Harbors and Storms

The first devotional speaker that I ever heard at BYU was President Boyd K. Packer, and he made the profound statement that we are now living inside the great and spacious building. All around us are song lyrics and JPEG's, YouTube videos and DVD's laced with desensitizing content.

Yes, there are harbors from the storm-- the church meetinghouse, the temple, the home-- but perhaps even more comforting is that when we have no choice but to brave the storm, the Lord has prepared us with the things that ensure our survival.


Generally, building a harbor doesn't mean throwing out our iPods and laptops. I don't believe that is what Elder Holland meant in his talk. Rather, the harbor is the internal discipline that disciples of Christ develop on a daily basis. It is the daily habit of making correct choices. No daunting wave can capsize a Latter-day Saint who has prepared a harbor in his heart and mind.


It is interesting that the ideas of storm and safety were mentioned not only by Elder Holland, but also by the President of the Church. In his closing remarks, President Monson said that he was reminded of the Lord's words in the Book of Ether. The Brother of Jared had sought His help in preparing ships to cross the great deep. The Lord said:

"Ye cannot cross this great deep
save I prepare you against the waves of the sea,
and the winds which have gone forth,
and the floods which shall come."

President Monson stated, "My brothers and sisters, He has prepared us. If we heed His words and live the commandments, we will survive this time of permissiveness and wickedness-- a time which can be compared with the waves and the winds and the floods that can destroy."

If the Lord has prepared us, then what have we to fear?