Whispers of Divinity: Hearing the Savior’s Voice in Rushing Waters
One of my favorite sounds is the sound of rushing water. I love the sound of waves lapping against a shoreline, a river or stream flowing over its bed, a waterfall, even a rain shower. It has a calming effect on me. It speaks to my very soul, telling me that everything is going to be all right. Most of the time I don’t think about why that is, but a recent event brought forth a connection that makes perfect sense. “The sound of the rushing of great waters” and “the voice of many waters” are two ways the Savior’s voice has been described.
Scriptural Context
I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We believe the Bible to be the word of God, and our leaders encourage us to read and study it carefully and prayerfully. While reading in the book of Revelation, I came across this verse:
And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps (Revelation 14:2).
Another study session took me to the 110th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, the first four verses:
1 The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened.
2 We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.
3 His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:
4 I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father.
I know that the three personages of the Godhead —our Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost — can speak to us in whatever manner we need, whatever works to touch our heart, our soul, our conscience. The Nephites heard it just before the Savior’s appearance them described it as a small voice that did pierce them to the center, but we don’t have a lot of other descriptions. There is another, however, that stopped me in my tracks, literally.
In the fall of 2024, my husband and I were touring the Kirtland Temple and village in Kirtland, Ohio. The missionaries serving as guides told of the dedication of the temple, the visions and miracles that accompanied it, and then they related the account of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and the vision that opened to them, in the four verses above. The vision continues after those verses, but the phrase that struck me was the part about his voice being “as the sound of the rushing of great waters.”
Personal Connection
At some point on every vacation or even long weekend, we are drawn to water. Many of my photographs are waterfalls and rivers. When we visit a waterfall, even one we’ve seen before, we’re going to be there for at least an hour. Our favorite by far has been the Lower Falls in Yellowstone National Park, but we’ve visited Desoto Falls in Mentone, Alabama many times. Driving through the Smoky Mountains National Park, the road follows the river, and the river is almost always in sight. One of our must-see side trips in the Smoky Mountains is the Chimney Tops picnic area, where giant boulders create a natural obstacle course for the river, wildlife, and human visitors.
My sleep sound is an Ocean Surf sound. It’s the one my husband likes best, even though he’s not particularly fond of the beach. He’ll go with me sometimes, and our favorite time to visit a beach is that time of winter when nobody else wants to be there. It’s too cold to expose ourselves to tan on the sand, and the wind has a bite to it, but the sound remains. A lake will do, and the waves are a much gentler sound, unless it’s a holiday weekend and there’s a lot of boat traffic.
The sound of water in its natural forms calls up a feeling of peace, renewal, and awe. Water in nature has a constancy, and a relentlessness, a determination, an undeniable and undeterrable power. When I sit and listen to water in any of its moving forms, I feel calm, but I also feel assured to move forward, encouraged to persevere.
Lessons from Rushing Waters
Our Savior personifies strength, clarity, omnipresence, the qualities of a river, waterfall, or sea. He calls to us to turn toward him when we need to feel those traits. In times of our weakness, we can borrow His strength. We can gain clarity from Him when we can’t see truth because we’re too much in the world. When we feel left alone by everyone else, we can feel Him near us. Sometimes it takes being alone to feel Him. I think maybe I seek the places where I can hear the sound of rushing waters is so I can more easily feel Him near me.
Application in Everyday Life
I don’t live next to a body of water that can provide a constant source of that sound I love so much, and that’s probably a good thing. If I heard it constantly, I believe that it would become nothing more than background noise. I seek the sound when I’m able, but feeling the Savior’s presence or influence is something I need much more often than that.
It took many years of membership in the Church before I realized the value in studying my scriptures, and it took putting the practice to the test of doing it regularly over several months. It wasn’t easy to bring a new habit into my life, but, as with any habit, now it’s just something I do. I am someone who studies the scriptures daily. With my study, I pray. The two go together for me, so one leads to the other.
I live in a place where getting out into nature is pretty easy, even if it’s not near the sound of rushing water. I live in the woods, so all I have to do is walk a few hundred feet, an I’m “in nature.” Among the tall pine trees, it’s not the sound of rushing water, but the sound of the breeze in the trees that brings forth an understanding that I am loved; that, even though I’m a speck of dust in the universe, I matter to my Heavenly Father. All of Creation sings of the glory of God, and spending time out in it can remind us of that.
Your Turn
The sound of rushing water is my personal lifeline, and it may be similar to yours, or yours may be completely different. It can be a sacred feeling, and it may be too personal to share, but if you are inclined, I’d love to hear your spiritual connections with the Savior’s voice, or with nature. Drop a comment or question below and let’s talk about it.
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