I am grateful to be here today to share my personal witness of Our Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ, which has been given to me by the Holy Ghost. It is my prayer for you to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost. Please keep a prayer in your heart as I speak to you today.
It was a beautiful sunny morning and I was at my friend's house racing matchbox cars on his plastic racetracks. My friend's older sister burst into the room and said that she had just heard over the radio the Teton Dam broke and we needed to leave. Of course we did not believe her so we ran into the other room to listen to the radio. At the age of 7, I did not even know what it meant for a dam to break. I knew it must be bad. I started to get scared. I panicked. I did not know what to do.
I called my Mom! She was working at my grandparents store here in town. She had not heard the news so she turned on the radio to confirm what I had told her. She stood in disbelief as she heard for herself that the Teton Dam had broken and the water was headed our way. She immediately told me to go to my grandparents' home on 5th West, which was just around the corner from where I was playing. She was on her way to pick me up.
We ran to my grandparents' house. When my mom arrived she started gathering anything that seemed important to save and take with us.
My friend's parents came over to pick him up and, like children do, I wanted to go with them. I pestered my mom to let me go until she finally gave in.
I went with my friend and instead of seeking the safety provided on the hill here at BYU-Idaho, which was Ricks College at the time, we drove to their grocery store on Main Street. They had a few sandbags placed around the outside of the building thinking that the water would only be a few feet deep.
Once in the store, we sought protection by finding higher ground as we climbed the steps to the offices located upstairs in the loft. We could see out the big bay windows in the front of the store on to Main Street. We thought we were prepared and ready!
As we waited for the water to hit, it was just like a scene out of a movie. I felt as if everything was in slow motion. It was quiet. No traffic--a ghost town. I remember looking out the windows of the store and seeing a huge whirlwind of dirt and garbage blow past the store. I wondered if the person on the radio got it wrong. Maybe it was a tornado, not a flood. At the age of 7, I really did not understand the difference. Then all of the sudden the slow motion gave way to a thunderous explosion as a raging wall of water crashed into the building with such force that I will never forget it.
The floodwater did not disperse along the way through town as one would think. It appeared to come down Main Street as a wall from the east covering the big bay windows, one at a time, until we were left in darkness.
We did not know how much water there was and had no way of knowing how deep it would be. The water immediately began to rush in. Someone had a light and we could see the floodwater lifting all the items in the store. We ran to the steps that led up to the loft and started to count one-by-one as the water submerged each step. It appeared that the whole building would be engulfed by floodwater.
Then things became even worse. We started to hear loud explosions outside of the building in the distance. The sounds grew closer. It sounded like they were coming from the back of the building. The flood water had picked up huge logs from the local lumber yard and smashed them through the back end of the building like a battering ram. This caused the walls to break and collapse.
As the water kept rising with no end in sight, the darkest coldest feeling came over me, one that I will never forget. I thought my life was going to end. There was no escape from the floodwater. How would we make it out alive? We were trapped. The only thing I could think of was that I was in trouble. I needed help. We did not have cell phones, and the floodwater had taken out the phone lines and electricity
I really, really wanted to call my Mom now.
I was beyond scared and panicked.
I was in darkness.
I was not with my family.
I was not safe.
I felt alone.
Being surrounded and filled with this darkness, with no options, I was not sure what to do. I was ready to give up. Then the thought came into my mind: PRAY!
I walked over to the corner of the offices by myself and in the dark knelt down and offered up the words of my heart.
"Heavenly Father, please let me live. I want to live. I want to be with my family. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."
As soon as the words left my mouth, I immediately felt the peace and comfort of the Holy Ghost. I had the feeling that everything would be OK. I knew that my loving Heavenly Father heard and answered my simple and heart-felt prayer. My loneliness and thoughts of despair were instantly replaced with love. I no longer feared my life would be taken.
I remember walking back to the steps and seeing the water finally stop rising. There were only 5 steps left until the top. I knew my prayer had been answered. I felt the "peace" the Savior promised His disciples as described in John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."[1] I testify this promise is true. I walked over and fell asleep until later that day we were rescued by the National Guard.
I was taken to the Manwaring Center here on campus, and I sat on a stool at the information desk. With all the confusion no one really knew what to do with me. I sat there for a while until one of my relatives, Brenda Sutton, walked by, recognized me, and helped me find my family. I was so grateful for her and so thankful to be back with them.
