Early in Jesus’ ministry, as word of his miracles spread, crowds began to follow him from outside Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and Jordan (Matthew 4:25).
However, in Matthew 5:1 we read, “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up a mountain. And when he stood up, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them.”
In an address to Brigham Young University-Idaho graduates on Thursday, Dec. 18, Youth General President Timothy L. Ferns said that while many people followed Jesus, only Jesus’ disciples climbed the mountain to receive instruction.
Today, those teachings are known as the Sermon on the Mount and “set a high standard for righteousness and discipleship,” President Ferns said. “In this sermon, the Savior taught us the difference between being a believer or follower and being a disciple. He shifted our focus from goodness to godliness.”
For example, Jesus taught that it is good not to commit adultery. However, “it is godly to avoid even lustful thoughts and to remove unpleasant things from life” (Matthew 5:27-28).
It is good to fast and give alms, but “it is pious to do all these things even when no one is watching, when there is no one to thank or reward except God himself.”
Believers and believers may walk a mile. “But disciples of Jesus Christ aim for the second mile,” President Ferns said.
As graduates prepare for their next steps, including further schooling, pursuing careers and starting families, President Ferns made discipleship their “absolute top priority” and encouraged them to “become second-mile disciples of Jesus Christ.”
“This is the secret to a life of joy and discipleship,” President Ferns declared.
A light snow began to fall as thousands of graduates and their loved ones gathered at the BYU-I Center in Rexburg, Idaho, for a midwinter commencement ceremony.
Thursday’s ceremony recognized the accomplishments of 3,331 graduates who earned 2,376 bachelor’s degrees and 1,027 associate degrees. In addition to President Ferns, BYU-Idaho President Alvin F. Meredith III and Assistant Secretary of Education R. Kelly Hawes also gave brief remarks. Music was provided by the BYU-Idaho Graduation Choir.
What it means to be a “Second Mile Disciple”
There is goodness in the first mile. “But there’s a divinity to the second mile,” President Ferns said.
In the first mile, an individual may focus on appearances and follow God’s commandments out of obligation. “At The Second Mile, we follow God out of love, with pure hearts and true intentions,” he explained.
Blessings come in the first mile, President Ferns continued, but miracles happen in the second mile.
In the first mile, an individual may forgive those who ask for forgiveness. “At The Second Mile, we forgive everyone, no matter what happens.”
In the first mile, believers in Christ repent and change their behavior. “In the Second Mile, repentance changes our hearts and our very nature,” President Ferns said.
In the first mile, individuals strive to keep the great commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). But in the second mile, they strive to keep Jesus’ “new commandment…love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34).
The difference between the first mile and the second mile is like the difference between dipping your toe in water and jumping in. “We can both say we went to the pool, but only one of us can say we went swimming. Today, we invite you to immerse yourself in it,” President Ferns said.
The first mile is filled with believers asking, “What can Jesus do for me?” At mile two, a true disciple asks, “What can I do for others in the name of Jesus Christ?”
President Ferns explained that he was not taking the first mile lightly. “At different times in our lives, in different aspects of our discipleship, we all spend time in the first mile,” he said. However, “don’t linger on the first mile when the second mile is within reach.”
The 2026 youth theme comes from Moses 6:34, “You abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me.” President Ferns said it’s important to remember who is making the invitation in that verse. “We are not asking God to walk in our ways; we are accepting the invitation to walk in God’s ways. . . . As Second Mile disciples, we are more focused on whether the Lord is with us than whether He is with us.”
In describing this type of discipleship, President Ferns noted that some may feel “tired of doing good” (Galatians 6:9).
“But that’s the great thing about Second Mile discipleship. In reality, it doesn’t necessarily mean doing more. It means doing the right thing with more intention and purpose,” he said.
At Second Mile, the same work becomes “a joy rather than a burden, a pleasure rather than a drudgery. As a result, Second Mile disciples actually feel less ‘tired of doing well,’ even though they seem to be doing more,” President Ferns said.
Dedicated Lifelong Disciples
In his remarks, Mr. Hawes referred to recent changes in the First Presidency. BYU-Idaho’s governing officers are currently President Dallin H. Oaks and his advisors, President Henry B. Eyring and President D. Todd Christofferson.
“With the passing of the mantle from President Nelson to President Oaks, we stand at a rare and sacred moment in our planet’s history,” Hawes said.
Before Elijah died, Elisha promised to follow the Lord’s prophet by making the following vow: “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you” (2 Kings 2:2).
In this recent transition from one prophet to the next, Latter-day Saints symbolically stand with Elijah and Elisha on the banks of the Jordan River. “We all have the privilege of choosing, along with Elisha, to raise our hands and support the prophet of the Lord with the same high will: ‘As the Lord lives, as your soul lives, I will not leave you,”’ Hawes said.
Of the 3,331 graduates, President Meredith said 1,628 were online students served through the partnership with BYU-Pathway Worldwide, and 760 graduates began their education after age 30.
“We want you to become great biologists, great accountants, skilled lawyers, caring nurses, inspiring teachers, talented artists, soulful musicians, and civic leaders, but whatever noble path you choose, our greatest hope is , that from here on out you will have an identity far greater than any profession, that of a committed, lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ, and that you will demonstrate discipleship in everything you do,” President Meredith said.
