Strong and Resilient

In his recent talk in general conference, President Nelson said this as he spoke about the renovation on the Salt Lake Temple: “The foundation of any building, particularly one as large as this one, must be strong and resilient enough to withstand earthquakes, corrosion, high winds, and the inevitable settling that affects all buildings. The complex task of strengthening now underway will reinforce this sacred temple with the foundation that can and will stand the test of time.” He then compared that effort to make this physical foundation “strong and resilient” to our own efforts to strengthen our spiritual foundation: “ In like manner, it is now time that we each implement extraordinary measures—perhaps measures we have never taken before—to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations…. If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.” About ten years ago in another conference address President Nelson similarly spoke about our need for “resilient faith” and made this comment: “Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested. The Apostle Paul warned that in the latter days, those who diligently follow the Lord ‘shall suffer persecution.’ That very persecution can either crush you into silent weakness or motivate you to be more exemplary and courageous in your daily lives.” Our faith and foundation and commitment to our covenants must be resilient and able to “stand the test of time” like the Salt Lake Temple itself.

                When I think about who in the scriptures has shown this kind of resilient faith with an immovable foundation, Paul is the first to come to mind. His unflappable desire to preach the gospel no matter what difficulties stood in his way is truly remarkable. When he and Barnabas preached the Savior at Antioch, he was rejected: “When the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.” He did not give up but rather turned his attention to others who would listen, saying: “seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:45-46). The missionaries were expelled from the city, but they kept preaching time and time again. When he was at Lystra those who had rejected him in previous cities “persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.” Did this deter him? No, but incredibly “he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe” (Acts 14:19-20). He was undeterred in his mission to take the gospel to the Gentiles. When he was in Macedonia they “laid many stripes upon them” and then he was “cast them into prison” with Silas, but this didn’t get him down either. Consider this amazing description of what he and Silas did with “their feet fast in the stocks” in that prison: “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God” (Acts 16:23-25). Eventually the Lord delivered them and they even converted the jailor. Time in prison didn’t make him fearful in the least to continue elsewhere preaching the gospel, and they went to Thessalonica where they faced persecution again and they fled by night to Berea. But his opponents from Thessalonica followed him and “stirred up the people” against him more (Acts 17:13). Yet he continued, resilient and undiscouraged.

After this Paul’s devotion to the Savior Jesus Christ remained unshaken. He famously preached in Athens and then continued in Corinth, Ephesus, Antioch, and “over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia,” unstoppable in bearing testimony of the gospel (Acts 18:23). He continued for the “space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10).  Despite a sure knowledge of the suffering he would face there, he went back to Jerusalem where he was again imprisoned and faced many trials while he preached the gospel in chains. He eventually made it to Rome through a difficult journey, but he was always spiritually resilient despite being shipwrecked and facing other perils along the way. He was again imprisoned in Rome and eventually died there after preaching the gospel to all who would hear. He was able to describe his challenges this way: “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.  Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren” (2 Corinthians 11:24-26). If none of that could stop him from testifying of the name of Jesus Christ, truly he was “strong and resilient” and had an unshakable foundation built upon the Son of God. His example should inspire all of us to more resilience and devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ no matter what trials and setbacks come upon us. We can, as President Nelson invited us and Paul showed us, develop a “firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.”