Emerson Carnavale
Washington Stake President
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
President Nelson posted the following message on his Twitter account this week “the road ahead may be bumpy, but our destination is serene and secure. So, fasten your seatbelt, hang on through the bumps, and do what's right. Your reward will be eternal.” This prophetic counsel comes to complement his previous counsel when he asked us to “take our vitamins.” I am not sure that President Nelson envisioned the world’s condition today when he asked us to take our vitamins last fall, but we look back now and see how much we needed those vitamins.
What are these vitamins? What does it mean to “fasten our seat belts”? I think what it means is for each of us to prepare ourselves and our families, in all aspects of our lives, for the ride ahead. As we have learned from this pandemic, it is required for us to be prepared physically as well as spiritually. It has become a family tradition for us to take our family to Brian Head Resort in
the summer just before school starts. We had the privilege to do this last Friday and Saturday. One of our favorite attractions there is to ride the ski lift up and down the beautiful mountains. At 11,000 feet, the view is clear, and the air is pure, and the magnificent scenery at the top of the mountain is breathtaking (literally since it is hard to breath up there ☺). During one of the ski lift rides, we noticed many riders who had chosen to not use the chair safety guard that prevents a
possible fall during the ride. Upon observing that I asked Ana and Katie, my two daughters who were riding with me, “why don’t they use the guard?” We mentioned a couple of things like “they want to look cool,” or “they want to really be free on the ride,” but we focused on the reason that maybe they don’t use the guard because they see no eminent need for it. The ride is slow and calm, and one can comfortably ride without depending on the safety guards. There were many that felt safe enough to ride the ski lift without the safety guard. However, there is a reason that those guards are a part of every ski lift chair. The guard is there to protect us when things don’t go according to plan – in case of high winds or equipment malfunction, for example. Without the safety guards in the case of need, a terrible accident would happen that could result in serious injuries and even death. We must be prepared with the safety guards in place, BEFORE the need for them arises.
Like the ski lift safety guard or the vitamins, if we are not fully engaged in the preparation, (as portrayed in these two metaphors) we will be caught unprepared in the moments when we need them most. Like the ski lift guard, when our life is smooth and we see no trouble in the near future, we may think we are safe enough and don’t need our “safety guards” nor our “vitamins.” What are our vitamins, seat belts, and safety guards? They are those simple things we have been taught. Such as study the Come, Follow Me manual, say our prayers daily, eat a good diet, exercise often, be serviceable to our families and others, and put the Lord first in all your choices. These are some suggestions of what the vitamins and lift guards can be in our lives. This week in Come, Follow Me, we are learning about Captain Moroni, in what ways did he take his “vitamins and use his safety guard” to be prepared for his bumpy road? (see Alma 48).
We love you Brothers and Sisters, and we are grateful for the wonderful people you are. Be strong and know that the angels of heaven are all around us (D&C 84:88). We pray that we will be willing and able to put forth the work needed to fortify ourselves, our families, our friends, our wards, and our loved ones. The Lord will not prevent every challenge from coming our way, but He will help us prepare to face those challenges (see Alma 48:15).
Love,
Pres. Emerson Carnavale
Washington Stake
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