Built upon the Rock: Healing the Natural Man Through the Sacrament

“Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures.”

In a world swirling with uncertainty, President Russell M. Nelson’s words cut through the noise like a beacon. He urged us to take extraordinary measures to strengthen our spiritual foundations, measures we may never have taken before. Because when life gets stormy, we need more than good intentions; we need a foundation built on Jesus Christ.

Helaman reminds us: “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 whereon if men build they cannot fall” (Heleman 5:12).

Notice the wording: must build. That foundation isn’t handed to us. It requires effort, intention, and sometimes a painful reassessment of where we stand.

Let’s be honest—those winds hurt. They come in the form of financial stress, illness, strained relationships, doctrinal doubts, anxiety, and depression. They beat upon us with hurricane strength, and if we’re not anchored to Christ, they can drag us down to the gulf of misery and endless woe.

King Benjamin taught: “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father” (Mosiah 3:19; emphasis added).

That’s the real battle in life: not me against Satan, but the Saint in me against the natural man inside me. As Lehi taught (see 2 Nephi 2:16), we are enticed by both. Part of me loves light; another part—the natural man—resists it.

In ancient times, animals were brought to the temple to be offered as burnt offerings. I see this as a symbol that we must consume the animal inside us. After His Atonement, the Saviour said:

“Your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away. . . .

“And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi 9:19–20).

The 2025 Pacific Area Focus invites us to gather to the ordinance of the sacrament. It is a holy and healing experience where we symbolically shed and bury the natural man. The sacrament prayers remind us that the bread and water are blessed and sanctified to our souls as we obey the commandments of our Eternal Father.

A few years ago, my wife and I were struggling with one of our young single adult children. A long series of events had left us emotionally drained. I regrettably remember saying, “I’m over it. I’m turning off the ‘I care’ switch.” For a few days, I felt better, detached, less stressed, and I thought I had found peace.

But then came Sunday.

I had recently read Elder Peter F. Meurs’s 2016 general conference talk, “The Sacrament Can Help Us Become Holy.” He offered five ways to deepen our worship:

1. Prepare in advance

2. Arrive early

3. Sing and learn from the sacrament hymn

4. Participate in the prayers

5. Remember Jesus as the emblems are passed

I tried to apply those teachings, but my heart was still heavy. Then came the opportunity to learn from the sacrament hymn. Verse 2 pierced my heart:

Immediately my heart turned not just to the Saviour but to my child. The Spirit whispered to me, “Call him and tell him you are sorry. Let him know you love him.”

After the meeting, I messaged: “I’m going to call you this afternoon, I need to talk. Please answer. I promise I won’t hassle you.”

I called and said, “I love you, Son. Please forgive me.” There was a period of silence, then his voice: “Aw, is that it? All good, I love you too. I’m sorry. How was your day?”

That moment was sacred. It was healing. It was the Saviour’s balm, and it came because I tried, however imperfectly, to build on the rock.

There is no limit to His capacity to help you. His infinite Atonement is for you. He will forgive you. He will heal you, and He will lift you.

So take the time to pause and reassess. Let the sacrament be your sanctuary. Let the Saviour be your strength, and when the storms come, as they surely will, you will not fall because you are built upon the rock, who is Jesus Christ.