Two brothers--Jimmy,
age 14, and John, age 19 (though that's
not their real names), without safety ropes or
harnesses or climbing gear of any kind--attempted to
scale a sheer canyon wall in my native southern Utah. You know, I think is what Mom
was talking about when she said not to do anything stupid. Well, I'm not going to tell her. And neither are you, right? Well, no, but if
you fall and die, I'm just saying "I
told you so" now so I don't have to say it then. Look, we're not
going to die, OK? Now stop talking
and start climbing. Near the top of their
laborious climb, they discovered that a
protruding ledge denied them their final few feet of ascent. They could not get over
it, but neither could they now retreat from it. They were stranded. I'm going to stand
here, and I need you to step on my knee
and then on my shoulders, and I'm going to boost you up. OK? I won't make it. That's not going to work. It has to work. All right? Come on.
Good. Now my shoulders. There you go. Right there. One more. After careful maneuvering,
John found enough footing to boost his younger brother to
safety on the top of the ledge.
But there was no
way to lift himself. OK. I made it. Now it's your turn. We've got to get you up here.
There's got to be another way.
There's no other way up. I've got to go over the top.
Jimmy, go find a tree
branch that's strong enough to hold me and pull me up. I can hold on. No, I'm not going to leave you. Just go! I can hold on. Unable to hold on
much longer, John decided his only
option was to try to jump vertically
in an effort to grab the top of the
overhanging ledge. Jimmy? If successful, he might, by
his considerable arm strength, pull himself to safety.
In his own words, he said,
"Giving him enough time to be out of sight, I
said my last prayer." Heavenly Father, I'm so sorry.
Please, please bless my
family, and help them know that I love them so much.
Please, please bless Jimmy
that he'll find a way to make it home safely.
"Then I leapt.
Suddenly two hands shot
out, grabbing my wrists with a strength and
a determination that belied their size. My faithful little
brother had not gone looking for any
fictitious tree branch. Guessing exactly what
I was planning to do, he had never moved an inch. He had simply waited--silently,
almost breathlessly--knowing full well I would be foolish
enough to try to make that jump. When I did, he grabbed
me, he held me, and he refused to let me fall.
Those strong brotherly
arms saved my life that day as I dangled helplessly
above what surely would have been certain death." Jesus Christ, the Only
Begotten Son of God, suffered, died, and
rose from death in order that He could, like
lightning in a summer storm, grasp us as we fall,
hold us with His might, and through our obedience
to His commandments, lift us to eternal life.