BYU–Idaho President Alvin F. Meredith III bore witness to the power of obedience during a campus devotional. A breezy afternoon at the Meredith household taught President Meredith a valuable lesson about obedience when his son Chase was 5 years old. President Meredith bought the young boy a kite, but the first attempt at flying the kite ended in tears when Chase suggested they cut the string and the kite crashed to the ground. In an actuality, the string was holding the kite up, not down. This event taught President Meredith that in young minds, individuals see constraints as limiting factors, while the reality is that constraints often serve to elevate and support. The principle of obedience is not about earning God’s love, but responding to it. Jesus lived in perfect obedience, showing us the path to follow, according to President Meredith. During the campus devotional, President Meredith drew upon the teachings of President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, to encourage students to strengthen their commitment to being fully obedient, including to the school’s Honor Code. In His earthly ministry, Jesus consistently demonstrated obedience to His Father in actions and words. “I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me,” John 6:38 said. The late Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “Of all the lessons we learn from the life of the Savior, none is more clear and powerful than the lesson of obedience.”
President Meredith emphasized that the Father’s plan of happiness and the principle of obedience are intertwined so tightly that to truly grasp one, individuals must understand the other. Alma testified to Zeezrom about Adam and Eve and the plan of happiness, “Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil,” Alma 12:32 said. President Meredith testified, “The great test in the great plan is to learn to be obedient.”
Christ, Obedience, and the Plan
While offering the opening devotional for the spring semester, President Meredith bore witness to the blessings of obedience. He bore witness that obedience is not about earning God’s love, but responding to it. “Obedience is not about earning God’s love — it’s about responding to it,” he testified. “Jesus lived in perfect obedience and showed us the path to follow.”
President Meredith drew upon the teachings of President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, to emphasize the importance of strengthening one’s commitment to being fully obedient. President Oaks used the image of a kite string during his October 2024 general conference address “Following Christ.” The kite string, President Oaks explained, represents the covenants that connect individuals to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. President Oaks taught, “As we honor those covenants by keeping Their commandments and following Their plan of redemption, Their promised blessings enable us to soar to celestial heights.”
In spiritually immature moments, individuals may see commandments and covenings the same way that his son saw the kite string, said President Meredith. “I plead with you to not fall into that trap.”
He invited students to open their spiritual eyes to recognize that obedience unlocks divine power in their lives, enabling them to rise higher than they ever could on their own.
The Honor Code and Obedience
In that same conference address, President Oaks distinguished commandments into two types: permanent and temporary. Temporary commandments are those that are meant to be followed for only a specified period of time. BYU–Idaho’s Honor Code has both, President Meredith noted. “Being honest, living a chaste and virtuous life and living the word of wisdom are permanent commandments in our Honor Code that align with celestial standards. But a few elements of our Honor Code, especially the dress and grooming expectations, are temporary and not tied to temple worthiness.”
While at BYU–Idaho, students and employees have all agreed to “maintain an elevated standard distinctive to educational institutions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” (CES Dress and Grooming Principles). In the spirit of obedience and “with all the love and compassion that I can offer,” President Meredith invited listeners to “renew our commitment to being fully obedient to the Honor Code, including the temporary aspects found in the dress and grooming expectations. In this ‘special and sacred and set apart place,’ I hope that you will feel of both our high love and our high expectations.”
4 Key Truths
In conclusion, President Meredith highlighted four truths about obedience. First, there’s a distinction between deliberate disobedience and human weakness. “When the Lord speaks of weakness, it is always with compassion and mercy. However, conscious rebellion is regarded with greater seriousness,” said President Meredith. Second, an individual’s worth is not tied to their obedience. For the third truth, he quoted Brother Brad R. Wilcox, first counselor in the Young Men general presidency, who taught: “Worthiness is not flawlessness.”
Worthiness means individuals strive to be obedient and repent when they fall short, President Meredith explained. Fourth, “while there are many reasons to obey the commandments, the most powerful and pure motivation is love for the Savior.”
Like a kite that needs the string to soar, “we need the steady connection of commandments and covenants to reach our divine destination,” President Meredith taught.
Conclusion
In her remarks, Sister Jennifer Meredith spoke of Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness, also known as the plan of salvation or the plan of redemption. She testified that Jesus Christ is central to that plan. “We have just celebrated Easter and prior to that enjoyed general conference. What have you felt prompted to do to make Jesus Christ more central in your life? Our Father made Jesus Christ central to His plan. How will we make Him central to ours?”
Sister Meredith testified that making Jesus Christ central to one’s life is a matter of obedience. “We have been blessed with so many gifts and blessings. Let us remember to make Jesus Christ the center of our lives and to obey His commands.”
Chase’s Kite Story: A Lesson in Obedience
A breezy afternoon at the Meredith household taught President Meredith a valuable lesson about obedience when his son Chase was 5 years old. As the string of the kite taught President Meredith, “Obedience is not just about following rules, it’s about trusting in the Lord’s plan and having faith in His power to guide and direct us.”
Opening the Spiritual Eyes
In spiritually immature moments, individuals may see commandments and covenings the same way that his son saw the kite string, said President Meredith. President Meredith encouraged students to renew their commitment to being fully obedient, including to the Honor Code, with all the love and compassion that he could offer. In this “special and sacred and set apart place,” President Meredith hoped that students would feel of both the high love and high expectations of the school.
