Where There Is No Vision | L. Tom Perry

this Brigham Young University devotional by elder L Tom Perry was given March 25th 1990 this is a unique opportunity and I want you to know that I've given this assignment considerable thought I started thinking that I should offer an eloquent respectful introduction of my father perhaps modeling what I do after the way President hafen introduces President Lee but that didn't feel exactly right to me you see I firmly believe that I was placed on this earth so every once in a while my father would know what it feels like to be Rodney Dangerfield it would be a mistake to let my father know how I really feel about him you can interpret that however you like then I realized that this was a golden opportunity to embarrass my father after all he's embarrassed me a few times at General Conference it probably time to pay him back I could do something like L Tom Perry this is your life or even better a version of life's most embarrassing moments there was also the possibility of an elder Perry roast then I remembered something then I remember something my father is speaking after not before me he would have the last word and he can be every bit as mischievous as I am concluding that sometimes discretion is the better part of valor I decided the best thing to do was tell a simple story a story about an experience my father and I shared that will tell you something about the kind of man he is my father and I were out in my garden plot a few springs ago preparing a patch of ground for planting our soil is of the typical Orem variety mostly rock now my backyard which is where the garden is is encircled by a fence and borders on a cherry orchard because my father and I were digging up so many rocks we found it handy simply to toss them over the fence now I was assuming we would just leave them there and after all what harm would a few rocks do to our neighbors orchard and as it turned out that's what we did I did not look over the fence before we went in for the evening but I think you can assume that we left quite a few rocks on the other side a few days later I went out to the backyard to feed our dog after work I did not see them at first but there they were right in the middle of our freshly hoed garden most of the large rocks my father and I had thrown over the fence I assumed that it was the man who farmed the orchard behind us who had returned our rocks to us I had heard that he was something of a cantankerous old fellow word around the neighborhood was he didn't even smile at his grandchildren in fact the only time I had ever seen him smile was when he was spraying insecticide at us over our backyard fence I of course respected his right to have our rocks on his property but I wasn't very pleased about the way he asserted his right I called my father tell him about our reappearing rocks and his reaction surprised me I assumed he would be angry that all the work we had done had been destroyed instead he couldn't have been more embarrassed you see my father had other plans for those rocks he's always having plans he doesn't tell me about by the way he was going to use them as a border along the back of our fence to prevent wild animals from digging under it he had never intended to leave the pile of rocks out in our neighbor's orchard at least not for very long he had simply run out of time as soon as my father heard about the incident he made a special trip down from Salt Lake to talk to our neighbor I tagged along and watched my father approach a man who was so angry he couldn't even look up at us my father bent over backwards apologizing and still it was five minutes before our neighbor even spoke to him well somehow after another 15 minutes my father finally won the man over with his sincerity then what my father did did was even more remarkable he got down on his knees with me and we worked side by side well past dark until every Rock within 15 feet of the back of our fence was stacked up against it my father didn't seem to care whether we were moving our rocks or our neighbor's rocks he wanted them all out of the way I think he knew that it was ridiculous to have an orchard that clear of rocks but of course he wasn't just moving rocks moreover I'm certain that even if our neighbor had not thrown the rocks back over the fence that my father would have still been out there perhaps it would have been a few days later on his hands and needs clearing or 15-foot swath of orchard of rocks that's because my father has always viewed a fence as something to be climbed over to do good on the other side well elder Perry is an apostle of the Lord and a special witness of Christ he is also my father and more than the inspirational lessons I have heard him preach over the pulpit I appreciate the simple lessons he has taught me about life by example he is a great man and I want to assure you that he does or than give wise counsel he also lives the council he gives I present to you elder L Tom Perry of the Council of the Twelve Apostles Thank You Lee that's one of the better ones we've enjoyed our life together I think the relationship of father and son is special on this earth and I'll always cherish those moments we have together I just wish I could train him to be a gardener I've never been able to encourage him in that great art of growing a garden Carolyn is pretty good Davitt Lee still has a couple of problems with gardening a few years ago I was assigned to make a visit to Tonga well there I was requested to speak to the student body of the Liahona school as we gathered on the stand I gazed over 900 beautiful students seated before me in the school's cultural hall after the opening exercises a nice special musical number the entire student body entered into a scripture chase the scriptural questions were introduced and all the students who could find them the right answer would stand up after each question a number were eliminated finally only six remained they were invited to come forward and to make everything even they were invited to place the scriptures on their head the situation was presented they were to take the scripture off their head and find it and then report it was amazing there what happened with a young lady I was absolutely astounded she would pick up her scripture