On the evening of January 8, 2005, members of the various faiths represented in Singapore, along with members of the press, business leaders, and government officials were invited to the home of Michael and Kathy Bertasso to enjoy a meal together and to visit with Clayton Christensen. Elder Christensen is a world-renowned business leader specifically for his research and teaching interests centered on the management of technological innovation and finding new markets for new technologies. He is also a member of the Church and is currently serving as an Area Authority Seventy.

At the end of the evening, Elder Christensen was invited to speak for 15 minutes on how we can strengthen our families and avoid failure. When he attended his 25th college reunion at Harvard Business School, he was saddened to discover that 60% of the individuals he went to school with were now divorced and/or alienated from their children. He recognized that his colleagues had no intention of ruining their family life. “We all have a need to achieve. Our careers give us the most immediate and tangible evidence that we have done anything positive. It takes much longer to come to the same result in our families.” He commented that the latest trend in the United States is that “the most talented parents focus their time and energy on their careers and find other ways to get the children raised. These children grow up thinking more about their rights, not their responsibilities.”

Elder Christensen told of a student from the Soviet Union who was invited to Harvard for a year to study “Free Markets and Democracy”. At the end of the year, Elder Christensen had this man over for dinner and posed the following question, “What surprised you most in your study?” His response was that he had no idea how critical religion is in a democratic society. “Citizens voluntarily obey the law because they go to church. If they do break the law, and the police do not catch them, they believe that God will.” Elder Christensen worries that generally there is a weakening of religion in the USA. This religious weakening in turn weakens the family. A weak family structure naturally weakens society. Elder Christensen expressed his concern that the same trend can happen in Singapore. He encouraged all in attendance to resolve to strengthen and live their religious convictions.

“When we live our religions, society is impacted in a positive way.” He then gave examples from his own life where he has set strong and immovable standards to protect his family and his religious practices. A member of the audience asked, “It is easy to set the standards and boundaries of one’s life, but to actually incorporate them on a day to day basis is another story. How are you able to do this? Is a matter of faith on your part?” Elder Christensen responded with, “For me, it is easier to hold to a standard 100% of the time than 98% of the time.”

From the feedback of the guests, the event was highly successful and they have indicated their interest to return for any future similar events. They all seemed to understand and agree with Elder Christensen. Many wished that their family members and colleagues could have heard his message. We thank Elder Christensen for taking time from his busy schedule to address the concerns of various key leaders in Singapore. We look forward to future visits from Elder Christensen.