Peter: A Fisher of Men

“His eyes had seen, his ears had heard, and his heart

had understood and accepted the wondrous

happenings of the days from the baptism of the Master

in the waters of Jordan to the ascension of his

Redeemer from the Mount of Olives.”

--Spencer W. Kimball

The apostle Peter has often times caught a lot of slack. When most people thing about Peter they think about his denials before the crucifixion of Christ. Most people tend to bring out the negatives about Peter. It is true that Peter had his mistakes, but who hasn’t? In a moment of weakness he might have denied knowing Christ, but do we know all the circumstances? I think not.

I believe that Peter was a great disciple and prophet.  It is my idea that if the Savior of the world picked him, then He was picking a great guy. When we say that we believe in Jesus Christ I think it is important to remember that we are also supporting and believing in the decisions he made. I don’t think that Christ would have willingly picked someone who wasn’t worthy to be around Him. Everyone has learning experiences and stumbling blocks in their path, but it is what they do with those stumbling blocks that make the people. Peter took the experiences he went through and allowed them to make him a better man. He learned from the mistakes and challenges and used them as a catalyst to do more.

I think something that I could take from Peter would be his faith and the way he bounced back. One of my favorite stories is when Peter walked on water. What great faith he had! How could people deny his faith? Most people would only remember the way he fell in the water, but I like to remember that he was able to walk on the water, if only for a while. When Peter denied the Savior he felt such remorse. It said he “wept bitterly.” He repented sincerely for what he had done. I don’t think anyone really knows how terrible Peter felt and how sincerely he repented.  I think that Peter is a wonderful example to me and to those all around the world. Peter took the experiences in his and made them into great experiences. He was the man he became because of all the things that he was able to endure. I think there can be a lot said knowing that Christ would leave the keys to Peter.

“When Christ chose this fisherman for his first and

chief apostle, he was taking no chances. He picked a

diamond in the rough—a diamond that would need to

be cut, trimmed, and polished by correction,

chastisement, and trials—but nevertheless a diamond

of real quality.”

--Spencer W. Kimball