There is a remedy or there is none.
If there is a remedy, hurry and find it.
If there is none, never mind it. I invite you now to turn your thoughts to the blessings and opportunities we have as sons and daughters of God, as we participate in this marvelous "Plan of Happiness." And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them. And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads forever and ever." (Abraham 3:25-26, emphasis added.) I emphasize the last phrase. Alma also refers to this earthly life "granted unto man" as a "probationary time" to "repent and serve God." (Alma 42:4) Indeed, our journey of "proving" is filled with character building challenges, expanded opportunities, personal triumphs, and professional successes, intermingled with events that bring the refining sorrows, failures and disappointments. Yet, enduring will provide the polishing necessary to maximize our potential for the eternal realm. This is all part of the proving process! Ponder this question! In this journey of mortality will you have the solid, dependable anchor of the gospel to rely on or will you be constantly grasping for a flimsy life preserver when you reach those troubled waters? Will safety be just beyond your reach as you drift to and fro with the tide? I relate a story of a young man of great potential. I first became acquainted with him while serving as his stake president. He was intelligent and confident, a good athlete, tall and handsome with a keen sense of humor, and even an Eagle Scout. He was a leader among his peers and served a successful mission, returning home to further his education. He received his Bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University and in the process fell in love and married a beautiful young woman in the Salt Lake Temple. He entered another institution of higher learning and obtained a Juris Doctorate. His hard work and diligence were rewarded with an outstanding business opportunity with a prestigious law firm. Life was bright and exciting! He had it all! A wonderful wife, the perfect job, the gospel and two beautiful children. He had done all that anyone could expect from a worthy priesthood holder of his age. However, over the next few years, I detected changes in his personality. He began to be somewhat combative, arrogant, prideful, and not as tolerant of other's shortcoming. His testimony showed signs of waning as he questioned the doctrines of the church--doctrines that he previously embraced. And despite the best efforts of those who loved him, I watch him gradually cast off his stable anchor and drift into a stormy sea on his own merits. This young man thought he could ascend that corporate ladder faster by compromising his principles, after all, he was in control. Then came the social drinking, accompanied by improper relationships with women in the work place, and over the next few years, his boat capsized, if you will, his anchor was gone! He lost his eternal family, his testimony, his employment and his ability to have the companionship of the Holy Spirit. Now he is a broken man left to wallow in his own miserable sin. And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things. (Alma 24:30) This tragic scenario is a preamble for what I want to convey to you this afternoon. I served my mission in Hawaii. "Tough duty" you might say, but someone had to do it! I recall the day before we were to return home. Our mission president allowed us to take a brief supervised swim in the beautiful blue ocean off Hawaii's shore. Now I remind you that this was over 40 years ago, lest there by any of you thinking that swimming is approved on missions, IT IS NOT! Much has changed since then and more than likely because of my experience. Here is this Utah farm kid who has never been in an ocean and thinks he knows all about the art of swimming. I dived into the pounding surf dreaming of the bragging rights this would give me back in my home ward. I began swimming hard, not noticing how far out I was drifting and certainly not aware of the tide or undertow. These were two dangers not familiar to the young kid who spent his summers swimming in the Weber River. Turning back to the shore, I was shocked to see how far out I was and decided to head back in, but the undercurrents were taking me out faster than I could swim and I was making no progress. After several futile attempts, I became exhausted and panicked! What a way to end my mission! I could see the headlines: "Elder Watts, in his excitement to experience it all, started swimming out to sea, never to be seen again." Well, fervent prayer and exerting all I could muster in strength proved successful and I finally reached the shore. I had a new respect for the mighty ocean and its undetectable dangers. How often do we tread into unchartered waters, assuming that our own strength will be more than sufficient to carry us through--only to find desperate pleadings to return to safe shores, hopefully, before it's too late. I would have welcomed even the flimsiest of life preservers, but it may not have been enough to save me. It's the anchors that bring us safety. I speak today about the importance of anchors to keep us from drifting into the troubled tide of the adversary. We are all familiar with the traditional anchor, but I wish to speak about eight anchors of stability, culminated into one anchor that is not necessarily in the traditional shape you may envision, but rather an "Octagon Anchor," one with eight sides or