One need only listen to the nightly news, or read the front page of any newspaper to be reminded of the continual onslaught of tragedy that surrounds us. The base drums of Despair, Doom and Discouragement can be heard beating their constant cadence in the background. Like the ominous drums in the desolate mines of Moria, in the Tolkien classic Lord of the Rings, today’s echoing boom, boom, boom rises up from the dredges of humanity leading weary, despondent individuals on a gloomy march towards prophesied global calamities.
In a letter to Timothy the Apostle Paul wrote describing the conditions of our day,
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”
There is armed conflict in many parts of the world and it will likely continue and even increase in the coming years. And with war comes famine, depravity, disease and unimaginable human suffering. The threat of terrorism, which never stopped in reality, but was merely ignored or rebranded for political expediency, has returned to the headlines both here and abroad. The goal of terrorists is to create fear, to spawn chaos amongst the nations and peoples of the world in order to precipitate instability and eventual collapse of civilized societies. They desire to influence or cause us to act out of fear, instead of the kindness and compassion exemplified by Jesus Christ.
If the good and faithful citizens of the world are not vigilant, this new group of terrorists will once again cause world economies to shrink and waste away. In the past decade, here in the United States, we have seen our fair share of economic difficulties and recession as well. And these economic challenges often translate into problems for college students, young couples trying to earn a living while starting a family and even senior citizens who are forced to postpone retirement or at the very least do with much less during their retirement years.
The drums of Despair, Doom and Discouragement also find a voice in those individuals who prey upon the disheartened, downtrodden and the so called disenfranchised. Make no mistake about it, these nefarious vendors of discontent and unrest have goods to sell and commodities to trade. They peddle race, religious and class warfare for personal gain and aggrandizement. But here is the key, the real kicker, the remedy. Their's is a tough sell in times of righteousness, when hope and faith abound.
President Howard W. Hunter said,
“Despair, Doom, and Discouragement are not an acceptable view of life for a Latter-day Saint. However high on the charts they are on the hit parade of contemporary news, we must not walk on our lower lip every time a few difficult moments happen to confront us.”
President Hunter died in 1995, so you may be asking yourself what does he know of despair, doom and discouragement? I’m confident, if he were here this is how he would respond, “I am just a couple of years older than most of you, and in those few extra months I have seen a bit more of life than you have. I want you to know that there have always been some difficulties in mortal life and there always will be. But knowing what we know, and living as we are supposed to live, there really is no place, no excuse, for pessimism and despair.
In my lifetime I have seen two world wars plus Korea plus Vietnam . . . I have worked my way through the depression and managed to go to law school while starting a young family at the same time. I have seen stock markets and world economics go crazy and have seen a few despots and tyrants go crazy, all of which causes quite a bit of trouble around the world in the process.
So I am frank to say tonight that I hope you won’t believe all the world’s difficulties have been wedged into your decade, or that things have never been worse than they are for you personally, or that they will never get better. I reassure you that things have been worse and they will always get better. They always do—especially when we live and love the gospel of Jesus Christ and give it a chance to flourish in our lives.”
Some who are younger might be thinking, yeah, but our generation lived through 911, Paris and San Bernardino. What did he know of terrorism? To that I would answer, more than you might imagine.
It was snowing on the evening of February 7, 1993. A large group of BYU students, school officials and local ecclesiastical leaders were gathered in Brigham Young University’s Marriott Center for a school sponsored devotional / church educational system—CES fireside (meeting).
The speaker was to be a General Authority, the most senior Apostle, President Howard W. Hunter. Apostles always bring in a crowd, and that night was to be no different. Due to the snow many students who might have otherwise walked to the center had chosen to drive. The parking lots were full and many students were parking in the surrounding neighborhoods near the Marriott Center.
Since it was a Sunday devotional, and the speaker an Apostle, everyone was dressed in church clothes and prepared to learn. The building which has a capacity of 20,000 was nearly full, even the bench seats up by the rafters were being used.
As President Hunter entered the room the entire congregation silently stood in unison. He was 86 years old, walked slowly and appeared somewhat frail as those nearby patiently escorted him to the stand. Having been privileged to personally attend several such meetings, where an apostle or the prophet has been present, I can tell you firsthand that when one of these servants of God enters the room the spirit of God enters with him. To stand when they enter is not a prescribed action, but one of respect that comes naturally and spontaneously. The congregation sang a hymn, a prayer was offered and someone began introducing President Hunter.
Outside, as the meeting started a VW bug raced into the parking lot. It displayed a hand done paint job of a skull and crossbones. The driver was wearing a flamboyantly colorful suit. A little out of the norm, but hey it’s a university and college kids sometimes do crazy things to get attention. The driver haphazardly parked and dashed into the building.
As president Hunter stepped to the podium the man in the colorful suit ran from the audience toward the pulpit and up onto the stand. He had a briefcase in one hand and was holding a black remote controller in the other. He was yelling and screaming that he had a bomb.
Everyone was stunned. The man was moving erratically, flailing his arms in a threatening manner. His intent was clear, he wanted to instill fear and terror into the hearts of all present. The congregation was being held hostage by a lunatic. President Hunter stood perfectly calm at the pulpit, not saying a word. The man shoved some papers at the aged apostle insisting he read them out-loud for the entire congregation to hear. President Hunter refused and shook his head. The assailant continued to rant and rave. His threats to blow everyone up and his crazed gestures were no doubt terrifying to all who witnessed them.
