PROVO — A top leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encouraged this year's graduates of Brigham Young University to avoid going into debt.

Elder Robert D. Hales, a member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, told the crowd in the Marriott Center for Thursday's commencement rites they should perform "plastic surgery" on their credit cards.

Unless you can pay off the balance every month, he told graduates, the plastic cards should be cut up and discarded.

"If you had to go into debt to obtain your education, I encourage you to repay your debts as soon as possible," he said. "Then go forward with commitment not to finance on credit any item of any kind, except perhaps a house and vehicle that are well within your means."

Debt also inhibits a person's ability to give "both temporal and spiritual service," the theme of Elder Hales' commencement address.

Service has most influence in the home, said Elder Hales, who saluted women graduates.

"The world will try to convince you that the most important success is achieved in the workplace," he said. "I salute all who will focus their efforts on the family. I especially salute you sisters who will train up our Heavenly Father's children in the way they should go."

While in college, students engage in endeavors that are focused on the self: They concentrate on personal growth and study to earn good grades.

After graduation, however, we must "lose our lives in service to others," Hales said.

Graduates can no longer act like students who memorize and repeat class lessons to "look good and impress others," Hales said.

"I've seen this with many MBA students who accept their first job thinking that what they know and say is more important than who they are and how they relate to others," the former businessman said. "They fail miserably in their jobs because it is obvious to nearly everyone that they are repeating what they've learned in order to be at the top of their class."

Hales told the graduates to use lessons learned at college to help others be successful.

"In other words, you must use your education not to distinguish yourself from others, but to devote yourself to them — to helping them grow and flourish, even if it seems at the expense of your own prominence and glory."

Individual college convocations are today.

Some 6,401 students will receive degrees from the LDS Church-owned BYU, including 923 students who will receive master's and doctorate degrees.

Also at commencement on Thursday, BYU gave its former president, Elder Merrill J. Bateman, an honorary doctorate of Christian service.

Elder Bateman stepped down in 2003 and became a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy.

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E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com