A SAFE HARBOUR

"I am convinced that no soul has ever been whipped into this mortal existence, that each one of us came willingly, cheerfully, and gladly; even though we might have known that we were to inherit a body that was crippled, maimed and deformed, still we were glad to come....

We know that it meant sorrow, pain, and ultimately, death, and yet we rejoiced in the prospect to come.

We saw beyond the valley of the shadow of death, with all of its pain, with all of its suffering, the grand vistas of the eternities, providing for man's eternal and endless progress, on, up and up, until we should attain unto what God is. Yet we knew that we could never ascend until we had descended and had been given a mortal tabernacle, and the union of the spirit and body had become an accomplished fact.

So by the attraction of it all we came gladly and willingly, for our eyes were not so much centered upon the sorrows and troubles of life as upon the grandness of that which lies beyond."

(Melvin J. Ballard, Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, p. 179)

A somewhat adequate similitude of the journey of this life would have to be the found in the early pioneers of this Church who trekked across the plains, mountains and rivers in an effort to arrive at a home that promised a valley of peace and liberty. It can be supposed that they too began their journey with enthusiasm and purpose, knowing that the home they sought was a quest that could not be left unconquered. So strong was their commitment to arrive at their destination that they risked all facing 'sickness, heat, fatigue, cold, fear, hunger, pain, doubt and even death'. So many of us look back at the pioneers and exclaim that we could never have endured what they did. Such extremes are unfamiliar to us for very few of us experience extreme physical hardships. Instead we bask in comparative prosperity of modern day living and technology which 'shower us with security, entertainment, instant gratification and convenience' (President Dieter F. Uchdorf, All Is Well, Ensign July 2015). However, equal to the physical hardships of the pioneers are the spiritual ones we of the final hour face today with many of us standing on thin ice trembling with gripping cold hoping to make it to the safety of the shore. Surely the pioneers are looking down on us exclaiming they could never endure the challenges and stress we live with each and every day. The pioneers acquired many attributes on their fated journey which kept their fires of courage burning but none sustained them like their trust in God for whom they sacrificed their all. It is this trust which brought success for no one but He could enable them to swim to the safety of the shore.

"Many today feel troubled and distressed; many feel that, at any moment, the ships of their lives could capsize or sink. It is to you who are looking for a safe harbour that I wish to speak today, you whose hearts are breaking, you who are worried or afraid, you who bear grief or the burdens of sin, you who feel no one is listening to your cries, you whose hearts are pleading, 'Master, carest thou not that I perish? To you I offer a few words of comfort and of counsel. Be assured that there is a safe harbour. Your Heavenly Father - who knows when even a sparrow falls - knows of your heartache and suffering. He loves you and wants the best for you. Never doubt this. While He allows all of us to make choices that may not always be for our own or even others' well-being, and while He does not always intervene in the course of events, He has promised the faithful peace even in their trials and tribulations." (Joseph B. Wirthlin, 'Finding a Safe Harbour', Ensign May 2000)

To whom will we liken God and where else will we find refuge from the raging storms but the Creator of the ends of the Earth? He who gives power to the faint, and to them who have no might, He increases strength. For we that wait upon the Lord will renew our strength; we shall mount up with wings as eagles; we shall run, and not be weary, and we shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40)...... He shall wipe all tears from our eyes (Revelations 21:4).....and encircle us in the arms of His love (D&C 6:20) for there is no end to His compassion, mercy and love and no end to His understanding. For 'He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before Him, and all things are round about Him; and He is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by Him, and of Him, even God, forever and ever' (D&C 88:41). The promise is sure, if we draw near unto Him, He will draw near unto us; if we seek Him diligently, we shall find Him; if we ask, we shall receive; if we knock, it shall be opened unto us (D&C 88:63). Who else then can we trust and where else can we turn for peace but the Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) for He alone has the might and power to calm the troubled seas so we can reach the shore. The sight of it should ever be before us, even as we are buffeted by the storms of life, for as we so long ago longed to ascend, we agreed to first descend; as we eagerly left, we promised to return. Armed with the power of God, the icy storms can never prevent our fingertips from feeling the edge of the shore.

"Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God and beside him there is no Savior. Great is his wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doings none can find out. His purposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay his hand. From eternity to eternity he is the same, and his years never fail. For thus saith the lord - I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory" 

(D&C 76:1-6)

A PLACE OF REFUGE

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law; and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem".   Isaiah 2:2-3


The central theme of Isaiah's prophecies is the destruction and restoration of the House of Israel. Because of this, many of his prophecies had dual meanings. The beauty of his writing is not in the destruction of Israel, nor in his repeated call to repentance but the restoration of the splendor of Zion which would come about in our day and which Isaiah saw with prophetic clarity. He, as a prophet and seer, who witnessed the iniquities of Israel in his day, also witnessed the calamities and wickedness of this dispensation which could easily have weighed heavily on his heart yet what comes through his works the most is the beauty of Zion and the Millennial day. No dispensation of earth's history has ever had as much as we have. The Kingdom of God established to no more be destroyed, with all the rights of the priesthood, a true and only path to the salvation of man. I wonder if we know how incredibly important we are in the history and preservation of Israel and its spiritual destiny. We, of the tribe of Ephraim, the modern Israel, are the hope of the world as we progress the Kingdom and offer to the children of men a refuge from the storm.

The 'mountain of the Lord' spoken of by Isaiah refers to the restoration of Christ's church in this the last dispensation. President Harold B. Lee said: "The coming forth of His Church in these days was the beginning of the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy when 'the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains'" (Conference Report, Apr. 1973, p. 5). Elder LeGrand Richards has said: "How literally (Isaiah 2:3) has been fulfilled, in my way of thinking, in this very house of the God of Jacob right here on this block! This temple (Salt Lake), more than any other building of which we have any record, has brought people from every land to learn of his ways and walk in his paths" (Conference Report, Apr. 1971, p. 143)

The question begs to be asked, are we spiritually sensitive enough to recognise the storms of from which we need protection or are we in our comfort zone being politically correct with the rest of the world that calls 'evil good and good evil' (Isaiah 5:20)? Do we long for the Millenial day when they that are proud no longer 'grind the faces of the poor' (Isaiah 3:15) and we co-exist in Zion splendor where all are equal in possession and stature? Do we strive to protect our children from the influences which are beckoning and threaten to destroy the moral fibre of our society? Do we appreciate and treat the Church as the spiritual haven that it is for ourselves and our families? If we don't recognise it as such now, there will come a day when we will be forced to. I know not of any more powerful words than these uttered by Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone, which he spoke at the Manti Temple in April of 1987:

"Before the Saviour comes the world will darken. There will come a period of time where even the elect will lose hope if they do not come to the temples. The world will be so filled with evil that the righteous will only feel secure within these walls. The Saints will come here not only to do vicarious work, but to find a haven of peace. They will long to bring their children here for safety's sake...

We will not be alone in our temples...

The covenants and ordinances will fill us with faith as a living fire. In a day of desolating sickness, scorched earth, barren wastes, sickening plagues, disease, destruction, and death, we as a people will rest in the shade of trees, we will drink from the cooling fountains. We will abide in places of refuge from the storm; we will mount up as on eagles' wings; we will be lifted out of an insane and evil world. We will be as fair as the sun and clear as the moon.

When the Saviour comes He will honour His people. Those who are spared and prepared will be a temple-loving people. They will know Him.

Our children will bow down at His feet and worship Him as the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings. They will bathe His feet with their tears and He will weep, and bless them for having suffered through the greatest trials known to man.

Let us prepare them with the faith to surmount every trial and every condition. We will do it in these holy, sacred temples".