Speeches
Pushes, Pulls and Elbows: The Life-Changing Power of a Simple Nudge
On Nov. 15, the campus community gathered in the Knight Arena to hear Liz Darger, senior associate athletic director at Brigham Young University, speak on how recognizing spiritual nudges of the Holy Ghost can lead to wonderful opportunities.
Darger shared a personal experience of her following a prompting from the Holy Ghost to attend Brigham Young University for her undergraduate when she had originally planned on attending another school. While at BYU, she was given opportunities to grow as she was pushed to define herself without athletics, music, or student council, which she had previously participated in.
”I had no idea who I was, and it caused me to go to my Father in Heaven and ask, ‘What am I even doing here? Who am I?’’’ said Darger. “I’m so grateful for the answer that came, which was so simple and yet so profound: ‘You are my daughter. That’s who you are. I have important work for you to do.’”
“I don’t know that those truths really found a place in my soul until that experience of having no idea who I was because all the things I did—that I thought defined me—were stripped away,” continued Darger. “That dark moment completely changed my outlook on the future and helped me recognize that even when my life was not turning out the way I thought it would, I was in God’s hands, that He knew me, and He had plans for me.”
Highlighting the power of a good nudge from those who see potential in us, Darger expressed gratitude for her friend Regan Scott, who connected Darger with her father, Ray Scott, who launched her into a career in coaching high school basketball.
“Regan took five minutes out of her life to completely change my life when she made that phone call to her father,” said Darger. “I showed up at the open gym at the high school to check it out, and after 10 minutes, I was hooked and realized that this was where I belonged. Her nudge changed my life.”
Reflecting on the time after she graduated with her master’s from BYU and starting work as a high school counselor and coach, Darger explained that while she loved her job, she was discouraged with her personal development. Eventually, turning to God in prayer, Darger asked what He wanted her to do with her life.
“The thought came to my mind from my Father in Heaven, ‘Start focusing on the covenants you have made. Better understand those. I have an important work for you to do,’” Darger said. “There are unbelievable blessings associated with receiving my temple endowment, and there are unbelievable blessings associated with the covenant of baptism.”
“There was a new confidence that came to me of understanding I was on God’s errand in everything that I did, and it brought joy into my life,” continued Darger. “I was no longer so focused on the opportunities I didn’t have yet, but on the opportunities God was giving me and how I could make the most of them.”
The event featured a musical performance of Claude T. Smith’s “God of Our Fathers,” directed by Dr. Michael Black and performed by the Symphonic Band. It ended with the traditional singing of “Love One Another.”