The Captain of My Soul

There is a poem called "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley. It is one of my favourite poems because when I read it I feel empowered and ready to take on the world. If you don't know it, Google it. It's beautiful.

For how much I love that poem, I recently came across a talk given by Elder Dallin H Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that changed the way I think of it. He approached the poem from a different perspective, and quoted a poem by Orson F Whitney that was written as a reply to "Invictus":

Art thou in truth? Then what of him

Who bought thee with his blood?

Who plunged into devouring seas

And snatched thee from the flood?

Who bore for all our fallen race

What none but him could bear.—

The God who died that man might live,

And endless glory share?

Of what avail thy vaunted strength,

Apart from his vast might?

Pray that his Light may pierce the gloom,

That thou mayest see aright.

Men are as bubbles on the wave,

As leaves upon the tree.

Thou, captain of thy soul, forsooth!

Who gave that place to thee?

Free will is thine—free agency,

To wield for right or wrong;

But thou must answer unto him

To whom all souls belong.

Bend to the dust that head “unbowed,”

Small part of Life’s great whole!

And see in him, and him alone,

The Captain of thy soul.

We must trust in Heavenly Father, for He cares for each and every one of us with an infinite love. He has a great plan for us for this life and for the next, yet He still allows us to to use our agency. I know God will not fail me, and I know that in times when I feel that the waves of life are crashing around me (as in the picture when Christ calmed the seas), I can call on the Captain of my soul to help guide, direct, and calm me.

#SMARTproject #LDS