I watched a TV show the other day about a mountain lion attack on a couple of hikers. It reminded of an experience I had as a young lad. As you know, when I was growing up, my father guided deer hunters in the Fall each year. As a result, the deer season was a big deal for our family. While the dudes were with us, we all focused on filling their tags, but after they were gone, we hunted for ourselves. One year, Jim and I were hunting in the long canyon next to Ebbs Canyon. There were ravines coming down from the highest peak into this canyon and we hunter in them after the first rush was over. There was a lot of country in there with thick rush and the deer would go hide in there.
Well, one morning, Jim and I were riding horses up two adjacent ridges, keeping abreast so that if one kicked out a deer, the other might see it. I think Jim must have gotten hung up in some thick stuff, because I realized we were no longer abreast. I tied the horse and sat on a rock to wait for him. Pretty soon, Jim came into view and I watched him working his way up his ridge. Then I noticed a mountain lion following him, about 50 yards back. Mountain lions are fond of horses, but their riders are often hurt during attacks - a fate I did not want for my brother. So I lifted my rifle and prepared to take a pot-shot at that lion next time it ame into sight. The lion may have seen me move, because it melted into the brush and never came back into sight. Or maybe it smelled the gun Jim was carrying, or maybe it wasn't prepared to take on such a large animal, or maybe it was not hungry - only curious. In any case, Jim entered a large open area about then and the lion did not follow him there.
The thing I remember about this is that I was Jim's protector for a while - a role reversal. I was there, I saw the danger, I had the means to act to save him, and I was interested in doing the job. All through H.S., Jim looked after me and was my protector, but for that few minutes, I looked after him.
It is this role of protector that I've been thinking about lately. It is such a major comfort to have someone to look out for us, but very few of us have such a person with us always. It falls to the Holy Ghost to always be there for us, but there's a catch with that. You have to let him be there. He won't stay if he's not wanted, so we have to have the desire to have him with us. And he won't tolerate the least degree of sin in our minds, so we have to be "in tune" for him to be there. And finally, his constant presence is a gift given to those who have faith, enough faith to repent of our sins, and follow that up with baptism. When we do that, we are given the gift of having the Holy Ghost attend to us at all times - if we remain true.