A Message From the Dean: Synchronizing Our Efforts in Faith and Service

Dear Students,

I hope each of you had an exciting summer whether you were working, interning, studying abroad, continuing with classes, or simply taking a needed break. During my busy summer, I loved taking breaks to watch and be inspired by the Olympic Games in Paris.

One competition that intrigued me was the synchronized diving. Pairs of athletes are judged on how synchronized they are as they dive and enter the water. Many are so in-step with each other that they even walk down the springboard in sync. When I watched Mexican divers Juan Manuel Celaya Hernandez and Osmar Olvera Ibarra, I noticed they were out of step with each other — one walked down the board at a brisk pace and the other was slower and took different steps. It was jarring to watch and made me nervous every time! But I was amazed at how they hit the end of the board exactly together and their dives were amazingly synchronous — they won a silver medal! They were different people with unique paces and steps, but they were synchronized where and when it mattered.

The mission statement for the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences reads that we “educate students to recognize and value both diversity and unity, with the purpose of promoting the dignity and divine nature of all of God’s children.” We are all different, with unique skills, abilities, and life experiences. But even though we all walk at different paces and take different steps, we are synchronized when it comes to our identities as children of God and disciples of Christ. We can acknowledge and celebrate our different contributions, while uniting in our faith in Christ and in His restored gospel.

Our prophet President Nelson is turning 100 years old next week, and for his birthday he asked for “each of us to reach out to ‘the one’ in our lives who may be feeling lost or alone. …I invite you to consider prayerfully: who do you know who may be discouraged? Who might you need to reconcile with or ask for forgiveness? Has one name been on your mind lately, though you haven’t quite known why? As you bring these questions to the Lord, He will inspire you to know how you can reach out and lift one who needs help.”

By following the Savior’s example, President Nelson continued, we can “spread the love of Jesus Christ throughout the world.” Isn’t that inspiring?

Just like the Olympic divers from Mexico, we can be completely synchronized with the goal of following the prophet and spreading the love of Jesus Christ, even as we approach the goal differently and receive varied personal revelation about those who most need our love and care. Have faith that the Lord can use your unique talents to reach others in a way no one else can.

I hope you’ll make it a goal this year to continue to find and reach out to the one. I’m excited to hear about the many ways you’re intentionally caring for each another, as well as for how you’ve felt cared for by others. I know doing this will help us grow closer as a community and feel a stronger sense of belonging with one another and with our Savior.

Have a wonderful semester!