His Mighty Storm Shall Beat Upon You

Yesterday we awoke early to the howling wind that shook the house and trees and everything around us. Power soon went out and the intense winds lasted all morning. It was powerful enough to move our shed (with everything in it) about six inches and push the side and one door totally out of place. In the city next to ours the winds were clocked at 99 mph at one point. As we surveyed the damage to our area in the afternoon there were countless trees down and fences broken. As I walked about looking at some trees that had been completely uprooted and others which survived with only lost branches, I wondered, “What made the difference between the trees that survived and those that didn’t?” It wasn’t clear to me what the answer to that was as some strong, massive trees were uprooted and other seemingly weaker trees fared just fine. Whatever the reasons were for the trees’ fate, it reminded me that it may not be too different for us in the coming days as the storms of the adversary intensify and many lose their testimonies and spiritually fall away. We certainly won’t be able to tell why some abandon their faith and spiritually die, but what matters is how we personally prepare for these “mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you” (Helaman 5:12). Is our foundation strong enough to withstand what the Savior symbolically described? “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house” (3 Nephi 14:25). Surely those adversarial rains and floods and winds will only increase for us in the coming years-we must focus now on our spiritual foundation before it is too late.

So what is the key to a strong spiritual foundation? There are certainly many important activities that are key from temple worship to scripture study to prayer and fasting. Partaking of the Sacrament, family history work, service, and studying the words of the living prophets are likewise vital to shore up our foundation. All of these activities though must be centered around what must be the cornerstone of that foundation: our faith in Jesus Christ. That’s what Helaman taught his sons as the single solution against the fierce storms of the adversary: “It is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation.” I love how the Savior put it to Enoch: “I am Messiah, the King of Zion, the Rock of Heaven, which is broad as eternity; whoso cometh in at the gate and climbeth up by me shall never fall” (Moses 7:53). We can never fall if Jesus Christ is the “chief cornerstone” of our foundation (Ephesians 2:20). More than just participating in spiritual activities, activities, we must believe Him and trust Him completely. Our faith in Him must be that no matter what happens it will be for our good and that we will stay true to Him and His way of life in all circumstances. Our faith in Him must be deep down in our hearts. In his recent general conference talk, Elder Stevenson spoke of our spiritual foundation and described one valiant Saint this way: “Her unshakable testimony of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—in her words and in her actions—was an inspiration for others. Even though her body was weak, she lifted others to be stronger. I think of countless other members of the Church, warriors like this sister, who walk each day in faith, striving to be true and undaunted disciples of our Savior, Jesus Christ. They learn of Christ. They preach of Christ. They strive to emulate Him. Whether the days of their lives face steady or unstable ground, their spiritual foundation is strong and immovable.” That is how we must strive to be to face the fierce winds and storms up ahead, knowing that these words of the Savior in our dispensation are a promise for each of us: “Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:34).