“To Live, Look to God and Trust in Him,” Liahona, Apr. 2022, United States and Canada Section.
Come, Follow Me
To Live, Look to God and Trust in Him
When we find ourselves in trouble, we can regain safety by looking toward, and then moving in, the direction that will bring us back to the Savior.
As a 13-year-old, I had an opportunity to spend a few days at a vacation home that belonged to one of my friend’s parents. Three of us young men, full of excitement, traveled by train for several hours with his family to get there. When we arrived, we found a small lake within walking distance of the vacation home.
Dangerous Depths
One day, the three of us decided to go swimming in the lake. An elderly neighbor, seeing where we were headed, warned us that some parts of the lake had deep spots that could be dangerous. Ignoring his warning, we jumped into the water. I was a beginning swimmer but felt reassured because I could touch the bottom of the lake.
We had been in the lake for a long time when I inadvertently drifted into one of the deep spots. I suddenly felt as if the water were swallowing me. I couldn’t feel anything solid beneath me, and I desperately flailed my arms and legs to try to stay afloat. I felt I was in great danger, and I felt guilty for not heeding the earlier warning. I prayed for help from God. I prayed with all my heart.
The neighbor who had warned us was still near the lake. When he realized I was in difficulty, he ran to the shore. He tried to reach out to me with a tree branch, but I was too far away. He motioned for me to swim toward a large tree near the edge of the water. “Just look at the tree!” he said. “Keep moving toward the tree.”
Fixing my sight on the tree, and making a huge effort, I fought my way in that direction. Finally, I could touch the bottom. I gained a firm foothold and, knowing I was free from danger, made my way out of the lake. Breathing deeply, I dropped to the ground. The man and my two friends gathered around me and made sure I was all right.
Fiery Serpents
That experience reminds me of a story in the Old Testament. As Moses led the people of Israel through the wilderness, they were refused passage through the land of Edom. They had to travel a longer distance, and they tired of eating the food called manna that the Lord provided for them.
“And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
“And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
“Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
“And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
“And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived” (Numbers 21:5–9).
Believe In the Savior
In the New Testament, the Savior referred to this Old Testament event:
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
“That whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:14–16).
And in the Book of Mormon, we gain this additional insight: “After they were bitten [the Lord] prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished” (1 Nephi 17:41).
Snakes Were Not the Problem
As we travel through mortal life, from time to time it may seem that our difficulties are too many and we may be tempted to complain, just as the children of Israel did. However, complaining about a problem is not the same thing as finding a long-term solution to the problem.
The children of Israel had become selective in obeying the teachings of Moses. As soon as they were in difficulties, they immediately demanded an immediate solution. They didn’t pray themselves; they asked Moses to pray for them and ask that the poisonous snakes be taken away. Even after Moses prayed, the number of fiery serpents did not decrease. Their venom was still poisonous, and they were still biting.
The Lord did not take the snakes away, because the snakes were not the problem. The real problem was the Israelites’ lack of faith and tendency to constantly complain, blaming God and Moses for every difficulty. Instead of seeing their attitude as the problem, the people of Israel saw the snakes as the problem. If they had said to Moses, “Pray for the Lord to help us improve our attitude,” the story might have had a different ending.
In His mercy, however, the Lord did provide a way for them to survive. Again, the Book of Mormon provides insight. Alma taught: “Many did look and live. But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them” (Alma 33:19–20).
How to Survive
The great lesson of this Old Testament story is that if we will look toward the Savior, we will live. Then we can overcome our challenges by having full confidence in God and in His servants. President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) said, “Whenever we are inclined to feel burdened down with the blows of life, let us remember that others have passed the same way, have endured, and then have overcome.” 1
Those who endure and recover do so by looking to the Savior and following His example, including His example of service to those around Him. “Unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives,” President Monson said. “Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives.” 2
Look to God and Live
When I was in trouble in the water of that small lake, the man on the shore called, essentially, “Look to the tree, come toward me, and live.” As I made every effort to move toward him, I eventually found a place where I could stand on my feet and move to safety.
It was the same for the children of Israel. If they would look toward the brazen serpent—toward Christ—they would be healed. It was a simple answer but an important one: “The labor which they had to perform was to look” (1 Nephi 17:41).
Similar counsel was given in another setting in the Book of Mormon, when Alma said to his son Helaman: “See that ye look to God and live” (Alma 37:47).
In our lives, if we wish to stay on course—or get back on course—we must look to Jesus Christ, just as I had to look toward the tree on the shore and the children of Israel had to look at the brass serpent. When we find ourselves in trouble, we can regain safety by looking toward, and then moving in, the direction that will bring us back to the Savior. Prayer is required, just as I prayed for help when I felt the water pulling on me. Effort is required, just as I had to make great effort to get through the water to a place where I could stand.
Fix Our Gaze on Him
How grateful I am to know that Heavenly Father always hears our pleas and answers our prayers. I know He heard my prayer that day at the lake and sent the man to rescue me. I am grateful that I was told to look at the tree, so that I could find my way to safety. We should be grateful for the love and guidance we receive from our Heavenly Father. Because of His great love for us, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to give us the example of how to live. I know that if we will fix our gaze on the Savior and move toward Him, we will find safety and peace.