“Building Our Foundation upon Jesus Christ through Covenants”

First, it means we choose to trust that God:

• Loves us;
• Only wants what is best for us;
• Knows what we and those we love need, even better than we do;
• Has the power to bless us with the things that we need; and
• Will bless us with those things as we follow His commandments.

Second, it means that we allow that trust to motivate us to repent. In other words, because we choose to trust God, we forsake evil and turn our hearts and will to God by choosing to keep His commandments.

• Be merciful to us, 7
  x

  See Luke 1:71–72
  
  including forgiving our sins; 8
  x

  See 2 Nephi 31:17; 3 Nephi 27:20; Doctrine and Covenants 76:51–52
  
• Pour out Their Spirit upon us 9
  x

  See Mosiah 18:10, 13; Moroni 4:3; 5:2; Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79
  
  to cleanse us, 10
  x

  See 3 Nephi 27:20
  
  strengthen us, 11
  x

  See Psalms 29:11; Proverbs 10:29; Isaiah 40:31; Doctrine and Covenants 84:33; 113:8
  
  and give us knowledge 12
  x

  See John 14:26; 2 Nephi 32:3, 5; Doctrine and Covenants 121:26
  
  and access to Their power; 13
  x

  See 1 Nephi 14:14
  
• Make things work for our good, 14
  x

  See Doctrine and Covenants 90:24
  
• Bless us “in all things, both temporal and spiritual”; 15
  x

  See Mosiah 2:41
  
  and
• Grant us eternal life. 16
  x

  See 2 Nephi 31:17–20; Mosiah 2:41; Doctrine and Covenants 76:50–70; 84:33–39
  

Sister Ashton: For me, building a foundation upon Jesus Christ works like this. The more I study and understand God’s character and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the easier it is to choose to exercise faith in Jesus Christ’s ability to bless, heal, and lift me, because I recognize that He can and will do what He says He will do. This leads me to want to make and keep covenants with Him because I want the promises He makes in those covenants. Through those covenants I am endowed, or blessed, with power and confidence. My ability to work through problems and keep my covenants increases or, in other words, I have increased strength to keep the commandments and develop Godlike attributes. As I strive to become like Him, He increasingly reveals Himself to me. My faith in God’s character and Jesus Christ’s Atonement increases and so does my desire to keep my covenants and become increasingly like the Savior.

I’ve learned that we must choose to build our spiritual foundation on Jesus Christ. It is about making intentional choices to believe and to act often in the face of difficulty and uncertainty. It’s also important to remember that the key to consistently receiving God’s power in our lives is making and keeping covenants.

The first story occurred while I served a mission as a young man in Peru. It was during a time of high unemployment and hyperinflation. These economic challenges often made it difficult for people to obtain enough to eat. I remember a faithful woman telling a story at church about how she dealt with this challenge. She often woke up with no food in her house. When this occurred during the week, she would get up and go out and work to earn the money she needed to purchase food. She was industrious and creative, and with the Lord’s help she usually had success earning enough to eat and meet her other needs for the day.

Sister Ashton: The second story happened during our mission in Houston, Texas. At one point, I was overwhelmed and exhausted by all of my responsibilities. The successful business we had left was not doing well. We had a son who was struggling, and I was worried about him and his future. I was praying for inspiration to know how to help my son but didn’t seem to be receiving it. To be honest, I was feeling sorry for myself, and I felt abandoned by the Lord. I felt like I had sacrificed so much to serve a mission, and yet I felt like everything was falling apart. In my desperation, I reminded myself of what I knew God to be — a loving and kind Heavenly Father who desires to bless His children. I knew that I had a Savior who had performed an Atonement so that I could repent and ask and receive strength to endure the difficulties I was facing. I had made covenants, and I was striving to honor them, so I simply chose to believe that the promised help would come when I needed it. My burden was not lifted immediately. In fact, I would get on my knees multiple times a day and tell the Lord, “I want to believe, please help my unbelief.” It was difficult, but I was blessed with the strength I needed to keep moving forward, including some moments of peace and assurance. I also began to focus on the most important things and let go of the temporal things that were of less significance. Eventually, I started receiving inspiration from time to time and power that allowed me to help our son. And in the end, my burden was lifted.

Sister Ashton: I have learned from experience, that when life is overwhelming and I feel uncertain and confused, that I can turn to my Heavenly Father and Savior and choose to believe that they are mindful of me and my circumstances and will help me. I testify that as you exercise faith in Their character and love, you will find strength to open your mind and heart to Their guidance.