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| Artwork courtesy Josh Nelson |
The wise man built his house upon the rock
And the rains came tumbling down
The rains came down, and the floods came up,
And the house on the rock stood still.
The foolish man built his house upon the sand
And the rains came tumbling down
The rains came down, and the floods came up,
And the house on the sand washed away.
The Southern folk hymn is based on the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. After sharing the principles of his gospel, Jesus taught:
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it (Matthew 7:24-27).
There is not anyone here who has not experienced storms in their life. Some of our storms may seem like hurricanes.
Several years ago, while my family was living in Virginia, the last residual of a hurricane that had hit the Carolinas blew through our area. It was no longer a hurricane, and we were 100 miles inland, but the wind and rain blew over trees and almost flooded some neighborhoods in our town.
The storm almost flooded some neighborhoods because, fortunately, the town where we lived had experienced such storms before and took steps to prevent future flooding. Large storm drains had been installed throughout the town to allow rainwater to flow into drainages leading away from the town. In areas most susceptible to flooding, asphalt streets had been replaced with permeable brick roads that allowed water to drain through the road where it was filtered and redirected to underground retention basins. Parking lots downtown and at the police station were also replaced with permeable pavers and underground retention basins.
The people in this small town understood how to make it through a storm; but understanding wasn't enough. Devastating floods were prevented only after action was taken to prepare.
Captain Moroni understood that faith is a principle of action. When his nation was attacked by the Lamanites, Moroni inspired his people to pray for deliverance and also made sure that his people "did not stop making preparations for war." First, he instructed his people to dig up heaps of earth surrounding all of their cities. When these were constructed, he directed the people to build "works of timbers" as tall as a man on top of the earthworks. Next, strong and high pickets were built upon the timbers. Then towers were built to see over the pickets, and safe places on each of the towers, so his army could throw stones at any approaching enemies.
There will be storms in our lives. Some of these will be literal storms that interrupt our routine and may cause us to lose power. Others may feel more like battles that stretch weeks, months or years and threaten to cut our connection to heaven.
How prepared are you to face life's challenges? Those in rural areas may spend time cutting weeds to prevent wildfires or chopping wood to be ready for winter. Some of us may have generators for when the power goes out or a plan for where to go or what to do in case of an emergency.
Are we as prepared for spiritual emergencies? Have you built a firm foundation by doing the sayings of Christ-- living his doctrine and his gospel every day-- so you can withstand the storm? Do you have a spiritual generator ready for the times when the Lord may not seem as close? Or are you the person who only starts to prepare when the flames get close?
We can guess what would have happened if our little town in Virginia had waited for the rain to start before building storm drains; or if Moroni had waited until he could see the Lamanites coming to start building fortifications. Whether we feel we have time to prepare, or the war has already started, we can gain spiritual strength by building our lives on the doctrine of Christ.
The doctrine of Christ is declared in the scriptures, taught through modern prophets at General Conference, and comes to us directly through the promptings of the Holy Ghost. This week in Come, Follow Me, we have studied thirteen foundational doctrines in the Articles of Faith. As we hear these sayings, and also do them, the Lord has promised that we will prevail even against the gates of hell (3 Nephi 11:39-40). We can consider how we can better incorporate these principles in our lives as we review them.
The first four articles of faith outline the nature of the Godhead and the basic doctrine of Christ. There is a God and He is our Eternal Father. The Godhead includes three personages including Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the Holy Ghost.
We are responsible for our own actions. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all mankind may be saved in a kingdom of glory. The basic principles and ordinances of God's plan to save his children include faith, repentance, baptism and confirmation. These doctrines show us both the universal and unconditional love God has for His children and how we can be united with Him in this life and hereafter.
The fifth and sixth articles of faith teach us about the organization and order of the priesthood. We believe that the Lord leads and directs his church through prophecy and that we receive authorization and blessings to perform our callings, as in ancient times, through the laying on of hands. We also believe in the same church organization that Christ established two thousand years ago.
Paul wrote that "he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man [or woman], unto the measure and stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-15).
