Feature Story
Trust That the Lord Has a Plan for You: Forum with SVU Board Member Greg Scott
On Oct. 23, the Southern Virginia University community gathered in the Knight Arena for a forum with Board of Trustees member Greg Scott, who will complete his service on the board this year after serving since 2017. During the Q&A-style forum, Scott responded to questions submitted by the student body covering spiritual survival, navigating the “decade of decisions,” discerning political truth, and trusting in God’s plan.
Moderated by Vice President of Student Engagement Lily McBride and Student Body President Issac Northcutt, the discussion opened with a challenge many face—discerning truth in a noisy world. Scott, who also serves as an Area Authority Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, emphasized that spiritual survival depends on learning to recognize personal revelation to discern truth from error.
“How do you know truth? How do you know the ground you’re supposed to stand on? How do you know what is right to do?” Scott asked. “I don’t know, and you don’t know, but the Holy Ghost knows. To live a life of peace, a joyful life, you’re going to need the guidance of the Holy Ghost and know how to listen to Him. It’s a skill that you develop.”
Scott shared how the Holy Ghost speaks to each person differently, while reminding students that daily guidance usually comes through quiet impressions. He also urged students not to let worry overshadow present happiness or view setbacks as permanent failure, recalling when he unexpectedly failed the bar exam and lost a job offer.
“I was stunned. I was humiliated,” Scott said. “I felt like I got hit by a bus. But I’ve learned that some of the things I thought I wanted most would not have brought me the happiness I expected.. Please be open to the idea that your Father in Heaven loves you enough to not give you what you want, or to not have life unfold the way you think will make you happy.”
When asked about navigating political polarization and bias, Scott advised students to avoid political tribalism and focus instead on unity with God and one another.
“Never adopt a tribe—other than the tribe of Israel,” Scott counseled. “Don’t love a cause so much that you will abandon a brother or a sister in this mortal journey because they are not on board with your cause. There is no cause greater than the cause of Jesus Christ. Outside people do not dictate my internal identity and values.”
Scott also shared a childhood experience when his family fasted together for his mother, who was in critical condition after giving birth to his younger brother. He testified about the incredible power of fasting and how it can help someone feel the love of God.
“Stay your course. Trust in the plan,” said Scott. “Trust that you can have a beautiful marriage, a beautiful family. You don’t have to know how it will work for it to work.”
The forum opened with the congregation singing “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” followed by a special musical performance of “Amazing Grace” by Justin and Aurora Johnson on the piano and flute. The forum closed with the campus community singing the traditional hymn “Love One Another.”