Being Part of That Furious Wind

The Jaredite journey across the sea was propelled by intense storms. Sometimes, their barges were “buried in the depths of the sea” (Ether 6:6), not a circumstance which most boats would tolerate. But because of their construction, being “tight like unto a dish” (Ether 6:7), they did survive and find their way back to the surface every time.

These storms were directional. “The Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land” (Ether 6:5). This wind “never did cease to blow towards the promised land” (Ether 6:8), until “they did land upon the shore of the promised land” (Ether 6:12).

I have often thought of that wind as a metaphor for the adversity we experience in life, which may be tumultuous and even terrifying, but which may ultimately be moving us forward. However, Elder Aroldo B. Cavalcante recently shared a different interpretation of this wind:

The Master of masters caused “a furious wind” to blow the Jaredites toward promised blessings. Similarly, we can decide to serve as a humble gust of wind in the Lord’s hands. Just as “the wind did never cease to blow” the Jaredites toward the promised land, we can help others progress in their journey to receive God’s blessings.

“The Wind Did Not Cease to Blow,” General Conference, October 2024

Elder Cavalcante spoke of a couple of people whom he had been privileged to serve in his life, and then added, “Each of us can be a part of this wind—the same wind that blessed the Jaredites in their journey and the same wind that, with our help, will bless the unrecognized and forgotten to reach their own promised lands.”

Today, I will strive to serve as “a small gust of wind” in another person’s life, helping them progress on their life journey. I will strive to follow God’s example of consistency, “never [ceasing] to blow,” until those I love reach their destination.