A Sure Foundation
Lately I've been thinking about Helaman 5:12:
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.
Recently, I've had some experiences that have seemed to challenge this 'sure foundation' that I thought I had. I wondered why I was getting so shaken by these things - didn't I have a testimony? I was sure I did, so why wasn't it as strong as I thought it was? I did a lot of thinking and praying to know why I was so upset and how I could make myself stronger.
What I finally came to was this...All my growing up life, I was surrounded by people who were strong in their testimonies of the gospel. I had friends who were strong as well. It was easy for me to be strong because of the people around me. I think I became complacent with not having to feel like I was ever alone in my beliefs.
When these upsetting things happened, it made me realize that I need to have a strong faith and belief all on my own - that even if I was the only one who believed the way I did, it would be ok, it wouldn't be the end of the world. I could be strong enough for myself.
I have a testimony that Jesus is the Savior, that Heavenly Father is our Father and loves us and looks out for us. I have a testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that the Book of Mormon and the Bible together contain the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have a testimony that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of God, and I know that he is led and directed by the Lord. I know that even though God allows difficult things to come into our lives, He is always there to comfort and guide us through these challenges. We are never alone.
It has become a personal challenge for me to build up this testimony so that whatever happens in my life, whatever choices those around me make, it will not shake me.
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.
Recently, I've had some experiences that have seemed to challenge this 'sure foundation' that I thought I had. I wondered why I was getting so shaken by these things - didn't I have a testimony? I was sure I did, so why wasn't it as strong as I thought it was? I did a lot of thinking and praying to know why I was so upset and how I could make myself stronger.
What I finally came to was this...All my growing up life, I was surrounded by people who were strong in their testimonies of the gospel. I had friends who were strong as well. It was easy for me to be strong because of the people around me. I think I became complacent with not having to feel like I was ever alone in my beliefs.
When these upsetting things happened, it made me realize that I need to have a strong faith and belief all on my own - that even if I was the only one who believed the way I did, it would be ok, it wouldn't be the end of the world. I could be strong enough for myself.
I have a testimony that Jesus is the Savior, that Heavenly Father is our Father and loves us and looks out for us. I have a testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that the Book of Mormon and the Bible together contain the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have a testimony that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of God, and I know that he is led and directed by the Lord. I know that even though God allows difficult things to come into our lives, He is always there to comfort and guide us through these challenges. We are never alone.
It has become a personal challenge for me to build up this testimony so that whatever happens in my life, whatever choices those around me make, it will not shake me.
In the end, this has nothing to do with these people and their choices, and everything to do with me and my choice...My choice to be strong or weak in my beliefs. If I'm weak, then every decision of those around me will shake me and worry me. If I'm strong, then it won't matter what others think or do. I will know what I must think and do. 
| Annike is a lifelong member of the church, married to her sweetheart, and taking life a day at a time. Feel free to stalk her blog at A Great Adventure. |
2 comments:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Oh girl, I can empathize with everything you have said here. Wonderful post-thank you so much!
Valerie says
Thanks for sharing your personal feelings with us. I'm sure all of us have a time when we realize we need to make sure our testimonies are strong enough for us to stand on our own. Great photo!!