President Hinckley Speaks to Ricks Students

Students at Ricks College received their first report card of the semester, complete with five Bs, from President Gordon B. Hinckley, First Counselor in the First Presidency.

In the August 28 five-stake fireside, President Hinckley counseled more than 5,500 students regarding the five Bs: be grateful, be smart, be clean, be true, and be humble.

“These [grades] won’t go on your transcripts,” he said, “but if you observe them they will bless your lives in a wonderful way.”

In his remarks, President Hinckley expounded on each of the five topics:

Be grateful. “How thankful we ought to be to our Father in Heaven. Of all the billions of people in the world, we are so richly favored. What a wonderful thing it is to be born in this time.”

Be smart. “Knowledge is an eternal thing. Grasp it. You only have two years here. Take advantage of every opportunity to learn and feast from the dedicated faculty.”

Be clean. “Pornography is all around us. It’s the devil’s work. It’s not your work. Stay away from it.” President Hinckley encouraged students to be clean in their manners, in their dress, in their apartments, and in their thoughts.

Be true. “Be true to your inheritance. Be true to the gospel, which has hopefully become a part of your life. Be true to the covenants you made at baptism. … If we will be true, if we will be faithful, the Lord will bless us to accomplish that which is asked of us.”

Be humble. “Go to the Lord in humility, and he will give thee answer to thy prayers and lead thee by the hand (see D&C 112:10). If you will walk in faith and faithfulness, your days will be fruitful and your lives will be filled with happiness.”

President Hinckley’s wife, Marjorie, also spoke at the fireside, urging students to put Christ in the center of their lives. “I hope you will keep the faith,” she said. “It pays big dividends. … Stand firm and take Christ into your lives and keep him there. You will have a better life if you become close to him.”