A Solid Foundation: The Sermon on the Mount part 4 of 5

Close your eyes and bring your attention to your body. Let go of any tension you are holding in your face, jaw, head, neck, shoulders, upper arms, forearms, hands, fingers, chest, stomach, hips, seat, thighs, calves, feet, and toes. Lean your torso slightly from front to back and side to side until you rest into a comfortable posture where you feel centered, balanced, and relaxed.

Now bring your attention to your breath. Inhale deeply, hold for two seconds, now breathe out all the tension, stress, or negativity you might be feeling. One more time. Breathe in deeply, hold, exhale slowly all the way.

As your breathing returns to normal, gently turn your thoughts to the Sermon on the Mount. This famous passage of scripture is, to our knowledge, the first sermon that Christ preached to his disciples. And He repeated it almost verbatim to the Nephites during his brief visit to the Americas. So we know these teachings are important.

After teaching the Sermon to the Nephites, Christ invited His listeners “go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand.”[1] This five part series of meditations on the Sermon on the Mount seeks to help you do just that. Take a moment before we start and say a prayer that as you spend time pondering Christ’s teachings, you will understand His words and be open to any revelation that may come to you through them.

In part three of this five-part series, we pondered the imagery of the wise man who built his house on a strong foundation of rock, and the foolish man who built his house on a weak foundation of sand. How do we build ourselves on a strong foundation? The answer is found in the principles taught in the Sermon. Spend time pondering these principles as we go through them 

Beatitudes

First, we should adopt the beatitudes, which we spent time pondering in part one.

Obedience

Second, obedience to the commandments. Christ taught: “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."[2] 

Observe Higher Laws

Third, we should observe the higher versions of the commandments, which we spent time pondering in part two of this series.

Treasure

Fourth, Christ admonished “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”[3]

Serving Two Masters

Fifth, understand that “[n]o man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon [or “wealth”].”[4]

Trust in God

Sixth, put your trust in God. Some believe that the following passage is directed specifically at missionaries and apostles. But the concepts are still beautiful and can be applied in everyday life. “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, [how much more will he not provide for you, if ye are not of little faith?]

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”[5]

Righteous Judgment

Seventh, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”[6] “condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.”[7] “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Ask, Seek, Knock

Eighth, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”[8] 

Golden Rule

Ninth, observe the golden rule: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”[9]

False Prophets

Tenth, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. . . . A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. . . . Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”[10]

Doing God’s Will

Finally, learn to do God’s will: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I [say, Ye never knew me]: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”[11]

When you are ready, take a final deep breath and slowly turn your awareness back to your body. As you open your eyes and return to your surroundings, take a moment to jot down any thoughts, promptings, or questions that came to mind while you were pondering. And, if necessary, make a plan to act on those things.

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[1] 3 Nephi 17:3.

[2] Matthew 5:19-20.

[3] Matthew 6:19-21.

[4] Matthew 6:24.

[5] Matthew 6:25-34, with revisions from the Joseph Smith Translation; cf 3 Nephi 13:25-34.

[6] Matthew 6:1.

[7] Luke 6:37-38.

[8] Matthew 7:7-11.

[9] Matthew 7:12.

[10] Matthew 7:15-20.

[11] Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46-49.