facets. FIRST: The anchor of knowing you are a son or daughter of God. Ponder the doctrine that we lived as spirit children with our Father in Heaven. He knew us and we knew Him. So that we could obtain "all that the Father hath," he provided us with the great Plan of Happiness. We accepted the opportunity to gain a body and have experience in the flesh, to prove ourselves and return unto him. As stated in that marvelous declaration, The Family, A Proclamation to the World: All human beings--male and female--are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose. In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God their Eternal Father accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experiences to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir to eternal life. These eternal truths are not known to the majority of God's children here on earth. Imagine how knowledge of that doctrine would change their behavior. We must (in continuum) seek to understand our true identity and the promises we have been given. SECOND: AND YET FOREMOST, AN ANCHOR OF THE SAVIOR. We must have a firm, unwavering testimony of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, our advocate with the Father, and His Atonement. We read from "Lectures on Faith:" Let us here observe, that three things are necessary in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation, first the idea that He (The Savior) actually exists, second a correct idea of His character, perfections and attributes and third, an actual knowledge that the course of life which he (we) is pursuing is according to His will. For without an acquaintance with these three important facts, the faith of every rational being must be imperfect and unproductive but with this understanding it can become perfect and fruitful, abounding in righteousness, unto the praise and glory of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Acquiring an unwavering testimony is not accomplished in a day, a month or a year, but through a lifelong pursuit of daily diligence. Without this facet of our anchor there is no hope of finding our way back. Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God. (Ether 12:4). In his concluding remarks of the April 2002 General Conference, President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke briefly of the future and what may lie ahead, and with assurance said: But one thing we do know. Like the polar star in the heavens, regardless of what the future holds, there stands the Redeemer of the world, the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives. He is the rock of our salvation, our strength, our comfort, and the very focus of our faith. It would be my hope that each of you have in your possession a copy of "The Living Christ, The Testimony of the Apostles: I review just one paragraph from this declaration: We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles--that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Emmanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son. Now I refer to the THIRD FACET, The anchor of Apostles and Prophets. In his epistle to the Ephesians, Paul declares the significance of Apostles and Prophets. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. (Ephesians 2:19-20, emphasis added) When our life is running smoothly, we often disregard words of caution. The warnings and directives we have been given are to live pure lives, study the scriptures, participate in daily communication with our Creator, attend the temple regularly, obtain a year's supply of life-sustaining essentials, avoid debt, etc. Do these counsels have a familiar ring? Perhaps the repetitive admonitions have dulled our senses. These are anchors of safety! I testify of the apostles. I know they are called of God. In my present calling, I have the opportunity to have this knowledge fortified on a daily basis. Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jr., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments. (Doctrine and Covenants 1:17) I plead with you to follow the prophets and apostles and take advantage of their inspiration from on high by heeding their direction and counsel. FOURTH, The facet of the Priesthood. I speak to the brethren, but the associated blessings and implications are to all. This priesthood is a gift from God by which He governs and directs His kingdom here on earth. It is powerful, it is magnificent, it is remarkable. All who are privileged to possess this priesthood have the responsibility to act and govern themselves in worthiness. There are both covenants and promises associated with the priesthood. Let's review one reference from the 84th section of the Doctrine and Covenants: The Covenant The Promised Blessing Faithfully receive and magnify calling Sanctified by Spirit/ renewal of body
Become sons of Moses, Aaron and seed of Abraham
Elect of God Receive Savior and Heavenly Father Receiveth Father's Kingdom
