Many years ago, on the occasion of my younger son’s birthday, I decided to take him and several of his teenage friends on a boating trip to Lake Powell in southern Utah. The long journey to the lake passed quickly in anticipation of the excitement and fellowship that lay ahead. In our enthusiasm we scarcely noticed the ominous clouds gathering on the horizon. When we reached the marina where the cabin cruiser was moored, we checked in with the harbormaster to get the latest weather report. What he said stunned us: a very unusual weather disturbance had come up, with eighty–mile-per-hour winds threatening the area that evening.
Disappointed, we thought it best to remain in the harbor tied to the dock. “No,” cautioned the harbormaster. “If those winds hit the marina, the boats moored here may be seriously damaged or destroyed. There is too much danger and exposure here. I recommend that you take the boat down the main channel of the lake and find a deep side canyon with high cliffs and more shelter. You can tie up onto the shore and weather the storm.” By then, the winds were starting to rise and the clouds were darkening, so we quickly loaded our gear onto the boat and made our way with some trepidation several miles downstream to the nearest side canyon with high, protective walls. There we ran the prow of the boat up onto the sandy shore at the head of the canyon and secured the boat with strong mooring cords and anchors on all sides. Then we waited. The sky blackened with threatening storm formations. The wind howled. In our concern, many prayers were offered. I spent the entire night watching over the nervously sleeping young men. It was one long night, but the cliffs gave protection from three sides, and the anchor cords held. The massive storm must have passed nearby, but it providentially spared us a direct assault. With morning came the calm. We offered a prayer of gratitude for the protection granted us, and the birthday outing continued with much enjoyment.
Since then I have frequently thought about this occasion in the larger context. Given the raging forces of temptation and evil that surround us in these latter days, threatening us with all manner of unexpected incursions, is there not wisdom in seeking the safety of a harbor with high, protective cliffs? Are we not well counseled to secure our vessels—our family institutions—with many sturdy cords and anchors? Analogies abound: the cliffs are the covenant principles that provide shelter from temptation and worldly contamination—the armaments of prayer, scripture study, support from the community of Saints, and communion with the Spirit. The sturdy cords and anchors are not unlike the splendid symbolism that Isaiah used in relation to the expansion of the kingdom of God: “Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes” (Isaiah 54:2; 3 Nephi 22:2; Moroni 10:31; D&C 133:9). The harbormasters of life are the prophets and watchmen in Zion who counsel us with inspired wisdom (see Isaiah 52:8; Jeremiah 31:6; Mosiah 12:22; 15:29; 3 Nephi 16:18). The Lord commands us to “gather together, and stand in holy places” (D&C 101:22; 45:32) in order to participate in the blessings of His Church and priesthood.
We all face the journey of life, sometimes through uncharted waters. Noah, the unparalleled spiritual mariner, knew something of survival on the high seas. And it was through the direct guidance of the Lord that Lehi’s stalwart band weathered the ocean storms to successfully cross the deep. The early Jaredite families followed divine counsel for some 344 days to reach the promised land despite the onslaught of “mountain waves” and “great and terrible tempests” (Ether 6:6). The key is to follow the guidance of the Spirit and heed the word of the heavenly Harbormaster. The journey begins with faith and ends with unceasing gratitude: “And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord” (Ether 6:9). We should do no less. (Richard J. Allen)