Adventure versus Pleasing Others

By now, everyone has heard the story of sixteen year old Abby Sunderland whose attempt to sail solo around the world came to an abrupt ending a few days ago after the mast on her sailboat broke off during a storm in the Indian Ocean.

So, now there is a debate raging about whether Abby’s parents are guilty of child endangerment for allowing her to attempt such a dangerous feat. Some critics of the Sunderlands feel that the parents should be prosecuted and, at the very least, be forced to pay restituition for the costs involved in their daughter’s rescue at sea. The Sunderlands maintain that Abby is a trained, experienced, and able sailor—comparable to other expert sailors, regardless of age.

Should 16-year-olds be banned from sailing around the world simply because of their age?

If my parents had set me adrift on the ocean in a sailboat at the age of sixteen, it probably would have been a prosecutable crime because I had no training, no experience, couldn’t swim, and was afraid of water! And that was only part of it: I was also afraid of my own shadow!

Obviously there are great differences among 16-year-olds, and they shouldn’t be stereotyped and judged simply because of their ages.


I applaud Abby for her courage and determination. I applaud her parents for doing all they could to make sure she was as prepared as she could be, and for having the courage to let her go. If Abby’s parents had been easily swayed by others’ negative opinions, their wishy-washy example would have made Abby less courageous, more fearful.


Our lives should not be wasted in trying to please everyone, or in being fearful of criticism. No matter what you do, someone will try to find something to criticize.

One of my life-long favorite Aesop’s Fables is:

A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said: "You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?"

So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: "See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides."

So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn't gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: "Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along."

Well, the Man didn't know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said:

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey of yours and your hulking son?"

The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey's feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.

"That will teach you," said an old man who had followed them:
Please all, and you will please none!

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Storm Clouds on the Horizon

Yesterday at Church, the Bishop (you-know-who) had some words of advice for a young departing missionary from our ward. This was after the counselor in the bishopric, Brother Dye, [on the right in the photo] had talked about the opposition that the young Elder was sure to encounter on his mission. Brother Dye talked about how the Adversary has and will attempt to scare or intimidate and dissuade those who intend to preach the gospel or do good in the name of the Lord. Brother Dye said that the appearance of opposition is evidence or a sign that we are indeed doing the Lord’s work, and that what we are doing poses a threat to Satan. So then the Bishop gave the following advice (as I remember it). He said that Elder Carr would not fail in his mission if he kept the mission rules; and for the congregation that this translated into keeping the commandments. The reason why this is important, he said, is as long as any of us are doing our best to do what is right so that we can have the companionship of the Holy Ghost, we will not be deceived or derailed. If we have the Holy Ghost, we will be guided and protected, even as Satan rages at us and all around us.
Well, I confess to being easily frightened and that I tend to go out of my way to avoid conflict in any and all circumstances. I am not proud of my cowardliness. I recognize it as a terrible moral weakness. I admire people who serenely stand up for what is right in the face of hatred and hostility. How do they do that? I begin shaking in my boots and want to run away or cry or die of fright and embarrassment.

Anyway it was a great sacrament meeting. I felt inspired and encouraged to not cower when the going gets tough, as it undoubtedly—and increasingly— will as Satan rages in the hearts of men all around the world. Perhaps I can have faith that the Lord will go before my face, and will be on my right hand and on my left, and angels round about to bear me up, with the Spirit in my heart. (D&C 84:88.)

I was also heartened by Michael Medved’s response to a Mormon-hater who phoned into Michael’s radio program last week. (I emailed several of you a link to hear the conversation, but if you missed it, it’s on YouTube.) This ex-Mormon guy phoned in to say that the Mormon’s were conspiring to “take over the government” and that if they succeeded they would round up all the FLDS people and “exterminate” them. What’s scary about him saying such outrageous fear-mongering things is that there are ignorant people out there who actually believe that. It’s these ignorant ones who strike terror in my heart. They act on their fears and prejudices and blow-up chapels. But, I loved Michael’s perceptive and pointed response, he said the man’s statements were not just “odd,” they were “slanderous and untrue.” Michael went on to laud the Church for their “conspiracy” to do good, to promote traditional morality and marriage, etc. Bravo!

Nevertheless, I still cringe when I hear rumors that McCain might choose Mitt Romney as his VP. I think that if he does so, “all Hell will break loose” and the target will be the Church. It will be much worse than what happened when Romney was running for President. It could get really ugly. But, according to the Bishop, my job is to keep the commandments and make sure that I have the Holy Ghost. I really like having angels bear me up. Perhaps the time will come when my eyes, too, will be opened and I will see, like Elisha did, the “mountain full of horses and chariots of fire round about,” for they that be with us truly are more than they that be with them.