FIRST PRESIDENCY MESSAGE
Landing
Safely in Turbulence
Second
Counselor in the First Presidency
Not long ago my wife, Harriet, and I were at an airport watching
magnificent airplanes land. It was a windy day, and fierce gusts of wind
whipped against the approaching aircraft, causing each one to swerve and
shudder during the approach.
As we observed this struggle between nature and machine, my mind
went back to my own flight training and the principles I learned there—and
later taught to other pilots in training.
“Don’t fight the controls during turbulence,” I used to tell
them. “Stay cool; don’t overreact. Keep your eyes focused on the centerline of
the runway. If you deviate from your desired approach path, make prompt but
measured corrections. Trust the potential of your airplane. Ride the turbulence
out.”
Experienced pilots understand that they can’t always control the
things that happen around them. They can’t just turn off the turbulence. They
can’t make the rain or snow vanish. They can’t cause the wind to stop blowing
or change its direction.
But they also understand that it’s a mistake to fear turbulence
or strong winds—and especially to be paralyzed by them. The way to land safely
when conditions are less than ideal is to stay on the correct track and glide
path as perfectly as possible.
As I watched one airplane after another make its final approach
and recalled the principles learned from my years as a pilot, I wondered if
there wasn’t a lesson in this for our daily lives.
We can’t always control the storms that life puts in our path.
Sometimes things simply don’t go our way. We may feel shaken and blown about by
the turbulence of disappointment, doubt, fear, sadness, or stress.
During those times, it is easy to get caught up in everything
that is going wrong and to make our troubles the center of our thoughts. The
temptation is to focus on the trials we are facing instead of on the Savior and
our testimony of truth.
But that is not the best way to navigate through our challenges
in life.
Just as an experienced pilot keeps his focus not on the storm
but on the center of the runway and the correct touchdown point, so too should
we keep our focus on the center of our faith—our Savior, His gospel, and the
plan of our Heavenly Father—and on our ultimate goal—to return safely to our
heavenly destination. We should trust God and make staying on the track of
discipleship the focus of our efforts. We should keep our eyes, heart, and mind
focused on living the way we know we should.
Showing our faith and trust in Heavenly Father by joyfully
keeping His commandments will bring us happiness and glory. And if we stay on
the path, we will get through any turbulence—no matter how strong it may appear—and
return safely to our heavenly home.
Whether
the skies around us are clear or filled with threatening clouds, as disciples
of Jesus
Christ, we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
knowing that if we do so, everything else we need will eventually be provided
(see Matthew 6:33).
What an important life lesson!
The more we obsess about our difficulties, our struggles, our
doubts, and our fears, the more difficult things can become. But the more we
focus on our final heavenly destination and on the joys of following the
disciple’s path—loving God, serving our neighbor—the more likely we are to
successfully navigate through times of trouble and turbulence.
Dear friends, no matter how violently the winds of our mortal
existence howl around us, the gospel of Jesus Christ will always offer the best
path to a safe landing in our Heavenly Father’s kingdom.
Teaching from This Message
President Uchtdorf counsels us to
“trust God and make staying on the track of discipleship the focus of our
efforts.” Consider asking those you teach how they have stayed focused “on our
final heavenly destination and on the joys of following the disciple’s path” at
times when they have faced trials. You might invite them to think of ways that
they can focus on their testimony and on Christ in difficult moments and to
prayerfully decide how to implement one or more of those ideas in their lives.
Youth
A Foundation for My Testimony
By Jennifer Weaver
The author lives in Idaho, USA.
When
I was 16, a friend showed up at our home with the missionaries. Within a month
of the first discussion, all my questions were answered in clarity. I felt the Holy
Ghost testify of the
truthfulness of the messages about the Restoration. It was unlike anything I
had ever felt, and I knew all of it was true.
However, I experienced more rejection and opposition than ever
before. I felt alone, tired, and confused. If I was doing the right thing, why
was I encountering so much adversity? I couldn’t understand how my trials were
for my good. The missionaries taught me to fast and pray, even in the middle of
a school day. When things became unbearable I’d pour out my heart and immediately
feel the comfort of the Spirit.
The
week of my baptism was full of trials. My boss threatened
to fire me if I didn’t skip my baptism to fill in for someone, I ended up in
the hospital with kidney stones, and my parents asked me to leave our home.
With so many things out of my control, the only thing I could do was turn to
the Lord.
Every
one of those trials did turn out to be for my benefit. They
helped me learn about the doctrines of the gospel, which provided me a
foundation for my testimony.
Children
He Will Guide Us Home
When
we follow the example of Jesus
Christ, it’s like following a straight path that leads to Him! We
can be safe and happy, just like the plane that lands safely on the runway.
Guide the airplane through the maze back to the runway!
“A Firm Landing”
cji
2/1/16
Flying on spaceship
earth
our mortal probation
at stake
each take-off and
landing
requires the pilots
skills
throughout this earth
risk
high winds-rain-ice
storms
fog-congestion-turbulence
required high
navigation skills
patience and
decisiveness
each take-off landing
requires
a firm landing to
continue
embedded within the
Savior
Our Lord Jesus the
Christ
we find such a pilot
with us
prayer-intercession-promptings
ever leading us to
safely land
amid the chaos and
tribulations
where our mortal
being at stake
on spaceship earth
flying!
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