The Wind Did Never Cease to Blow

After the Jaredites got into their barges and “set forth into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord their God,” they were driven forth by the wind: “And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind. And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind…. And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind” (Ether 6:5-8). The wind both pushed them forth to the promised land but also caused tempests and rough waters that buried them at times in the ocean. Ultimately, though, the wind was needed for them to make progress to their final destination, and in the most recent general conference Elder Aroldo B. Cavalcante suggested that we can help be the wind that drives others towards their promised land. He said, “The Master of masters caused ‘a furious wind’ to blow the Jaredites toward promised blessings. Similarly, we can decide to serve as a humble gust of wind in the Lord’s hands. Just as ‘the wind did never cease to blow’ the Jaredites toward the promised land, we can help others progress in their journey to receive God’s blessings…. We can be ‘the wind [that] did never cease to blow,’ bringing hope and guiding others to the covenant path…. Each of us can be a part of this wind—the same wind that blessed the Jaredites in their journey and the same wind that, with our help, will bless the unrecognized and forgotten to reach their own promised lands.” We should strive to be a force that helps others on the covenant path to their eternal home. In the words of the Lord to William E. McClellin, we can “push many people to Zion with songs of everlasting joy upon their heads” as we try to serve others and point them towards the Savior (Doctrine and Covenants 66:11).

                In his talk, Elder Cavalcante had a footnote on his reference to the “unrecognized and forgotten” with this interesting note: “President Dallin H. Oaks mentioned a painting by Maynard Dixon titled Forgotten Man, which hangs in his office in the Church Administration Building in Salt Lake City: ‘You see the sun shining on his head. His Heavenly Father knows he’s there. He is forgotten by the passing crowd, but in his struggles, his Heavenly Father knows he’s there. … I have been with that painting for close to 40 years, and it speaks to me and reminds me of things that I need to remember.’” The painting can be seen here, and it is indeed a powerful image of what it looks like to be forgotten and downtrodden. So, what does it remind President Oaks of?  I think it gives a message that what matters most in our service in God’s kingdom is reaching out to help and bless and serve the marginalized in society. As James put it, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). The essence of our religion should be to “visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.” In other words, those who have been forgotten by the world—like this “forgotten man” in the painting—should be our highest priority as followers of the Savior. Perhaps the scripture President Oaks would put under the painting is this one: “Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” (Doctrine and Covenants 81:5).   

                The Savior of course was the perfect example of reaching out to those rejected by society. He taught His apostles, “Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” He wanted them to not be like the world which seeks for power but rather to be like Him, seeking to minister. Right after Matthew recorded this teaching, He related this miracle of the Savior: “And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him” (Matthew 20:25-34). This story matches perfectly the teaching He had just given. These two blind men were rejected by those around them, with the multitude trying to keep them silent. But the Savior noticed them, went to them, and healed them. That is the example we should strive to follow as we seek to be the “wind” that pushes people to their promised land.