Jesus Christ stands at the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Nelson is his mouthpiece and a prophet just as Noah, Abraham and Moses were prophets. We also have teachers, bishops who are pastors, and patriarchs who serve as evangelists in confirming the blessings of the Lord for our lives.
Articles seven through nine speak of additional resources that are available to bless our lives. We are given spiritual gifts to help us serve others and protect us from evil.
The scriptures are a guide for our lives. They establish a standard of truth by which we can know whether the information we encounter is true or false. Paul wrote to Timothy:
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man [or woman] may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Some people in the world believe that they should attend a church that teaches what they already believe or what they agree is likely true. The Lord calls gospel living a "refiner's fire" and challenges us to shape ourselves to the gospel rather than trying to change the gospel to fit what we think it should be.
The Lord teaches us how we can be better as we study the scriptures and seek personal revelation from Him. He also reveals His will to living prophets. The Lord will confirm the teachings of the prophets to our hearts if we will study and pray about them. We are also promised that the personal revelation we receive from God will always be consistent with prophetic teachings. Like a lighthouse and the lights upon the short the Lord always provides two witnesses to help us navigate dangerous waters even when a storm is raging.
Articles ten, eleven, and twelve instruct us on how to share the gospel throughout the world. We learn of the gathering of Israel in preparation for the Second Coming of Christ, that men and women are free to accept or reject the gospel according to their own conscience, and that we must respect the laws of the land in whichever nation we find ourselves.
Finally, the thirteenth article of faith provides a summary of how disciples should conduct and present themselves. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men... we believe all things, we hope all things..., and [we] hope to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
Are these the articles of your faith? Do you believe that Christ has really done what he said he would do? Do you believe that President Nelson is really a prophet of God? Would someone observing your scripture study habits understand that you believe them to be the words of God? Are you living subject to kings, presidents and rulers? Are you seeking after things that are virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy?
Adapting an analogy Elder L. Tom Perry once shared, these foundational doctrines are for our spiritual lives what a battery is to a cell phone. When you remove the battery from your cell phone, it cannot function. Similarly, without faith in the gospel of Christ, we become "like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed" (James 1:6). We need a light on the path and an anchor for our souls to weather the storms of life and find our way back to our eternal home.
If there are storms raging in your life today, drop anchor and begin building your foundation with gospel living. Start by doing the primary answers that you already know. Study your scriptures. Pray with a sincere desire to commune with your Heavenly Father. Come to church. Listen to any thoughts or promptings you may have felt today. Reach out for help-- your ministering brother or sister, your Elders Quorum president or Relief Society president can provide inspired counsel for your life. If needed, your bishop is more than willing to help you repent and find the gospel path again.
You may not be able to tackle all of this at once. Do what you can.
As you work to do the words of Christ, it will help to try to see the gospel and your life from an eternal perspective.
My father used to tell a story of a car crash that happened years ago in Chicago. One car came around a corner and collided with another. It happened so fast, neither driver nor any of the witnesses were really sure what had happened or who was at fault. Six hundred feet up however, a window washer happened to see the entire incident and it was his testimony that clarified the case for the local police.
We live our lives in the driver seat and can't always see what is going on around us. The Lord has said that his ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts than our thoughts. When we seek to understand what he understands, we will often see the hand of the Lord working in places we had not previously supposed.
With faithful action and a glimpse of the Lord's perspective, we should seek to find answers to our questions in the resources he has given us. The sources we use to find truth matter.
When God visited Adam and Eve after they had eaten of the forbidden fruit, his first question was not why they had eaten the fruit or why they had hidden themselves. His first question was, "Who told thee?" He taught Adam that the source he chose to follow was the reason he reached a false conclusion.
Similarly, there are many internet sites and blogs and podcasts. Many of them are good, but none have the power of the scriptures, the words of the prophets in General Conference, and the other resources the church provides.
In conclusion, consider two final invitations from the scriptures. First, the words of Amulek:
"Now, as I said concerning faith-- that it was not a perfect knowledge--even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge. But behold, if ye will arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words (Alma 32:26-27).
And finally, a familiar invitation from the prophet Helaman:
And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall (Helaman 5:12).