Essay on Diligence

R. Cameron Green

Diligence
Diligence is defined in the dictionary as a constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken, or a persistent exertion of body and/or mind. During my senior year of high school I had preemptively decided in my mind that I was not going to be accepted into BYU Provo, and was fully prepared to enter into studies at BYU Idaho. Mathematically, I was going to be completely financially prepared to attend the latter university through a single job I had already made plans for having that summer after graduation. Therefore, against the advice of parents, friends, and even direct council from my own bishop, I did not take any necessary precautions to prepare myself financially beforehand that I might be more fully capable of meeting any unexpected challenges to come my way. However, regardless of this financial scenario, and it having always been a dream of mine to attend one of the lords’ universities, my higher aspirations reached towards BYU Provo.
My home bishop gave me great council and advice throughout my senior year. I informed him of my dreams to attend BYU in Provo. He quite bluntly told me that my academic standings did not qualify me and that I would more than likely not be accepted. However, he said he likewise felt strongly that BYU Provo was where I ought to earn my general education and seek a degree. We both set out a plan for me to attend BYU Idaho for a semester and earn the grades that we both knew I was truly capable of. “If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.” (1 Nephi 15:11) He told me that it would take great diligence not only in my studies but in keeping the Lord’s commandments, that I might receive personal revelation from the spirit to know how I ought to go about accomplishing my goals, or if they truly were the right thing for me to do. I was advised to not even spend the extra money necessary to apply for BYU in Provo.
Due to the timing of applications, only the first semester of my senior year would count for my GPA that the university would be reviewing. I knew I was capable of academic excellence if I could only diligently discipline myself and prioritize what was truly important. Going against my bishops’ advice I spent the extra thirty or so dollars to apply for BYU Provo regardless of my unhelpfully unimpressive academic background. “And thus they labored with all diligence, according to the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard.” (Jacob 5:74) I promised the Lord that I would work to my fullest potential for that final semester which no college application was even going to witness. I promised I would work with full diligence, not asking for anything in return except that the right path that I should take would be made known to me.
When the acceptance letter from BYU Idaho came, I was overjoyed and gave thanks in prayer that the Lord’s plan was matching so well with my own expectations. “And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize.” (Mosiah 4:27) A week later I received the acceptance letter to BYU Provo. I was stunned! If I had prayed for thanks beforehand then my prayers were that much more sincere this second time. But this time I had a question to partner my thanks. How can I financially make my dream possible? I felt a deep pang of sorrow as I realized that this was the fault of my own pessimistic thinking, lack of preparation, and my absence of actual actions to couple my faith. My greatest test of diligence was still ahead of me.
Thus far I have spoken selfishly of my own experiences and my own diligence in receiving answers and working to accomplish a goal. This is the dictionary’s example of diligence. Almost every reference that the Lord has throughout the scriptures couples the word diligence with keeping the commandments. In Alma 7:23 it states: “And now I would that ye should be humble, and submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.” I bear testimony that this process works exactly as stated. I had humbled myself and submitted to the will of the Lord; I had given up sports, countless hours of time that might have been spent with friends (something that had been previously prioritized so highly among my schedule and daily routine), and gave hours to study and homework during the school year, and working multiple jobs, (sometimes over 70 hours per week, from 4am to 10pm at least three times a week) during the summer.
The majority of my request of the Lord might be considered more temporal than not, I wanted to attend a university for personal reasons that often overlapped the more spiritual and correct aspirations. At the end of my senior year upon receiving acceptance, I feared that I would not be able to accomplish my dream due to finances, but gave thanks regardless, and committed to working again with diligence, both at work (one of my jobs was paid off commission) and keeping the commandments. I truly believe that if I “Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, [that] all things might work together for [my] good…” (D&C 90:24)