Michael Orme, BYU’s General Counsel, spoke at Tuesday’s Devotional. He spoke about the mission of the university and the unique spiritual experiences students and employees can have at BYU.
Orme began by sharing his love for BYU. “My family thinks I am somewhat obsessive about all things BYU,” he joked. He has BYU décor around his home, including a Y-logoed pillowcase; remembers watching BYU basketball games growing up; is a “double cougar,” receiving both his undergraduate and law degrees from BYU; and has now worked as an attorney for BYU for many years.
This love of BYU extends to the mission of the university, which is to help build the kingdom of God. “[The mission] can only be achieved by the campus community and will take a lot of hard work and time and inspiration,” said Orme.
Luckily, BYU provides an environment where members of the campus community can find the necessary inspiration. “God has promised us that He is anxious to help us with the wisdom to address the perplexing issues of our lives if we seek Him out and are willing and worthy to both receive and act upon His guidance,” said Orme.
Orme shared a time he found inspiration as an undergraduate at BYU. One night while studying for a Book of Mormon class, he paused to question whether the events of the book had really taken place. In the next moment, he received a strong confirmation that the events he was reading about had really taken place.
Later in his life, as he returned to BYU for a job, he had another strong spiritual experience. Orme shared that when he got his job at BYU, he and his wife looked for a home their family could live in. They could not initially find one, but he had a comforting dream about a beautiful path along a river that as they continued the search. More than a year and a half later, that dream later came true when the family built a home and moved along the Provo river.
Sometimes the Lord gives us specific confirmation and direction. Sometimes we must act without explicit direction. However, Orme suggested, if we are keeping the commandments and really seeking the Lord’s will, these decisions tend to turn out for the good.
“Understanding the nuances of how we communicate with God through the Holy Ghost is a lifetime challenge. However . . . there is no more important task at hand for us individually and as a people,” said Orme.
“The divine destiny of BYU will continue to be fulfilled as we, the campus community in Christ, listen to and act upon the spiritual impressions that come to us in these latter days,” concluded Orme.
Next Devotional: Beth Luthy, Professor of Nursing
Beth Luthy, professor of nursing, will deliver the next BYU Devotional on Tuesday, June 12 at 11:05 a.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall.
Luthy's remarks will also be broadcast live on BYUtv, BYUtv.org (and archived for on-demand streaming), KBYU-TV 11, Classical 89 FM, BYU Radio and will be archived on speeches.byu.edu.
