Bishop Budge Teaches What Disciples of Christ Should Let Go of and Hold on to

 
This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.

 
By Rachel Sterzer Gibson, Church News
 

In addressing BYU–Idaho graduates on Thursday, December 15, 2022, Bishop L. Todd Budge of the Presiding Bishopric shared four things graduates should let go of — sin, guilt, grudges and one’s own will — and four things they should hold on to — the Holy Ghost, faith, the word of God and covenants.

“I testify that as you steadily progress along the path of discipleship, holding fast to that which is true and letting go of that which is not, that you will find joy along the way,” Bishop Budge promised.

During BYU–Idaho’s fall graduation ceremonies, held in the BYU–Idaho Center on the Rexburg, Idaho, campus, the school honored 2,927 students with 2,202 bachelor’s degrees and 811 associate degrees. Of those, 1,101 were online students and 1,161 of them began their studies as BYU–Pathway students.

 
Bishop Budge, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, was accompanied to Rexburg by his wife, Sister Lori Budge. BYU–Idaho President Henry J. Eyring, who had planned to conduct and offer remarks, lost his voice due to illness and was unable to attend. Instead, his talk was read by Rob Garrett, vice president of executive strategy and planning at BYU–Idaho. R. Kelly Haws, secretary to the Board of Education and assistant to the commissioner, also provided brief remarks.

Bishop Budge began his remarks by recalling his own graduation from BYU 38 years ago. Because he had already taken a job in Japan, he and his wife missed their commencement exercises.

“Looking back on our lives since graduation, we are filled with gratitude for the preparation we received at BYU to walk the path of discipleship,” Bishop Budge said. “Today, what I would like to share is what we have learned on our journey that I hope will bless each of you as you prepare to go out into the world and make a difference.”

 
Let Go of Sin

Like King Lamoni in the Book of Mormon, “Are we ready to give away all our sins so that we may know God and be filled with great joy?” Bishop Budge asked.

To give away all sins, individuals must give up the idea that following their own way is better than following God’s commandments. “Which sins are you holding on to or which sins have a hold of you?” he asked.

Bishop Budge encouraged listeners to turn to Christ. “Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you and want you to be happy. He quoted President Russell M. Nelson, who said, ‘They will do anything within Their power that does not violate your agency or Their laws to help you.’ Through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, we can become free of the chains of sin, both large and small. Let go of the sins which rob you of the joy He and our Heavenly Father desire for you as you go down this path of discipleship” (“The Love and Laws of God,” BYU devotional, September 17, 2019).

 
Let Go of Guilt

Just as the purpose of physical pain is to alert individuals of injury or disease, the purpose of guilt is to cause spiritual pain, which alerts individuals to the need for repentance, Bishop Budge explained.

“However, once we have repented of our sins, we need to trust that the Lord has forgiven us and then forgive ourselves. Lingering guilt can turn to shame and rob us of joy,” he said.

In the Book of Mormon, Alma told his son Corianton, “Only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance” (Alma 42:29).

Bishop Budge added, “If you have repented with full purpose of heart and real intent and continue to have feelings of guilt, try to let go of those feelings so that your guilt will not interfere with your joy.”

 
Let Go of Grudges

Letting go of grudges means to forgive, Bishop Budge said, adding, “The failure to forgive others will rob us of joy and canker our souls.”

The Lord has commanded all to forgive “his brother his trespasses” (Doctrine and Covenants 64:9-10).

“God has not only commanded us to forgive everyone, but he has also commanded us to love everyone,” Bishop Budge said. “And these two commandments work together. How can we love the neighbor we have not forgiven? Letting God be the judge frees us to love others.”

For those who have not extended forgiveness, Bishop Budge invited them to let go of judgment, leave it to God, and to love the person instead. “I testify that you will be much happier when you do,” he said.

 
Let Go of Your Will

Some may desire to be married but have not, or to have children but cannot, or to find employment but have not, or to be free of sickness and disease but it persists. “In difficult circumstances such as these, we sometimes turn away from God rather than turning toward Him. Instead of trusting Him, we may blame Him or think He does not care,” Bishop Budge said.

President Nelson has taught: “To be sure, there may be times when you feel as though the heavens are closed. But I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you — even miracles — will follow” (“Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” April 2018 general conference).

