I learned from a dream that the prophet can’t take away our trials but that he can help us thrive during them.
I was caught in a raging river in the dead of night, the only light the pale disc of the moon. Despite being an excellent swimmer, I thrashed and struggled to keep my head above water. As I fought to keep from drowning, I noticed my brother floundering at my side, also fighting the overpowering current and crushing force of the water.
Photo by Buddika Eranda
We were both running out of energy when we noticed a wooden kitchen chair calmly floating down the river, despite the terrible storm and power of the water. Sitting regally on the chair was none other than President Gordon B. Hinckley, who was the prophet at the time.
He noticed our distress and told us to join him on the chair. I managed to fight my way through the rushing water, grab one of the chair legs, and scramble onto the chair. As soon as I was safely aboard the makeshift boat, I reached out for my brother. He caught my hand, and I pulled him to the safety of the prophet. The two of us hung onto the sides of the prophet’s chair as he calmly sat in the middle of the violent river.
Years later, I remembered this dream and realized it taught me about the prophet’s role in my life and in the lives of my loved ones. The prophet didn’t yank us from the river or magically transport us to safety. When we reached him, the waters didn’t calm; we were still in the middle of a raging river. But we were at peace.
In the talk “The Prophet of God,” Elder Neil L. Andersen teaches that “the most important role of the Lord’s prophet is to teach us of the Savior and lead us to Him.” Our current prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, will guide us to peace and safety, even in the midst of violent floods of sin and afflictions. Our circumstances may not change, but we’ll be able to not only cope with but also thrive in difficult situations.
It’s worth the effort to cling to the prophet by following his counsel and direction! President Nelson will stand beside us and point “the way to the Savior.” So when we feel like we’re drowning in life, we can rely on God’s prophet and find safety in the storm.
Source: LDS General Conference
—Mallory Lynn Dickson, Mormon Insights
feature image by tom van hoogstraten
Find more insights
Read or watch “The Heart of a Prophet,” by Elder Gary E. Stevenson, to learn more about our current prophet.
Read Elder Ulisses Soares’s talk “Prophets Speak by the Power of the Holy Spirit” to learn why prophets are a sign of God’s love for us.