Honestly, I am so excited for next week's general conference. Years ago as a young adult, I heard someone speak of how the prophet is similar to one who sits in a lighthouse, able to see much further out in the distance than those of us on shore; I quickly became a fan of lighthouses.
I bought books on lighthouses, miniature lighthouses and pictures of lighthouses so that I would have a constant reminder of the fact that the Lord's prophet is also a seer and able to see things that I cannot see on my own. Therefore, he is able to warn me of storms that are on their way and teach me how I might be most prepared to meet them.
Time has proven this to be true. Everything from getting our finances in order to pornography, to doing all we can as mothers and fathers to support, sustain and preserve the family. Talks that seemed irrelevant or caused a skeptical buzz in the past 30 years have turned out to be priceless and prophetic.
One of my pictures of a beautiful lighthouse came with the words, "If a man knows not which harbor he seeks, no light will be enough to guide him."
Those words have caused me pause. If I don't know which direction I want to travel, then all the words of warning from the lighthouse, or a living prophet, seem almost insignificant or irrelevant; however, if my destination and goals are defined and clear, then they mean everything.
In a talk that President Thomas S. Monson gave to youths titled "The Lighthouse of the Lord," he refers to a conversation between Alice in Wonderland and the Cheshire Cat. Alice asks, "Which path shall I take?" To which the cat answers, "That depends where you want to go. If you do not know where you want to go, it doesn't really matter which path you take."
If we are not absolutely certain where we want to go in this life or the next, then we end up on the path that is most enticing at the moment, not considering where it will lead us.
In encouraging us to stay on the path that will lead to eternal life, President Monson goes on to say, "Let us remember that the wisdom of God may appear as foolishness to men, but the greatest single lesson we learn in mortality is that when God speaks and we obey, we will always be right. Some foolish persons turn their backs on the wisdom of God and follow the allurement of fickle fashion, the attraction of false popularity, and the thrill of the moment. Their course of conduct so resembles the disastrous experience of Esau, who exchanged his birthright for a mess of pottage. And what are the results of such actions? I testify to you that turning away from God brings broken covenants, shattered dreams, vanished ambitions, evaporated plans, unfulfilled expectations, crushed hopes, misused drives, warped character and wrecked lives."
As we anticipate the words of those who are sitting upon the lighthouse, may we have a clear and determined resolve of which harbor we seek. We are about to hear the "wisdom of God," some of which will most certainly seem foolish to many in the world. In time, we will all see and know for ourselves that absolute truths were most definitely spoken.
The waves are breaking closer and closer to the shore; the storms are getting stronger. Spiritual hurricanes and tsunamis have already taken the lives of many we know and love.
We are so blessed to have one who sits in the lighthouse, warning us of dangers coming our way. General conference here we come!