"You likewise will have significant experiences," he said. "I hope that you will write them down and keep a record of them, that you will read them from time to time and refresh your memory of these meaningful and significant things."

He closed with a 10th subject, his nearly 67-year marriage to Marjorie Pay Hinckley.

"When she was young I was bewitched and in love," he said. "That love strengthened through the years."

She died 2 1/2 years ago and, he said, "The resulting loneliness never entirely disappears."

As he regularly does on his nearly annual visits to BYU, President Hinckley told the students to look for a spouse while at the university.

"I will remind you that the association you now enjoy as students is probably the best time of your lives to find your 'beloved eternal companion,"' he said, punctuating each word with his trademark bobbing hand. "Do so with a prayer in your heart. It will be the most important decision you will ever make."

Bartell said the stories were helpful.

"I'm glad he spoke about the Enlightenment and other parts of history," said the freshman, who called herself a first-generation Mormon. "It's important to remember it's not just our experiences that shape us."

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E-mail: twalch@desnews.com