In nature, trees that grow up in a
windy environment become stronger. As winds whip around a young sapling, forces
inside the tree do two things. First, they stimulate the roots to grow faster
and spread farther. Second, the forces in the tree start creating cell
structures that actually make the trunk and branches thicker and more flexible
to the pressure of the wind. These stronger roots and branches protect the tree
from winds that are sure to return.
My young friends, the world will
not glide calmly toward the Second Coming of the Savior. The scriptures declare
that “all things shall be in commotion.”
More concerning than the
prophesied earthquakes and wars are the spiritual whirlwinds that can uproot you
from your spiritual foundations and land your spirit in places you never
imagined possible, sometimes with your barely noticing that you have been
moved.
The worst whirlwinds are the
temptations of the adversary. Sin has always been part of the world, but it has
never been so accessible, insatiable, and acceptable. There is, of course, a
powerful force that will subdue the whirlwinds of sin. It is called repentance.
How do you prepare for your
whirlwinds? “Remember … it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the
Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send
forth his mighty winds, … his shafts in the whirlwind, … when all his hail and
his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power … to drag you down
… because of the rock upon which ye are built.” This is your safety in the
whirlwind.
Excerpts taken from Elder Andersen
April 2014 “Spiritual Whirlwinds”