put it on her head just Bob her head and it would follow up unto the right answer and she would read it I couldn't believe it so I insisted that she take my scriptures I thought she had some sort of a trick issues she was playing on us and then I read a question challenging the six participants and clearly she was the winner again a most remarkable young lady I was profoundly impressed with the scripture tease so tonight because this is a fireside I've decided to have a scripture chase I've invited six of the students of the stakes that four of the students that are participating here this evening to come forward if you please come forward and join me up here now Mike Hickson please come you're the first okay Mike which school are you in business business oh that stand you in good stead I like that I do too where's your home Simi Valley California oh great and what year are you Junior junior excellent well I have for you a scripture here that was printed in 1842 probably one very similar to what the Prophet Joseph Smith was using at the time he was studying if you please take that one next Rose how rose I'll tell me where you're from st. Louis st. Louis and what year are you sophomore and what's your field excellent very good I couldn't find my missionary scriptures I don't know what I've done with those Linda yay they must be up in your attic someplace but I have one that was printed at the same vintage of scriptures here just like I carried on my mission back in the 1942 well you take that one now Kathy how are you related please come up here you're from st. Louis also and what's your field oh you're my model tonight that's just exactly the subject I'm talking about how did you ever guess I'm glad you have the spirit and what year are you you're the younger sister yeah ah well very good I have the latest edition here that was printed in 1979 the one we're using today now if you look in the old scripture we have a concordance the one you have already reference and this one a topical guide now Cory Steele where are you from I'm from Simi Valley California Oh another close neighbor here and what's your field accounting accounting good we've got two accountants now just for you I've brought a computer and we have LDS view on this computer so now if you'll open up the computer I'm going to have you find each of you fine for me oh yeah she better throw the switch or is the switch leak sorry there we are go ahead and talk you think you can handle this art I'd lead now what we're going to do is in the 1842 edition we're gonna use the concordance my mission field Edition 1942 the ready reference 1979 the topical guide and the computer program we're going to use what's the name of it now you said it's different in LDS view it's folios folio huh all right are you ready to go all right my message tonight is this scripture I want each of you to find it to see which one can move the most rapidly where there is no vision the people perish please tell me where that's found Roberts proverbs 29:18 my goodness where were the rest of you while I was going on I assure you what's in there couldn't you find it very good thank you very much if this hadn't work my whole talk would have been ruined now I was course it was obvious that the computer would be much more rapid than the Scriptures that we have before scholarship and technology of open new visions for us new opportunities to grow to understand that we've never experienced before in the history of mankind the demonstration also begs the question where do we stand as individuals and using these wonderful beautiful techniques the world is supplying for us today are we still script torian's in the 1842 vintage the 1940s the 1979's are we so excited about what the world has to offer for us in this age and we're eager to take advantage of every opportunity that's presented to us now of course the key word in this scripture that I want to use as my text tonight is vision the dictionary has forced specific definitions for vision the first something seen in a dream a trance or ecstasy a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation another one an act or power of seeing sight another something seen a livelier charming sight but the one I want to use tonight is an act or power of imagination mode of seeing are conceiving unusual discernment or foresight that's the one we want to use tonight we live in a most remarkable period of change just look what's happened in the last few months bold headlines in the Time magazine not so long ago declared freedom the wall crumbles overnight Berliners embrace an unbelievable joy and a stunned world Ponder's the consequences the article goes on to say for 28 years it has stood as a symbol a division between Europe and the world the Berlin Wall that hideous 28 mile scar throughout the heart of a once proud European capital not to mention the souls of people and then poof it was gone not physically at least yet but gone as an effective barrier between East and West open in one unmistakable stunning stroke to the people who had been kept apart for generations it was one of those rare times when history shifts but beneath men's feet and nothing after is quite the same once there was a break in the wall there was no way of containing the spirit of the people and their desire to have freedom a little more than a month later after these this remarkable article the Romanians were trying to comprehend their newly found freedom a news correspondent from Associated Press on December 30th wrote this in a passion that fueled Romanians revolution freedom was spoken again and again but to a people forced to register even their typewriters the full meaning of the exotic word was difficult to grasp what is it to live free to travel free to speak free said a young medical student we have only seen darkness and silence we cannot realize what freedom is you grow up in freedom you do not realize what it means to us she paused and frowned and apologized for a poor English I am sorry she said I learn English 11 years this is the first time I'm allowed to speak it imagine that studying 11 years hoping someday she would have an opportunity to speak in a language that typify freedom as I've witnessed these exciting events in the last few months the privilege of living