What do you think would be going through your mind if you were on the front row? Or in the first 20 rows? The last row? How would you feel if you were watching this unfold in a safe place like a chapel in a distant city and the signal being transmitted to your building was suddenly lost. Now what is going through your mind? I can’t believe this is happening would be one of the many things flying through my mind.
Pretty scary right? Is your heart sinking into despair? What would you do? Would you be paralyzed by fear?
The statement the terrorist wanted read included instructions to release the 12 apostles and the first presidency. And to call him to be the next prophet.
What happened next was nothing short of incredible. Just as the crowd had spontaneously stood up when the apostle entered the conference center only moments before, they again rose to their feet and began to sing, ‘We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet,’ during which a number of students from the audience rushed the rostrum and wrestled the terrorist to the ground. Security then took over and removed the man from the building while the congregation resumed singing hymns.
After a few minutes President Hunter returned to the pulpit, unphased and delivered his prepared remarks, a talk entitled "An Anchor to the Souls of Men." The very same talk I referenced earlier in this post. As Paul Harvey used to say in his weekly radio broadcasts, “ and now you know the rest of the story.”
I understand avoiding despair and discouragement is often easier said than done. So let’s spend a few minutes on getting it done by pondering the following; Ask yourself, what gave an aged man the inner peace and resolve to be still and unmoved by fear? What gave college students the courage to confront terror by giving voice to their collective testimonies through singing hymns of the restoration? What instilled, in the hearts of young priesthood holders seated near rostrum, the courage to rise above doubt and uncertainty, to take action and do what was right?
What is it that anchors your soul in times of extreme difficulty? What anchors will prevent your ship from being dashed into pieces on the rocks of doom, run aground on the reefs of despair or carried off course by the strong currents of discouragement? Remember in this example you are the ship.
(Blank) is like an anchor to my soul. What word would you insert into the blank to complete this metaphor?
Think about it for a moment. What comes to your mind?
Q: What are anchors used for?
A: A properly set anchor, serves to secure a ship, to keep it from drifting too far. In practice a single anchor can only hold a ship to a relatively small area. Subjected to the tide, swells and currents a ship tethered by a single anchor can move 360 degrees, and depending on the length of the chain or rope tied to the anchor that can be a considerable radius.
Q: What can be done to provide more stability and less leeway or drift?
A: The addition of a second secure anchor will hold the ship in a fixed position. If properly placed, with the bow of the ship facing directly into the swells, this second anchor will not only prevent drifting but also minimize the onboard disturbance, the side to side rocking that happens when one loses proper orientation.
Forgive me for digressing, but while we are on the subject of ships and anchors, let’s add further detail to our metaphor and designate the winds, waves, currents and tides as the trials, tribulations, social trends, and injustice that threaten to engulf us. What are today’s currents that by subtle means can move you off your appointed course? What are today’s storms, so fierce and terrible that their winds and waves can threaten your very survival?
HOPE is an anchor to my soul. It is the essence of faith, which is a hope for things which are true and good, but that as of yet remain unseen. In other words faith in God and faith in His son Jesus Christ’s atonement and His ability to save us. Faith that He knows all things and He knows and loves each of us. Faith that He will prepare a path for us to return and dwell once again in His presence.
The scriptures and prayer are also essential anchors to our souls. Do we rely on them daily, or are they merely flares tucked away in our onboard emergency kits? When Jesus, the Good Shepherd, lived on the earth, during the meridian of time, He organized His church with apostles and prophets to watch over and be an anchor to the souls of His flock.
Today he has called a living prophet and living apostles to help us be perfected in Him, to share the gospel and the good news of His first coming, to help prepare every nation, kindred, tongue and people for His glorious return and to strengthen and sustain all those who choose to love and obey His words and who have covenanted to keep His commandments.
The greeting found in the first line of the Apostle Paul’s epistle to the saints of Ephesus reads, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 1:1; emphasis added). This letter was intended not only for the Ephesians but for all of the faithful in Christ, that includes us, the saints of the latter days. The Savior’s purpose for providing us with the anchor of apostles and prophets is found in the same letter, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” (Ephesians 4:14)
Living Prophets and Apostles are essential anchors in these latter days. When life’s storms become fierce, will you be where you can hear and receive their warnings? Will you choose to captain your ships alone out into the darkness of tempest tossed seas? Or will you choose instead to head toward the pure light of the gospel, that brightest of all lights which emanates from the lighthouse of modern day revelation, beckoning all to partake in the peace and calm afforded by the safe harbors of family, church and the temple.
Looking back through history we see that mankind has weathered many storms, the impact which have affected all nations of the earth. And the portent of even greater storms is on the horizon. Now, let me repeat the question I posed earlier, what is it that anchors your soul? What keeps your ship (you and your family) from being blown off course into unfamiliar and perilous waters? These are questions we, both individually and as families, must ponder and answer for ourselves. And sooner rather than later. Now is not the time to procrastinate making your vessels shipshape and bristol fashion.
“I would describe being “shipshape and Bristol fashion” as being temple worthy—in good times and in bad times.”
A WARNING TO THE WISE: Don’t wait to seek safe harbors and to drop your anchors until the hour is late; when your sails are tattered and torn, when your ship is taking on water and floundering, and after some of the passengers (your family) have been washed off the deck and the frantic call goes out, “man overboard!”
We each have been given free agency, ours is the choice to stand at the helm of our ship, to be properly provisioned and prepared, to set our sails to make the most of the winds appointed to our days, to chart our course for safe harbors and to anchor ourselves with the gospel of Jesus Christ.