How Firm a Foundation - Latter-Day Disciples

It is now time that we each implement extraordinary measures—perhaps measures we have never taken before—to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures.
Russell M. Nelson

Unprecedented Times

This last General Conference, one phrase specifically caught my attention in the Sunday Morning Session. ‘Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures.‘ That phrase has rolled over and over in my mind the last few weeks.

In the loved hymn, How Firm a Foundation, the Savior says, “The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes. That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, forsake.” Over the years, I have had the thought, what if we switched who was speaking in this verse? What if we were in fact the ones singing this to the Lord? We are the soul that clings to the Savior for peace and safety, and no matter what the enemy sends our way, no matter how hard he tries to sway us, we become so reliable, so resilient that no matter how confusing the world gets, the Lord knows that not only will He not forsake us, but that we will never forsake Him.

I want to become one of those Saints that the Lord can trust, and describe like Job, “that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil…”

So how do we create a spiritual foundation that is unshakeable?

My dear brothers and sisters, these are the latter days. 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. So I ask each of you, how firm is your foundation? And what reinforcements to your testimony and understanding of the gospel are needed?
Russell M. Nelson

Analyze Your Current Situation

To strengthen a foundation, we have to know where we are starting. Some of us have stronger foundations than others. Some of us have strong areas, but maybe there’s a crack somewhere, or a wall that isn’t as thick. Elder Gary E. Stevenson encouraged us to take a self-inventory using these temple recommend questions as a guide to analyze our foundations.

Do you have faith in and a testimony of God, the Eternal Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost?
Do you have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and of His role as your Savior and Redeemer?
Do you have a testimony of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Do you sustain the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the prophet, seer, and revelator and as the only person on the Earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys?

Develop Spiritual Habits

Elder Neil L. Andersen suggested that we incorporate these habits as well, to strengthen our foundation:

‘We must study the scriptures.’

Finding a time, space, and style that works for you to make this a habit in the stage of life you are in. When I was in high school, I would do my personal study before bed, but in college when I was up …. too late, it was much better for me to do it between classes. Now as a mom of two under two, nap-time has been my best time to study. Some fun study ideas:

Chronologically
Highlight every reference to Christ
By Topic
The “Apple” Method (Make note of the Attributes of God, The Promises of God, The Principles for Life, Lessons You Learned, and Examples to Follow) There are several others similar to this out there if you would like a pattern to follow!
Add all the Come Follow Me Resources to your weekly study, instead of just the chapters/verses.

‘We must pray.’

Building a relationship with our Heavenly Father is critical to strengthen our spiritual resilience. This builds our trust in Him when things are hard, or don’t go according to our plan. When we don’t have a relationship with someone, we have a hard time reaching out or asking for help.

During heartbreaking times in my life, prayer has helped me understand that someone is listening, even when I 100% did not understand where that moment was leading, or why it was even necessary.

For example, my parents filed for divorce just before my eighth birthday. For years, this lead to some traumatic situations and a very strained relationship with my father. But over the years, I met people who also experienced feelings of abandonment, and other emotions that I had experienced. Were the situations identical, no. Often the ones I encounter are more heartbreaking than mine. However, through those experiences, I learned to empathize with others, and feel the echo of their pain in mine.

Developing that relationship with my Heavenly Father through the early struggles, also left something for me to build on through new struggles and losses. The more we rely on Him through our difficult moments, the better prepared we are for the next trial, because we know that He will be there again.

‘We must worship.’

What does it actually mean to worship? We hear about worship music, or we go to church to worship. But what does that actually look like? Worship is defined as ‘to show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites.’ How do better show reverence or adoration for our Heavenly Father and Savior? How do make time to worship them better? Are there things we could do to make those times better?

Elder Andersen emphasizes the need to actively participate in ordinances, like the Sacrament and temple ordinances, often. As we take time specifically prepare for the Sacrament each week, and attend the temple, we will have the added Spirit to protect us from the adversary.

‘We must be willing to follow Jesus Christ by serving others.’

The holiday season is the perfect way to start (or improve) our service for others, since this time of year there are so many opportunities to do so! Some ways that you may be able to serve in your community the next few weeks:

Donate to a canned food drive for a food shelter
Volunteer at shelters, or soup kitchens
Donate to toy drives, clothing collections, or ‘adopt a child’ Christmas collections
Make treats for the neighbors
Visit your ministering brothers or sisters
Send out cards
Visit family
Shovel someone’s walk
Help hang lights or decorate
Visit a senior living home
Go caroling
Anonymously gift to a friend or family in need
Participate in the Light the World Initiative
Do extra chores around the house for your spouse
Have more meaningful conversations
Be more present

Hear Him

There has never been a time in the history of the world when knowledge of our Savior is more personally vital and relevant to every human soul. Imagine how quickly the devastating conflicts throughout the world—and those in our individual lives—would be resolved if we all chose to follow Jesus Christ and heed His teachings.
Russell M. Nelson

Another way to strengthen our spiritual foundations is to follow what our prophet has encouraged us to do several times, and Hear Him. Each of us receives revelation differently. Some tend to have meaningful dreams. (This is definitely not mine.) Others feel warm or at peace when things are right. I actually tend to get shivers, or little thoughts. My husband experiences feelings of deja vu. The Church has put out several videos of the Apostles and General Auxiliary leaders describing how they Hear Him.

Learning how we receive personal revelation allows us to have our own direct connection with heaven. President Nelson said, “We also hear Him more clearly as we refine our ability to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now. In the Godhead, the Holy Ghost is the messenger. He will bring thoughts to your mind which the Father and Son want you to receive. He is the Comforter. He will bring a feeling of peace to your heart. He testifies of truth and will confirm what is true as you hear and read the word of the Lord.” The better we recognize when the Spirit is speaking to us, the

I’ll Never, No Never, Forsake

I renew my plea for you to do whatever it takes to increase your spiritual capacity to receive personal revelation. Doing so will help you know how to move ahead with your life, what to do during times of crisis, and how to discern and avoid the temptations and the deceptions of the adversary.
Russell M. Nelson

In October 2005, Elder Henry B. Eyring said, “There is another even more important preparation we must make for tests that are certain to come to each of us. That preparation must be started far in advance because it takes time. What we will need then can’t be bought. It can’t be borrowed. It doesn’t store well. And it has to have been used regularly and recently. What we will need in our day of testing is a spiritual preparation.“

Even more important than getting our finances in order, or building up that supply of food, or stocking up on some extra toilet paper, is preparing for whatever lies ahead spiritually. Build our foundation of faith in Christ will take work, it will take time, and it will need to take a precedence in our lives.

Just like we plan for a little extra to store our on shelves when we plan for the grocery store, we will have to plan to do a little extra each day to fortify what we are building. So that in the end, no matter what storms come our way, we can say, “My soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I cannot, I will not desert to His foes. My soul though all Hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.”

The Temple And Your Spiritual Foundation, Russell M. Nelson, October 2021
Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine, Pure Revelation, Russell M. Nelson, October 2021
Hear Him, Russell M. Nelson, April 2020
How Firm a Foundation, Robert Keen 1787
How Do I Build a Spiritual Foundation? Neil L. Andersen, New Era, October 2001
A Good Foundation against the Time to Come, Gary E. Stevenson, April 2020
The Apple Method, Abarah Joy
Job 1:8
Oxford Dictionary
Hear Him Videos, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Spiritual Preparation: Start Early and Be Steady, Henry B. Eyring, October 2005