Brown - God Is the Gardener - 1968

Speaker: President Hugh B. Brown addressing the graduates at Brigham Young University.
Occasion: Graduation ceremony.
Setting: Includes members from the university administration, faculty, guests, and the student body.

Emphasizes the essential role of humor in life.
Quotation: Golden Kimball's saying, "The Lord himself must like a joke or he wouldn't have made some of you people."
Acknowledges the challenge of addressing young students as an octogenarian (80 years old).

Congratulates graduates for their patience and endurance throughout their university training.
Praises the student body for maintaining a positive stance amidst troubling political activities at other universities.
Critical of students who seek power through force and disrupt established governance.

Context: Graduating during a contentious presidential election cycle.
Encourages belief in the integrity of leaders from both political parties.
Warns against questioning others' patriotism based on political differences.
Encourages maintaining a maturity of opinion and allowing for diverse political beliefs within religious frameworks.
Advocates for a two-party system to avoid chaos similar to that seen in France.
Advises against the dangers of racism and emphasizes the concept of brotherhood among people of all races.
Defines true patriotism as respect and compassion for all humanity.

Topic: God and man's relationship to Him.
Scriptural Basis: Luke 10:27 - "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, strength, and mind."
Questions whether loving God also involves the mind or is limited to reasoning.
Urges graduates to prioritize knowledge about God over purely academic pursuits.
Expresses that true knowledge must have a foundation of purpose and meaning derived from understanding God.

As individuals come to know God, they will be inspired to emulate Him.
Example: Personal anecdotes from recent experiences, including a visit to a military academy.
Highlights the importance of knowledge of God in sustaining life and the dignity it brings.

Information shared on the role of church-related institutions in American education: - 23 out of the first 24 universities in America were founded by religious organizations. - Religious institutions played a crucial role in establishing centers of higher learning, influencing leaders like Jefferson and Franklin. - Notable historical figures (signers of the Declaration of Independence, early presidents) largely educated in religious settings.
Quote from Thomas Jefferson about the necessity of education for freedom.

Shares a story from his past involving a currant bush: - Experience of pruning the bush and how it relates to personal growth and God's plan. - Emphasizes the need for growth that may involve pain or setbacks.
Recounts a pivotal moment during his Army service when faced with disappointment regarding a promotion: - Reflects on the feelings of failure and God's guidance through that moment. - Compares his experience with dialogue he imagined having with the currant bush.

Offers a message of faith and the necessity of keeping God close throughout life.
Encourages graduates to seek personal alignment with God’s wishes, recognizing the potential for growth.
Closes with a prayer for the graduates to stay true to their faith and purpose as they embark on their future endeavors.