Bishop Caussé Shares 5 “Time” Principles with BYU–Idaho Students
Contributed By Marianne Holman Prescott, Church News staff writer
Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé speaks to BYU–Idaho students during the campus devotional held in the BYU–Idaho Center on May 10.
Article Highlights
- 1. Learn from the past and move forward.
- 2. Don’t get discouraged—it is never too late.
- 3. Don’t wait—now is the time.
- 4. Accept God’s time.
- 5. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life.
“The success of our mortal experience depends in large part on how wisely we use [time].” —Bishop Gérald Caussé, Presiding Bishop
REXBURG, IDAHO
The success of people’s mortal experience depends in large part on how they use their time, said Bishop Gérald Caussé, Presiding Bishop of the Church, during a Brigham Young University–Idaho campus devotional held in the BYU–Idaho Center on May 10.
“Time is an essential element of our earthly existence as human beings,” he said. “It is one of our most useful and precious resources. The success of our mortal experience depends in large part on how wisely we use it.”
In a world culture of “speed and shortcuts,” where the challenges of daily life cause “a breakneck race against time,” people must have an eternal vision in their mortal life. “Do not allow yourself to be locked in the narrow vision of mortality,” he said. “Enlarge your perspective to include the eternities. As you do this, your life will be more meaningful and open up new horizons to you.”
Bishop Caussé shared five principles for individuals to develop an eternal vision—living in “God’s time”—in their mortal lives.
1. Learn from the past and move forward
“We all know very little about our future,” he said. “On the other hand, the past seems to occupy a great deal of our thoughts. It is full of memories—some of them joyous that bring happiness to our souls, and others that we would prefer to forget forever.” All past experiences, both good and bad, are useful and contribute to a person’s eternal progress, Bishop Caussé said. “We cannot change the past, but we can learn from it and move forward.”
2. Don’t get discouraged—it is never too late
Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé speaks to BYU–Idaho students during the campus devotional held in the BYU–Idaho Center on May 10. Photo by Ryan Chase.
Sharing the experience of John Akhwari, a marathon runner from Tanzania who represented his country in the 1968 Summer Olympics, Bishop Caussé told of how during his race the athlete suffered a leg cramp and fell down, dislocating his knee, after 20 miles.
“His coach wrapped his leg and advised him to drop out of the race,” Bishop Caussé said. “He firmly refused and took off running again. The last portion of the race was terribly difficult.”
It took the runner more than an hour to run the last six miles. By the time he finally approached the finish line many of the spectators had left the arena. As the remaining spectators saw the limping runner finish the race they welcomed him with loud cheers and a standing ovation.
When asked about why he finished after being advised to quit, Akhwari told reporters, “My county did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”
“In the same way, our Heavenly Father did not send us to earth to start the race but to finish it,” Bishop Caussé said. “The doors of heaven are open for those who arrive, whether they are early or late. There is no time limit to run the course, no ranking, and no medals. The honors and awards are the same for those who arrive among the first finishers as they are for those among the last.”
3. Don’t wait—now is the time
“This life is the time where the stakes for all eternity are played out—our salvation and our eternal future,” he said. “The good news is that once we depart this life, if we have remained faithful to the very last moment, we have the assurance of inheriting eternal life.”
Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé speaks to BYU–Idaho students during the campus devotional held in the BYU–Idaho Center on May 10. Photo by Ryan Chase.
4. Accept God’s time
“In many respects, our lives are like a stage race,” he said. “Each age includes a few milestones to be reached.” Recognizing specific ages bring specific responsibilities and opportunities, Bishop Caussé said the milestones are good, and they help in setting goals. He encouraged listeners to accept God's timing, remaining faithful and happy regardless of the circumstances and things not in their control. “The reality is that even if we master our choices and our actions, we have only limited control of our life’s timetable,” he said.
Those who stay faithful can be assured that “God always keeps His promises” and blessings will inevitably come.
5. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life
“We cannot change the past, but we can change the present and the future,” the Presiding Bishop taught. “We can change the course we are on and build better tomorrows.”
Bishop Gérald Caussé, Presiding Bishop, and his wife, Sister Valérie Caussé, shake hands with students after the devotional at BYU–Idaho on May 10. Photo by Ryan Chase.
