When the Waves Crash: Finding Faith When the Storm Hits

Brothers and sisters, have you ever been in a situation where the sheer force of the circumstances felt overwhelming? Where the waves of doubt, the winds of worry, and the pounding of fear seemed to threaten to capsize your whole boat? It’s a feeling every single one of us who has been in the field, or who has spent time in the MTC, knows intimately.

We talk a lot about the good times—the breakthroughs, the testimonies that shine so brightly, the moments when the Spirit feels like a warm blanket. And those moments are glorious! But the truth of the gospel, the full picture of discipleship, includes the storms. It includes the nights when the only thing you can hear is the creak of the wood and the roar of the water.

I was recently looking at a retelling of the story of the disciples walking on water, and it struck me how universal that feeling of panic is. It doesn't matter if you're trying to teach the Plan of Salvation to an investigator in a challenging culture, or if you're just wrestling with a personal trial far from the comfort of home. The feeling of being tossed about by unseen currents is real.

The Invitation to Walk on Water

The story, as told in this beautiful First Nations version, is a powerful reminder. After the miracle of the feeding, the disciples are sent out into the deep. And what happens? The storm hits. They are terrified. They see something—a figure walking on the water—and their first reaction isn't faith; it's *terror*. They call it a ghost spirit.

But then, the Savior calls out, "Do not fear; take heart; it is I."

And here is the moment that always stops me in my tracks, the moment that echoes in my own missionary discussions: Peter, standing on the rock, declaring, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water."

He doesn't wait for the storm to pass. He doesn't wait for the waves to calm down. He takes a step out, with "reckless abandon," trusting the voice he heard more than the evidence his eyes saw.

When we feel like Peter, when the wind howls and the waves crash against our understanding of the gospel, our natural inclination is to sink. We doubt. We look at the size of the storm, and our faith shrinks to the size of a puddle.

A Word from Davee: Faith vs. Sight

I asked Davee to walk through this scenario with me, framing it as a potential investigator question. And what he highlighted was the difference between *knowing* the Savior is there, and *feeling* the Savior's power when the pressure is on. It’s the gap between intellectual assent and divine action.

If you’re feeling that gap right now—if you’re wrestling with a question that feels too big for your current understanding—I encourage you to bring it to the Social Scripture Study layer in LivingBook. Sometimes seeing how others have wrestled with the same passage, or seeing a related panel discussion, can provide the gentle nudge you need to take that first, shaky step.

Practical Disciple Building

Being a disciple, whether you are training for your mission, serving as a returned missionary, or simply trying to be a better parent at home, means learning to walk on water with Him. It means that when the opposition—whether it's doubt, prejudice, or just sheer exhaustion—hits, we don't panic. We remember the invitation: "Take heart."

This week, as you prepare for your own work, I challenge you to identify one area where you are currently "sinking" due to fear or doubt. Then, I invite you to take one small, deliberate action—one "step out"—based purely on the Savior's promise, regardless of how strong the wind feels.

If you want to dig deeper into the mechanics of faith, I highly recommend revisiting the principles of agency and divine help in the Iron Rod. It’s a bedrock text for understanding how we move from doubt to declaration.

For those of us who are looking for community support, remember that the strength of the body is in its fellowship. If you haven't already, check out the Book Club options in HolyPlaces. It's a wonderful way to study scriptures and build up the spiritual muscles we need for the field!

Keep pressing forward, disciples. The Savior is always there, waiting for us to take that next step.