The Devil’s Throat
James E. Faust
Second Counselor in the First Presidency
Please help us push back the world. We must stand against the wind. Sometimes we must be unpopular and simply say, “This is not right.”
My
dear brethren of the priesthood, tonight I address my remarks to all of
you, but in particular to the young men. My purpose is to instruct and
warn you of dangers that lie ahead, but I also want to express my love
for you and the great confidence I have in you as the rising generation.
As
a young man I served a mission to Brazil. It was a marvelous
experience. One of the wonders of the world in that great country is
Iguaçu Falls. In the flood season, the volume of water spilling over the
brink is the largest in the world. Every few minutes, millions of
gallons of water cascade into the chasm below. One part of the falls,
where the deluge is the heaviest, is called the Devil’s Throat.
There
are some large rocks standing just above, before the water rushes down
into Devil’s Throat. Years ago, reckless boatmen would take passengers
in canoes to stand on those rocks and look down into the Devil’s Throat.
The water above the falls is usually calm and slow moving, and the
atmosphere tranquil. Only the roar of the water below forewarns of the
danger lurking just a few feet away. A sudden, unexpected current could
take a canoe into the rushing waters, over the cliff, and down into the
Devil’s Throat. Those foolish enough to leave the canoes to stand on
these treacherous wet rocks could so easily lose their footing and be
swept away into the swirling currents below.
