Devotional Recap: 'Failing a test is not the end of the world. Failing to learn from that test could be.' - BYU News Skip to main content
Intellect

Devotional Recap: 'Failing a test is not the end of the world. Failing to learn from that test could be.'

BYU Chaplain and Assistant Dean of Students Jim Slaughter spoke at Tuesday's devotional

The person you become is a matter of choice, said University Chaplain and Assistant Dean of Students Jim Slaughter at Tuesday's Devotional.

How you react to a difficult test and to embarrassment, the career you choose and who you marry all comes down to everyday choices and what we do when things don't go according to plan, said Slaughter. 

"Let me caution you, simply because you make certain decisions does not guarantee you will end up exactly where you expect to be," he said. "The choice I am talking about is the type of person you want to be regardless of where life and vocation take you."

Slaughter suggested envisioning the specific characteristics of the person you want to become and tenaciously holding to that vision through adversity.

"Temptation to be less than you know you can be is always lurking and ready to present itself to you as an opportunity for personal gain or pleasure," he said. "Walking away from temptation when no one would know and being true to yourself and God is a test passed."

If you missed Slaughter's address, it can be streamed on demand at BYUtv.org and will be available on speeches.byu.edu

Next devotional address
On Tuesday, July 8, Associate Professor of Biology and Assistant Curator of Fishes at the Bean Museum Jerry Johnson will deliver a devotional address at 11:05 am in the de Jong Concert Hall. Johnson's address will consider how we can develop spiritual eyes to see the great love and mercy that our Heavenly Father feels toward each of us.

Writer: Paige Montgomery

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Geology meets history: BYU professor studies WWII shrapnel on Normandy beaches

June 05, 2025
Eighty years after D-Day, BYU geologists uncover lingering WWII shrapnel on Normandy beaches to study how history still shapes the coastline today.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Forum: Lessons from Noise: Crackle to Calm

June 03, 2025
This year’s Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, Kent Gee, delivered his forum address on the science of sound and how he and BYU students have contributed to significant research in the acoustics industry.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

BYU study finds the real reasons why some people choose not to use artificial intelligence

June 03, 2025
In a recent study, BYU professors Jacob Steffen and Taylor Wells explored why some people are still reluctant to use GenAI tools. While some people might worry about an AI apocalypse, Steffen and Wells found that most non-users are more concerned with issues like trusting the results, missing the human touch or feeling unsure if GenAI is ethical to use.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=