Two BYU–Hawaii students learned the Savior’s grace heals, empowers and is always within reach
In a general conference talk titled “The Laborers of the Vineyard”, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not travelled beyond the reach of divine love.” This powerful reminder resonates profoundly with the experiences of two BYU–Hawaii students who shared their journeys toward understanding grace.
For Joseph Suyama and Khulan Becar, the path to grasping the Savior’s grace has been profoundly personal and transformative. From mission fields to navigating complex family struggles, both said they discovered the Atonement is not solely about forgiveness—it is also about healing, cultivating self-compassion, and embracing life even in its most challenging moments.
From mission fields to the pressures of home
Joseph Suyama, a freshman from Laie majoring in business management marketing said his mission in Leeds, England exposed him to people enduring hardships beyond their control—circumstances like abuse, unemployment, or loss—that taught him the power of grace as something deeper than mere forgiveness.
Before my mission, I saw grace as something for repentance, for forgiveness. But on my mission, I learned how people drew power from grace. I realized grace could be empowering, not just pardoning.
Returning home, however, was a new kind of challenge, Suyama said. Away from the structured environment of his mission, Suyama said he was faced with the pressures and distractions of the world—news, social media and everyday life. “Pretty much immediately after coming home, I felt spiritually attacked,” he said. “I had to turn to the Savior and make a conscious choice to seek His Atonement. Feeling grace and understanding grace are two very different things.”
Even the simplest habits of faith became difficult, Suyama highlighted. “One of the hardest things was not talking about Christ,” Suyama admitted. “I got caught up in classes and goals and realized I wasn’t talking about Him anymore. When I started doing that again, I felt happier—I started to feel the joy I had on my mission.”
Suyama shared his perspective on the Atonement shifted profoundly after a conversation with his mission president: “The only way to claim the Atonement in your life is drop by drop.” For Suyama, this means continually turning to Christ, every day, allowing grace to seep into every aspect of life.
Finding grace amid family turmoil
Khulan Becar, a freshman political science major from Utah, said she experienced grace in a very different context—through family struggles. With her parents going through a difficult divorce, she said she found herself torn between conflicting emotions.
“It was hard to watch both sides of the story—seeing what my dad did that hurt my mom, and yet watching my mom continue to forgive him every time,” Becar shared. “It struck me because my parents aren’t active in the Church, but my mom still showed that kind of forgiveness. It made me think: if she can forgive him, then I can too. And ultimately, if Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ would forgive him, then I should as well.”
Khulan said she also faced spiritual distance during high school. After dating someone outside the Church and experiencing family upheaval, she said she became inactive for nearly two years. “I stopped going to church, stopped going to the temple, and even stopped praying. I felt disconnected and unsure if I would ever come back,” she admitted.
Her reconnection came through a friend who invited her to the temple, Becar recalled. “That night, I prayed for the first time in years,” she shared. “I told Heavenly Father, ‘I’m sorry you haven’t heard from me in a while. I don’t even know if coming back is right for me.’ But I felt this overwhelming sense that He still loved me—that He was waiting for me to ask for forgiveness and come back.”
Even without a fully active family environment, Becar said she found support from grandparents, aunts and friends. “I was on my own in building my personal testimony, but I was never alone in attending church or participating. People constantly reached out—inviting me to dinner, to activities or simply checking in.”
It made me think: if she can forgive him, then I can too. And ultimately, if Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ would forgive him, then I should as well.
The challenge of self-forgiveness
Both Suyama and Becar emphasized the hardest grace to accept is often inward—extending forgiveness and compassion to oneself.
Suyama recalled a moment of honest reflection: “I was upset with myself over some decisions I’d made and had a very honest prayer. I told Heavenly Father how I felt, and I felt the impression, ‘You’re forgiven—but you need to forgive yourself.’ That was powerful,” Suyama shared. He said he realized he needed to show love himself, to apologize to himself just as he would to someone else.
When you remove the barriers that stop you from receiving God’s grace, that’s when true power flows into your life.
Becar said she has found similar insight through daily practices of gratitude. Inspired by a friend who reframed conflict as lessons in patience, she said she writes down three things she’s grateful for each day. “Taking time to notice small blessings helps me see the bigger picture. Gratitude keeps me grounded in grace,” she said.
Seeing grace in everyday life
For both students, the Atonement is deeply personal and sufficient to meet each individual’s needs. Suyama explained, “Christ has descended below all things, so no matter how far we fall, His grace reaches further.” He said the Savior’s grace being sufficient means that everyone—not just believers—has a way back to God. “That’s what keeps us from losing hope.”
Becar added, “You can never go too far from God’s love.” When she was inactive, Becar said she felt like she had gone too far—that she was not worthy anymore. “But Heavenly Father doesn’t hold grudges—we’re usually the ones holding them against ourselves. Any effort to return to Him makes you worthy again. You’ll never be beyond His grace.”
His forgiveness brings the highest peace I can feel in this life
Both students also emphasized intentional spiritual practices. Suyama said he maintains a prayer journal, writing down impressions after prayer to strengthen his connection with God. Becar’s gratitude practice helps her recognize blessings in the ordinary—reminders that the Savior’s love is present in every part of life, she said.