Finding A Safe Harbor

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Sunday morning session of the April 2000 conference.

The past five years we've seen an acceleration of changes in the church which is great; and an acceleration of the proliferation of evil in the world, which is dreadful. If we focus too much on what's happening in the world we can be overcome by the evil and feel helpless to move forward with anything positive.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin spoke of turning to the Savior, as the ancient disciples did when caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee. The Savior is the one who can say, "Peace, be still" and can calm either the storms in our lives, or calm us in the midst of the storms.

Draw close to the Lord Jesus Christ. He bears a special love for those who suffer. He is the Son of God, an eternal king. In His mortal ministry He loved them and blessed them.

 To the meek and discouraged, His every word was one of compassion and encouragement. To the sick, He brought a healing balm. Those who yearned for hope, who yearned for a caring touch, received it from the hand of this King of Kings, this Creator of ocean, earth, and sky.

Today Jesus the Christ stands at the right hand of our Heavenly Father. Do you suppose that today He is any less inclined to aid those who suffer, who are sick, or who appeal to the Father in prayer for succor?

 

At one time in my life, when betrayed by a loved one, I called out to the Father to be comforted. I felt loving arms wrapped around me impressing upon my mind and heart the fact that I was loved and worthwhile. I didn't see anyone but felt more comfort than at any other time in my life. I know the Savior and His love for us is real!

 

Be of good cheer. The Man of Galilee, the Creator, the Son of the Living God will not forget nor forsake those whose hearts are drawn to Him. I testify that the Man who suffered for mankind, who committed His life to healing the sick and comforting the disconsolate, is mindful of your sufferings, doubts, and heartaches.

Elder Wirthlin uses the same analogy of learning to walk that I have used when trying to teach our children that they can do hard things.

What parent would say to a child, "Learning to walk is such a painful and difficult experience, you will likely stumble, you will most likely hurt yourself, you will cry many times when you fall. I will protect you from the struggle"? I have watched our youngest grandson, Seth, as he was learning to walk. Through this process of gaining experience, he now walks with confidence. Could I have said to him, "Out of my love for you, I will save you from this"? If so, because I could not bear to see him take a tumble at times, he may have never learned to walk. That is unthinkable for a loving parent or grandparent.

We have come to earth to learn from our experiences. The Savior is available to assist our learning process. Sometimes He will calm the storm, most times He will calm us, and give us the strength we need to make it through the storm. 

The gospel gives us that harbor of enduring safety and security. The living prophet and apostles today are as lighthouses in the storm. Steer towards the light of the restored gospel and the inspired teachings of those who represent the Lord on earth.

I've long said and taught that living the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the answer to all the ills of the world. It is also the answer to living in a sick world. Focusing on the Savior and building His Kingdom will help us weather the storms of life. From my vantage point of 65 years I see this more clearly than ever.