Elder Quentin L. Cook, a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, delivered the Brigham Young University-Hawaii commencement address on 10 April inside the George Q. Cannon Activities Center.
In addition to discussing the eternal nature of the family, Elder Cook urged graduates to be grateful for their heritage, be involved in the world in a positive way, live their standards at work and be a light to those around them.
Talking to graduates and their friends and family members, Elder Cook cited a recent New York Times column by David Brooks that asserted “marital happiness is far more important than anything else in determining personal well-being” and challenged colleges to spend less time “preparing students for careers” and more time “preparing them to make social decisions.”
Elder Cook reinforced the importance of the family as the primary foundation for our communities.
“Pure love between a man and a woman ‘is one of the noblest things on earth, and the bearing and rearing of children the highest of all human duties,’ ” he said, referring to a four decades old address by then Church President David O. McKay.
In 1969, President McKay spoke of challenges facing the family when he said, “The increasing divorce rate in the United States … is a threatening menace to this nation’s greatness.”
Elder Paul V. Johnson, commissioner of the Church Educational System, and BYU-Hawaii President Steven C. Wheelwright also spoke at the school’s commencement.
BYU-Hawaii is a four-year undergraduate university, owned by the Church, which serves 2,500 students from 70 countries. The class of 2010 had 394 graduates.
Elder Cook’s entire remarks can be read here.