under a system which grants to us the right to live free suddenly has become more meaningful to me maybe this time that we listen to their cries and with a self determination make every effort to really understand this god-given blessing to us here immortality now other nations are anxious for the light of freedom that we have enjoyed for over 200 years we should be a beacon to lead them to more fulfilling lives never is the opportunity and the challenge been greater to make our system work the way it was intended than it is today we're assembled here as a body of students seeking a higher education what talent and innate ability we've brought together tonight under this Marriott center roof what a sit and reason together for a few minutes to see how we can maximize the potential power that is within each one of us for the benefit of our fellow man the first step would be to take advantage of the educational opportunities and which are available to us in these institutions which we're currently enrolled there's a New Testament scripture which reads for which of you intend to build a tower sitteth not down first and count the cost whether you have sufficient to finish it lest haply after he's laid the foundation he's not able to finish it and all the behold it began to mock him saying this man began to build but was not able to finish I'm afraid there are many of us here tonight who approach our education without a vision of what we want or where we want to go we have not used the power of our imagination our mode of seeing our conceiving or any discernment or foresight how often I meet full-time missionaries in the field just before they're returning home after completing a successful mission and I asked them what comes next some answer I'm going to return to school what are your educational objectives the answer comes back doctors lawyers merchants engineers or some other field then I meet them some months later when they're enrolled in a university or college I inquire up how their plans are progressing many say oh I've changed my mind I'm not going to be a doctor I don't like the chemistry a requirement the next question is what are your pursuing now the answer is all too often I'm enrolled in university studies until I can make a determination of where I want to go now there's nothing wrong with university studies if it's a well thought-out objective that will lead to something if it's just a way of marking time until you've made a determination in your career the career you want to pursue then you're wasting precious time and the resources of the universities and the colleges you were attending there was an article in the newspaper the other night that said most university students are taking six years to complete a four-year course the main reason for the extended time is the periodic change of majors for one reason some of you approach your schooling like going to a grocery store using your hard-earned money to buy four sacks of groceries paying for all four then leaving one on the counter and walking out not taking it your advantages in a timely fashion of what you're having the privilege here to receive this creates two problems first there's a great personal loss to you in both time and resource second you're creating a burden on the church and on the state who are supplying much of the financial means committed to your education you occupy a place and using a resource that someone else could use who knows the direction they want to go the enrollments of these schools are filling up very rapidly in fact the Provost will tell you that we're way over enrollment here and the executive committee's a little concerned about it right if you're still searching for a direction you'd like to pursue in your life maybe you should take a little time away from school to catch the vision of what you really want to do the course you want to pursue live now it's not my objective here tonight to discourage you from earnestly seeking after the best education you're capable of obtaining without it you place yourself in a disadvantaged position in an ever-changing world what I'm trying to say is to pray to study to see to plan to test to discuss and earnestly strive not for the easy and comfortable way but for the soul-satisfying diligent energetic course that will lead you to the opportunities you're earnestly seeking enrollment in a school of higher learning is not classified under the heading of an entitlement as the result of your birthright it is a privilege to be associated to a be appreciated and to be taken advantage of to the best of your abilities I want to leave a couple of concepts with you tonight to remind you of setting goals that bring growth into your life the role reminded us that men were born to succeed and not to fail the line between success and failure may be also fine that we scarcely know when we pass over it often we throw up our hands and hard times win with just a little effort little extra effort and a little more patience we would have achieved success persistence can turn what seems hopeless failure into a joyous success there's no failure accepting no longer trying failure is not falling down but staying down there is a single factor that makes for successful living it is the ability to draw dividends from defeat I want to talk to you about the premise that growth is the only real sign of life we accept this premise in the plant kingdom each spring we look forward to growth to determine if plants have survived the winter and are indeed alive I believe it is also true of individuals for families for businesses or for the church growth is essential for life and vitality when we think of growth most of us just think of adding growth really has three dimensions adding shedding and perhaps the most important leveraging our natural god-given talents and strengths I believe success and any are all dimensions of life comes primarily from leveraging our strengths and our gifts I would define leveraging for our purpose tonight as using the power and effectiveness we have within us to organize our strengths to gain greater advantage from them when I am in need of special motivation to leverage myself the greater accomplishment I often turn to records in the in the scriptures the seem to inspire me and