Scripture Story Sketch Notes · Mark 4:35–41; Matthew 8:23–27; Luke 8:22–25
Jesus Stills the Storm
“Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Mark 4:39
An evening crossing, a sudden storm, a tired Savior asleep in the stern, and three words that calmed the sea. Ride the map, look closer, and bring Him your storm.
After a long day teaching by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus told His disciples, “Let us pass over unto the other side.” They set out in a fishing boat that evening, and Jesus, worn out, fell asleep on a cushion in the back of the boat.
A violent windstorm hit the lake. Waves crashed into the boat until it was filling with water. The terrified disciples woke Him: “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” Jesus stood, commanded the wind and said to the sea, “Peace, be still,” and everything went completely calm. He asked why they were so afraid, and they wondered to each other what kind of man even the wind and sea obey.
Who’s who
Jesus: tired after a day of teaching
His disciples: several of them experienced fishermen
Where and when
A fishing boat crossing the Sea of Galilee at night.
Watch for the Savior
He was tired enough to sleep and powerful enough to command the sea: fully human and the Creator at once.
Eight stops across the lake, from the shore to the great calm. Scroll, or tap a number on the map.
Part 2 of 7
The story, plainly
Four scenes: pushing off, the storm, the cry for help and the great calm. Look for the Savior in each one.
Read it plainly
The words that trip people up
Tap any dotted word for its meaning. The scripture stays exactly as written.1
Mark 4:35 “when the Meaning: evening. was come, he saith unto them, Let us Meaning: cross the lake. unto the other side”
Mark 4:38 “he was in the Meaning: the back, the stern. of the ship, asleep on a pillow”
Mark 4:38 “Master, Meaning: don’t you care. that we Meaning: die, are lost.?”
Mark 4:39 “he arose, and Meaning: spoke sternly to, commanded. the wind”
Mark 4:41 “What Meaning: kind of. man is this”
Part 3 of 7
Look closer
This is a true account, not a parable. Some cards are details in the text; others share insights from prophets and Church resources, and each card says which.
0 of 9 turned
All nine. A boat, little ships, the hills, the waves, a pillow, reaching hands, the wind, a great calm and the light. Mark 4:35–41
Part 4 of 7
Where are you in the boat?
People in the boat were caught in a sudden storm, wondering if He cared, afraid, or amazed after the calm. Which feels most like you right now?
A next step for you
Your choice is saved only on this device.
Try it
Peace, be still
The storm is loud. Press and hold the button, and keep holding. As you hold, the waves settle and His words appear, line by line. Let go and the wind picks up again.
“He can calm the troubled waters of our lives.” Elder Howard W. Hunter
Part 5 of 7
Their world, their words
A little background helps us feel the storm the way the disciples did. Outside sources are labeled.
Apostle · Hunter
Why storms come fast
Elder Hunter: “The Sea of Galilee is quite low, about 680 feet below sea level,” and “the hills surrounding the water rise up very sharply.”6
Cold air from the hills meets warm air over the water.
Church manual
A shallow lake
Scripture Helps: the lake “is relatively shallow, with a maximum depth of 141 feet (43 m), which tends to produce larger waves when wind speeds are high.”5
Even fishermen could be frightened.
Apostle · Talmage
Tired
Elder Talmage: “Sleep after toil is natural and necessary. The day’s work done, Jesus slept.”4
He knows what it is to be worn out.
Scripture
Three Gospels
Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell it, each with a different cry: “Lord, save us: we perish”; “Master, carest thou not that we perish?”; “Master, master, we perish.”2
Each cry was heard.
Word study · Greek
siōpaō σιωπάω · “Peace” (Mark 4:39)
Bible Hub: “To be silent, to hold one’s peace, to be quiet.”7Outside · lexicon
He told the roaring sea to go quiet, and “there was a great calm.”1
Word study · Greek
phimoō φιμόω · “be still” (Mark 4:39)
Bible Hub: “To silence, to muzzle, to put to silence.”8Outside · lexicon
Elder Talmage: “The dominion of the Creator over the created is real and absolute.”4
What the text does not say
The account doesn’t promise that every storm will stop the moment we pray. Elder Hunter: “We should not expect to get through life individually or collectively without some opposition.”6 It does show who is in the boat with us.
Part 6 of 7
Look to Him
He was tired enough to sleep and powerful enough to command the sea. Both were true at once.
Elder Howard W. Hunter: “No waters can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean and earth and skies.”
Elder Howard W. Hunter, quoting the hymn “Master, the Tempest Is Raging,” October 19846
“All of us have seen some sudden storms in our lives.”
Elder Hunter: “our faith should remind us that he can calm the troubled waters of our lives.”6 What storm will you bring to Him this week?
Try it today
One step toward peace a day. It saves on this device, one day at a time.
0 of 7 today
This week:0 of 7 days
Seven days of turning to Him. Come again tomorrow.
A quiet moment
“Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”
Read Mark 4:35–41 slowly. Picture yourself in the boat. Then ask Heavenly Father what storm He wants to help you with, and listen. Mark 4:35–41
A verse to hold
Talk about it
Why do you think Jesus could sleep during the storm?
The disciples asked, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” Have you ever felt that way? What helped?
Jesus asked, “Why are ye so fearful?” Was He angry, or gentle? Why do you think so?
What “storms” can Jesus calm in our family?
Open
For adults and deeper study
Go deeper
Longer readings, harder questions, and where to study next. Each one says what it is before you click.
Apostle
Elder Howard W. Hunter, “Master, the Tempest Is Raging” (1984)
The geography of sudden storms on Galilee, the story behind Mary Ann Baker’s hymn, and peace in the Savior’s heart “no matter how fiercely the tempest was raging.”6
Elder Talmage says the disciples’ cry “was not wholly devoid of hope nor barren of faith.” What does that say about the faith in your own honest prayers?
Elder Hunter says the stirring of faith mattered more than the stilling of the sea. Which matters more to you in your current storm?
Jesus was both exhausted and all-powerful. How does knowing both help you trust Him?
Sources
Every quotation, gloss, and piece of background on this page is listed here: scripture first, then Church sources, then outside scholarship (labeled).
Everything on this page as a 11-page letter-size PDF: the map, scenes, cards, activity, word studies, tracker, Go deeper and sources. For home, class or a quiet Sunday.
Jesus Stills the Storm is part of the Scripture Story Sketch Notes for the New Testament, set alongside Come, Follow Me for February 22–28, 2027 (Matthew 8; Mark 2–4; Luke 7).
Independent study notes from Weak Things, not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version. This is a true account, not a parable; the insights in “Look closer” are labeled by source.
