BYU-Hawaii history professor Isaiah Walker drew on some of his surfing skills in his March 18 devotional address in the Cannon Activities Center to encourage university students, faculty and staff to ride life's waves of belief.
"To me, belief is a powerful tool in life," he said. "When we believe in God, we nurture a relationship with him. As that relationship develops we believe more and more in ourselves. Belief in both God and ourselves lifts our spirits, and blesses us with confidence. Believe in God and believe in yourselves, no matter who you are or where you come from. If you believe and put forth faithful effort, you can accomplish amazing things."
Walker, a nationally top-ranked amateur surfer at age 15, traced how waves and rough water have provided the background for several examples of belief. For example, Nephi's faith enabled him to build a ship and later aboard that ship kept him calm as his older brothers cowered "in fear of the roaring surf... Nephi's belief in Heavenly Father's protection and direction allowed him to overcome the dramatic waves in his life," he said.
In another example, the Savior demonstrated His power to the recently called apostles after they awoke Him during a storm on the Sea of Galilee, and he arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? [Mark 4:39-40]
"This scripture teaches us that belief can calm fears and anxiety. We all have fears and anxiety about different things. However, I believe the insecurities we harbor within ourselves are the number one tool that Satan wields to limit our greatness in this life. Our belief in god and ourselves can over-ride such feelings of fear, anxiety, and inadequacy," he said.
In contrast, Walker told how he and his young sons had gone kayaking near Mokuauia, or Goat Island. in Laie Bay. "The water was beautiful, but the waves were small. Unlike the stories I've shared thus far, our kids didn't pray for the waves to stop, they instead prayed for the waves to get bigger." Shortly after they watched in amazement as a large humpback whale repeatedly slapped its tail on the surface of the water. "The kids believed that the whale's tail splashing was making the waves bigger. Although a scientific explanation may not have corroborated this story, the kids believed that the whale was sent as an answer to their prayers for surf."
Next, Walker underscored Joseph Smith's experience in reading James 1:5-6, the latter verse explaining "that a doubting person is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. There are different kinds of waves in the ocean, some generated by winds, and others by ground swell. The wind swell is unpredictable, unorganized, and like James described them, easily tossed. The ground swell on the other hand is steady, regular, and powerful."
"In Isaiah 51:15 we read, The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. This scripture not only reminds us that waves, like life, can sometimes appear frightening, but we are reassured that the lord is mightier than even the most powerful ground swell waves of the sea."
"This concept helped me understand God when I was investigating the Church at the age of 16," Walker continued. "I can vividly remember the moment I finally decided to get baptized into the Church. I was standing on the shore at Honolii Beach Park in Hilo. Wet, holding my surfboard, I was staring out in the surf which I had just finished riding. I was mesmerized by a large dark storm cloud approaching from out in the ocean. As I watched the winds and waves grow from the ominous squall moving closer and closer to me, I felt small and intimidated. This experience reminded me that 1) God was powerful, and 2) I needed to commit my life to Him in order to be confident in a sometimes frightening world."
In his confirmation blessing, Walker said he was told he would serve a mission. "I'll never forget this one wave I surfed while I was a missionary in San Diego. We were baptizing a young man on Coronado Island. As we waded in the water for the right time to submerge him, my keen wave knowledge came in handy. We dunked him under this one perfect little wave, it was the coolest barrel of my life, and my heart was full of joy. Although I didn't surf waves with a surfboard on my mission, riding the metaphoric wave of belief kept me stoked my entire mission."
After completing his mission and education, including a Ph.D. from the University of California-Santa Barbara, Walker thanked his wife, Rebekah Matagi Walker, "for riding this wave of life with me. I have learned through our family experiences that belief helps a family function. Most importantly, we need to believe that Heavenly father will direct us as we ask for guidance, keep his commandments, and follow his spirit. Second, spouses function at their best when they believe and support each other."
Walker also drew on the lesson Peter and a boatload of disciples in a rough sea learned when the Savior approached them, walking on the water. "I believe our Heavenly Father, like a loving teacher or coach, wants us to learn so we can increase our confidence. As we trust in the Lord, he will help us, guide us, and push us, to rise above the turbulent waters of life."
"Like big waves, life can sometimes seem intimidating, and when critics discourage us, we often lose confidence in our selves," he said. "However, we can gain confidence to succeed and be happy in this life by first believing in God and then believing in ourselves."
— Photo by Larrin Wada