Visit us because Rexburg is special

President Henry B. Eyring spoke at today's devotional. His words reconfirmed for me that there is something very special happening in Rexburg. Before he arrived, President Kim B. Clark (our university president and a member of the 70) called a small, intimate meeting with the higher level student leaders on campus. I was at the meeting when he taught us the doctrine from D&C 50, promised us blessings if we prepared for the devotional, and then asked us to prepare and invite 5 others to do the same as we had done by inviting others to prepare. His hope was that many personal invitations would be more powerful than a mass announcement to prepare for the Lord's apostle to come speak to us. It was very effective for me, at least. Pres. Clark promised us that the Lord is preparing Rexburg for some changes and the visit of one of the First Presidency is in preparation for that cahnge.

When Pres. Eyring started he said that his purpose was to explain to us why it is such a miracle to have both this university and the Lord's house on the same hill in this particular place. There is undoubtedly a miracle happening in Rexburg.

When he lived in Bountiful and served as advisor to the prophet regarding temple sites, he said that there was no logical reason anyone should have built a temple in Bountiful. He had submitted specific statistical data to Pres. Hinckley about key locations that temples should be build. One day his son came home from seminary and said that his teacher has announced that they were going to build a temple in Bountiful (maybe it was you, dad). Pres. Eyring said that that was impossible, that he was "in charge of where the temples are built." Then on Sunday his wife came home from church and said that they were talking about it in Relief Society. He was adiment that they not add to the incorrect rumor. Than that week in the news, the church announced the purchase of the temple site in Bountiful. When his son came home he said to Pres Eyring, "Now I know what it means when you are in charge." :)

Pres. Hinckley had asked that the site be purchased and no one be told, so Pres. Eyring didn't even know. His point was that both with the Bountiful and Rexburg temples, human judgement would have said "do not build the temple there." There are temples very close by in both places, but the Lord undoubtedly wanted His house here on this little hill with the "college on the hill" as the locals used to affectionately call it.

He said that both the university and the temple are similar in many ways, but the ways that they differ is for the betterment of the people here. The temple changes very little; the priesthood and ordinances are eternal and the same around the world. But the school changes continually to improve the way we learn and teach. Failure to change will lead to overall failure.

These two institutions will create a "community of learners."

He added some warnings. The one that stood out to me the most is that we not act as if we climbed to lofty heights alone, without the Lord's help. That will be particularly tempting to us in Rexburg because we prosper very much.

I'm telling you, fam, this place is SO special. I was brought here by inspiration (despite dad's attempt to stamp out my good decision and keep me in that poisonous city) and I am so happy to be here. You all are welcome to come and see what this place is like. Visit us! It is super. Jalea didn't even get to see the university, but it is special.