A Firm Foundation That Will Not Crack

Building a foundation of faith is simpler than you might think. It always comes down to the basics.

There’s nothing like driving on a new road, the smooth pavement passing beneath you without a sound. No bumps, no cracks, no faded lines. It’s like heaven. Until hard winter storms come, and suddenly that flawless road looks like it’s had years of wear. Why did it fall apart so quickly?

President Thomas S. Monson explains why in his talk “How Firm a Foundation,” from the October 2006 general conference. One friend told him, “In order for [roads] to remain strong and unbroken, it is necessary to go very deep with the foundation layers. When the foundations are not deep enough, the surfaces cannot withstand the extremes of weather.”

President Monson then compares the foundation of a road to that of our faith: “If we do not have a deep foundation of faith and a solid testimony of truth, we may have difficulty withstanding the harsh storms and icy winds of adversity which inevitably come to each of us.”

Because we will all go through spiritual storms, we must work now to build deep layers of faith. President Monson outlines three simple ways to establish a strong foundation:

1. “Fortify your foundation through prayer.”
2. “Study the scriptures and ‘meditate therein day and night’” (Joshua 1:8).
3. Serve others, for “it’s the service that counts.”

It all comes down to the basics. We’ve heard these steps time and again, but do we faithfully follow them? Perhaps it’s time to dig up our road and start again. Then, we will not be cracked by the storms that come our way.

To learn how to more effectively pray, study, and serve, take a look at President Monson’s full talk: “How Firm a Foundation.”

Source: LDS General Conference

—Christina Crosland, Mormon Insights

feature image by amanda sandlin

Find more insights

Continue studying how to strengthen your foundation by listening to, watching, or reading “A Sure Foundation,” by Bishop Dean M. Davies.

Along with creating a spiritually strong foundation, we also need to have strong armor. Find out more in the Mormon Insights article “What Armor Do I Put on Today?” by Tyler Garrett.