Abigail Allen reminds students to be an example of the believers

Abigail Allen, assistant professor of accounting in the BYU Marriott School of Business, encouraged students to put on Christ’s name and to become an example of the believers in her devotional address given on Tuesday, Oct. 3.

Throughout her address, Allen explored how students can carry the name of Christ and taught students to carry His name by making and keeping covenants.

“When you renew those covenants each week you commit to conduct yourself in words, in actions and even in your secret thoughts in ways that will uplift His church. In a very real way, you must choose whether your name, and through your actions, the Lord’s name, will be interpreted for good or evil,” Allen said.

She expressed that although this is a significant responsibility — it is also exciting, and said we must do our part to help others to come unto Christ and to be examples of the believers. 

Allen shared the significance of the word “love” and how when we love like the Savior and follow His commandments, we are living a much higher and holier law. 

“Only when we see one another as He does, can we start to love one another as He has loved you,” Allen said. 

Throughout the devotional, Allen referred to President Russel M. Nelson’s “Peacemakers Needed” talk shared at the April 2023 General Conference. Allen invited everyone to listen to and reread President Nelson’s talk and to take note and action for the things they can personally do better to come closer to Christ and take upon them His name.  

Allen also reminded students of the meaning of faith, emphasizing that faith is not the absence of doubt, concerns or questions.

“Indeed, faith cannot exist without doubt, or else we would have perfect knowledge. Faith is a choice, and more foundationally, it is a desire to believe in spite of what we do not know or cannot yet understand,” Allen said.

Allen encouraged students to take comfort in knowing that by exercising their faith, they are making a choice to come closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Even though they may not know the answers to everything, Allen emphasized there is a higher being, a God, who knows everything — who loves and wants to help us. 

She testified that as disciples of Jesus Christ, we must rely on him, his perspective and his love. She encouraged students to live in a way that when others come to know them, they are coming to know God through students’ examples.