All the Father hath shall be given him I admonish each brother here to obtain a copy of President Hinckley's remarks to the priesthood during the April 2002 Priesthood Session of General Conference (May Ensign 2002). Carry it with you, read it often and live by the counsel given. In this talk President Hinckley gave this admonition regarding the priesthood: There is nothing else to compare with it in all the world. Safeguard it, cherish it, live it, live worthy of it. I have witnesses many miracles through the exercise of the Priesthood of God. They occur all around us, on a daily basis, and many of you have and will experience these miracles in your lives. My dear sisters, if you seek an eternal companion, or if you already have one, that truly, and I emphasize the word truly, honors his priesthood--your life will be blessed abundantly. He may not be the most handsome, or the best dressed, (I hesitate to say best dressed because from what I see these days, best dressed does not have the same meaning I remember)! Anyway, he may not be charismatic, or have the profession you had hoped for, but sooner or later you will come to know that if he truly honors his priesthood, you have found a "pearl of great price." Elder Packer once said: "If a man truly honors his Priesthood, his wife cannot help but love him." FIFTH, the facet of spiritual knowledge. I quote from 2nd Nephi: Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. (2 Nephi 32:3, emphasis added) You are fortunate to be attending an institution of higher leaning where you can blend secular and spiritual knowledge. I commend you for bringing your scriptures to these devotionals each week. They should be your trusted companion as you search them for guidance and spiritual strength. The scriptures are an important and integral part of our anchor of spiritual knowledge. Searching them will keep our hearts and minds attuned to the spiritual whisperings that are often muffled by the "Boom Boxes" of the world. Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come. (Doctrine and Covenants 130:18-19) Gospel knowledge and gospel intelligence provide an anchor of peace. Spiritual knowledge is all inclusive and will grow with increased understanding through our faith and with the power of the Holy Ghost. SIXTH facet of our anchor is Prayer--an inner longing for daily communication with our Father in Heaven. We need His constant direction in our lives--it comes through the power of prayer. I liken it to a sonar device, if you will, that guides a ship through treacherous waters. As I talk about prayer I have a vivid picture in my mind of Enos when he said; And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul. . . . (Enos 1:4) Also, in reading from the eighth chapter of Alma we gain more understanding of fervent prayer. Nevertheless, Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer . . . (Alma 8:10) Abraham Lincoln relied on prayer and once said: I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. (Abraham Lincoln, Man of God by John Wesley Hill, p. 339) What a privilege we have to pray to our Father at any time day or night. As a loving parent would welcome communication with a child, so it is with our Father in Heaven. We have so much to thank Him for, to discuss, to report, to ask. This anchor is often our weakest and easily forgotten, but in our hour of desperation, we are quick to plead for divine intervention. Yet again, when all seems well, we are slow to express gratitude when surrounded by "fat things." We forget that the famine comes quickly. The Scriptures are replete with such occasions. I refer to a few. And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not His hand in all things ... (Doctrine and Covenants 59:21) . . . Let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you. (Alma 34:27) Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. (Alma 37:37) And from C. S. Lewis: I pray not because it changes God, but because it changes me. Now, SEVENTH, The anchor of integrity. Inherent in each of us is the Spirit of Christ, which, if allowed, will give direction to our lives. Our divine nature is replete with virtues such as honesty and integrity. But as the adversarial influence of the world would dictate, we often live and conduct our lives far below our birthright. It begins with the simplest of thoughts, "No one will ever know," and spirals downward from there, touching all aspects of our lives. We have witnessed in recent months the collapse of large, supposedly stable companies because individuals in high positions valued their financial gain more than their integrity. Thousands and thousands of lives have been tragically affected by the actions of a very few. President Gordon B. Hinckley has stated: How rare a gem, how precious a jewel is the man or woman in whom there is neither guile nor deception nor falsehood nor greed nor preoccupation with "getting ahead." (Be Thou An Example by Gordon B. Hinckley, P. 46) Karl G. Maeser, the first president of Brigham Young University, said this to his students regarding what was meant by 'word of honor': I have been asked, what I mean by 'word of honor.' I will tell you. Place me behind prison walls--walls of stone ever so high, ever so thick, reaching ever so afar into the ground--there is a possibility that in some way or another I might be able to escape, but stand me on the floor and draw a chalk line around me and have me give my word of honor never to cross it. Can I get out of that circle? No, never! I'd rather die first. Several years ago as I began my career with a large corporation, I heard rumors here and there about the padded expense accounts and white collar pilfering, but had no concrete evidence to make accusations. Corporate headquarters had their own suspicions and called for an audit unbeknownst to the managers and sales staff. For the next few months, they carefully perused our reports, files, expense accounts, hotel receipts and even restaurant tabs, verifying with customers and other establishments each and every detail of their