As part of BYU Education Week, Elder Patrick Kearon, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, addressed the campus community with a message centered on the importance of slowing down and finding peace in Jesus Christ.His message was split into three parts: the danger of always being in a hurry, the Savior’s example of rest and receiving Christ’s peace, even now.
Photo by Abby Shelton/BYU
Part One – The Danger of Always Being in a Hurry“Your best is certainly good enough, that you are loved more than you can imagine and that it isn't your achievements that define you,” Elder Kearon shared.He taught that while the knowledge and intelligence gained in this life will rise in the Resurrection, there is much more that rises, including gentleness, meekness, patience and pure love.In recent remarks at the Mission Leader Seminar this summer, Elder Kearon discussed goal-setting and how measuring goals can sometimes turn something enjoyable into work. While goals and achievement have an important place in our lives, he warned against allowing them to consume us.“The quest to achieve goals is particularly tantalising because so much of this striving can be good. We are children of God made to create and progress and grow,” Elder Kearon said. “But achievement for the sake of achieving does not result in a lasting peace.”One way to combat this lack of peace is to slow down and take time to listen to God, a principle Elder Kearon learned from President M. Russell Ballard.
Photo by Abby Shelton/BYU
Part Two – The Savior’s Example of RestElder Kearon pointed to Jesus Christ as the greatest example of finding peace without being in a hurry. Throughout His ministry, the Savior withdrew to pray, took time to rest and even slept through a storm.Elder Kearon illustrated this principle through the Biblical story of Mary and Martha. Martha was busy serving the Savior, but her service was pulling her apart, while Mary sat at His feet and listened. Elder Kearon encouraged listeners to follow Mary’s example and make time to sit and focus on the Savior’s words.Part Three – Receiving Christ’s Peace, Even NowThe Sabbath is another opportunity to slow down, find balance and retrain our focus on what matters most. Elder Kearon taught that rest is an important part of holiness and encouraged members to use the Sabbath as a “foretaste” of God’s promised blessings.Elder Kearon encouraged listeners to trust in “the slow work of God,” allowing themselves to be works in progress and trusting in God’s timing. He shared the Lord’s counsel to “cheerfully do all things that lie in our power” and then “stand still” to see the salvation of God.
Photo by Abby Shelton/BYU
Elder Kearon shared a wish for the audience: “that you and I might slow down and turn more easily and comfortingly to Christ, and bask in His promised peace.”He connected this peace to the pure love of Christ, emphasizing that it is not something we can achieve through greater striving. “There is no ‘try-harder’ button that produces the love of Christ,” Elder Kearon said. “We do not build it. We receive it, from Him, at His hand.”Rather than striving to finish everything, Elder Kearon invited listeners to slow down, turn to Christ and find peace even in the midst of life’s incompleteness.
Media Contact: Aaron Sorenson
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