We later learned the force of the water washed a tractor tire and a dead cow into the store. The tire and cow together became wedged between the wall and an interior support post beneath the room we were in. They were the only thing that prevented the floor we were standing on from collapsing.[2] I believe this was an answer to my prayer.
When the flood hit, no one knew how terrible it was going to be. At the time of the collapse, the water in the reservoir was 270 feet deep at the dam and the reservoir stretched close to seventeen miles; it emptied in less than 6 hours.[3][4] Almost 40 years ago, on the Saturday morning of June 5, 1976, I personally learned the power of prayer.
In a talk given here, at BYU-Idaho, in 2002, Elder Boyd K. Packer, stated the following about the flood: "11 people died as result of the flood. There were around 900 homes that were destroyed or severely damaged. Many homes were washed for miles and miles down the Snake River Valley. A general rule of thumb for disasters of this magnitude would have predicted that due to the time of day, population, and size of the catastrophe there should have been 5,000 casualties."[5] How were so many people saved? Many people described being unusually on edge that day, so when the warning came, they responded immediately. They took action. Will you respond immediately when a warning comes to you? Will you be able to recognize the Spirit and act, so that the Lord can bless you and guide you?
President Monson has said, "The Lord is in all of our lives. He loves us. He wants to bless us. He wants us to seek His help. As He guides us and directs us and as He hears and answers our prayers, we will find the happiness here and now that He desires for us." We need to be aware of His blessings in our lives.[6] President Henry B. Eyring shares the following concerning prayer and continuous personal revelation:
"We all know that human judgment and logical thinking will not be enough to get answers to the questions that matter most in life. We need revelation from God. And we will need not just one revelation in a time of stress, but we need a constantly renewed stream. We need not just one flash of light and comfort, but we need the continuing blessing of communication with God."
President Eyring uses his personal experience in the Teton Dam Flood as an example he believes "could bless all of us in the days ahead". At the time, he was President of Ricks College. He tells of a local Stake President, a farmer, who was led by revelation to provide essential relief efforts before the Federal Disaster Agency even arrived. He also describes listening as Bishops and Elder's quorum presidents reported what they had done and what they had been inspired to do through personal revelation as they carried out the instructions to find families and to help them.[7] We all know how to communicate. We are constantly looking at our email, texting, and checking or posting to social media. It seems like we are endlessly engaged in some form of communication. I should know; I have 6 daughters who are continuously talking or using their electronic devices to communicate. Girls can talk a lot! The question I pose to you today is this: Shouldn't we be just as concerned with our messages from Heaven as we are with our messages on earth?
Since prayer is our lifeline to God it is imperative we master this tool. Strive to master prayer as well as you have mastered your phone.
Remember the power of prayer. Prayer is so powerful it unlocked the heavens and allowed a 14-year-old boy to become an instrument in God's hands to restore the fullness of the gospel in these last days. Remember Joseph wanted to know which of the many churches he should join. He had never prayed vocally before. Then he discovered the scripture in James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God...! So that is exactly what Joseph did. He prayed and received a visitation from our Heavenly Father and his Beloved Son.[8]
You and I must chart a course using prayer as our rudder and develop the faith necessary to receive revelation continuously. The Savior's teachings and the influence of the Holy Ghost need to be woven into the very fabric of our soul. Acquiring the knowledge of how prayer can lead us and gaining sufficient faith to be led through prayer is a learning process, one that requires you and me to practice. No one else can do this for us, nor can our personal ability to communicate with the Lord be bought.
Remember the Savior's parable of the ten virgins. The five foolish virgins were not spiritually prepared. They had run out of oil. When they returned from obtaining more oil, the door was shut, the Lord told them, "I know you not." Let us be like the five faithful virgins described in Doctrine and Covenants 45:57. It states that they are those "that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived."[9] Doctrine and Covenants 33:17 further states, "Be faithful, praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom."[10] "For no one knoweth the day or hour when the Lord will return."[11]
James declared, "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."[12] The Bible Dictionary explains that prayer is a form of work. It is not meant to change the will of God, but to secure blessings that He is already willing to grant.[13]
President Monson has said, "The Lord's purposes are often accomplished as we pay heed to the guidance of the Spirit. I believe that the more we act upon the inspiration and impressions which come to us, the more the Lord will entrust to us His errands."[14] As we keep a prayer in our hearts, we will be ready to receive the guiding influence of the Holy Ghost.
