Welcome to the Classic Speaches Podcasts presented by BYU Speaches, bringing you treasured talks

from 70 years of BYU Devotionals. Be sure to check out our other podcasts by searching

BYU Speaches wherever you get your podcasts or by visiting speeches.bYU.edu slash podcasts.

This devotional address entitled, Keeping the Gospel Simple, was given on February 16th of

1988 by Glenn L. Rudd, then a member of the first quorum of the 70 of the Church

of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Many years ago, I went on a mission to New Zealand, and the day I arrived, I had the

opportunity of meeting Elder Matthew Cowley for the very first time. He was to be my mission

president. During the next two years, we became close friends. And during the latter part of my

mission, I had the honor and privilege

of living in the mission home with the Cowleys and becoming his traveling companion.

We traveled throughout the land of New Zealand together on many trips. He was an excellent teacher

and a most interesting person. Some years later,

while he was a member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, I had the opportunity of bringing him

here to BYU on two or three occasions when he was the speaker at the devotionals. Everyone loved

to hear him in his stories.

Even though he has been gone now for over 34 years, there are people in many parts of

the church still interested in the faith-promoting stories he used to tell.

As I have prepared to come here today, I have been reminded over and over of the inspirational

talks he gave to the students who were here.

Those students might have been your parents, and some of them even your grandparents.

Over and above everything else, President Cowley tried to keep simple the things he taught.

...