There is peace and tranquility, solace and safety in the gospel, Elder David R. Stone of the Seventy declared Saturday afternoon.

"If we will but listen to those whose calling it is to watch and warn, if we will give heed to the words of the Master Himself, then our spiritual house will stand firm and we can let the rain descend and the floods come and the winds blow and beat upon our house, because we are founded upon that rock."

Speaking in his first general conference since being sustained to the Second Quorum of the Seventy last April, Elder Stone told of the devastation of Hurricane Georges more than a year ago in the Dominican Republic. At the time, he was president of the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo West Mission. "Although the damage was great, it would have been much greater but for the warnings from those who track and predict and counsel people to be prepared. I am grateful to those men and women who devote time and attention to track and monitor those storms."

Continuing, he explained: "Great as the damage and destruction and death from these awesome phenomena of physical force can be, there is even more desolation caused in people's lives by spiritual hurricanes. These furious forces often cause far more devastating damage than physical cyclones, because they destroy our souls and rob us of our eternal perspective and promise.

"We place ourselves in the path of these spiritual hurricanes when we indulge in anger, alcohol and abuse, lust and licentiousness, promiscuity and pornography, drugs, pride, greed, violence, envy and lies — the list is long."

"But," Elder Stone continued, "we also have our spiritual hurricane guardians, those whose calling it is to watch and warn, helping us avoid spiritual damage, destruction and even death. Our watchmen on the tower are known to us as apostles and prophets. They continue to raise their voice in warning to tell us of the tragic consequences of wilful and wanton violations of the Lord's commandments. To intentionally ignore their warnings is to court misery, sorrow and ruin. To follow them is to follow the chosen servants of the Lord into spiritual pastures and peace and plenty."

Elder Stone added: "From this pulpit . . . they have warned us about evil in its many forms and guises and called us, again and again, to return to the ways of the Lord."