Below is a talk I gave before the church congregation in Polson, Montana, on October 18, 2026
Question: who is the most important person on the softball field
(not an umpire) that is not playing offense or defense?
If I’m batting and I get a hit, I can see the entire field
of play as I sprint to first base
-if I round first for second, I can still see almost the
entire field of play except what is immediately behind me
-as I approach second base I have a decision – stop at
second or keep going
-at this time, I can maybe get a quick glance at the right
fielder if the ball is there to make a decision
-if I decide to round second and keep running to third, much
more of the playing field is behind me and I need help so my eyes immediately
to go the third base coach who can tell me to slide at third, stand up and stop
at third or he can rotate his arm and send me to go home
-the direction from 3rd base coach is crucial to
determining if I’ll be thrown out, how far I should go including if I go home
-If I round the bag, then the rest is up to me with determination
and hustle to make it home
Who do we look to for guidance in our game of life?
-parents, siblings, friends, church leaders...or someone
greater with a bead on our game plan of life?
2 Nephi 2:28 Lehi is speaking: “And now, my sons, I would
that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great
commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life,
according to the will of his Holy Spirit.”
Elder Clark G. Gilbert, a member of the Quorum of the 12
Apostles said this at April’s general conference: “The Savior loves all of us
and is tenderly calling for you and for me to come home.”
He wants us all to cross the plate, score and live with him
and our Father in Heaven BUT as Elder Gilbert says, “everyone must make their
own choices to come home.”
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| Credit: NASA |
-how big are they?
-how powerful are they?
-If I could just ever get in one of them, would I have the
strength to stand or would it knock me around?
Helping a friend paint his shop-house last summer in Arlee
-I had already sprayed the entire building and was doing the
meticulous trim work about 12-14 feet up an extension ladder that was leaning
against the building
-hot, summer day
-felt a little breeze at my back (felt so good)
-wind became stronger and stronger and really started to
whip things up
-I looked to my friend building a new house about 60 yards
away
-he had been atop a mechanical lift a story above the ground
-I was worried he may have been blown off
-looked to the lift and at the ground below but didn’t see
him = relief
-almost immediately, I felt the ground seem to move
-the now powerful wind had blown over everything from a
covered porch on the ground below me – tables, chairs, potted plants
-the wind knocked over and blew a 3-seat, covered porch
swing with a canopy into the base of my ladder
-the force of the wind moved the ladder so it lost its
position of support leaning against the building and started to stand straight
up
-I had a problem
-paint brush in right hand & small container of paint in
my left hand, I was no longer in control
-I had a choice to make – either hang onto the ladder and
ride it out…or jump
-it seemed like everything was in slow-motion yet it was
only a handful of seconds
-I’ve been on a falling ladder before and that didn’t turn
out well so I jumped…some sort of ninja, spiderman leap and landed on my feet
in the tall weeds beyond the sodded grass of the side yard
-the ladder then crashed to earth beside me
-I was safely on the ground but the wind was a whipping
frenzy with dust, dirt, tumbleweeds, loose construction supplies including
boxes and papers swirling on the ground and in the sky
-I struggled to see anything
-I ran to the side of the shop-house, leaned up against it
and cupped my hands on each side of my head to try to keep out the dust and
dirt
-I stayed there for 30-45 seconds or however long it was
-the winds started to subside, I took my hands away and
watched the mini cyclone go across the back lot through the field and toward
the Jocko River
-to inside a dust
devil? – check that box!
Why do I bring this up?
There are instances and situations in our lives that we see
coming…and then we deal with the consequences
Perhaps it’s something we did…kind of a self-inflected
situation
Perhaps it’s something we didn’t do but we know we should
have…again self-inflected
Maybe someone else did something or didn’t do something that
impacts us
And many times…stuff just happens when there is no way for
us to know it was coming…like my dust devil adventure in Arlee
Those situations that come out of left field may impact us
physically in the form of injury or sickness, mentally and psychologically in
the form of stress and strain, financially with monetary challenges, we may
have social or emotional relationship challenges with family, friends, bosses, co-workers
or otherwise, we may lose a close friend, a family member or another loved one…and
all those things can impact us spiritually
We may be exposed to someone’s comments, TV shows or movies,
social media posts that criticize or question our beliefs
Pres Oaks: “You live in a season in which the adversary has
become so effective at disguising truth that if you don’t have the Holy Ghost,
you will be deceived.”
If we have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, do we lose
the Holy Ghost?
-maybe we don’t look for it
-maybe we are out of practice recognizing it
-if we don’t exercise, our muscles will be out of shape = if
we are not involved with activities that invite/involve the Spirit (attending
church with an open mind to learn, going to the temple, reading
scriptures/listening to or reading conference talks, praying, serving others,
etc.) then we, too, may not recognize the Holy Ghost’s influence
What do we do if we have family members or friends who have
drifted away?
-that is a hard thing
-one of my four children is no longer attending church or
practicing the gospel principles my wife and I raised her with
-my older brother, a former bishop and returned missionary,
turned from his spiritual roots a few years ago
-how do we deal with that? What can or should we do?
-Elder Gilbert: “To those who are trying to help those they
love, hold on to the truth. Keep your covenants. Helping others requires you to
stay in your covenants.”
In general conference a couple of weeks ago, Elder Henry B.
Eyring quoted these verses from the hymn, “How Firm a Foundation:”
In ev’ry condition—in sickness, in
health,
In poverty’s vale or abounding in
wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or
the sea—
As thy days may demand, … so thy
succor shall be.
---------------
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be
not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still
give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee,
and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, … omnipotent hand.
Elder Eyring continued: “Those promises become more precious
as we move through the challenges in our lives and in the lives of those we
love. It is important to realize that the promise is not for the removal of
challenges. My wise mother taught me that when I was a little boy. I had asked
her, “Mother, why is life so hard?”
She smiled and said firmly, “Hal, of course it’s hard. It’s
supposed to be. Life is a test.”
Elder Eyring continued: “You might reasonably wonder why a
loving and all-powerful God allows our mortal test to be so hard. It is because
He knows that we must grow in spiritual cleanliness and stature to be able to
live in His presence. To make that possible, Heavenly Father gave us a Savior
and the power to choose for ourselves by faith to keep His commandments and to
repent and to come unto Him.”
“The Savior not only understands and has felt grief, but He
has ‘borne [your] griefs, and carried [your] sorrows.’ He knows you perfectly.
He knows your heart.”
“The combination of trials and their duration are as varied
as are the children of our Heavenly Father. No two are exactly alike. But what
is being tested is the same, at all times in our lives and for every person.” -
end quote
As we struggle or feel we are losing our way, where do we
turn?
Matthew 11:28–30 the Savior said: “Come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you,
and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto
your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
At the very end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni says this in
Moroni 10:32: “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny
yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all
ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his
grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if
by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power
of God.”
Tamara W. Runia, 1st counselor in the Young
Women’s general presidency said this a couple of weeks ago in conference: “Christ’s
work in your life and His love for you are bigger than your present story. And
He can fix what feels badly broken.”
What is broken in us? How are you ailing?
Sister Runia: “To invite the Savior to become involved is
hard. Our pride gets in the way. He’ll lovingly chasten us to get our
attention, but He waits for an invitation before He can really go to work.”
So, it’s on us to put forth effort.
And President Russell M. Nelson said, “The Lord loves
effort.”
Elder Clark adds: “You just have to do your best and Christ
will make up the difference.”
Jesus Christ is real. He lives. His grace allows us to do what we could not do on our own.
As we’re challenged by the dust devils of life, let’s look to our Savior, our mediator with the Father, our elder brother, our third base coach to help us come home.
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