Shortly after the assassination of Julius Caesar, the world was divided into two great war camps, one was led by the conspirators under Brutus, and the other was led by Octavius Caesar and Mark Antony, a good friend of Julius Caesar. During the long, hard war that followed, Mark Antony distinguished himself as one of the greatest soldiers the world has ever know. We might ask ourselves; 'how did he do it?"
 
As we look deeper into the life of Mark Antony we can see characteristics that enabled his success. Armed with convincing speech, the power of his logic, the courage of his leadership, his self discipline, an un-relentless ability to keep his commitments he swept everything before him.

He took upon himself the hardest tasks with the most wondrous good cheer. He lived for weeks on a diet of insects and tree bark. You see Mark Anthony had learned early on that in order to accomplish what he set out to do he was going to have to endure hardship, and it would require a great deal of personal sacrifice. During that period of sacrifice he won the un-questioned loyalty of his men, the acclaim of the people, the support of Octavius, and his own self-confidence.
 
Opposed by such dedication and skill, the enemy generals one by one soon began dropping out of the fight. And when the war was won, Mark Antony stood where the great Julius Caesar had once stood as the master of the world.

But when the need for struggle had passed, Mark Antony wandered from those principles which gave him power, he grew lax in keeping his commitments, and became disobedient to those things which he knew were right and good, and then he became both complacent and idle. Idleness and complacency accounts for some of life's most tragic failure stories.
 
Mark Antony went to Egypt where he fell in love with a bewitching queen, Cleopatra. He became a victim of the soft luxury, perfumed elegance, and immorality of the Egyptian court. He abandoned his better self, for something less.

His great mind became clouded by the fumes of wine, and he became what Plutarch referred to as a "Fishing-rod general." As Mark Antony sold his soul he lost the loyalty of his men, the acclaim of the people, the support of Octavius, and his own self-respect. Finally a guard of soldiers was sent to take Mark Antony into custody and bring him back to Rome in chains.
 
It no longer required an army to overtake Mark Antony. Just a handful of the meanest soldiers was all that was necessary. However, Mark Antony humiliated and disappointed in himself avoided the arrest by thrusting a dagger into his own heart, and as he lay there dying he recounted to Cleopatra that there had been no power in the world sufficient to overthrow him, except his own power. He said, "Only Antony could conquer Antony." As he contemplated the arrival of the Roman soldiers and thought of the awful disgrace that he had brought upon his country and the shame and humiliation that he had caused his family, he made his last speech, which William Haines Lytle has translated into verse, where Antony says to Cleopatra:
 
Let no Caesar's servile minions
Mock the lion thus laid low;
'Twas no foreman's arm that fell'd him,
'Twas his own that struck the blow;
His who, pillow'd on thy bosom,
Turn'd aside from glory's ray,
His who, drunk with thy caresses,
Madly threw a world away.
 
Mark Antony had held securely in his hands the control of an entire world, and there was no one upon the earth with sufficient power to take it from him except himself. But every one of us has within our reach a world that is far more significant than the world which belonged to Mark Antony. There is no power in the universe that can come between us and the celestial kingdom, except our own power. Only Antony can conquer Antony.

some 60 years later there was a gathering on the hillside along the shores of the sea of Galilee. It was not an event that was either planned or promoted, it just happened.

People had heard that Jesus Christ was along the shore and was healing the sick, and so a great multitude assembled. some were there out of curiosity, while others where there to learn, and some had come to be healed.

It was a spiritual feast to those who were present. As the light of the day began to vanish, it seemed that no one wanted to leave. It was then that the disciples suggested that the Savior send the multitude away as they were hungry and the people would need to go to the local villages to buy food for themselves.

Then Jesus asked what food they did have and the response was 5 loaves and two fishes. A family value meal in todays world. The Savior said bring the loaves and the fishes hither. With the fishes and bread in hand Jesus begins to break the bread and fishes and put them into baskets to be distributed to those in attendance. When all was said and done those 5 loaves and two fishes had feed 5 thousand men, and that many women and children as well, and then some 12 baskets full remained.

As the sun sets Jesus sends the multitude on their way and instructs the disciples to get into a boat and go to the other side where he will meet them later. But for now he would like to be alone to pray.

With the miracles of the day fresh on their mind the disciples finally do as they were instructed, they get into the boat and head out to sea. Several hours into their journey the seas became restless. The scriptures teach that the waves were grievously agitated because the wind was contrary.

Now if you have ever been in a boat you know that the boat is safest when it it heading into the wind, and when the waves are coming every which direction and especially to the side of the boat you are in the most peril. And so it was this night, the waves came from every direction. After some time had passed and during the very early hours of the morning the disciples saw a figure walking on the water toward them. As they strained they recognized that it was Jesus who was walking calmly through the tempest toward them, to comfort them.