employee's expenditures. Pursuant to their findings, a meeting was called for managers and sales representatives from all over the nation. The meeting convened, individuals were interviewed, evidence was presented and the punishments given. Some were fined large sums of money while others lost their bonuses or were demoted. I remember sitting there in a numbed state of disbelief for my colleagues and friends, but felt an inner peace. Toward the end of this "Corporate Courtroom," very few were found to be in total compliance with company accounting practices. One was me! Those who were aware of my religion even presented me with the "Donny Osmond Good Guy Award" to bring a lighter moment to the austere occasion. In the elevator as we were leaving, one man who had been found guilty, looked at me somberly and said: "What I wouldn't give to be in your shoes." I don't know when I have been more grateful for the teachings of the gospel and the courage to live them. In the 19th century, Josiah Gilbert Holland penned: God give us men, a time like this demands
Strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and willing hands;
Men whom the lust of office does not kill;
Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy;
Men who possess opinions and a will;
Men who have honor; men who will not lie;
Men who can stand before a demagogue
And dam his treacherous flatteries without winking;
Tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog
In public duty and in private thinking. There are so many temptations that loosen our anchor of integrity if we are not attentive to the spirit. One such enticement concerns the law of chastity. This world would be a very different place if everyone in it lived the law of chastity. Our resolve should be, "I will not act improperly toward the opposite sex, in any manner that would imply that I cannot be trusted. God gave us these marvelous bodies as temples of our spirits, trusting that we would care for and nurture them without abusing them, degrading them or selling them like something cheap and priceless. "Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord." Much is implied in that statement. Synonyms for integrity include: credibility, fidelity and honor. One antonym is the word filth, which also appears as the opposite of the word clean. Think of the dress standards of today--those fashions that fill store windows and revealingly cling to youthful bodies. Then think (no don't think) of the number one hit on the Internet--Pornography. And when was the last time you watched a TV sitcom or sat attentively in a movie theater that you weren't bombarded by lewd scenes and filthy speech that violated your spiritual senses? . . . and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; . . . (Doctrine and Covenants 121:45) As I stated before--Inherent in each of us is the Spirit of Christ which, if allowed, will give spiritual direction to our lives and help us find our place in the Kingdom of our Father. To quote Shakespeare: "This above all, to thine own self be true!" Finally, the EIGHTH FACET IS THE ANCHOR OF Service. I cannot think of service without reflecting on the words of King Benjamin: And behold, I tell you these things that you may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. (Mosiah 2:17) While serving as stake president, I was assigned as a home teacher to a family where the father was gravely ill with cancer--which eventually took his life. The opportunity for service both spiritually and temporally was ever present as the family struggled through some of life's most tragic moments. In all my years of serving as stake president-- the accomplishments, the joy and the endless hours of commitment--none were more gratifying or brought me more peace than those quiet and humbling efforts I gave to this family. Service comes in many different forms whether in the community or to an elderly neighbor. It may include help to a family member, a stranger or more. If you ever feel down and out or have moments of despair, or perhaps even wish to express gratitude to our Eternal Father in some way other than prayer--get involved in service. . . . Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Matthew 25:40) The anchor of service will keep you from drifting too far out into the churning tide of what I call "me-ism." That's when we are tempted to entertain the thought, "What's in this for me?" We need only to read the scriptural accounts of the Savior for the greatest examples of service. He loved and served everyone, turning no one away who was in need. He did not seek recompense for his service, but only asked that we follow his example and learn charity, the pure love of Christ. Now, in conclusion, I ask that you ponder two questions: Is the Anchor of the gospel a constant in my life? No matter what the storms-of-life may bring, will I always have a stable anchor to rely on and see me through? May God bless you my young brothers and sisters, you are indeed some of the "noble and great ones." Your future is promising, your possibilities are endless and your contributions of love, testimony, service, commitment and obedience will stem the tide and reward you with a life filled with joy and happiness. I testify to you as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, that I know God lives, Jesus is the Christ. We are guided by apostles and prophets. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. © 2002 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.