Fishers of Men

I took a scout and his dad fishing last Saturday. I haven’t been fishing in a long time and it was great to get out. I remember when I started fly fishing that it seemed like I spent all of my time tying knots and getting my fishing line out of the trees. Therefore, I tied all of the knots we used, hoping that would allow them more time to actually fish. That plan worked a little bit, but they still spent a lot of time getting their line out of trees and other snags.

At one point I asked the scout if I could take a turn with the pole. I knew there was a fish in a particular hole. I casted to the hole but missed it just short. I casted again, and saw a flash of a fish as he struck at the brassy dropper. The third cast the fish struck and I was able to set the hook. It was the only fish we caught that afternoon.

I asked the scout and his father what they thought of fly fishing. “It is harder than I thought,” came the reply.

I asked the scout if his experience that day gave him any added insight into Christ’s injunction to be “fishers of men.” We shared our insights. As we talked the subject became clearer in my mind. Here are a two of the insights.

1. Gospel teaching is like fly fishing. Fly fishermen who not only know their knots well, but have agile hands that are well practiced tying the knots spend more time fishing. Contrast two missionaries – one who has spent his life to that point memorizing and studying scriptures, and is very familiar with the gospel principles. Another missionary shows up at the MTC with excitement for the work, but has to look up the topical guide to find a scripture on faith or repentance. One of the two spends more time fishing.
   


2. Casting is the presentation part of fly fishing. To the scout I ask him if he would eat a hot dog if I sat on it first. “No.” Well the same is true of fishing – the fish are not going to be interested in eating anything that doesn’t look natural to them. It has to be appetizing. Casting is how you present the fly to the fish. If the fly hits the water too hard, if it floats sideways or upstream, it will be unappetizing to the fish. The skilled fisher can present the fly to the fish in a way that the fish wants to eat it. The same is true of a gospel teacher. Missionaries might deliver the same message, teachers may present the same lesson – but the good teacher is the one who will make the material “appetizing.”

With each passing season I spend less time tying knots and more time fishing. I become better able to present the fly in a natural manner. Likewise, line upon line, and precept upon precept, I can become a better fisher of men. I will continue to memorize and be familiar with the scriptures. And I will continue to work on my teaching and presentation skills. In this way I will become a better fisher of men. (And a better data architect, a better dad, a better husband, a better cub master, etc.)