“He Made Me a Fisher of Men,” For the Strength of Youth, Feb. 2023.
He Made Me a Fisher of Men
Colby Merryman of Topsham, Maine, USA, is a fisher of lobsters and of men.
Starting in his early teen years, Colby’s alarm clock would ring each morning at 4:00 a.m., telling him to get up so he could be on the boat by 5:00. You see, Colby is a third-generation lobsterman from Maine, USA. He needed to be out on the waters with his dad by 5:00 a.m. so they could get in a successful lobster fishing day.
The Lobstermen
Colby had to put in a lot of time and hard work to gain his own lobster license. He spent 200 days and 1,000 hours training on the water over the course of a few years. He had to learn about handling lobster boats and navigation, and he also studied the safety regulations and rules of the industry.
He says, “I was six years old when my dad took me fishing for the first time. Even at that age, I was given the job of ‘banding’ the lobsters, or putting heavy rubber bands around the lobsters’ claws.”
When Colby turned 14, his dad hired him as a sternman, and at 15, Colby bought his own fishing boat. He also got an education about small engine mechanics and carpentry to prepare him to be a part of the lobstering business.
Being a lobsterman has been a fun and educational part of Colby’s life. It taught him to manage his own boat and be responsible for the decisions that he makes on and off the water. “Lobster fishing is hard physical work and can be dangerous,” he says.
The safety rules that his dad taught him protect him physically, just like the Lord’s commandments protect him spiritually. If they work hard and are safe throughout lobstering season, their family gets together to have a “big lobster feed” each summer to commemorate the family legacy of lobstering.
Fisherman often name their boats after an important woman in their lives. Colby named his boat “Angelica Jewel,” after his two sisters. He later sold the boat, truck, and equipment to help pay for his mission.
Seminary on the Water
When Colby was old enough to start seminary, a scheduling conflict had to be dealt with. Fishing began at 5:00 a.m. and lasted many hours. Seminary was at 6:00 a.m. He couldn’t possibly be in two places at once … or could he?
Colby started joining seminary on a video call each morning at 6:00 so he could fulfill both his fishing duties and further his spiritual education. “I always felt I was starting the day with a big spiritual boost,” he says. “I loved being on the water for seminary. It was calm and peaceful, and I felt the Spirit of the Lord out there.”
He’d listen and ponder, read the scriptures, and participate in the discussion with his teachers and classmates. Then, at 6:45 a.m., he’d get back to fishing.
Sure, seminary on a fishing boat wasn’t always ideal. The engine noise was loud and distracting. The water was often choppy, and the boat was bustling with early morning work. Sometimes stormy weather would prevent Colby from having a good connection to join his video call. “Attending seminary on the lobster boat was hard,” he says. “It would have been easier not to do it. But I’m so glad that I took the time each day to participate in seminary.”
Spiritual Fishing Lessons
Not all of Colby’s lessons on the boat were about fishing. “You learn a lot about the gospel working on the ocean in a boat,” he says. “There are so many similarities. One of the things that my dad taught me was to trust the water and weather and trust your navigation equipment.”
He compared this to following the Holy Ghost through the storms of life, saying that the Holy Ghost functions as our navigation equipment. “I now understand why it is so important to learn to hear and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost and the voice of the Lord.”
“I don’t think it’s always going to be easy to be a disciple of Jesus Christ,” he says, “but I think it’s worth it.”
Fishers of Men
Now Colby is serving as a full-time missionary in the Utah Provo Mission. He’s truly experiencing what it means to be a “fisher of men.” Christ called regular, everyday fishermen to be His Apostles and help preach His gospel. Colby, now Elder Merryman, says: “That helps me to know that an everyday person like me can follow the Savior when He calls. I feel a connection to the Savior that He has called me to be a fisher of men, to throw out a net of gospel light and catch the attention of those who are ready to follow Him.”
When Elder Merryman reflects on his seminary experience on the fishing boat, he says it “has made a difference on my mission.” His seminary class taught him “many valuable stories from the scriptures.” Those stories and lessons have, in turn, prepared him to teach the gospel by the Spirit. “Every day I use the lessons I learned in seminary.”
Elder Merryman also acknowledges his mother’s spiritual influence in bringing his own family to the gospel. He says: “It was my mother who was a fisher of men first. She shared the light of the gospel with my dad. Because of her, our family has enjoyed the blessings of the temple and the gospel of Jesus Christ in our home.”
“I know that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true,” Elder Merryman says. “It changes lives for good. I have seen it happen with people I’ve taught while on my mission. Following the gospel has helped me repent and grow closer to Jesus Christ.”