The Fountain of Living Waters

I am truly saddened by the loss of a 10-year old boy in our stake and even more pained at the agony that others are feeling at this time over this tragic accident.

Several weeks ago my girls and I shot photos and a video sequence in Smithfield Canyon. The creek was clear and pure, and the air was fresh and filling. I had been pondering for a few weeks on our Savior Jesus Christ and how he is truly the fountain of living waters. In the book of Revelations in the New Testament, John the Revelator is given a great vision and in the vision one of the elders speaks to him and says: 

“For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Revelations 7:17 - https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/rev/7.17?lang=eng#16)

This photo resulted from the outing with my daughters and now hangs in my office. To me it represents our Savior Jesus Christ, the Fountain of Living Waters and reminds me daily of Him.

I too have lost very close friends and family. Six of these people all died before their time. Sorrowfully I have shed many tears. I have waded in deep agony through the dregs of grief and sadness for many months at a time. In each case I pleaded daily with my Father in Heaven for mercy and comfort. It was in answer to these diligent prayers that I finally felt the “living fountains of waters” rush over me to bring fresh relief and take away my grief.

I know that our Savior is the Fountain of Living Waters. He will bring cool relief to our hearts and minds heated in anguish and pain if we will diligently and consistently pray to our Father in Heaven for peace.

He will answer.

-Brother Travis Hilton

Grandmother's Poem

I was fortunate enough to have a close relationship with my grandparents on my mother’s side, especially my grandmother.  She lived to be 104 years old passing away in 1993. It always amazed me that she was born in 1889 and what she experienced throughout her life. She had many trials in her life and had a strong testimony, that it was through these trials, that we became more like our Heavenly Father. She loved to write poetry and fortunately those poems were compiled in a book “Portraits of the Past “ by Elsie Hubbard. I’d like to share one of her poems titled “Our Trials”.

Did you ever have a real trial to bear,

And you wondered and wondered why?

Were you being punished for past mistakes

Or like Job were you being tried?

I was human, yes, and I’d make mistakes,

But I had humbly repented of them

And was earnestly trying to do God’s will.

Then why this affliction?

And then I thought of a neighbor down the street,

A good man, yet he had troubles too- -

And if anything, they were far worse than mine.

I’d not change with him, that I knew.

As I sat in deep meditation I found

Many much worse off than I.

Should I not be counting my blessings

Instead of questioning, “Why”?

And then- - I remembered our Savior,

Didn’t he bear a cross for me?

And staggered under that heavy load

Up the hill of Calvary.

In anguish I cried, “Oh Jesus our Blessed Redeemer,

Please help me to be more like thee”.

You prayed, “Thy will, not mine be done,

As you knelt in Gethsemane.”

And later,  nailed there on the cross,

Thy body bleeding and sore,

You suffered as no other could suffer

For the sins of the world you bore.

  

You were taken down and in a borrowed sepulcher

You were laid away.

But on the third day, you arose again- -

Triumphant, you broke the bands of death

That we too might live again.

Oh, if we could but be more submissive

To the trials we are called to pass through,

And say, “Thy will, not mine, be done,”

Although we may hurt through and through

For in God’s wonderful plan of salvation

In some way all must be tested and tried

To prove our worth, here on this earth,

As did Jesus, the Crucified.

As my grandmother, I too have a strong testimony of the eventual blessings of trials. We may very well recognize those blessings here on earth, but more than likely, in the life here after. May we bear them well and remember that Christ bore all and is the Savior of the world.

-Brother David Petersen, Smithfield Utah South Stake High Councilor