Suits of Charcoal Grey

When we were young it was oft dreamed
A distant land, a language strange
But first there was so much to change:
Good friends, right choices, mistakes and pain;
All a part of growing.
When grown enough the call would come,
And off you'd go.
Sent into the world to serve
Dressed in suits of charcoal grey.

Illusive, frightening, across the sea
You go
And know not to look back.
There's nothing here for you right now,
Your life is for the Lord.
You'll find more than you left behind,
More than you could dream
As you learn and teach and work and live
Dressed in suits of charcoal grey.

Trials, hardships, tears will come:
Do not regret a one.
The pain will balance out the joy,
That is the Way of the Lord.
Faith, repentance, endure to the end --
You did not understand before
These best two years.
Perspective will not be the same
Dressed in suits of charcoal grey.

Give yourself away in the work of the Lord
For you were called to serve.
A calling magnified by a humble heart
Is better than numbers;
Calculated success means nothing.
Success is not good, not better, but best:
Your best, now.
You're better than you've ever been
Dressed in suits of charcoal grey.

So long, yet short those two years are
In which you make sweet memories
Of wonderful people, a beautiful land --
Home.
You will learn much, you will be reborn
When you return again.
So much potential will be reached, but more foreseen
As you serve with love
Dressed in suits of charcoal grey.

That is the reason, isn't it?
Love.
Don't ever lose that love you feel;
It will pull you through.
Contention and loneliness, pain and fear --
Those do not come from the Lord.
But love! He will pour it in, and you will give it back
Dressed in suits of charcoal grey.

BYUSA

My roommate is very active in the BYUSA elections. She's helping with a campaign, she's getting involved, and she's actively encouraging everyone to vote. She tells us why it's important and what they can do for us; she is very supportive.

I'm glad that she is so excited about all of this and wants to get involved... but I really want to say, "Hey. Take a step back. You think I'm a crazy person to get so interested in the primaries; you laugh at my caucus parties, you groan when I spend all night watching CNN, you are baffled by my constant checking of polls and numbers and editorials. But why am I crazy to care so much about the election of the next president of the United States? Why don't you care? Why can't you have as much involvement in our country's future -- vote in your state primaries! -- as you have in BYU?"

There are so many people on this campus who care so much about the leadership here, but why, why can't they care about the country? People don't think it matters until the general election, and the general is important, very important. But the primaries are such a vital part of the general election, and no one ever pays nearly as much attention as they ought. I cannot understand. Tomorrow is potentially the biggest day of the year, even bigger than Super Tuesday. If Hillary loses she could be out -- and a general election between Barack Obama and John McCain could be one of the most interesting elections between any two candidates in the history of this country. But there are hundreds, thousands of people who don't understand or don't care.

Apathy, like agnosticism, is something I can't stand.