Your Whole Souls as an Offering Unto Him

Elder David A. Bednar

Ricks College Devotional

January 5, 1999

I want to discuss the doctrinal and spiritual reasons for being a diligent student

Elder Richard L. Evans, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1953 to 1971	You know, it is a wonderful thing to be faithful, but a much greater thing to be both faithful and competent.  There is no particular virtue in being uninformed, certainly no virtue in ignorance.  When young people can acquire the skills, the techniques, and the knowledge of these times, and along with it have a spiritual commitment and a solid faith and cleanliness of life, there is nothing that you can’t achieve; nothing in righteousness or in reason.  (From an address given to the young people at the Northwest Inland Division Gathered for Zion’s Camp, October 15, 1971)
“diligent” and “competent”	Conscientiously and consistently and constantly learning how to learn is preparing your mind for the important and weighty responsibilities that shortly will come to you, and for which you must be ready.
Ricks College Mission Statement	The mission of Ricks College has four important and interrelated parts:   1.  Build testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and encourage living its principles.  - faithfulness  2.  Provide a quality education for students of diverse interests and abilities.  -  competence 3.  Prepare students for further education and employment, and for their roles as citizens and parents.  -  competence 4.  Maintain a wholesome academic, cultural, social and spiritual environment. - faithfulness and competence
Sacrifice	The word sacrifice means “to offer or surrender something valuable or precious. In summary then, the principle of sacrifice requires us to willingly offer anything and everything that we possess for the sake of the gospel of the Savior—including our character and reputation; our honor and applause; our good name among men; our houses, our lands, and even our families; all things, including our very lives if need be.
Our pledge	I will give all that I possess, and I am willing to die, if need be, for the gospel of Jesus Christ.   - Sacrifice is motivated by faith and hope and produces increased commitment and a desire to obey.
Consecration	Consecration is related to but different from sacrifice.  The word consecrate means to develop and “dedicate to a sacred purpose.”  Sacrifice is what I will offer, surrender, yield, or give up.  Consecration, on the other hand, is to fully develop and dedicate to a sacred purpose.
President Ezra Taft Benson	“We covenant to live the law of consecration.  This law is that we consecrate our time, talents, strength, property, and money for the upbuilding of the kingdom of God on this earth and the establishment of Zion (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 121).
Our pledge is:	I will give me and all that I can become, and I will live for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sacrifice and Consecration	I suggest that we must consecrate unto the Lord both a faithful heart and a strong mind—a mind capable of learning and instruction and discipline and receiving revelation.  And only our best is good enough for the Lord.

Summary:

We need to be diligent and be willing to learn and teach one another, be consistency with learning to learn.  Be open minded and do my very best that's all Heavenly father asks of me.