I love Anchors. They are one of my favorite symbols in life. They truly mean to much to me in words that I can not explain. I love this video, "Finding Faith In Christ," because even through storms of life, if we hope and have faith in Christ he will never let us sink. He is always there for us. We need to trust and rely on him. Have him be an anchor to our souls.
This is a talk by President Uchtdorf about how the Gospel of Jesus Christ is an anchor for our souls.
Not long ago I had the opportunity to sail on a great ship
along the marvelous coast of Alaska, USA. While the captain prepared for
the ship’s overnight stay in a remote pristine bay, he carefully
evaluated the location and circumstances, such as the sequence of the
tides, depth of the waters, and distance from dangerous obstacles. When
satisfied, he dropped anchor so that the ship would remain safe and
firmly anchored, allowing the passengers an opportunity to marvel at the
spectacular beauty of God’s creations.
As I
was looking at the coastline, I began to realize that the ship was
drifting almost imperceptibly with the slightest amount of wind and
underlying current. Nevertheless, the ship stayed firmly and
persistently within a fixed circle defined by the length of the anchor
line and the strength of the anchor.
The
captain had not kept the anchor stored on the ship, ready to be lowered
only if a storm should approach. No, he had anchored the vessel as a
preventive measure and protected the ship from moving into unsafe waters
or slowly drifting aground while passengers and crew felt safe.
As I
was contemplating this scene, it occurred to me that if this wasn’t an
opportunity for a parable, I had never piloted an airplane.
Why We Need Anchors
The
purpose of an anchor is to keep a ship safe and secure at a desired
location or to help control the ship during bad weather. However, to
accomplish these vital purposes, just having an anchor is not enough.
The anchor must be solid, dependable, and used properly at the right
time and place.
Individuals and families need anchors as well.
Adversity
can come as a great storm to blow us off course and threaten to cast us
against the rocks. But sometimes we are also in danger when everything
appears to be safe—the winds soft and the waters smooth. In fact, we can
be in the greatest danger when we are drifting and movement is so
slight that we scarcely notice it.
The Gospel Is Our Anchor
Anchors
must be solid, strong, and well maintained to be ready when needed. In
addition, they must be attached to a foundation capable of bearing the
weight of opposing forces.
Of
course, the gospel of Jesus Christ is such an anchor. It was prepared
by the Creator of the universe for a divine purpose and designed to
provide safety and guidance to His children.
What is the gospel, after all, besides God’s plan to redeem His children and bring them back into His presence?
Knowing
that it is in the nature of all things to drift, we must firmly set our
anchors on the bedrock of gospel truth. They must not be lightly
lowered onto the sands of pride or barely touching the surface of our
convictions.
This
month we have an opportunity to hear from God’s servants in a general
conference of the Church. Their words, joined with the scriptures and
the promptings of the Spirit, provide a secure and steady bedrock
foundation of eternal values and principles to which we can attach our
anchors so we can remain steadfast and secure amid the struggles and
trials of life.
The
ancient prophet Helaman taught, “It is upon the rock of our Redeemer,
who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that
when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the
whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon
you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of
misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built,
which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they
cannot fall” (Helaman 5:12).
The Value of Firmly Set Anchors
Life
has a way of testing our anchors and tempting us to drift.
Nevertheless, if our anchors are correctly placed in the rock of our
Redeemer, they will hold—no matter the force of the wind, the strength
of the tide, or the height of the waves.
Of
course, a ship is not designed to remain stationary in a harbor but
rather to raise anchor and sail the seas of life. But that is a parable
for another time.
For now, I take comfort in knowing that the anchor of the gospel and the rock of our Redeemer will keep us steady and secure.
Such
an anchor will keep us from drifting into danger and misfortune. It
will allow us the glorious opportunity to enjoy the incomparable
beauties of the ever-changing and sublime scenery of life.
Life
is beautiful and worth living. Wind, storm, and prevailing currents may
tempt us to drift into dangers seen or unseen, but the gospel message
and its divine power will keep us on our path back to the safe harbor of
our Heavenly Father.
Let us, therefore, not only listen to the talks of the April general conference but also apply their messages as a firmly set anchor to our daily lives.
May God bless and guide us in this significant and essential endeavor!
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