At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, the Savior used parallel metaphors to emphasize the importance of living according to the principles He taught:
| The Rock | The Sand |
|---|---|
Therefore, whoso heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, | And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not |
| I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock— | shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand— |
| And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; | And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; |
| and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. | and it fell, and great was the fall of it. |
(3 Nephi 14:24-27; see also Matthew 7:24-27)
It’s worth noting what the two scenarios have in common: In both cases, the rain, the floods, and the wind beat upon the house. The first house was not spared intense adversity because of its solid foundation. Both houses were attacked with equal fury. The difference was that the first house was better positioned to withstand and survive the attack.
Helaman shared a similar metaphor with his sons as he encouraged them to anchor themselves to the Savior:
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.
Helaman 5:12
Elder David A. Bednar explained:
Please note in this verse that the Savior is not the foundation. Rather, we are admonished to build our personal spiritual foundation upon Him. …
The foundation of our lives must be connected to the rock of Christ if we are to remain firm and steadfast. … Every time we faithfully receive, review, remember, and renew sacred covenants, our spiritual anchors are secured ever more firmly and steadfastly to the “rock” of Jesus Christ.
“Be Still, and Know That I Am God,” General Conference, April 2024
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught the same principle as he commented on the Savior’s metaphor:
A house doesn’t survive in a storm because the house is strong. It also doesn’t survive just because the rock is strong. The house survives the storm because it is firmly attached to that strong rock. It’s the strength of the connection to the rock that matters.
“For the Strength of Youth: The Savior’s Message to You,” For the Strength of Youth, March 2024
Today, I will strengthen my connection with Jesus Christ by remembering the covenants I have made with God and by striving to live according to those covenants.
Leave a Reply