Row Boat, Oars, and an Anchor

This past Sunday at church during our Relief Society class lesson (which is the Women's studies class), our teacher gave her lesson from a General Conference talk from 2014 by Dieter F. Uchtdorf titled Receiving a Testimony of Truth and Light (follow link to read).  It was beautiful!  It spoke to me so much that I felt the need to paint once again.  Come with me as I take you on a journey into my ever filling, slightly chaotic, vast abyss of a mind.

The talk is about having truth, and seeing it as light, and taking that light and sharing it with others once we are strong enough to do so.  This talk helps us learn how to be strong, what we need to have light and truth in our lives.  But this quote is what started my painting gears cranking.

"It seems to be a trait of humanity to assume that we are right even when we are wrong. And if that is the case, what hope is there for any of us? Are we destined to drift aimlessly on an ocean of conflicting information, stranded on a raft we have poorly pieced together from our own biases?

Is it possible to find truth?

The purpose of my remarks is to proclaim the joyful message that God Himself—the Lord of Hosts who knows all truth—has given His children the promise that they can know truth for themselves."

By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

The words that stuck out in my mind were "hope, drifting aimlessly on an ocean, conflict, stranded on a raft, a promise of truth".  It sounds like hope is something useful, sometimes life really does feel like an ocean of chaos, where we are confronted with conflict and opposition.  Sometimes it seems like we are stranded, and that our little vessel or raft isn't very strong or safe.  But to have a promise from God, that we can find truth that is amazing!

Again my mind started thinking, and I remembered another talk that I had recently read with my Husband.  This new talk is from our Prophet Thomas S. Monson in the August 2015 Liahona and Ensign, titled Stand as a Light (follow link to read).  There was an inspirational part of this talk that spoke to me as well.  It touched my spirit, and mind with images of what to paint.

"I would like all of the youth of the Church to know that they are children of light. As such, they have a responsibility to be “as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). They have a duty to share the truths of the gospel. They have a calling to stand as a temple beacon, reflecting gospel light to an increasingly dark world. They have a charge to keep their light aflame and burning brightly.

In order for us to be “an example of the believers” (1 Timothy 4:12), we ourselves must believe. We must develop the faith necessary to survive spiritually and to project a light for others. We must nurture our testimony until it becomes an anchor to our lives."

By President Thomas S. Monson

Please substitute the word "youth" for "people.  And you can even substitute the word "Church" for world.  When we have that light of truth we ought to share it with others.  We can only share our light if it is burning brightly.  We must have faith, and a strong testimony. 

Now for what I saw with all this.  Anchor of Hope, Vessel (boat) of Faith, Oar of Testimony.

Anchor of Hope keeps our faith from floating away on the waves of life.  Because without an anchor to keep us steady and firm, any large wave or many little waves would carry us away from our save haven.

Vessel of Faith allows us safety, and security in that big vast ocean.  Its so much nicer to think that we can be sitting in a boat, rather than swimming, or treading water.  A boat can be anchored in place so that when those waves come it is immovable, strong, safe, and secure. (More so than without a boat)

Oars of Testimony allow us to act.  There is that scripture that says "Faith without works is dead." I can't place the reference right now, but its so true.  Faith and Hope are action words, they are action principles.  And yet they only become action principles when you have the right tools to make them such.  A boat cannot go where you want it just by being in the ocean.  All that conflict and chaos will have you spinning in circles or heading the opposite way you want to go.  But with a set of oars, with our testimony we can move our boat where we want to go, to keep our faith and hope strong.  To keep our faith and hope from giving out.

So take your Oars of Testimony, Get your Vessel of Faith, and Hold tight to your Anchor of Hope and you will be a light to the world, shining of God's love for all mankind. 

~Enjoy!