seem to never grow old could I use one for you as an example tonight the story of Joseph in Egypt imagine you were in Joseph's shoes and find yourself in this situation we Ori meet read the remarkable story about this family that had the large number of boys one of the sons Joseph's was loved by his father more than his other brothers to show his love to his son if the father made him a coat of many colors and the scripture ecards and when his brethren saw that his father loved him more than all his brethren they hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him now Joseph didn't make matters any better he used to have dreams can you imagine coming to the breakfast table and telling your brother in something like this he said to his brothers here I pray you this dream I have dreamed for behold we were binding sheaves in the field and lo my sheaf arose and stood upright and behold your sheaves stood round about and made obeisance to my sheaf can you just imagine what would happen telling your brothers that way try that on your sister sometime when you go home his brother and said unto him shall tau indeed reign over us or shall tau indeed have dominion over us and they hated him yet even more because of his dreams and because of his words not to complicate the process the father allowed Joseph to stay home send his brethren out in the field attend the flocks and every now and then would say to Joseph go out and check up on your brothers one day they saw him coming from afar and they felt as if they could stand their brother no longer and they conspired to slay him they conceived a plan that would kill him and tell their father the some wild beasts had devoured their brother but one had compassion on their brother did not want the blood of his brother on his hands he persuaded his brother to cast him and cast Joseph into a pit then they would not be responsible for his death then another brother who was a great merchant evidently brother said what profit is is that for us to slay our brother concealed his blood come let us sell into the Ishmaelites and let not our hands be upon him for he is our brother and our flesh and his brethren were content so they sold this their 17 year old brother to a caravan on their way to Egypt so that he would be sold as a slave in a strange land with a strange tongue strange customers out of this comfortable home and environment that had been associated with now that would almost destroy the spirit of any young man but not Joseph he seemed to never be discouraged he thought of I have to be a slave I'll be the best slave there is and his countenance rent radiated a special spirit when he was offered for sale he was purchased by the captain of the Kingsguard it was only a short time before Joseph had Saul distinguished himself to the captain of the guard that he made him ruler over his whole house in authority he was the first servant he was made over overseer all over all the captain had and the captain put his complete trust his property is income in the hands of Joseph Joseph was a goodly person and achieved the position of prominence through the help of the Lord but his troubles were only beginning this handsome young man attracted the wife of the captain of the guard one day when he was working alone in the house she heard him came in put her hand on his garment Joseph being a righteous man knew that this was no place for him and he loosed himself from his garment and fled left the wife holding Joseph's garment in her hand can you imagine what that would do to a woman and the Scriptures record and he got him out you see he fled from temptation he knew when he was in the wrong place now when her husband returned she told a terrible story about Joseph and the captain was so angry he had him cast into prison now not only being separated from your family being a slave in this strange land he found himself this time in prison I can just imagine what the prisons were like in Egypt and that day they probably were not a very delightful place to spend time but Joseph again not being easily easily discouraged he set about to become the best prisoner in all the prison and soon he gained favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison again the Scriptures record and the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison and whatsoever they did there he was the doer of it now he was a chief prisoner in the prison never discouraged you see Joseph was given the highest position he could possibly obtain he tried to seize on every opportunity to advance his growth and development cast into the prison shortly after Joseph were two of the king's officers the chief Butler and chief Baker Joseph soon became acquainted with him they both had dreams because Joseph was a righteous man he interpreted their dreams to one he said you will not get out of prison but lose your life year to the other he said you will soon have the opportunity of returning to your farmer position of Honor with the Pharaoh then he said to the one who would be returned to the Pharaoh to his former position please remember me to the Pharaoh I'm tired of this prison life I want to be released the chief Butler was restored to his position of prominence forgot all about Joseph for two years then one day the King had a which none of the wise men could interpret then the chief Butler remember Joseph and he went to the king and said there's a man in prison who can interpret your dream the Pharaoh sent for Joseph and Joseph under the inspiration of the Lord interpreted the Kings dream the king the Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph that he was released from prison and made a servant serving him Saul Joseph again distinguished himself so much as a servant of the Pharaoh that he soon became chief among all the servants in fact became second in all the land of Egypt second only to the Pharaoh himself he turned every situation he encountered in life into an opportunity for growth because of Joe's the service of Joseph rendered the Pharaoh said unto the other servants can we find such a one as this a man in whom the Spirit of God is and the Pharaoh recognized that Joseph was indeed directed by the Lord when he said unto him for inasmuch as God hath showed these the all this there is none so discreet