I bring this box to class and let students know they can leave anonymous suggestions for class improvement or other notes for me. This note was received without identification in my suggestion box. Besides that, it breaks up your class and helps me rejuvenate for the second half of your lecture.” That is what makes BYU better than other schools. Here is some feedback from an anonymous student: “I really like the spiritual thought. About the time I see the third student in class starting to doze-it’s usually about halfway through the class-I wake everyone up with a spiritual thought. Over the next 75 minutes, however, you can see the doze monster quietly conquering a student here and a student there. Most of the students can stay awake at least through the opening prayer. I teach in the large lecture halls of the Tanner Building. You know this time, for all of you have probably experienced it in at least one lecture. I strategically wait for the two- or three-minute spiritual thought to coincide with what I estimate to be the maximum doze-off time of the class. It is my meager effort to attempt to teach not even finance without the Spirit of God. Recognizing that you, as students, have come to BYU for more than academic rigor, I have made it a point to share a spiritual thought in each section I teach every day I am in the classroom.
Spiritual development here at BYU is not a by-product. This idea was reinforced to me in a recent seminar by Professor Dennis Wright, one of the deans of religious education and a good friend of mine, when he taught that “spiritual development at BYU is not a by-product, but it is a central focus.” Think about that. However, we seek to explicitly teach with the Spirit here, which sets us apart. In fact, the finance that you learned there would be very similar to the finance you would learn from my department here at BYU.
For example, if your desire is to obtain an undergraduate degree in finance, you could attend the university an hour north of here and learn all about discounted cash flows, capital budgeting, and optimal capital structures. It is this charge that separates BYU from other excellent universities. Here it is again: “I want you to remember that you ought not to teach even the alphabet or the multiplication tables without the Spirit of God” (in Reinhard Maeser, Karl G. You have heard it often from this pulpit.
Maeser by President Brigham Young in the early days of Brigham Young Academy. One of the most powerful and favorite quotes of the BYU community was given to President Karl G. Who says Heavenly Father doesn’t have a sense of humor? You may ask, “How does Brother Brau remember the exact date he was called by Vice President Worthen to give a talk?” If you look on the screen at this headline banner of the Wall Street Journal, you will see that it reads, “The New Science of Conquering Fear.” The paper is dated January 4, and it happened to be the first thing I saw after accepting the offer to give the devotional. I was asked to give this address on Tuesday, January 4. Since being asked, I have prayed each day that the Lord would inspire me to give a talk that would be spiritually uplifting for those who listen. One of my colleagues, Craig Merrill, said, “Wow, Jimmy, how’s it feel to have all those students camped out to see the devotional?” I said, “Craig, they’re here to see a Jimmer, but not this Jimmer.” Seriously, I am deeply humbled to have been asked to address the BYU community today as the devotional speaker. In fact, on the way over we saw a bunch of tents and students camped out at the ticket center. It is a wonderful delight to be here with you.
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