In Isaiah we read: “But now, O Lord, thou art our father we are the clay, and thou our potter and we all are the work of thy hand” ( Isaiah 64:8).Įlder Bruce R. Old Testament prophets used the metaphor of the potter and the clay to teach a particular dimension of our relationship to the Lord and remind us of our dependence on him. The slides you will see show one of his current students engaged in the ceramic process and some of Professor Christensen’s completed pieces. He generously gave of his time to both demonstrate and explain the process of forming clay pots. I am indebted to Brian Christensen, assistant professor of ceramics here at BYU.
Today I would like to use the symbolism of how a potter transforms clay into a valuable and useful vessel to show the Lord’s guiding hand in our lives. The scriptures are filled with glorious imagery that leads to deeper appreciation of the Lord’s counsel to us. How do we direct our fears and worries to the Lord so that we can focus our energies on the things that really matter? We must make these choices when what we feel most inclined to do is to rely more and more on our own frantic and often distorted thinking. We must choose to take our fears to him, choose to trust him, and choose to allow him to direct us. The uncertainties of earth life can help to remind each of us that we are dependent on . We’ll not worry about the future because the Lord has given us the assurance that if we live righteously, if we keep his commandments, if we humble ourselves before him, all will be well. Īctually, if directed properly, our worries and fears may be the very emotions that lead us to where we need to be.
I hope that we will keep ever burning in our hearts the spirit of this great work which we represent. When he said, “I am come that might have life, and that might have it more abundantly” ( John 10:10), I don’t believe he meant only after retirement but that we can enjoy peace and happiness now. When the Lord invites us to “cast burden” upon him ( Psalms 55:22), I believe he is talking to us now, regardless of our current lot in life. My remarks today are an attempt to dispel some of our worries and concerns. That is, until you talk to those who have graduated, married, and are settled in a career and find that many of them worry, too. We think that not until after we graduate, marry, and settle into a career can we experience a life that is rejoicing, relaxing, and reassuring. When the Savior proclaims, “Be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you” ( D&C 68:6), we sometimes conclude he couldn’t possibly be talking to students. Fears of losing a scholarship, running out of tuition money, never having a date, and lacking the intellect to complete graduation requirements can keep you perpetually burdened with doubt and worry. You hear frantic reports of a diminishing job market, a shrinking marriage market, and expanding competition to get what little there is of each. You are often reminded that the most critical decisions in life are made during these, your college years. Many of you may be feeling great concern as you look to the future. It has not been at all what they had expected, nor does it appear that it will become easier in the future. What do these two friends of mine have in common? Life has rarely, if ever, been easy for them. However, she considers herself wealthy because she has grandchildren and opportunities to expand her understanding and appreciation of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
Today she struggles financially and is learning to live a much simpler lifestyle. At the height of her career, as a result of a client’s dishonest dealings, she lost her business and any capital to begin again. She worked hard to support her young family and eventually became a very successful businesswoman. I know another woman who was widowed at age twenty-four, after only three years of marriage. Whenever I visit their relatively small and humble home, I am struck by their simultaneous expressions of gratitude, peace, and joy and their enthusiastic pursuit of knowledge. The couple serves faithfully in Church callings, finding numerous opportunities to encourage and assist those who are in need. However, by taking temporary jobs here and there, including those the family could do together, this woman and her husband have survived financially for several years. After her children were born, her husband lost his job he has yet to find permanent employment. Upon returning, she worked her way through college and graduate school, marrying when most considered her rather old.
She received no financial support nor spiritual encouragement from her family. One is a woman who served a full-time mission when it was not fashionable to be a sister missionary. Let me tell you about some people I know.