Guided Safely to Where We Need to Be

By Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai

Of the Seventy

The Savior will consistently assist us on our journey in remarkable ways.

When I was 12 years old, my family moved from subtropical Hong Kong to a place with cold, unfamiliar winters. Soon, I was invited on my first winter hike with the young men in my ward.

On the day of our hike, I dressed as warmly as I knew how. As we ascended the winding mountain trail, I was excited to see falling snow cover the ground. I was inadequately dressed for the terrain and weather, however, and had difficulty keeping up with my group. I told them to go ahead and I would join those who I believed were following us.

As I continued at my own pace, my shoes and clothing became soaked and my hands, feet, and face became numb. It then began to snow so intensely that I could no longer see the trail. After wandering for some time, I realized that I was lost, alone, and unsure if anyone knew I was missing.

At times during life’s journey, we will feel unprepared, lost, or left behind. We may lose our sense of direction and the sight of the path before us. It may seem like the harder we try to move forward, the further away from our destination we become. Disappointment can set in, and the temptation to give up becomes attractive.

Providentially, the Savior Jesus Christ has power to direct our footsteps, lift us when we stumble (see Psalm 37:23–24), and bring us rest (see Matthew 11:28), healing (see Isaiah 53:5; Alma 15:8; Doctrine and Covenants 42:48), confidence (see Doctrine and Covenants 121:45), and peace (see Mosiah 4:3; Alma 38:8; Doctrine and Covenants 19:23). “Draw near unto me,” He said, “and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:63). The immediate path may not always be clear, but we can follow the Savior with faith that our journey will end beautifully and triumphantly because He will guide us safely to where we need to be.

We can always look to Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

The Right Way for Our Journey

In our study of the Book of Mormon this year, we have followed Lehi and his family on their journey to the promised land. Consider what Lehi’s family endured while on their journey:

ridicule for believing in and following prophets
exchange of familiar comforts for an unknown wilderness
travel with no clarity on distance, destination, or duration
hunger, sorrow, sickness, and death
difficult tasks, sometimes without understanding the reasons for them or how to accomplish them
setbacks, delays, dissensions, and disappointments
difficult circumstances for raising young families

Along the way, we also observed how the Lord consistently helped them. He provided

prophetic leadership and personal revelation,
scriptures that contain promised blessings and covenants,
genealogical records and family history,
new tools and methods to provide for their needs,
increased capacity to endure hardships,
wisdom and instruction to accomplish unfamiliar tasks,
the Liahona (a tool to help them navigate their journey), and
safety and protection for their families.

Just as for Lehi’s family, our journeys will not be without challenges and sacrifice. The Savior will likewise consistently assist us in remarkable ways. Nephi taught, “The right way is to believe in Christ … with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul” (2 Nephi 25:29). If we choose faith in Jesus Christ, humbly receive His word, and have the courage to act, we will find joy and blessings amidst the hardships we encounter. Along the way, we can have confidence that we can accomplish what He wants us to do (see 1 Nephi 3:7).

The following are some of the many ways the Savior continually helps us.

He Gives Us His Doctrine

Jesus Christ knows “the end from the beginning” (Abraham 2:8). He also “marked the path and led the way.”¹ His doctrine, known in the scriptures as the doctrine of Christ, is the path we all must follow to be rescued and saved.

We must continuously exercise faith in Jesus Christ, regularly repent, be baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, enter into covenants, and try our best to endure. In return, we are promised forgiveness, hope, and eternal life. (See 2 Nephi 31:2–20.)

In a world of divergent paths and conflicting ways, the doctrine of Christ provides clear and actionable direction that we can follow to keep us heading the right way (see 2 Nephi 31:21).

He Brings Us Comfort

Through His atoning sacrifice, the Savior knows what it feels like to be truly alone and forsaken. He also knows perfectly how to bring us comfort. He said, “Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:1) and “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (John 14:18).

The Savior has promised the gift of the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, to those who believe in Him. He said that the Comforter “shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance” (John 14:26).

He Provides Us with the Word of God

Through the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our day, the Lord has given us ancient and latter-day scripture, which contains the word of God. Nephi taught that “whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, … would never perish” (1 Nephi 15:24).

Feasting daily upon the word of God brings protection and leads us to experience God’s love more abundantly. His word illuminates our path (see Psalm 119:105) and “will tell [us] all things what [we] should do” (2 Nephi 32:3).

He Guides Us through His Servants—the Prophets and Apostles

Jesus Christ has called prophets and apostles to help us. Their counsel and teachings are for us and for our day. Should you find yourself lost or disoriented on your journey, you may find it helpful to ponder the following three questions:

How has the Lord prepared me through the words of prophets and apostles for the trials I have experienced?
What are the prophets and apostles inviting me to do today to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead?
What am I doing now to act on prophetic invitations?

By pondering these questions, we can recognize the importance of the guidance of prophets and apostles. We can better hear the Lord’s voice and notice how He consistently helps us. If we choose, we can listen to prophets and apostles and find guidance, prosperity, and protection on the path that leads back to Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Elder Tai in the Sierra Nevada range of California around 1988. The story he shares took place on Mount Baden Powell in the San Gabriel Mountains of California in 1984.

Photograph courtesy of the author

The Faith to Move Forward

Lost, cold, and alone on that snowy mountain those many years ago, I became desperate. Not knowing what else to do, I knelt in the newly fallen snow and prayed to my Heavenly Father for help. I shared my predicament and fears with Him and pleaded to be found and rescued.

When I arose from my prayer, the snow descended all around me, and a beautiful, calm silence filled the trees. This serenity was disrupted when I heard rustling in the bushes nearby. Two older boys emerged. They had already reached the summit, and instead of following the trail, they decided to slide down the mountain. Of all places, they slid right to where I was!

When they asked me what I was doing there, I told them I was lost. They invited me to join them, and together we slid safely down to the trailhead at the base of the mountain. Eventually we were reunited with the rest of our group.

As we move forward on our personal journeys with faith, devotion, and endurance, may we recognize how the Savior walks with us and actively helps us. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. May our faith in Him bring peace to our minds and joy on our journey.