General Authority Seventy Elder Steven D. Shumway spoke at the Feb. 3 campus devotional, reflecting on lessons learned since his BYU days and urging students to simplify life by sacrificing lesser pursuits and consecrating time to eternal priorities.
The devotional began with Elder Shumway inviting his wife, Heidi, to share her testimony. Sister Shumway shared her witness that Heavenly Father’s plan is perfect, and that because of Jesus Christ, His plan will not fail.
“Even though we live in a world that is far from perfect … we can trust in Jesus Christ,” she said. “He is the way, the truth and the light. I testify that by following in His ways, we can return to our heavenly home.”
Elder Shumway then began his remarks by reflecting on his time spent at BYU as a student and the many ambitions he had for his career, his family and his future. He expressed that he often overextended himself with good endeavors that ultimately distracted him from the more essential ones.
“I’m sure that has never been a challenge for any of you,” Elder Shumway said to a crowd of BYU students, prompting laughter from students who recognized the familiar strain of a busy lifestyle.
“If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be this,” he continued. “Learn to simplify by sacrificing lesser endeavors and consecrating time at the beginning of each day to what is essential — and by essential, I mean that which is eternal.”
Elder Shumway compared the allegory of the olive tree to how we should order our priorities, likening the trees to our lives, the branches to our pursuits and the roots to our covenant relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
“The tree perishes when the branches take strength unto themselves and grow faster than the strength of the roots,” Elder Shumway said. “The tree becomes ‘top-heavy’ and ‘root-poor,’ so it collapses under the weight of its own complexity.” He warned against filling one's life with unnecessary or distracting “branches” that result in a similar imbalance.
Elder Shumway explained that even good activities can cause one to become “top-heavy and "root-poor” when they become the focus of growth and the source of one's worth. He pointed listeners to the Savior as the true source of divine worth and eternal abundance.
“We cultivate the abundant life as we ‘graft in’ or consecrate that time toward nobler pursuits.” Elder Shumway said. “The timing of when we graft in those better things helps us to simplify.” He emphasized the importance of a morning prayer and early scripture study to allow the Lord to guide the day and show which tasks are the most important.
“Let [Christ] in by ‘clearing away’ time for meaningful prayer,” Elder Shumway invited. “I bear witness that Jesus Christ is the strength of our roots, and the One who brings order, peace and meaning out of complexity.”