Guardrails

Guardrails are a common sight in California's Yosemite Park. Anyone who would complain about them being an "eyesore" or clamor for their removal would be regarded as a crackpot.

These kids are standing behind the guardrail at the edge of one of the many waterfalls in Yosemite -- Vernal Fall.

Here is another view of Vernal Fall, 371 feet down to the massive boulders below. By now you've probably heard the tragic news of three young adults -- one young woman and two young men -- who were swept over these falls earlier this week. While we obviously feel great sympathy for their family members and friends, we cannot help but be astounded at their extremely poor judgment.

Around the falls and along the river that feeds into them are guardrails and warning signs. According to one news account, "The area is dotted with clear and multi-lingual displays warning of the dangers . . . One sign features a stick figure falling over a cliff."

Eyewitnesses reported how shocked they were upon seeing these three ignore the posted warning signs and climb over the guardrail. The young woman and one of the young men stepped onto rocks in the river which was running high and fast due to the summer snowmelt. The other young man had also climbed over the guardrail and was shooting photos of his "brave" friends.

So there they were, only a few dozen yards above the falls. It appeared that the young man was trying to make his way along the slippery rocks to the center of the swollen river. But he lost his footing and fell in. Then the young woman slipped into the fast-moving water. Their friend, the photographer, jumped into the river in a vain attempt to rescue them. One eyewitness said that just before the three were launched over the falls, one of the two young men made eye contact with him, and the look in his eyes was one of horror.

Because the river is running so high, some do not expect to find the bodies for weeks.

I once had an experience with guardrails. In the winter of 1970, I was among two busloads of BYU geology students who traveled into the mountains of eastern Utah on an overnight field trip. On the second day, the buses were traveling through the mountains along a narrow back-road. The going was slow because of large patches of ice and snow, and it was on one of those icy patches that our bus ran into trouble.

We were headed up an incline when the bus’s wheels suddenly lost traction and began spinning on the ice. At that moment, we all looked out our windows and had the frightening realization that not only were we not moving forward but the bus was sliding sideways very slightly towards the edge of the road where there was a steep drop-off. And worst of all—there was no guardrail.

Sensing the danger, our driver promptly stopped the bus and opened the door, instructing all of us to get out—fast. Fortunately, for now at least, the bus had stopped its sideways slide. Standing huddled in the cold, we watched as our driver repeatedly tried inching the bus forward. But the wheels continued to spin on the ice. Suddenly, we were speechless as the bus once again slid a few more inches toward the edge. After several more attempts to move the bus forward, the driver was finally able to advance it beyond that slippery spot and away from the dangerous drop-off.

Greatly relieved to be out of danger, we got back on the bus and continued on our way.

That trip offered many opportunities to learn about interesting geologic formations, including a visit to Dinosaur National Monument. But I only have a vague recollection of any of that. After all these years, the only clear memory of that trip is that I came home with a very strong appreciation for guardrails.

What about the spiritual guardrails in our lives? The ones placed along life's road by God's prophets. It would take too long to list them all, but you know what I'm talking about. They are standards which, if followed, offer protection from spiritual injury, addiction, and much sorrow. Some, trusting that God is truly watching out for us, stay behind the guardrail. Others, like those three young people, tell themselves "I can handle it."

Do we rationalize an occasional jump over the guardrails the Lord has put in place -- such as viewing spiritually deadly and addicting images on the Internet; accepting bloody violence as the norm in what we call "entertainment"; using the vulgar language that is becoming so commonplace in the world? many do so, telling themselves that spiritual guardrails are intended for the "weaker" ones among us, but that these "stronger souls" can hop over them any time they want to sample a little worldly excitement. "After all,: they reason, "I can jump back to the safe side any time I want."

Unfortunately, spiritual injury isn't like physical injury. There's no bleeding, no broken bones sticking through the flesh, no gaping wounds. Spiritual injury is often undetectable, even to the one who is injured. But it's there, and it has a debilitating effect on our spirit. The greatest impact is that the Holy Ghost leaves us on our own.

I suggest that we consider the spiritual guardrails in our lives and resolve to respect them and stay on the right side of them. How else can we become the sanctified souls that we were sent here to become?