The prophet Lehi rejoiced in a blessing he had not yet received (1 Nephi 5:5). “That is a very happy way to live,” he explained. “Do not let go of your righteous desires and God-given expectations. But do let go of your attachment to them as a condition of your happiness. Life is much more joyful when we choose to trust God and His plan for us and His timetable.”

 
Hold on to the Holy Ghost

President Nelson has asked members of the Church “to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly” (“Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” April 2018 general conference).

The Holy Ghost is a modern-day Liahona, Bishop Budge said. “As we exercise faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost will tell us all things we should do. ... He will tell us what to hold on to and what to let go of.”

Individuals hold fast to the Holy Ghost by faithfully, diligently and patiently honoring covenants and keeping God’s commandments. “If you have let the Holy Ghost slip away, don’t give up! ... Pray to know what you need to stop doing or start doing to welcome the Holy Ghost back into your life,” Bishop Budge said.

 
Hold on to Faith

“Questioning and doubting are not the same thing,” Bishop Budge said. “It is perfectly acceptable to have questions about our doctrine, Church history, Church policies, et cetera. However, the lens through which we see these questions is the determining factor of whether our faith is strengthened or weakened. Do our questions come from the perspective of doubt or from a willingness to allow the benefit of the doubt?”

President Nelson pled in the 2022 Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults for Latter-day Saints to nurture their testimonies. “Work for it. Own it. Care for it. Nurture it so that it will grow. Feed it truth. Don’t pollute it with the false philosophies of unbelieving men and women and then wonder why your testimony is waning.”

Bishop Budge said: “A testimony comes from the witness of the Holy Ghost that the things we do know and understand are true. Nephi acknowledged that he did not know the meaning of all things, but he did know that God loves His children (1 Nephi 11:17).

Like Nephi, Bishop Budge said that simple yet profound spiritual witnesses — that God knows and loves him, that Jesus is the Christ, that the Book of Mormon is true, etc. — “transcend the complexity of the arguments against the truth and have blessed my life with peace and joy in Christ.”

 
Hold on to the Word of God

The first place the secular world tends to go to is the internet, Bishop Budge noted. “But we need to keep in mind that the information we find there is often, in fact, misinformation, and it is subject to the interpretations and philosophies of men, or worse, it is based on an agenda designed to manipulate the truth,” he added.

Instead, Bishop Budge encouraged listeners to go to the source of truth and light — the word of God.

“I testify that there is power in God’s word. The secular knowledge you have learned at BYU–Idaho will bless your lives in many ways, but if not understood and applied in the context of eternal truth, that knowledge will not be sufficient to bring you the joy that you want and that God desires for you,” Bishop Budge said.

 
Hold on to Covenants

President Nelson has taught that covenants bind individuals to the Savior and give them godly power (see “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,” April 2017 general conference).

Bishop Budge encouraged graduates to review the covenants they have made and recommit to keeping them. “I testify that, as we hold fast to our covenants, we will have the power to live joyfully,” he said. “However, please remember, the covenant path is not a path of perfection but a path of repentance. God’s expectation of us in mortality is not perfection and never has been; if so, there would have been no need for Him to sacrifice His Only Begotten Son to pay the price for our sins. His expectation is that we continuously repent as we progress down the covenant path towards Him.”

In conclusion, Bishop Budge said life will not always be easy, and all will experience their share of trials, sorrows, afflictions and mistakes. “However, I testify that Jesus Christ, through His great atoning power, will enable and ennoble you as you leave this university and go out into the world,” he explained.

 
The Lord Will Open Doors

In making a request for upgrades to the George S. Romney Building on campus, Garrett, reading from President Eyring’s written remarks, shared that President Eyring felt prompted to study the life of its namesake.

George S. Romney married Artemisia Redd and had 11 children. The two dedicated their lives to the Savior and the Church. After returning from a two-year mission to the Northern States, George worked day and night jobs to support his family while completing his high school education. Eventually he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

In 1917 he became the principal of Ricks Academy, which then transitioned to Ricks College. He led the school through World War I, quarantines and the impacts of the influenza epidemic.

Brother Romney saw the potential in Ricks College and followed the Lord, President Eyring shared in his remarks read by Garrett. “We must follow the faithful examples of stalwart saints like the Romneys who have gone before us. As we find new doors that the Lord will open for us, we can be blessed to see the potential in ourselves and others.”

Copyright 2022 Deseret News Publishing Company.