Fortifying our Homes in the Latter Days

By Elder Paul Lekias

Area Seventy

In President Russell M. Nelson’s opening remarks during the October 2018 General Conference he said:

“The long-standing objective of the Church is to assist all members to increase their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and in His Atonement, to assist them in making and keeping their covenants with God, and to strengthen and seal their families. In this complex world today, this is not easy. The adversary is increasing his attacks on faith and upon us and our families at an exponential rate. To survive spiritually, we need counterstrategies and proactive plans. Accordingly, we now want to put in place organizational adjustments that will further fortify our members and their families.”¹

As I have pondered this wonderful prophetic statement, among the many thoughts I have had is, “what does it look like to further fortify our members and their families”?

In Alma 50:1–4, Mormon explains how Captain Moroni built fortifications to protect his people from physical bondage. Please pay particular attention to references such as, “digging up heaps of earth, timbers, frame of pickets and towers.”

In the spirit of Nephi’s counsel to, “liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning,”² I believe Captain Moroni’s fortifications and strategies to avoid physical bondage in 72 B.C. are insightful as we look to fortify our own homes and families in these latter days.

Like Captain Moroni, who did not stop making preparations to defend his people from their enemies (Amalickiah), President Nelson in our day continues to seek revelation from the Lord to defend us from our enemy (Satan). The digging of heaps of earth to protect the city was a physical labour. Can you imagine the many hours of extreme physical exertion the people of Moroni would have gone through to do what they did? All without the aid of modern excavating equipment we have at our disposal today. The heaps of earth we are required to dig in order to fortify our homes today require spiritual exertion. It will take faith and work, humility, obedience, love, unity, diligence, commitment, prayer and charity to mention only some Christlike attributes.

I love the analogy we can draw from the fortifications Captain Moroni had erected for his people to keep them from falling into physical bondage. One would imagine in building a structure so described that the foundation would need to be sure. We too, must have a sure foundation in order to fortify our homes and families and keep us safe from spiritual bondage. Nephi and Lehi reminded us what our foundation should look like when they rehearsed the words of their father Helaman to us, “And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation.”³

Once our foundation is sure (built upon Christ, the Son of God) we can with confidence build our fortification. What could the timbers, frame of pickets and the towers in Captain Moroni’s fortification represent in these latter days. Taking further license in likening the scriptures unto ourselves, timbers could represent our wards and stakes. We read, “For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened; yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments.”⁴ We are blessed to have a refuge from the storm and a place to assist in the fortification of our homes.

President Nelson said “As Latter-day Saints, we have become accustomed to thinking of ‘church’ as something that happens in our meetinghouses, supported by what happens at home. We need an adjustment to this pattern. It is time for a home-centered Church, supported by what takes place inside our branch, ward, and stake buildings.”⁵

The frame of pickets could represent our homes. In the Doctrine and Covenants we are encouraged to “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.”⁶ What do our homes look like?

Towers overlooking our stakes and homes could represent the temples of our God. If we are to escape the buffeting of Satan and his followers (avoiding spiritual bondage) the temple needs to be our tower in the fortifications that we are striving to establish. President Nelson said it this way, “Our need to be in the temple on a regular basis has never been greater. I plead with you to take a prayerful look at how you spend your time. Invest time in your future and in that of your family. If you have reasonable access to a temple, I urge you to find a way to make an appointment regularly with the Lord—to be in His holy house—then keep that appointment with exactness and joy. I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples.”⁷

May the Lord bless us as we strive to fortify our homes in these the latter days.