We live on the shores of Flathead Lake in Northwestern Montana. Flathead Lake is 16 miles wide, 30 miles long, and the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. When calm, it is a clear, pristine, beautiful lake; however, it can quickly turn into a tumultuous, raging body of water. Several times a year, there are storms that pound the waves over our docks and onto the shore. I love watching these storms roll in, and I’m always amazed at how quickly they appear and how much damage they can do in a very short amount of time.
Last summer, on a beautiful Sunday morning, I was outside inspecting some new landscaping when I noticed a tube resting on our dock that someone had forgotten to tie up. I had an impression that I should grab the tube and tie it to the dock, but I glanced at the clear, blue sky and brushed aside the prompting, thinking to myself that there was no wind and one of the kids could do it as soon as they woke up.
A short time later, I was inside when one of my boys came running down the stairs saying that the wind had just blown a tube off the dock. What was a calm, peaceful lake an hour earlier was now a white-capped, furious body of water. It took about 10 seconds for my son to reach the dock, but it was too late. The tube had been snatched into waves pulling it away from the shore. It was quickly taken out of reach, and within a few short minutes, it was hardly visible from the shoreline.
While this wasn’t a life-changing experience, it still reminded me of several important lessons. First, listen and act on promptings. Whether we feel a nudge, a burning sensation, a whisper, or an impression, we need to pay attention and act. It is easy to second guess the impression we feel, rationalize it away, or do what I did and simply ignore it. It would have been so easy for me to follow this prompting, grab the tube and secure it to the dock.
The gift of the Holy Ghost is critical to being able to navigate this chaotic world in which we live. President Nelson has stated, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” [1] The power of having the Holy Ghost in our lives is simply a game changer. If we don’t overcomplicate the gospel and stick to the fundamentals, we are worthy of this life-changing gift. Every day we make choices that will invite the Spirit into our lives or drive it away.
The second thing I realized that morning is we need to always have strong anchors to keep us secure. We live in an intense, crazy world and without anchors to keep us grounded and safe, we are in danger of being pulled into the storms of life. If we are not consciously working to stay tethered to the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are at risk of being pulled into the willing arms of the adversary.
I’d like to share with you a few of the spiritual anchors in my life that keep me bound to my Savior and worthy to receive the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
On the top of my spiritual anchor list is daily scripture study. Reading the Book of Mormon specifically helps me to cope with the challenges that life brings and keeps me in tune with what the Lord wants me to learn. Gordon B. Hinckley said, “Without reservation, I promise you that if you will prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, regardless of how many times you have read it, there will come into your hearts an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord. There will come a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and there will come a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.” [2]
I can honestly testify to the truthfulness of this promise because I have experienced it firsthand. I’ve grown to love the time I set aside to read the Book of Mormon, and my day is always better when it starts with scripture study. I prefer the first thing in the morning, but for you a different time might be better. Find a space in your day that is uninterrupted that will allow you to study and ponder whatever scripture you are choosing to read, and don’t let anything interfere with that time. Bronco has always told our boys that scheduled events happen more often than unscheduled events, so maybe this time needs to be put into your calendar so that you are sure to make it happen. And even if on some days you don’t feel like reading, do it anyway. Even if it is for a shorter amount of time. You will always feel better.
One of my favorite anchors is carving out time each day for silence. This helps me to be able to hear and feel the guidance of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is “a still, small voice”—it won’t be banging on your door over your music or yelling in your ear to get your attention. It will come as a whisper, a warm feeling, or a gentle nudge. If we don’t make the time to ensure that we can feel and hear these promptings, we are missing out on one of the greatest gifts we are given.
I started to turn the radio off when I drove my boys to school. This was a very big sacrifice for me because I loved to listen to country music. It didn’t happen right away, but eventually, driving my car in silence became something I looked forward to. So many times I have been prompted, warned, and guided regarding decisions that are specific not only for me but for my family. I love having that direct line of communication between me and my Father in Heaven, and it doesn’t take much effort to make it happen. I encourage you to find time in your day where there is no noise around you, even if you start by setting a timer for 10 minutes. I promise that you will grow to cherish this time and heed promptings, warnings, guidance, and comfort that will directly impact and change your life.
