PROVO — Elder D. Todd Christofferson urged thousands of Brigham Young University students, as they received their degrees on Thursday at the Marriott Center, to pursue and achieve greatness in their lives.

Elder Christofferson, of the Presidency of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, extended his advice to 2,372 students who earned bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.

"Someone can put in his or her time without really making a difference," he said. "On the other hand, with diligent effort and a concern to make things better, another person will make a lasting contribution."

Elder Christofferson also told the crowd there are a variety of ideas that constitute greatness. He related the tale of his grandfather, Helge Swenson, who immigrated to America from Sweden when he was 11. His family was so poor he had to live with neighbors.

Eventually, Swenson married and supported his family by farming and service as Utah County agricultural inspector. When Elder Christofferson came to BYU, his grandfather commented, "If I had an opportunity for education like this, I would really have amounted to something." His remark surprised Elder Christofferson.

"What did he mean, 'Amount to something?'" he said. "I hoped someday to amount to something by coming close to his level of attainment."

BYU Alumni Association President J. Craig McIlroy said a college education affords students many opportunities. Sometimes students feel they are "smothered in a sea of possibilities."

"We live in a country of possibilities," he said. "It is the land of opportunity where the sky's the limit."

By contrast, McIlroy related his visit to Prague in the Czech Republic in 1970. It was a bleak time in the country's history. A week before McIlroy arrived, a college student set himself on fire in the center of Wenceslas Square.

As McIlroy looked down on that spot, he became momentarily overwhelmed by feelings of desperation and oppressiveness.

"Those feelings gradually gave way to a rush of intense gratitude for the free land in which I was born and where I live," he said. "I felt as if I was the one of the luckiest people on earth."

Dan Christensen and his wife Lisa also expressed gratitude for a "superb educational experience" as they received their degrees.

"I'm thrilled and relieved," Lisa Christensen said as Dan Christensen held their 13-month-old son Jason, who also sported graduation robes. The young family plans to move back East so Dan can pursue a master's degree in physics.

At the commencement ceremony, BYU President Cecil Samuelson took a moment to acknowledge the passing of President James E. Faust who served 12 years as vice chairman of the BYU Board of Trustees. Faust also played a key role in establishing the BYU Jerusalem Center.

"To the end, he has been our mentor, our supporter, our guide and our friend," he said. "We will miss him terribly."

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