Peter, the Rock

I just read some powerful thoughts about Peter the Apostle of Jesus, written by Kristine Haglund Harris at Times and Seasons. How I love the man Peter. Reading Harris's words reminded me of that wonderful talk by President Kimball, "Peter, My Brother." As I did a search of the Internet to find the talk, I stumbled upon this gem from the past: a talk by Jeffrey Holland while a Dean at BYU. Here is just a snatch.

"Launch out into the deep," he counseled this fisherman one morning in Galilee, "and let down your nets for a draught." (Luke 5:4.) After an unsuccessful night of effort, Peter's expert judgment told him a final effort was useless. But this was a man of genuinely childlike faith, and he lowered the net. The number of fish taken in that single attempt strained the strings until they began to break and filled two boats until they began to sink. In that small ship Peter kneeled, stunned, at the feet of the Master. Jesus said lovingly, "Henceforth thou shalt catch men." (Luke 5: 10.)

Launch out into the deep! Peter could not have known the ever-widening circles that single command would make in the stream of his plain and simple life. He was launching out into the expanse of godliness, into the eternal possibilities of redeemed and celestial life. He would be learning the mysteries of the kingdom. He would be hearing unspeakable things. To launch out into that limitless sea of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Peter brought his craft to shore, turned his back on the most spectacular single catch ever taken from Galilee, "forsook all, and followed him." (Luke 5:11.)

If you want to hear the talk by President Kimball, you can get an MP3 from BYU.