In her Tuesday morning devotional, Sister Amy Wright, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke about the power of Jesus Christ and the deliverance He provides.
“I testify that our loving and merciful God has established a divine pattern of deliverance for His children. Jesus Christ is He who stands ready at our hour of need to assist us,” Sister Wright taught.
Throughout history, righteous individuals have symbolized Christ's attributes. Sister Wright taught that the Apostle Paul is a notable example, paralleling Jesus through his trials and mission in Jerusalem, his arrest and subsequent journey to Rome.
“As we study [Paul’s] 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.
Drawing on the story of the Apostle Paul, Sister Wright identified four lessons: 1) Choose good friends, 2) trust Jesus Christ, 3) follow the prophet and 4) believe God.
Choose Good Friends
“It is essential in these last days that you choose good friends who will lead you to Jesus Christ. And most importantly, that you choose to be that kind of friend,” Sister Wright said.
Sister Wright emphasized how Paul’s journey taught a profound lesson of choosing good friends. His friends helped strengthen him throughout his daunting challenges.
Trust in Jesus Christ
“Trusting in the Lord means believing that He has a purpose for our lives and ‘all these things shall give [us] experience and shall be for [our] good,’” Sister Wright said.
Jesus Christ is our source of power and protection, Sister Wright taught. As we make and keep covenants with Him, we have access to that power.
Follow the Prophet
Sister Wright stated that following the prophet's counsel is essential — it is a call to prioritize divine guidance over worldly voices.
“How blessed we are to have a living prophet on the earth today,” Sister Wright expressed. “A prophet who boldly and lovingly testifies of what we need to know and do to effectively traverse the trials of our day.”
Believe God
“It is not simply enough to believe in God. Like Paul, we need to believe God. Believe that He will fulfill all that He has promised,” Sister Wright explained.
By applying Paul's example and teachings, such as fortifying oneself through prayer, temple worship, repentance and discipleship, we can remain grounded amid uncertainty.
Sister Wright closed with an overarching call to “abide in the ship,” which signifies trust in divine direction, adherence to prophetic counsel and reliance on Jesus Christ as the ultimate source of deliverance and hope.
