As educators and staff of Brigham Young University, you are entrusted with a profound responsibility: to guide and nurture the “snow-white birds” who come to learn and grow. This sacred task requires a delicate balance of inspiration, knowledge, and unwavering dedication to the core values of the Church and the university. This address, delivered by Elder Boyd K. Packer, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, offers a retrospective on BYU’s history and a forward-looking perspective on its crucial role in shaping future generations. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining faith, academic integrity, and a commitment to the unique mission of a Church-related university.
Elder Packer begins by sharing his personal journey and long association with BYU, highlighting key moments and influential figures. He recounts his early experiences with Church education, including learning from apostles, and his eventual calls to serve on the BYU Board of Trustees. His reflections on the university’s past are punctuated by a significant historical event: the controversy in 1910 surrounding professors who introduced evolutionary theories and “higher criticism” into religious instruction. This period underscored a critical tension between secular academic philosophies and foundational gospel principles, leading to concerns about the potential erosion of students’ faith. President George H. Brimhall’s dream of snow-white birds being lured by a baited hook and subsequently unable to fly served as a powerful metaphor for the dangers of departing from spiritual truths. This historical episode serves as a potent reminder of the need for vigilance in preserving the spiritual core of BYU’s educational mission.
The address then shifts to contemporary challenges and responsibilities. Elder Packer discusses the process of selecting a new university president, emphasizing the need for an individual who can uphold the university’s unique standards amidst significant faculty turnover. He addresses the subtle yet significant shifts that can occur within academic departments, such as the renaming of the College of Family Living to the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences. While acknowledging academic reasons for such changes, he voices a concern, echoed by the Relief Society president, that the focus on “social” and “science” might inadvertently diminish the centrality of the family. This concern extends to other colleges, prompting reflection on whether the teaching of religion retains its preeminent place and if core values are being supplanted by theoretical considerations.
Drawing upon scriptural parallels, Elder Packer exhorts the faculty and staff to ensure that their intellectual pursuits are yoked with service to mankind and that BYU remains steadfast in its commitment to its central mission as a Church-related institution. He underscores the importance of the board of trustees’ directive that BYU should be a teaching-oriented university with strong graduate programs, rather than a purely research institution. This directive emphasizes the balance between academic rigor and the university’s unique educational purpose. The parable of the olive vineyard from the Book of Mormon is invoked to illustrate the need for careful cultivation and pruning to ensure the preservation of the most precious “natural fruit” – the core values and spiritual strength of the students.
Finally, Elder Packer returns to the powerful imagery of the “snow-white birds,” representing the students. He acknowledges the increasing challenges they face in a world with a “darkening atmosphere” and the difficulties in maintaining their spiritual purity. He references the prophetic guidance of President J. Reuben Clark Jr.’s landmark address, “The Charted Course of the Church in Education,” emphasizing its enduring relevance. The address concludes with a call for unwavering commitment to upholding standards, including temple worthiness for faculty and staff, and a deep dedication to the mission of Church schools. Elder Packer invokes a blessing upon all associated with BYU, praying that they will be inspired and knowledgeable, equal to the challenge of teaching these precious “snow-white birds” to fly.
The foundational message of this address is the critical importance of safeguarding the spiritual and educational integrity of Brigham Young University. It serves as a profound reminder that while academic excellence is paramount, it must be intrinsically linked to faith, divine principles, and a commitment to the unique mission of a Church institution. The “snow-white birds” entrusted to BYU’s care represent the future, and nurturing them requires a steadfast adherence to the eternal truths that guide their flight.
