Sister Amy A. Wright, first counselor in the Primary General Presidency, invited the BYU community to apply lessons from the apostle Paul’s journey recorded in the Bible to their own lives during the campus devotional on Nov. 5.
“As we look for parallel patterns between individuals in the scriptures and the Savior,” Sister Wright said, “we come to understand that we, too, should be living witnesses that He has come and will come again.”
Sister Wright showed an example of this idea by talking about the story of the apostle Paul in the New Testament. She said the apostle Paul was a type of Jesus Christ, seeing the events leading up to both of their deaths are remarkably similar.
“In Acts chapter 27, we learn further about this connection as Paul navigates a dangerous sea voyage,” Sister Wright said. “As we study his deliverance from this perilous journey, we discover there is a divine pattern of deliverance in our own lives and lessons to be learned that will help us successfully navigate the storms of our day.”
Sister Wright said that after Paul finished his third mission, he was arrested by Roman soldiers. After requesting to be tried before Caesar, he was sent to Rome. To get there, he had to take a perilous journey across the sea.
Paul and those traveling with him spent 14 days “in the misery and terror of the storm,” Sister Wright said.
She then quoted Acts 27:29, which says, “Then fearing lest (they) should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.”
“Do you ever find yourself during the struggle of life 'wishing for the day,' praying for and seeking calmer seas?” Sister Wright asked the audience. “When do those calm seas come? After you complete your next project, semester or degree? As soon as your health improves, relationships are better, you are married, have a family, own a home or are established in your career? There is always going to be something in life we wish was different. Instead of 'wishing for the day' — wishing and waiting and hoping for calmer waters — we would be wise to strengthen and fortify our anchors."
Sister Wright detailed four anchors she noticed from Paul’s story on the ocean, summarizing and reviewing them at the end of her speech.
“Anchor number one,” Sister Wright said. “Choose good friends. It is essential in these last days that you choose good friends who will lead you to Jesus Christ and most importantly, that you choose to be that kind of friend as a way of honoring your covenant responsibility to love God and serve him.”
The second anchor Sister Wright spoke about was trusting Jesus Christ. She quoted Proverbs 3:5–6, which says that if we trust the Lord, He will “direct (our) paths.”
“Anchor number three,” Sister Wright continued. “Follow the prophet. Prophets see things we cannot.”
Fourth, Sister Wright said we must not only believe in God but also believe Him, like Paul did. In the middle of the terrible storm, Paul said in Acts 27:25, “Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
Sister Wright invited the audience to trust that Heavenly Father will fulfill all that He has promised.
“These four anchors tethered me to the Savior as I navigated the ‘storm’ of a cancer diagnosis and treatment several years ago,” Sister Wright concluded. “And because of that experience, I will be tethered to Jesus Christ for the rest of my life.”