There is something so fulfilling about having a plan. It feels secure. It gives purpose and implies an end goal. While there is flexibility built into it, a plan creates a path to a destination. It ensures forward momentum toward new potential.
Our Father in Heaven must feel this way. He said, “This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). This is His plan. His big picture. He calls it His work and His glory. It’s what guides this whole mortal experience for us from His perspective. I love to read this scripture and replace the word “man” with my own name. He is concerned about “the immortality and eternal life of Karri.” You can replace it with your own name. That is powerful.
Why Do We Need a Plan?
There are important criteria that go into making a good plan. Ultimately, it focuses on having a desired outcome. In the business world, having a plan is crucial. Nothing is done without first creating one. A solid plan will define where things are currently, create a picture of a desired outcome, lay out ideas on how to get there-- short-term and long-term, and then re-evaluate it frequently. If a plan has this type of structure, chances of success are increased, and a feeling of security is certain.
Feeling secure and safe is what we all desire, but insecurity and uncertainty are commonly part of our mortal experience. Often, times of uncertainty are the ones that draw us towards the Savior. In those desperate moments, we become willing to have Him play a major role in our story and become a main character rather than just part of the ensemble. These times serve an important purpose in anchoring us to the plan that our Heavenly Father has for each of us.
What Anchors Us Today?
Moroni pleads with us to know what Ether tried to teach the people of his time. They had forgotten where to look for hope and peace, and Ether said, “Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God” (Ether 12:4, emphasis added). An anchor is something that serves as a support. It secures one thing to another as a mainstay. It firmly holds something in place while still giving it flexibility in its motion.
More than anything, our Father wants us to understand the incredible help He has provided to guide us in following His plan. Having the Savior as our anchor is central to Heavenly Father’s plan, as He leads us through mortality and toward eternal life. The Savior’s love is a constant that never leaves us. There are times when it may be hard to feel that love, but it is always present. Our personal quest should be to put ourselves in places where we can recognize it.
Where Can We Find Safety?
Those places may be called “places of security.” In the Book of Mormon, Captain Moroni helped the Nephites build places of security as war waged around them. In these places, they were protected from danger. Similarly, our Prophet, President Russel M. Nelson, has counselled that “as turmoil rages around us, we need to create places where we are safe, both physically and spiritually.” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2020, 74) These are places where we can feel anchored to the Savior and His love. These places can be our homes, the church, or the temple, but they may also need to be in our car, at the desk in our office, or in the hallway at school. They might be out in nature, in a remote village or in a crowded concert hall.
We live in times where His love is constantly needed in the most uncommon settings and obscure places because the adversary has no boundaries. He is relentless in his desire to eliminate Christ from every setting. But that is why the Saviour is so willing to be ever-present. He wants to be with us wherever needed, with no limits or bounds. His anchoring love is without restrictions. And it is much more powerful than any tactic of Satan because our Savior “is in relentless pursuit of you.” (Patrick Kearon, in Conference Report, Apr. 2024, 87) He wants all of us to return safely to our heavenly home.
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A Blue Line Shows the Way
Recently, my husband and I completed a 73 km bike ride in another country. It traversed over six suspension bridges, which connected seven islands. It was a place we had never been before, so it was unfamiliar to us. Being in a foreign country, there was a communication barrier, especially if we needed help. It was not a guided trip. We had researched, planned and prepared, but we certainly did not know exactly what to expect when we set out on our rented bikes.
I was overjoyed when we started biking and discovered a solid blue line with arrows on the road. We had read in our research that there was a line marking the path, but some reviews didn’t mention it at all, so we were somewhat uncertain if we would find our way or get lost on our journey. We quickly learned that the blue line marked our entire route. Like a North Star for explorers, it became our constant anchor. We were able to follow it the entire 73 km, and it provided the constant reassurance we needed as we explored a beautiful new but foreign part of the world.
The Ultimate “Blue Line”
Our Saviour’s role is like that blue line. He is ever present and constant. We can trust Him to always be there. We may choose to follow His guidance or access His love. But His whole purpose is to help us by fulfilling His Father’s wishes in His work and His glory: to bring to pass our immortality and our eternal life. He desires to succour and support us in every single circumstance, whether over bridges or down in gullies. President Jeffrey R. Holland recently reminded us, “Christ’s charity—evident in complete loyalty to divine will—persisted and continues to persist, not just through the easy and comfortable days but especially through the darkest and most difficult ones” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2024, 78).
With our Saviour, the path is laid out. He provides needed guidance, and there is a plan. It is much better than a blue line painted on pavement. His plan for us is perfect. It is an anchor for our souls and leads us to places of security, physically and spiritually. As we trust Him, we will be led safely home.