Finding Comfort and Connection

Many BYU presidents and their spouses have shared their views on BYU and its students, However modern remarks can be more applicable now than ever. President and Sister Reese delivered inspiring messages to BYU students at the start of the fall semester, emphasizing the importance of Christ-like principles. They shared personal experiences of how BYU positively impacted them. But then why did they share these insights with new and returning students? It seems that they are not only trying to set a foundation for students to know them, but to let us know that Christ has provided divine connections in our lives and that He can provide comfort in difficult times.

President Reese began his remarks mentioning how being a young freshman at BYU brought him many instances where he felt he wasn’t made for BYU, and how a law professor at BYU helped him to know how BYU was made for him. In the same way, we can know that our time at ELC is valuable to everyone that teaches and studies here and especially to Christ. President Reese mentioned that our lives are interconnected, much like a complex social network that emerges as individuals establish connections with one another. President Reese also explained how all these complex connections might appear like just random occurrences in our lives but the truth is that our lives become richer, more interesting, and more meaningful to God when we understand that all these “coincidences” ar part of a bigger plan or “Divine design” This same plan that unites all of us, helps us to become better with each connection we have in our lives, but it will also require us to trust in the Lord’s timing. So the question is, what things can we do to trust in the Lord’s timing? Some suggestions we can find are, going to the temple regularly, serving others and following the honor code. This also gives us our uniqueness as a teaching institution. Former BYU president, Jeffrey R. Holland, said in a memorable speech year ago the following: “We must have the will to be different and to stand alone, if necessary, being a university second to none in its role primarily as an undergraduate teaching institution that is unequivocally true to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ”

Sister Wendy Reese echoed her husband's sentiments about BYU's significance. For Sister Reese, BYU is a place where to find comfort and feel comfortable, and gladly, she shared how these two concepts, although connected, are not the same. As BYU students, and in our case, ELC students, we can face many different challenges in our lives. All of us are international students, which means that we came from another country, perhaps alone, hoping to improve our English, to strive in our academic and professional lives. But that doesn’t come without challenges. So what can we do to find comfort in such demanding situations? Sister Reese offered really helpful insight to answer this question. First, we can Pray to our Father in heaven. Personal prayers strengthen our relationship with the Lord and in return he provides comfort and support, Second, serving others. Feeling comfortable happens when we sacrifice and serve others, Third, Attending the Temple. The temple can be a place of peace during times of turbulence and uncertainty. These are really good actions we can start practicing to feel our Savior peace, and as President Henry B. Eirying mentioned in his last talk during the last general conference, we can be sure that the Savior is aware that every one of God's children desires tranquility, and He affirmed His ability to grant it to us.

The question then arises, Do these principles also apply to ELC students? The answer, although obvious, it’s powerful. Yes, these principles apply to all of us. ELC is based on the same principles as BYU is. We follow the honor code, we need to receive an ecclesiastical recommendation, and we follow the same dress and grooming standards as any other BYU student would. President Reese said in his talk the following: “Our dress and appearance are an outward reflection of our inner commitment to live by certain principles. They reflect our unique mission” We, as ELC students, are choosing to live in a certain way, and thus expressing our unique mission.