BYU–Hawaii News

Professor Norman Evans, President of the BYU-Hawaii 2nd stake, shared with students and faculty the importance of "the nature of change" at a devotional on Mar. 6 in the Cannon Activities Center. Evans said, "We are all here in this mortal existence to become what our Eternal Father knows we are capable of becoming." Evans pointed to the scriptures as "a guide toward our eternal potential" and made numerous references particularly to the Book of Mormon. "The scriptures are of full of injunctions pointing us toward our eternal potential," he said. "It was King Benjamin in the Book or Mormon who said that we must "put off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things,'" Evans said. "Alma and Amulek exhort us to use our time in mortality to prepare to meet God," he said. "We must change from our natural tendencies and turn to a higher level of performance." Quoting III Nephi 27:27, Evans explained, "Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am. What a significant challenge our Savior has issued to become even as He is." "How do we change from who we are to what he wants us to become? King Benjamin's choice of words to "put off the natural man" seems to belie the vastness of the task. Changing is hard work," he said. Evans added that although change from a natural to a Christ-like life can be very difficult, it is possible. He then suggested "four principles of change" that he has observed over the years. In outlining the first principle, he said, "as we work toward achieving our divine potential we must understand that change and progress are not synonymous." Evans explained that our external, physical changes "are obvious" using the analogy of a car to illustrate that no matter how much we change the exterior, "we are still driving the same car." "The changes I am speaking of today are what King Benjamin, Alma, and Samuel call a 'change of heart,'" he said. "An internal change is lasting and purposeful not just a change but a purposeful directing of our efforts toward noble and good causes." The second principle Evans shared with the students and faculty was that "change seldom occurs at the center." He said this principle stemmed from some studies he did as a graduate student. If we stop and consider the things it has taken each of us to get to this point today, we would be quick to recognize that like Alma, it took time, experiences and trials to change, he explained. The third principle of change is closely related to the second: change is a process, not an event," Evans continued. Inspired by Benjamin Franklin and his endless pursuit of "moral perfection," Evans used that example of perfecting such virtues as temperance, silence, and order--13 in total to demonstrate a systematic process toward change. "Franklin was convinced the way to achieve perfection in these aspects of his life was to establish a process whereby he could systematically overcome each in order," he said. Evans added to this third principle President Spencer W. Kimball's familiar injunction to "Lengthen our stride" and have a "quiet resolve to do a better job." Eventually and over time, these small incremental changes are what make a difference in our lives. "Time is at the center of my fourth and final principle of change. Stated simply, meaningful change takes time," he said. He counseled that in this age of rapid information technology, where information can be transferred instantaneously, we should not be misguided into believing that personal change will occur at the same rate. Evans" final point was the example of the "suffocatingly slow process the early saints endured to build the Salt Lake temple." "Not until April 6, 1892, nearly forty years after it was begun, did President Woodruff set the capstone of the Salt Lake temple in place," he said. "Great works do indeed take time." Evans added, "Can we expect any less of ourselves as we strive to build of our lives what our Father has always seen in us? Are we not told in the scriptures that 'out of small and simple things are great things brought to pass?' Let us be patient with the changes that we envision for ourselves." "All of us cannot be geniuses, but we can strive for excellence," he said. "This quest may be a long one. It may be fraught with much of repentance, and it will take much effort. Do not sell yourselves short. You are sons and daughters of God, children with a divine potential. 'Look to God and live.'" Read Full Story

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