Attending sacrament meetings is another spiritual anchor that is very important in my life. By the time Sunday rolls around, I need another dose of good to help me endure another week. I need to renew my covenants with my Father in Heaven to help me stay on the covenant path. And I know not every sacrament meeting is powerful, uplifting or inspirational. But, if I pay attention, there is always a nugget or two that is helpful and necessary for my spiritual development.
There are a lot of worldly pulls on Sundays that can prevent us from attending sacrament, and sometimes it is easy to think that missing one or two isn’t that big of a deal. But I testify that attending sacrament on a steady basis is a definite anchor that keeps us grounded and connected to what matters most.
One of the most important ways to stay connected to our Savior is through prayer. The Bible Dictionary entry for prayer says the following: “The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.” [3]
The beautiful thing about prayer is that we can do it anywhere and at any time of day. We don’t have to be like the Zoramites and stand in line waiting for our turn on the Rameumptom to recite the same prayer each week. We can communicate with our Heavenly Father every day to ask for help, plead for forgiveness, or express our love and gratitude to Him. He is always there and always willing to listen to what we have to say.
Paying tithing is a special anchor for me. I loved listening to a couple of General Authorities speak about tithing in the last general conference. This has always been a commandment that is very important to me. Even when Bronco and I struggled as newlyweds, I knew that paying my tithing was something I needed to do in order to keep me close to my Savior. I know it is easy to think of the things we could do with that 10% instead of paying it to the Lord. But there is nothing we can do that will bless us more than willingly sharing with the Lord because everything we have is from Him. In 1929, President Heber J. Grant said:
“I appeal to the Latter-day Saints to be honest with the Lord and I promise them that peace, prosperity and financial success will attend those who are honest with our Heavenly Father. . . . When we set our hearts upon the things of this world and fail to be strictly honest with the Lord we do not grow in the light and power and strength of the gospel as we otherwise would do.” [4]
Finally, attending the temple will tether us to the Savior like nothing else can. It became a favorite thing of mine when we lived in Utah. But it wasn’t always that way. I didn’t take advantage of the temple the first several years we lived there. I always had excuses and reasons not to go. But there came a time in my life that I really needed to escape the world and discover some truths for myself. Initially, it was a hard transition. I didn’t immediately love going, and I didn’t feel peace and comfort there. I found that I was just anxious and agitated. I loved what President Nelson said about temple attendance. “If you don’t yet love to attend the temple, go more often—not less. Let the Lord, through His Spirit, teach and inspire you there. I promise you that over time, the temple will become a place of safety, solace, and revelation.” [5] I can honestly testify this is exactly what happened to me. Over time, I came to cherish this time, and it became a strong spiritual harbor for me. You have a temple right here, and I encourage you to go often and learn to love it the way I have.
It is an interesting time to be a young adult. You are faced with so many choices and distractions that sometimes it can seem confusing as to which way to turn and whom to trust. You may find yourself looking to social media for guidance and direction. What to wear, whom to follow, what is “in.” You may feel pressure to do things or buy things because of some influencer on Instagram. The world wants us to feel as though the grass is always greener in someone else’s pasture. This past year I saw a sign in the Minneapolis Airport that said, “The grass is greener where you water it.” I loved this because it speaks the truth. Where we choose to put our attention, our time, and our talents is where we will grow and blossom, for good or for bad. If we put our energy and emphasis on spiritual anchors we will not be duped by the world into thinking we are “less than” or not good enough.
The Lord has blessed each one of us with a unique set of “designer genes.” He has designed them specifically for you and no one else. Your pair is not the same as my pair and that is exactly how the Lord wants it. I love the saying “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” [6]
Brothers and sisters, we are not immune from the chaos of this world. We know we will have storms in our lives, and some will come suddenly and without warning trying to pull us from the safety of our dock. We need to have strong anchors to keep us secure when these times come. The gospel is simple. If we can master the fundamentals—reading your scriptures, attending sacrament, saying your prayers, paying your tithing, and attending the temple—we will be firmly anchored to our Savior Jesus Christ. Of these things I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes:
[1] Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Liahona, April 2018, 96.
[2] Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley [2016], 233.
[3] Bible Dictionary, “Prayer.”
[4] Dallin H. Oaks, “Tithing,” Ensign or Liahona, April 1994, 33.
[5] Russell M. Nelson, “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” Liahona, October 2021, 95.
[6] Forbes, “Thoughts On The Business of Life.”