Audio from Glenn's Graduation speech at Liberty U -- May 15, 2010
My daughter just started her first year in college and as I was flying here today, I didn't feel like I had anything to share with you that you hadn't already learned here. I took out my journal and looked up the things that I wrote to my daughter as she was sitting there listening to one of her professors on her first day as a Freshman. These are the things that I wrote to tell my daughter:
You are never alone and there is never trouble that is beyond help. Your father loves you and your Heavenly Father loves you. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow may never come, but as long as we have today, it's never too late. Question with boldness. Read what they tell you not to. Challenge everything. The educated of this time are growing arrogant, and arrogance leads to darkness. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. However, sanitizer is a must, especially in New York City. In New York City, honey, it's best most times just not to touch. Look for the exits. They may save your life. Respect others. Know that they are most likely afraid, just like you. In fact, I found more arrogant and forceful they become, the more afraid they are. The worst thing in life you can do is dishonor yourself or your family and then go living a life without setting it right.
Marry for love, marry for laughs, but most importantly, as my wife Tania taught me, marry with God. For without God, life's storms are too strong to withstand. Wealth and fame are an illusion. We've been rich, we've been poor. We've been happy both times.
The only times I've truly been miserable is when I was lying to myself or to others.
Alcohol and drugs make life easier for a very short time and then they destroy. There is no experience that is bad. Experience just is. It's what you do with that experience, how you'll use it. Will it shape your life for the better and help you become a stronger person? Or will you allow those experiences to smother and destroy you?
Call 911 first and then call your dad. Always have a picture on your desk of someone you admire. Don't let life wash over you wave after wave. You're not a rock. Learn from the waves. Learn from the currents. Choose to sail.
"I am that I am" is the most powerful phrase in any language, as it is the name of God. Never use it in vain. Use it to create who you want to be. I am, blank. But know if you don't fill that blank in, someone else will. You can ignore it, but if you do, it will be filled in by others or just life. There will always be many that will try to fill that blank in but only you can fill it in and be happy.
The Lord lives and He is personal. He loves you, and he's always there to help. But we have to train ourselves to hear it. We have to use our faith and exercise it like a muscle. The more we use faith, the louder he becomes. Serve Him in all things. Stand where He asks you to stand. Stand, for you do have a purpose. Your job is just to remember who you are, remember what you agreed upon. We're meant to be happy. But remember, no pain, no gain. Life is hard and then it gets harder. And then you die.
But every single second of life is worth it. Always say what you mean and mean what you say. Turn the other cheek and always forgive. But don't forget so much that you put yourself in the same situation. Question authority, including everything that I've just told you. Make these things true because you know them to be true. You have everything you need. You have everything you need to be happy. May you figure that out before I do. Freedom, rights, are given to man by God. They are His. Protect them. You are the guardian.
Private jet travel is the only material thing that can actually change your life. However, refined manner, gentleness, meekness, kindness, will be the only currency of any true value. Stuff doesn't matter. Forgiveness is divine. The atonement is real. You are worthy. Hell is an eternity of regret, not being able to forgive yourself.
Cabs smell worse in the summer. Walk a lot and never stop noticing things around you. When you do, change your ways or change your address. People are good. They want to do the right thing. Give them the opportunity. Shadows are darkest at noon, and it always gets colder before sunrise.
It's never wrong to do the right thing. Learn to love others that you don't know or really don't like. Read the scriptures every day. They are alive, and He speaks to you through them. There are no coincidences in life. Learn, laugh, love. Sleep hard and sleep less. Pray on your knees. To whom much is given, much is required. You've been given the world and beyond.
Only date those who love you as much as I do. Only date those who will treat you as I have tried.
[If you are going to date, do it with the knowledge of marriage preparation. Never date just because you like someone, that's what friendship is for, build that up first.]
Never want anything too much. You'll always end up paying too high of a price one way or another.
If you must shoot, shoot to kill.
Labels are meaningless. Someone you meet today is afraid or suffering. Find them. Comfort them. Never let the sun go down without saying you're sorry for your wrongs. Your dad misses you. Call him. Call him now. What? Why haven't you called him yet?
Life goes by far too fast. Keep a journal. Write what you think; write what you question; write what you know. There is order in all things. Stay in that order. Stay in the flow. You will find very few real friends in life. Cherish them. Things will change and you'll fall in and out of each other's lives, but when you do come back, it will be as if you never left. The hardest thing to do is to admit failure, to admit weakness. Only the very strong do. The weak never ask for help. Fasting is prayer. Fasting without prayer is a diet. And why? Why haven't you called your father yet?
"GLENN: That's something that I actually wrote as I listened to my daughter's orientation at her college and I sat there and I thought, what could I possibly give her as advice. And I wrote those things down for her. That is I don't know. As I was sitting there listening to that, I hadn't heard that whole thing yet and as I sat there and listened to it, I thought, boy, this is the lifetime of hard lessons, a lifetime of, if I could leave my family with just my knowledge that I think is important, that would be it. What I consider common sense."