A personal story illustrates this council. Shortly after the flood, my family moved from Rexburg to Salmon, Idaho, which is 160 miles northwest of here. We farmed and raised beef cows, alfalfa and grain. One summer, when I was about 15, we had been experiencing a severe drought. I remember one particular day when my dad pulled up along the side of the tractor and waved for me to stop. With a concerned look on his face and a serious tone in his voice he said, "We need to pray and ask Heavenly Father for rain". Without any more discussion or hesitation my dad knelt down in the dirt next to the tractor, and I did the same.
My dad prayed.
My dad taught me, and more importantly showed me, the power of prayer. I don't remember exactly when the rain came, but I remember we received the moisture the crops needed, and I knew that my dad's prayer was answered.
The prophet Amulek teaches us what we can and should pray for in Alma 34:18-27.
"Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save. Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him. Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks. Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening. Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies. Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness. Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them. Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase. But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness. Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, 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."[15]
Oftentimes the difficulties of life, friends, family, roommates, work, health, finances, or even questions concerning our faith can be overwhelming. Amulek teaches us that we can go to our Heavenly Father and the Savior to petition them with our concerns. Again, I quote our prophet, President Monson: "Rather than dwelling on the negative, if we will take a step back and consider the blessings in our lives, including seemingly small, sometimes overlooked blessings, we can find greater happiness. Heavenly Father is aware of our needs and will help us as we call upon Him for assistance. I believe that no concern of ours is too small or insignificant. The Lord is in the details of our lives."[16]
After finishing my first year here at then Ricks College, like many of you are in the process of doing, I went home to help my family bail hay before I left on my mission in July. Once I finished putting up the hay, I had plans to come here to Rexburg to purchase some final items I needed for my mission and enjoy a water skiing trip with my friend, Troy. Troy was a recent convert to the church.
About 2 weeks before meeting up with Troy, he called me. He did not call my house. He called me in the middle of the day, at my cousin's house. Remember this is before cell phones. Normally, I would be on a tractor, but that day it was broken down, and we were waiting for parts. When the phone rang and I heard it was for me, I was surprised. I thought, "Who would be calling here for me?" When I heard his voice, I knew it was Troy.
I asked him, "What's up?"
Troy said he felt like he needed to call me and let me know how much he appreciated our friendship. He wanted to thank me.
I said, "For what?"
He said, "For helping me change my life. Helping me be a better person."
I was stunned. This was not a typical conversation between us. I also let Troy know how much I appreciated his friendship. We talked briefly about our excitement for the water skiing trip and then the call ended.
The ground we farmed was located on the west side of Salmon and had a beautiful view of the valley. You could see several mountain ranges and the surrounding weather. On the day I planned on leaving to meet Troy, I could see dark storm clouds approaching. I began to worry that I would not get the hay put up before the coming downpour. That meant I would not be going to Rexburg. For those of you who do not understand why I was worrying, if you bail wet hay, it will rot. If it is really wet and you stack it, it will possibly start on fire and burn down the stack.
For reasons I did not yet understand, I felt a great urgency to get my work done and make my way to Rexburg to visit my friend Troy. In fact, after seeing the dark clouds and anticipating heavy rain coming, I thought that I needed to get off the tractor and pray. I felt I needed to pray for the rains to go around the farm. At first I ignored those feelings thinking it was just my anxiousness to be done and go have some fun. But as I continued to work the feeling and thought came over me again--this time it was stronger, "You need to stop the tractor and pray." The thoughts and feelings were not my own. I stopped the tractor, knelt down in the field, and asked Heavenly Father for the rains to go around the farm. After the prayer it did not rain on the fields. I felt only a light mist of moisture as the dark clouds were passing. I kept working. This exact same impression to stop the tractor and pray happened two more times that day. The other times I did not hesitate; I followed the impression asking for the same blessing each time. I was able to finish my work, and leave for Rexburg on time. The city of Salmon, right below the farm, received a heavy downpour while I bailed and stacked the dry hay.
I arrived fairly late in the day at my grandparents' house in Rexburg. When I got there I found out my friend, Troy, had been in a severe motorcycle accident. Our plans to water ski never happened. I am grateful for the continuing revelation I received that day on the farm so I could act on the prompting to pray and be guided to where the Lord would want me to be. I was in Rexburg within hours of my dear friend's accident. By divine intervention I was able to be close to him during this difficult time. Along with others, I fasted and prayed he would recover. I really wanted God to answer my prayer, but my will was not God's will. Troy never recovered, and he died in the hospital.