and wise as thou art do you see what happened to Joseph when he was faced with difficult problems he leveraged every opportunity to take advantage of it to place him in a position where he could grow progress and achieve to order to man in order to maximize our growth we must identify clearly what are our natural gifts and our talents we all have them in abundance we can determine these in a number of ways we can go and receive a father's blessing a patriarchal blessing we can keep track of a record of our accomplishments we can go through some specific track testing or we can talk to others as they have impressions about what we can do and what are our talents in our lives planning if we want to optimize our opportunities for success we need to align ourselves with our natural strengths and gifts we need to consistently and carefully select a few items that will add to our growth including ways we think about our behavior specific capabilities our knowledge and skills that we've acquired in addition to adding we also need to end identify one or two items that seem to get in our way there are barriers to our growth and then we need to set on a course of shedding those these might include ways we think about things our behavior our habits our lack of decision-making or whatever they may be this approach to our growth recognizes individual uniqueness and esteemed distinctiveness that God has given to each one of us and then positions us to leverage our uniqueness and distinctiveness for our own individual successes this does not assume the path of least resistance does not assume any particular measure of success it does not assume a niche mommy major but rather focuses on becoming all that we can become let us look for a minute at learning AG Bennet in his book on transformation said this the ability to learn is so precious equality that it cannot disappear from a perfect man to be able to learn as to be young and whosoever keeps the joy of learning fresh within him remains young forever the ignorant man is like a prisoner that languishes in a narrow cell which will later become his grave because he has not learned that the door is not locked everyone can find within himself or herself in word attitudes of mind or outward habits of behavior there are contrary to our own ideals struggle within oneself can also be called self-discipline through struggle we become stronger by ceasing to struggle we only grow weaker so long as we're dissatisfied and do not know what we were what we really want we shall probably do plenty of foolish things self-knowledge and struggle within oneself go hand in hand organize your struggles choose with what you will struggle persistence will do what cannot be achieved by force persistence is a twin sister of excellence remember that what is a presence struggle is the key to future happiness never stop to regret failure or to excuse them Paul encouraged us to forget our failures and move on when he told the Philippians this is one thing I do forget those things which are behind and reach forth unto those things which are before great lesson from Paul president Kimball has said life gives to all choices you can be satisfied with yourself with mediocrity if you wish you can be common ordinary dull colorless or you can channel your life so that you'll be clean vibrant progressive useful colorful and rich certainly any of us who followed the counsel of president Kimball knew how he had to overcome time and time again to be certain that he was accomplishing and growing I continually marveled at that man from the time I had the opportunity of first medium how he was always striving never satisfied with his own performance always seeking to improve and to grow now my prayer for all of us here tonight is that with this life of choices we may realize who we are and what great potential we have we may start today to discipline ourselves to reach for higher goals to study to learn to grow to determine a course we want to follow as we go through the opportunities of this great mortal experience we must catch the vision of who we really are and what we can become for where there is no vision the people perish the Lord has truly blessed us if we will only do our part and utilize our talents and our opportunities that he has given us to set our direction on a course that will lead us back to his presence he will bless us mightily with his spirit now it's always a joy to come to this great place be with you vibrant alive students who have so much to offer the world what a privilege we're having what an opportunity what a contribution we can make to the world in which we live if we'll only follow the counsel and study and listen and grow and realize our potential here never be satisfied with where you are always be reaching out to make the world a better place to make your sacrifice for the benefit of your fellow man start tomorrow morning with your roommate get up and do something nice for her or him might be quite a shock to them first time you try it we don't want to have any heart attacks in the morning start with something slow and easy but see what the light that brings into your life as you have opportunity to make that kind of a contribution we leave our blessing on each one of you that you may realize your great potential an opportunity that you may seize upon it and use this opportunity to do the best you can to bring joy and happiness into a great and troubled world the Lord lives Jesus is the Christ the Saviour of the world he has led the way not through an easy life but through one most difficult to give to us the greatest of all blessings possible to obtain may we follow and be his disciples as we progress through life is my prayer in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ amen for more information on this program please visit our website at BYU broadcasting dot-org this Brigham Young University devotional by elder L Tom Perry was given March 25th 1990

Channel: BYU Speeches

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Rating: 4.8254547 out of 5

Keywords: Brigham Young University, BYU devotionals, potential, education, opportunity, service, priorities

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Length: 43min 54sec (2634 seconds)

Published: Tue Oct 30 2012