My daughter just started her first year in college and as I was flying here today, I didn't feel like I had anything to share with you that you hadn't already learned here. I took out my journal and looked up the things that I wrote to my daughter as she was sitting there listening to one of her professors on her first day as a Freshman. These are the things that I wrote to tell my daughter:
You are never alone and there is never trouble that is beyond help. Your father loves you and your Heavenly Father loves you. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow may never come, but as long as we have today, it's never too late. Question with boldness. Read what they tell you not to. Challenge everything. The educated of this time are growing arrogant, and arrogance leads to darkness. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. However, sanitizer is a must, especially in New York City. In New York City, honey, it's best most times just not to touch. Look for the exits. They may save your life. Respect others. Know that they are most likely afraid, just like you. In fact, I found more arrogant and forceful they become, the more afraid they are. The worst thing in life you can do is dishonor yourself or your family and then go living a life without setting it right.
Marry for love, marry for laughs, but most importantly, as my wife Tania taught me, marry with God. For without God, life's storms are too strong to withstand. Wealth and fame are an illusion. We've been rich, we've been poor. We've been happy both times.
The only times I've truly been miserable is when I was lying to myself or to others.
Alcohol and drugs make life easier for a very short time and then they destroy. There is no experience that is bad. Experience just is. It's what you do with that experience, how you'll use it. Will it shape your life for the better and help you become a stronger person? Or will you allow those experiences to smother and destroy you?
Call 911 first and then call your dad. Always have a picture on your desk of someone you admire. Don't let life wash over you wave after wave. You're not a rock. Learn from the waves. Learn from the currents. Choose to sail.
"I am that I am" is the most powerful phrase in any language, as it is the name of God. Never use it in vain. Use it to create who you want to be. I am, blank. But know if you don't fill that blank in, someone else will. You can ignore it, but if you do, it will be filled in by others or just life. There will always be many that will try to fill that blank in but only you can fill it in and be happy.
The Lord lives and He is personal. He loves you, and he's always there to help. But we have to train ourselves to hear it. We have to use our faith and exercise it like a muscle. The more we use faith, the louder he becomes. Serve Him in all things. Stand where He asks you to stand. Stand, for you do have a purpose. Your job is just to remember who you are, remember what you agreed upon. We're meant to be happy. But remember, no pain, no gain. Life is hard and then it gets harder. And then you die.
But every single second of life is worth it. Always say what you mean and mean what you say. Turn the other cheek and always forgive. But don't forget so much that you put yourself in the same situation. Question authority, including everything that I've just told you. Make these things true because you know them to be true. You have everything you need. You have everything you need to be happy. May you figure that out before I do. Freedom, rights, are given to man by God. They are His. Protect them. You are the guardian.
Private jet travel is the only material thing that can actually change your life. However, refined manner, gentleness, meekness, kindness, will be the only currency of any true value. Stuff doesn't matter. Forgiveness is divine. The atonement is real. You are worthy. Hell is an eternity of regret, not being able to forgive yourself.
Cabs smell worse in the summer. Walk a lot and never stop noticing things around you. When you do, change your ways or change your address. People are good. They want to do the right thing. Give them the opportunity. Shadows are darkest at noon, and it always gets colder before sunrise.
It's never wrong to do the right thing. Learn to love others that you don't know or really don't like. Read the scriptures every day. They are alive, and He speaks to you through them. There are no coincidences in life. Learn, laugh, love. Sleep hard and sleep less. Pray on your knees. To whom much is given, much is required. You've been given the world and beyond.
Only date those who love you as much as I do. Only date those who will treat you as I have tried.
[If you are going to date, do it with the knowledge of marriage preparation. Never date just because you like someone, that's what friendship is for, build that up first.]
Never want anything too much. You'll always end up paying too high of a price one way or another.
If you must shoot, shoot to kill.
Labels are meaningless. Someone you meet today is afraid or suffering. Find them. Comfort them. Never let the sun go down without saying you're sorry for your wrongs. Your dad misses you. Call him. Call him now. What? Why haven't you called him yet?
Life goes by far too fast. Keep a journal. Write what you think; write what you question; write what you know. There is order in all things. Stay in that order. Stay in the flow. You will find very few real friends in life. Cherish them. Things will change and you'll fall in and out of each other's lives, but when you do come back, it will be as if you never left. The hardest thing to do is to admit failure, to admit weakness. Only the very strong do. The weak never ask for help. Fasting is prayer. Fasting without prayer is a diet. And why? Why haven't you called your father yet?
"GLENN: That's something that I actually wrote as I listened to my daughter's orientation at her college and I sat there and I thought, what could I possibly give her as advice. And I wrote those things down for her. That is I don't know. As I was sitting there listening to that, I hadn't heard that whole thing yet and as I sat there and listened to it, I thought, boy, this is the lifetime of hard lessons, a lifetime of, if I could leave my family with just my knowledge that I think is important, that would be it. What I consider common sense."
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