‘God is at the Helm and Will Stay There’

By Elder Glenn M. Holmes

Area Seventy

Remaining on the old ship Zion will enable great blessings to be ours, even joy in this life and eternal life in the world to come.

As a convert to the Church at the age of 17, I can still remember the feeling of serenity that the missionaries brought with them when they came to our home to teach our family the restored gospel. For me, it seemed to increase as they taught and then dissipate slowly after they left. I was later taught that those feelings were the influence of the Holy Ghost.

These feelings were particularly strong as I sat as a young missionary in the England Manchester Mission, beside my trainer, listening to him teach the missionary discussions to those unfamiliar with the Church. I could identify with the Prophet Joseph Smith, after reading the passage in James, as he related the feelings that came over him, “It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart.”¹ It was as if the Lord was confirming to me that I was witnessing truth being taught, that I was in the right place at the right time in my life, serving as a missionary. These experiences significantly increased my faith.

My faith has been sustained as I have sat listening in sacrament meetings, Sunday School, family home evening and of course, general conference. Here again, my feelings have varied, from tears coming to my eyes, feelings of joy, or the removal of doubts from my mind. As varied as these experiences were, they were always accompanied by serenity: the state of feeling calm, peaceful and untroubled.

The Lord spoke of these experiences to Oliver Cowdery, as recorded in Doctrine and Covenants: “Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?”²

That peaceful speaking is often referred to as a “still small voice”.³

Oh, how I thank my Heavenly Father for these uplifting experiences.

The Lord will manifest the truth of the gospel to all those who sincerely seek, for “He will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.”⁴

I remember a time I was reading the Book of Mormon. As I read, my mind told me that no man could have written that book without the gift and power of God. But faith in logic or facts is not enough. We need the confirmation of the Holy Ghost, for that is what will carry the witness to our hearts.⁵

We need to remember these experiences and feelings, because we never know if perhaps, sometime in the future, our faith will be tested. If we remember these feelings it will give us strength to remain faithful to the gospel, since we have received a witness from the Lord.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gives us many opportunities to strengthen our faith. It is the Lord’s vehicle to prepare us for the celestial kingdom.

Brigham Young referred to the Church as the “old ship Zion”⁶ and reminds us that “we are on the old ship Zion. . . . [God] is at the helm and will stay there. . . . All is right, sing Hallelujah, for the Lord is here. He dictates, guides and directs. If the people will have implicit confidence in their God, never forsake their covenants nor their God, He will guide us right.”⁷ I know this to be true.

Years ago, when our children were teenagers, we purchased a ski boat. A little while after we bought the boat, my two sons and I decided to venture out in it just before sunset. Out on the water, the motor suddenly spluttered for a few seconds and then cut out. The fuel gage stated we still had a quarter tank, but a quick investigation revealed that we had in fact run out of fuel. We made contact with our family onshore who arranged for a rescue party to come to our aid. We had been let down by a faulty fuel gage.

Unlike the faulty fuel gage, the old ship Zion will never let us down. Remaining on the old ship Zion, or active in and staying true to the gospel, will result in increased faith, happiness and growth.

It is in this Church that we will come to know Jesus Christ, upon whom our faith should be built. He is our sure foundation, and we need to learn what He has done for us. There is great value in increasing our faith, for it will cause us to remain faithful and endure to the end. The celestial kingdom will be our reward.

As we partake of the sacrament each week, we pray, “that they may always have His Spirit to be with [us]”.⁸ This cannot be emphasized enough. As members of the Church, we enjoy the blessing of the gift of the Holy Ghost. Staying worthy of that gift is worth every effort. As Elder Neil L. Andersen has taught, “No choice, no alternative that denies the companionship of the Holy Ghost or the blessings of eternity is worthy of our consideration.”⁹

Recently, President Russell M. Nelson has taught us to let God prevail in our lives. He said, “My dear brothers and sisters, it takes both faith and courage to let God prevail. It takes persistent, rigorous spiritual work to repent and to put off the natural man through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It takes consistent, daily effort to develop personal habits to study the gospel, to learn more about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and to seek and respond to personal revelation.”¹⁰ Following our beloved prophet and putting his words into action in our lives will increase our faith.

I testify that as we stay on that old ship Zion and let God prevail, our faith in Jesus Christ will increase. This, together with constantly working at having the Holy Spirit with us, will enable great blessings to be ours, even “happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come.”¹¹

Elder Glenn Holmes was sustained as an Area Seventy in April 2019. He is married to Amanda Mary Asgeir-Nielsen and they are the parents of four children. They reside in Benoni, South Africa.