the commencement proceedings were Elder W. Rolf Kerr of the Seventy and Commissioner of Church Education; LDS Business College President Stephen K. Woodhouse; and two student speakers, Fabio Ribas and Emily Jensen. The 2005 Distinguished Alumnus Award went to Larry C. Linton, a 1959 graduate of LDS Business College who developed the successful LANDA Water Cleaning Systems and recently developed Water Tech Industries.
In his address, Elder Wirthlin elaborated on his five keys:
"Don't be afraid." Sometimes fear, the apostle said, "makes us run away from things — things like setting and achieving goals, developing relationships that last a lifetime, or becoming the people we know we should become. Sometimes fear can even paralyze us to the point where we don't even try to achieve our goals. . . .
"Remember, the kind of fear that paralyzes us and keeps us from acting in our best interest is not of our Heavenly Father. Paul taught this when he wrote, 'God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.' "
"Have faith." Elder Wirthlin counseled: "With faith, all things are possible. Mountains can be moved, fear overcome, doors opened. With faith, miracles can occur. One way to increase our faith is to spend time communicating with our Heavenly Father. As we reach out to Him in prayer, He will draw near to us."
"Work. From the days of Adam and Eve until now, our Heavenly Father has commanded that we should work. . . . If you consistently work towards righteous ends, the Lord will bless you as you work and you will find satisfaction, joy and a sense of confidence and accomplishment."
"Do what is right. It is not enough to do things. We must do the right things — the things our Heavenly Father would want us to do. . . . Some people feel that the commandments of our Heavenly Father are restrictive and hold us back in some way. The truth is, they are a handbook to happiness. Every aspect of the gospel of Jesus Christ — the principles, the doctrines and the commandments — is a part of our Heavenly Father's plan to help us obtain peace and happiness not only in this life but worlds to come."
"Persevere to the end." To illustrate, Elder Wirthlin shared the account of Emily Anne Jensen, who was one of the graduate speakers during the commencement program. When Emily was 16, she was in a serious car accident that sent her into a coma "and changed her life forever. . . . After she awoke from the coma, it was apparent that her life would be very different from the one she had imagined. Emily had to relearn everything — from sitting up, to eating, to walking. It took six months of rehabilitation before she could leave the hospital."
Emily returned to school, with her mother's help, graduated from high school and entered LDS Business College. She hopes to become a recreational therapist and "help others who were going through what she had," Elder Wirthlin added.
In his brief remarks, Elder Kerr spoke of the graduates' success and their future contributions in their chosen fields. "Every aspect of the future is before you, and you have only just begun."
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