Then Peter asks “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” Maybe Peter was thinking that he would feel safer if he were closer to the Savior. Maybe it was an extension of what he had learned that day or the miracles that he had seen that provided him with extra faith on this occasion. The faith and the trust that really all things are possible, and so Peter leaves the boat and begins to walk toward the Savior on top of the water.

We do not know how long Peter sat in the boat contemplating should I stay or should I go, can I really do this thing, am I good enough, do I have enough faith? Did he try to rationalize everything or did he just go once the Savior beckoned. I suppose that really does not matter either, because he did get out of the boat he did exercise his faith.

In addition; we don’t know what went through Peters mind during that period when he walked on the water. However; I suspect it was something like this. I really can do all things, this is pretty cool I have more power within me then I ever understood, and so Peter continued to walk toward Jesus with his eyes firmly fixed on the master, step by step getting closer and closer. And then for some reason Peter takes his eyes off the Savior and begins to focus on the waves. They are very pretty big waves, they are coming at him from every direction. The sea can be an unforgiving place when it is driven by fierce winds.

But the waves were there when Peter left the boat, they are not bigger than they were, but they now have his attention. As Peters attention becomes more focused on the waves and the power of the water surrounding him he begins to become fearful, and begins to doubt how this is all possible. How can he be walking on water? It defies the laws of nature and yet it is true. As he begins to doubt he also begins to sink, and the more he begins to sink the more he doubts.

Within a short period of time the Savior has to rush over and save Peter from becoming a casualty in the violent storm. The fact that the Savior was there during Peters peril is story for another day.

Now I suppose that there are many in the world that would try to tell us that Peter was a failure. But I choose to look at the experience differently. I see that Peter and his actions brought about success. While he did not walk forever on water going forward he did learn that there is a power inside of him far greater than his own power. He learned that there was a way to connect with the powers of heaven. He learned that faith in the Savior needs to be continually nourished. That having the faith to start something is not the same as having the faith to see it through. That once you set forth with faith you have to continue to move forward with the same or maybe even greater faith.

Peter learned much about faith that night. He took his faith from a study of what faith is and can be; to the reality of it’s power. Peter learned that he must continue to exercise his faith if it is to continue to grow. Sure Peter might get wet, yes he might be scared, but how else will he ever know.

We too are like Peter. There are some who’s faith is not strong enough yet to venture from the boat, the waves are too great the storm is too fierce. There are others that are pushing forward, they have left the comfort of the boat so to speak, they are trying to walk on the water, they are learning to rely on their faith, they are growing.

While it is not easy; nor will it every be to push through the anxiety, to walk into the unknown with no idea of what will await us. But those who do will learn that their righteous power can exceed even their wildest expectations.

There are some in this group assembled today who will give powerful blessings and through their faith they will literally raise the dead, cause the blind to see, and lift the infirm.

There are those that will come to know the joy that comes from reaching out of their comfort zone and lifting another, performing miracles in their own right. You may never know how the power of one hug can change the trajectory of another persons life.

Yes; you may get wet, yes; somedays the waves will be too powerful for even your faith, and in those times you will come to know that in doing the Lords work; the Master of the Sea will be there to catch you; just as he did Peter.

As President Theodore Roosevelt once said:
Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

I pray my good brothers and sisters that you will begin to see that power within you, both collectively and individually. That you will recognize that these are not just words, but they are true. Push through your anxiety and fear.

I hope that you will see yourself in a different light. That you will look for ways to serve your fellow brothers and sisters. That when you are idle you will look for opportunities to serve; that you will volunteer for church assignments and fulfill those assignments that you have been given, so that your place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

I plead with you that you will do more than just read your scriptures, but that you will study them. I promise that if you do so you will find hidden strength and power in your life as you learn to listen to the spirit. Learn to enjoy them through the power of the spirit, let the spirit teach you; work to have spiritual experiences each day in the scriptures.

I pray for you to be diligent in acting on those spiritual impressions that you do receive. I pray that when you are prompted by the spirit to get up and go home, that you will get up and go home, that when the spirit prompts you to not click to mouse to go further that you will not click any further.

I pray that you will pour your heart and soul out in prayer to Heavenly Father, asking specifically for what you need, let him help you, he loves you, and when the answer that you want does not come right away that you do not give up, rather push forward, work for a solution and exercise faith as Peter did.

Come to know beyond any shadow of doubt that you are the children of God, and as such you have great power and that much is expected. Never settle; as that is beneath you, remember Anthony can conquer Anthony.

Rise up oh men of God, Rise up ye daughters of God, and if you cannot yet believe for yourselves trust that I know that God does live, that I know that God does love you and I know that the power that is within you is far greater than anything to which you can imagine.

I so testify….