An anchor

Follow the Prophet (PMG Ch. 4)

In 1622 a Spanish treasure ship called the Atocha made a voyage from Colombia back to Spain. Because there was so much cargo--treasure, civilians, soldiers--the ship left later than planned and ended up traveling in the middle of hurricane season. As night fell, the sea was choppy, and by the time the morning came they were stuck in a vicious storm that beat at the masts and sails. The Atocha was carried up on a giant wave and smashed back into the water. It sank and only five passengers survived.*

The world we live in is constantly changing, and sometimes it can be scary. In the media all around us we see constant messages designed to shape the way we think. What is beauty? What does a person have to do to be successful? What is acceptable as entertainment? Social media succeeds more and more every day in shutting us off from our surroundings, and definitions of 'tolerance' and 'love' evolve with society. Some people in the world even choose to commit acts of violence towards others. It is often difficult to stay afloat on such a stormy sea.
A prophet is someone called by God and given authority from Him to teach and testify of truth to the world. Truth is defined as a knowledge of things as they are, were and will be. God has called prophets ever since he put Adam on the earth at the beginning of our time. Enoch, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Joseph Smith: they were all prophets through whom God communicated truth to His children. We have a prophet today named Thomas S. Monson.

In the world of oceanic navigation an anchor is used to keep a ship and its crew safe and stationary in extreme and dangerous storms.

"The teachings of living prophets provide an anchor of eternal truth in a world of shifting values.." (Preach My Gospel)

Here is something the prophet Thomas S. Monson said just two weeks ago.

----www.mormon.org can provide answers to any questions about what mormons believe---

*http://www.howstuffworks.com/shipwreck.htm#page=2

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