July 7, 2015
The Teachings of President Kim B. Clark
President Clark’s final address to the students at BYU-Idaho. After 10 years as president, he will be greatly missed.
Kim B. Clark faithfully served as BYU-Idaho’s president for almost ten years, from 2005 until 2015. It was his vision, as he sought inspiration from the Lord, that created PathwayConnect. With appreciation for his service, we see him move on to serve as a General Authority. He has left an unmistakable and everlasting mark on the lives of students in PathwayConnect and BYU-Idaho all over the world.
He has also left us a great feast of wisdom in the form of devotional addresses and speeches over the years. Below are some select quotations from President Clark. Click on the titles to read the full talks.
“The Iron Rod and the Shield of Faith”
January 2015
“If you seek to be a true follower of Christ, you have to make all of these decisions righteously in the face of diabolical opposition.”
“Like His church, faith in Jesus Christ is both true and living. It is true because it is centered in the reality that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind. It is living because faith is a principle of action and power, and it can grow within us.”
“We Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet”
September 2014
“Brothers and sisters, in God’s eternal plan there is no substitute for a living prophet who speaks the word of the Lord by the power of the Holy Ghost. And there is no substitute for the Lord’s covenant people to hear that word by the power of the Spirit. In this way, we receive both the Lord’s messages for all of His children and very personal, specific impressions and feelings about what we individually need to do.”
“Identity and Purpose in God’s Eternal Plan”
April 2014
Through the redeeming and strengthening power of the Atonement of Christ, we may overcome the natural man, grow in knowledge and understanding, serve and obey, experience joy and happiness, and become more and more like the Savior.
“Humility, Hard Work, and the Savior”
September 2013
“Who you really are and who you are becoming eternally have everything to do with the details of your mortal life.”
“My Spirit Shall Be In Your Hearts”
January 2012
“If you make a mistake and fall into temptation and sin, come back quickly. You have the power to do it. Don’t wait; don’t linger in the zone of misery and destruction. Begin to repent now, today. You are not in bondage to your past with no way out. You can be free!”
“Deep Obedience”
April 2011
“Once we see commandments as a blessing, our whole attitude towards obedience changes. Obedience stops being something that weighs on us because we are supposed to do it and becomes something we want to do because we know it brings blessings and joy, and we know it is the way to become more like Christ.”
“Are Ye Stripped of Pride?”
January 2010
“There is, of course, always hope. The proud and selfish souls can come back. But after years of darkness and so many layers of pride, it will take a lot of spiritual solvent and a lot of spiritual scraping and sanding to get down to a bare soul and a soft heart. And think of the time they have wasted, the opportunities for growth and becoming they have lost, the lives they could have saved, and the joy they could have received had they seen what was happening early on and acted on it to change. Had they just recognized those first thin films of pride, they might have repented and sought the Lord’s redeeming power right then. Had they seen it and acted, they could have humbled themselves and been stripped of pride.”
“Has There Been So Great Love in All the Land?”
April 2009
“If you want to marry someone who is happy, intelligent, and virtuous, whose countenance is full of light, and whose heart is open to the pure love of Christ, then be happy and optimistic yourself.”
President Clark and his wife
“The Path of the Peacemaker”
January 2009
“…Heavenly Father wants you to walk in peace. He wants you to establish peace. He wants you to be peacemakers.”
“The Joy of Redemption”
April 2008
“Please do not be fooled by all the other claims of false joy coming from the great and spacious building. We have the real thing right here.”
“Follow the Son with Full Purpose of Heart”
April 2007
“The atoning sacrifice and the glorious resurrection took place over the course of several hours in the meridian of time. If we could gain the perspective of the eternities, we would see in those hours a great light bursting into the darkness of evil, sin, suffering, chaos, and death — a great light spreading backward and forward across all time and space, filling the universe, carrying all that is good, penetrating every soul — the light of Christ!”
“This is the power and majesty of the Atonement of Christ. In every way, now and forever, Jesus has all power to heal, to save, to cleanse, to lift up, to transform.”
“Obedience to the Commandments of the Lord”
August 2005
“Pressing forward with steadfastness in Christ — to strive to do what the Lord wants you to do in all circumstances, to press forward no matter what happens, even when you slip or fall, to get back up and move forward, to never give up; to recognize that there is always hope; to put at the center of your life the only One who has all power over all things, the only One who can reach out and save you if you will follow Him with a perfect brightness of hope . . . that is what it means to be obedient.”
“My Grace Shall Attend You”
June 2005
“We are the ones the Lord has called to carry that work forward boldly, nobly, and independent. This is our day. This is our time to stand for truth and righteousness.”
President Clark addressing students
“Inaugural Response”
October 2005
“I am convinced that we will find new ways to use information technology to reach more students and to deepen the learning experience of those we touch…. In these experiences students will teach one another in new and powerful ways. This capacity to educate effectively across time and space will allow us to leverage the capacity of the university and reach many more young people.”
“Interview with Alan Olsen’s American Dreams”
April 2014
“Our target is people who want to improve their lives who see education as a pathway to a much, much better life. Not only for themselves and their families, but for their ability to serve and to be a more productive citizen in society.”
“God Hath Prepared A More Excellent Way”
September 2006
Progress on the path of discipleship is a journey of steps, not leaps and bounds. As disciples of the Lord, we learn precept upon precept and line upon line. We raise the personal bar a notch at a time.
“BYU-Pathway Overview Video”
BYU-Pathway Media Page
“BYU-Pathway has that name because its purpose is to help you to find your pathway. It’s not just one path. There a lot of different ways that you can achieve your objectives, but we get you started with a great foundation and then you can choose how you get there.”
“Using BYU-Pathway in Priesthood Ministry”
BYU-Pathway Media Page
“BYU-Pathway has three objectives. The first is faith. We want to help our students in BYU-Pathway get the gospel deep in their hearts, to truly become converted. The second is learning. We want to help our students become capable, lifelong gospel learners who know how to learn, especially by the Spirit. And the third objective is to prepare students to live providently and lead their families.”
“BYU-Idaho has a special role in the Church Education System. Its role is to reach broadly to many, many different kinds of students and open up opportunities for them.”
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