Bishop Sean Douglas, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, urged Brigham Young University-Idaho students on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, to integrate charitable giving and daily service into their lives immediately rather than waiting for a more convenient season.
Speaking during a devotional at the I-Center in Rexburg, Idaho, Bishop Douglas grounded his address, titled See that Ye Love God with All Your Heart, Soul, and Mind,
in the connection between loving God and serving others. He told students that discipleship requires daily participation regardless of their current stage in life.
Bishop Douglas Urges Daily Discipleship at BYU-Idaho
Bishop Douglas emphasized that meaningful contributions do not depend on wealth or spare time. We give now when we are young with very little, so that we will always give. We serve now when we are students, when time is scarce, so that we will always serve,
he said. He added that giving and serving are not to be put off for an ideal season of life
because such acts constitute everyday discipleship.
In an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio, Bishop Douglas explained that service is the lifeblood of discipleship. It is how we follow the Savior.
He and his wife, Ann, practiced what he termed the law of little—the principle that small actions such as opening doors, offering greetings, or smiling can make lasting impacts.
He recalled setting a daily alarm during his missionary service to remind himself to smile, an effort that later helped introduce an individual to the missionaries’ message. Reflecting on an earlier career choice that redirected his family’s path, Bishop Douglas offered reassurance to the student body: God knows where you’re going to be tomorrow. Trust Him.
He described BYU-Idaho as a spiritual laboratory where professors, fellow disciples, and leaders help prepare individuals for the future.
Bishop Douglas Urges Students to Prepare for Divine Purposes
He noted that these collective efforts demonstrate how individuals can recognize God’s children and respond to their needs.
Reflecting on his time as a student attending a married student ward at the University of Utah—where his bishop was Elder Ronald A. Rasband, now a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles—Bishop Douglas reminded the Rexburg audience of counsel he received then: God has intentionally placed you here to prepare you and then send you forth into the world for His own purposes. Prepare yourselves well for what is to come. Don’t waste a minute.
During his address, Bishop Douglas invited students to make caring for God’s children central to who they are and what they do now, emphasizing that they are front and center in God’s work of salvation and exaltation.