I reflected on the last time Troy and I spoke, which was when he called me at my cousin's house. His call was what Nephi describes as a "tender mercy" of the Lord. The Lord knew how much it would mean to me. He truly is in the details of our lives.
Prayer can also help us at times when we feel we most need the tender mercies of the Lord.
Elder Russell M. Nelson shares the following: "If we pray with an eternal perspective, we need not wonder if our most tearful and heartfelt pleadings are heard. This promise from the Lord is recorded in Section 98 of the Doctrine and Covenants: "Your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord ... and are recorded with this seal and testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted. "Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name's glory, saith the Lord."[17] I know it may seem at times that our prayers are not answered because we do not receive the answer we want. We must not give up. We must not look back. We must push forward learning and applying the words of Christ and faithfully living the commandments even though we do not understand or know why at the time. If we will do this we will receive eternal life and will be saved in the Kingdom of God.[18] In conclusion, I will share one more valuable lesson I have learned concerning the power of prayer and how our prayers can assist us in hastening the work and building the kingdom of our Heavenly Father.
Elder Jacob de Jager, then a member of the Quorum of the Seventy, visited my zone conference while I served in the Chicago, Illinois Mission. He taught us missionaries the importance of being specific in our prayers. He said, as missionaries we needed to change the words we were using in our prayers from asking to 'be led to the honest in heart and those ready for the gospel' to asking Heavenly Father 'to have the pure in heart and those who are elect led to us!' After this lesson on prayer my companion and I began to immediately apply it. As we did those elect were led to us. The experiences we had have stuck with me ever since.
Soon after this conference, one Sunday we received a call. A college student had walked into church wanting to learn more about the gospel. As we met with him we discovered he had grown up next door to some members and was impressed with their family. The young man was honest in heart and elect. He, along with several of his family members, soon joined the church.
As time went on, more of God's elect heard the voice of the Savior and came to us. One day, my companion and I received a referral from the Temple Square Visitor Center in Salt Lake City. A man in our area had been to Salt Lake on a business trip, visited Temple Square, and wanted to learn more about the gospel. We met with this referral, and he too soon joined the church. Soon after, my companion was calling to confirm follow-up appointments and dialed the wrong number. The sister who answered was surprised but so thankful we called. She and her husband had been fellowshipping a young couple with two small children while her husband was attending dental school. They were graduating soon and wanted these friends to join the church before they moved. They were ready, just as Elder de Jager said the "elect" would be ready for the gospel.
We have been taught well by those who lead in these last days. We need to follow the living Prophet so that we may go where he is going. Pray for guidance and direction, pray for reassurance, pray in thankfulness for your blessings great and small. Live your lives in such a way that you may be worthy of receiving continuous revelation. I have seen the power of prayer calm the troubles around me, stay the storm, unite friends, draw people to Christ, and guide me through my daily life. No matter what we face, we can communicate with our Father and he will listen. We need to master communication with Him, and I testify that we can master communication with Him. The Lord will be your guide, if you seek Him. These things I say in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen
Notes
[1] John 14:27
[2] "Teton Dam Flood," "A Safe Place to Be," Friend, October 1976
[3] http://www.usbr.gov/pn/about/Teton.html; "The Failure of Teton Dam" Bureau of Reclamation
[4] http://www.geol.ucsb.edu/faculty/sylvester/Teton_Dam/narrative.html; "Teton Dam Project."
[5] Boyd K. Packer, "The Twenty-Mark Note," Brigham Young University-Idaho Devotional, March 12, 2002
[6] Thomas S. Monson, "Consider the Blessings," Ensign, November 2012
[7] Henry B. Eyring, "Continuing Revelation," Ensign, November 2014, pgs. 70-73
[8] JS History 1:11-17
[9] Doctrine & Covenants 45:57
[10] Doctrine & Covenants 33:17
[11] Matthew 25:1-13
[12] James 1:22
[13] Bible Dictionary, "Prayer," pgs. 752-753
[14] Thomas S. Monson, "Consider the Blessings," Ensign, November 2012
[15] Alma 34:18-27
[16] Thomas S. Monson, "Consider the Blessings," Ensign, November 2012
[17] Russell M. Nelson, "Face the Future with Faith," Ensign, May 2011
[18] 2 Nephi 31:18-21