ON THE RESCUE



A Talk Given In


WARRENTON STAKE
GENERAL PRIESTHOOD MEETING



By

D. Calvin Andrus

6 March 1997

I. CIRCLE OF POWER

A. My two sons, Ryan and Stan, and I love to play a computer game on our Macintosh at home. It is called Warcraft . We actually have both Warcraft I and Warcraft II . Some of you young men may be familiar with this game. It is subtitled.Orcs and Humans . The theme of the game is for the Humans to free the land of Azeroth of the dreaded Orc Hordes.

B. The are a number of ways to play the game--including playing with or against other people on other computers through a network--but the usual mode of play is for a person to play against the computer. The person is the general over the Humans and the computer is the general over the Orcs. (Just to show you how twisted my sons are--they prefer to play the part of the general over the Orcs, and let the computer play the general over the Humans! I am sure none of the rest of you young men would want to do that).

C. As the general you have to supervise the production of food, mining of gold, harvesting trees, and equipping and training peasants, foot soldiers, archers, knights, and wizards. The general decides how many of each kind of warrior will make up his army. He also decides an overall strategy and give commands to individual warriors to implement particular tactics. The strategies and tactics that work best are those that were in use in Europe during the middle ages.

D. There are 12 or 13 levels in each version of Warcraft . Each level has a unique scenario. Each scenario is an adventure with an objective. Some scenarios are as simple as seeking out and destroying an Orcish village, or as complex as storming a castle freeing a band of elves who are being held in a dungeon. At the beginning of a scenario, the terrain is unknown and the general must send out scouting parties and spies to discover what obstacles must be overcome. Even when the general sends his army over explored terrain there are unexpected dangers that sometime occur.

E. In one particular scenario, an evil Orcish wizard has captured an important person of the king's court and is holding him for ransom. The objective of the adventure is for the humans is to explore the cave, overcome the obstacles, rescue the important person and escort him safely back to a 'circle power' that has been inscribed on a safe part of the floor of the cave. I failed in my first several attempts at the rescue--all of my men were killed--mostly by unforeseen dangers. When I finally succeeded in bringing the important person to the the circle of power, it started to pulsate, and I was hailed as a hero. Needless to say, the king's courtier was very grateful to have been rescued, as was the king, and they bestowed great honor upon me. All rejoiced in the success of the rescue.

II. DAVID, GEORGE, AND ALLEN

A. Throughout history and across our culture there are many famous triplets. While I name a few, see if you can come up with some of your own.

-- Hear no evil, See no evil, Speak no evil.
-- Peter, James, and John
-- The three blind mice
-- Moe, Larry, and Curly
-- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
-- Huey, Duey, and Louey
-- Belmont Stakes, the Preakness, and Kentucky Derby

I am sure you have thought of others, but I would like to talk about three not-so-famous, but yet notable persons: David, George, and Allen.

B. David, George, and Allen were young men in their early 20's. They lived in a secluded valley high up in the mountains. They were assigned by the ruler of the valley to go on an adventure--as part of a small party of 27 men--which adventure was filled with unforeseen danger. David, George, and Allen were some of the youngest men in the group. Their objective was to ride their horses into the wild and untamed mountains for several hundred miles (one way), find and rescue some people who were very important to the ruler of the valley and who had become trapped. David, George, and Allen were to escort these important people back the several hundred miles to the valley high in the mountains.

C. David, George, and Allen left on their adventure the first week in October. It would take them a little more than two weeks to make their way to the trapped people. Just before they reached their objective, the first unforeseen danger hit: a two-day blizzard. (And you scouts think a two-day freeze-o-ree is bad.) Many of the rescue party wanted to give up and go back. But David, George, and Allen--along with an older man as their leader, decided to go on ahead as a look out party. They trudged forward in deep snow for seven days until they finally found the important people they were looking for--and then the second unforeseen danger confronted them. David, George, and Allen were on one side of a raging ice filled river--100 feet wide and waist deep--and these important people were on the other side.

D. These three young men could see the people on the other side of the river. Some were old men, some were women and some were children. All of them were covered with mud and slush from walking through the snow. Night was coming and the wet clothes of these important people were beginning to freeze. As anyone with the first aid merit badge can tell you, this is a recipe for hypothermia.

E. So what would you do? David, George, and Allen decided to wade across the river and carry these important people across, with all their belongings. This required several trips back and forth across the icy river. As anyone with the first aid merit badge can tell you, this is a recipe for sever hypothermia. As you can imagine, these three young men got sick. Two of them never fully recovered and died early deaths. But when everyone got back to the valley, some nine weeks after the young men left, the ruler was very happy and these young men were heroes. The rescued and rescuers rejoiced together with the ruler of the valley.

F. This is the story of the Martin Handcart Company on its way to the Salt Lake Valley in 1856. Brigham Young was the ruler of the valley. Let me read to you what President Brigham Young said about these three young men in General Conference: "That act alone will insure David P. Kimball, George W. Grant, and C. Allen Huntington an everlasting salvation in the Celestial Kingdom of God, worlds without end."

III. MODERN DAY RESCUE

We are planning a pioneer adventure for our young men and young women this summer at youth conference. It will not be nearly so difficult as what David, George, and Allen did, and it will be a lot more fun. I invite all young men over 14 to come to our youth conference. I call on all fathers to send your sons to youth conference. Some youth who attend this summer will have a life altering experience. They will feel the Holy Ghost like they have never felt before. I pray it will be you.

IV. CONCLUSION

A. In conclusion let us read Ezekiel 34:6

My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

B. Some of the sheep live right here within the boundaries of the Warrenton Stake. Some of them are members of our wards, and some of them live within the our own homes. My brothers of the Priesthood, our Heavenly Father has some very important people to be rescued. He has sent us on an adventure in a wild and dangerous world to find them. There are many unforeseen obstacles in our path. May we be faithful to our rescue mission as were David, George, and Allen. And may the rescuers and the rescued rejoice together with our Heavenly Father. This is His work and glory.

C. Of this I bear my witness. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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