Many Heroes

I just watched Sully with several family members this evening. Sully is a film about the "forced water landing" of a passenger aircraft with 155 people on board. Despite losing both engines at low altitude and being unable to reach any airports to land safely, the eponymous pilot still managed to land the plane relatively safely in the Hudson river, and everyone on board survived.

But one of the most striking things to most of us who watched the film this evening was that "the miracle on the Hudson" wasn't a miracle just because of Sully. Though almost everything hinged on his expertise as a pilot, he wasn't the only hero that day. There were several crew members, both in the air and on the ground, who helped guide the plane and passengers safely. There was dozens of emergency responders who came to pick up the passengers after the plan landed on the river. All told, there were many heroes that day, and the film clearly portrayed that.

In life, there are many people who each play roles in getting things done. Even when there's one person acting as a leader or playing a critical role, the other people play important roles, too. The Elder's Quorum and Relief Society Presidents of the world may direct the work, but every member pitches in. Every helper is a hero.

Sully did an amazing job, and he saved over a hundred and fifty lives that day, but he wasn't the only one. There were countless heroes that day because countless people were there to lend a hand. I hope that each of us can be willing to do our part and lend a hand in the effort of saving souls. Our individual parts may be small, especially compared to others', but each individual makes a difference, and even if we can't do much, the world needs all the heroes it can get. There were many heroes that day, and I hope that there are many heroes every day.