Sister Wright: 4 Lessons for Deliverance From Today’s Storms

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By Rachel Sterzer Gibson, Church News

During a Tuesday, November 5, devotional at Brigham Young University, Sister Amy A. Wright, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency, testified of a loving and merciful God who has established “a divine pattern of deliverance for His children.”

To begin her address to those gathered in the Marriott Center on the Provo, Utah, campus, Sister Wright invited listeners to study Acts Chapter 27, which recounts how the apostle Paul navigates a dangerous sea voyage.

“As we study his deliverance from this perilous journey, we discover there is a divine pattern of deliverance in our own lives and lessons to be learned that will help us successfully navigate the storms of our day,” Sister Wright said.

Lesson 1: Choose Good Friends

After being arrested and sent to Rome, the apostle Paul was placed under the guard of Julius, a centurion.

“Julius not only allowed some of Paul’s friends to accompany him on his journey but also granted the apostle liberty of visiting the Church in Sidon. The companionship of Paul’s noble friends undoubtedly strengthened him for the trials that lay ahead,” Sister Wright shared.

Another example of “good friends” can be found in Mark 2, Sister Wright said, when a man “sick of the palsy” was carried on a mat by four friends to be healed by Jesus.

“I admonish you to seek friends who will lead you to Jesus Christ,” Sister Wright told listeners. “Friends who will not be easily deterred. Friends who will pick you up and carry you, if need be, to the feet of the Savior. Friends who follow the counsel of Jesus Christ’s living Prophet. And most importantly, I pray that you will be that kind of friend.”

Lesson 2: Trust Jesus Christ

As Paul sailed near Cyprus, the captain of the boat decided to change course and seek protection “because the winds were contrary” (Acts 27:4).

As individuals navigate the storms of life, it is essential that they too seek protection, Sister Wright said. “Jesus Christ has the power to give us the protection we need. Trust Him. We access His power by virtue of the covenants we have made.”

President Russell M. Nelson has testified, “Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts and in temples — and keeps them — has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ” (“Overcome the World and Find Rest,” October 2022 general conference).

Lesson 3: Follow the Prophet

At a port called Fair Havens on the south side of the island of Crete, Paul — as a prophet, seer and revelator — foresaw the danger that was to befall the ship.

Unfortunately for Paul and the others on the ship, “The centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul” (Acts 27:11).

Sister Wright admonished listeners to always follow the Prophet. “How blessed we are to have a living Prophet on the earth, President Russell M. Nelson — a prophetic voice of warning, guidance, counsel and love. A Prophet who boldly and lovingly testifies of what we need to know and do to effectively traverse the trials of our day,” Sister Wright said.

Lesson 4: Believe God

Despite Paul’s warning, the ship set sail, and just beyond Crete, the wind turned dangerous.

In an effort to save the ship, the sailors threw over the cargo and tied cables around the bottom of the ship to strengthen the hull. Eventually, an angel appeared to Paul, saying “Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee” (Acts 27:24).

Paul told the crew, “Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me” (Acts 27:25).

Sister Wright noted that Paul did not simply state he believed in God but that he believed God.

“The scriptures are replete with powerful assurances that God verifies His word. ... He knows us. He loves us. And He has a plan for us,” she said.

Paul and his companions spent two weeks in the terror of the storm. Knowing they were drawing close to land, the scriptures say they feared they should fall upon rocks, so “they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day” (Acts 27:29).

Sister Wright asked: “Do you ever find yourself during the struggle of life ‘wishing for the day’ — praying for and seeking calmer seas? When do those calm seas come? ... There is always going to be something in life we wish was different. Instead of ‘wishing for the day’ — wishing and waiting and hoping for calmer waters — we would be wise to strengthen and fortify our anchors.”

These four anchors, or lessons, learned from Paul’s sea voyage tethered Sister Wright to the Savior as she navigated a cancer diagnosis several years ago, she said. “And because of that experience, I will be tethered to Jesus Christ for the rest of my life.”

In conclusion, she testified, “Jesus Christ is He who stands ready at our hour of need to assist us. May we rejoice in our redemption and with bowed knee acknowledge the Son of God as our Redeemer and Deliverer is my prayer.”

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