Sept. 8 Devotional
President and Sister Reese sit together before the devotional. They shared messages to welcome students back. (Clara Pierce)
President C. Shane Reese and Sister Wendy Reese welcomed students back to campus and encouraged them to come closer to their Savior at a BYU devotional on Sept. 8.Sister Wendy Reese shared the importance of actively listening to Heavenly Father. She shared a story of how President Reese didn't hear her when she called for him to take out the trash, but he promptly arrived in the room when she said dinner was ready. She described this as an example of selective hearing."Sometimes we can hear something, but not really hear it," Sister Reese said. "My invitation to you at the outset of this semester is to have ears to hear — to really hear the instructions from heaven that God wants to give to you and then to have the faith to follow them."Sister Reese said prayer is one of the best ways to make listening to Heavenly Father a part of our daily lives. She described prayer as a way to stay connected to Him at all times."When we understand our relationship with Heavenly Father, then we begin to understand daily, constant prayer is how we unite ourselves with His point of view," Sister Reese said. "I promise that as you make your prayers more earnest, you will be able to put your trust in Him with all your heart instead of relying on your own understanding."Sister Reese also explained answers come in the Lord's time. She said being anxiously engaged in good things, writing down impressions, remembering past blessings and having courage can help us during these times of waiting.President C. Shane Reese spoke after his wife. He warmly welcomed students and shared insights from his time at BYU.
President Reese speaks at a campus devotional. He encouraged students to be more present and to turn to Christ. (Clara Pierce)
"New semesters at BYU mean new friends, new professors, new roommates and maybe, just maybe, a new romance," President Reese said. "All this newness invariably means plenty of awkward moments, and that’s great, fantastic even, because awkwardness, in my experience, is a sign of growth."He encouraged students to embrace the awkwardness and learn from the struggles they face. Specifically, he invited students to put their phones away and take out their earbuds in order to be more present."Too often earbuds and cellphones become ways to avoid those awkward human interactions that social scientists remind us are actually so important for our development — and, I would add — are also critical to our ability to serve God’s children," President Reese said.
Students and faculty gather to hear President and Sister Reese. Many took a break from classes to come and listen. (Clara Pierce)
President Reese finished by highlighting the importance of turning to Jesus Christ."Jesus Christ died so that we could live more abundantly. So, let us live as He would have us live this semester and always. I promise you that your futures are so bright, brighter than even you know," President Reese said.Both President and Sister Reese closed their remarks by bearing witness of Christ.
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President C. Shane Reese
Sister Wendy Reese
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