Today's Good Word makes us ask the question, "What's your foundation made of?"

This verse tell us that the foundation of life should be the rock of Christ — His salvation and grace, His Word, His commandments, His example.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." (1 Peter 3:15)

Reading this verse years ago as a young, shy person, it inspired me to mentally rehearse sharing God with someone asking questions about my faith. To someone terrified of public speaking, and also awkward in lesser social interactions, it made sense that planning to be "ready always to give an answer" for the hope of Christ within me was worthy of practice.

Although this logic isn't necessarily wrong, I grew to understand maybe the verse alludes to a deeper readiness, and the word "always" in the verse stood out. True preparedness measurements are thrown upon us unexpectedly. The questioning of our hope might not arise from a place of comfort, but instead when pain becomes the platform. Lyrics from a song "Even If" sung by Mercy Me speaks of this:

In Alma 43, war breaks out again between the Nephites and the Lamanites. In this chapter, we are introduced to a young man named Moroni — only 25 years of age — who is selected to lead the Nephite army.

In the description of this particular battle, it is mentioned several times that the motivation of the two armies is completely different. The Lamanites have been taught for generations to hate the Nephites. They are in this battle purely to act on that hatred and destroy the Nephite nation. On the other hand:

"The Nephites were inspired by a better cause … they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church" (Alma 43:45)

I recently ran across a bookmark I have in my Book of Mormon from GMBA Campout 1996. The theme was “Back to the Basics.” I was 9 years old at the time, so I can’t say I remember much from this particular campout, but that theme immediately reminded me of a song called “The Basics of Life” by 4HIM. Although this song was released in 1992, its lyrics are more relevant today than ever. The chorus sings like this:

"We need to get back
To the basics of life
A heart that is pure
And a love that is blind
A faith that is fervently grounded in Christ
The hope that endures for all times
These are the basics, we need to get back
To the basics of life"

Today's Miracle Monday from Sister Cheryl Cervone is a 15-year-old testimony that is just as powerful today.

July 16, 2003. It seemed a Wednesday like any other. I set off to the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market at around 1:30 p.m. to get my favorite salad greens before the market closed. I walked with purpose down the middle of Arizona Avenue, one of the streets that is closed and lined with vendors on market day.

Off to the right was a vendor giving out samples of chips and guacamole, and I couldn’t resist. No sooner did I get to the table when I heard a sudden loud commotion and, looking to my right, there was a car barreling toward us at high speed, mowing down everything in its path! Surreal!

Today's Good Word reminds us of how Christ should be central to our lives.

When we get together with others, do we talk about the Lord? Does He come into play during casual discussions — or even when we're grappling with weightier matters? Or does His name never quite make it out of our mouth?

What are we rejoicing over most in life? Is it Jesus, or something else? Are we experiencing deep joy, or are we satisfied with passing happiness?

Rich,

Greetings from 25 years into the future. Typically time capsules are letters to yourself with future predictions, stored for a specific amount of time (like 25 years), and then opened to see what came true or did not. In this case, we'll look back from the future to provide some support and guidance.

First things first. God has a plan for you. The best thing you can do is lean on Him for guidance and direction. There are going to be challenges that you must face over the next 25 years in high school, college, your career, and your marriage — yes, you do get married, but I won't give you any spoilers. Some of those challenges are going to be because life is life, while others, unfortunately, will be self-inflicted.

Revenge against someone who has wronged you. Prosecution, conviction, and imprisonment for committing a crime. Condemnation by God for sins committed. All of these can be described by the word "justice."

When we recite the Pledge of Allegiance and end with words describing our country as a place where there is "justice for all," which of the above are we wishing on everybody?

Clearly, there has to be more to justice than penalties, punishments, and paybacks. There is — the actual definition of the word includes an aspect of fairness and impartiality. Looking at it that way, when we say "justice for all," we are claiming fair treatment for all.

Dear Younger Self,

First, let me tell you your life has been blessed! God is never going to let you down, and He’s going to perform miracles for you that you didn’t even know were possible.

Let’s start with the basics:

In middle and high school, don’t worry about who is going to be your friend — you’re actually not going to want to hang out with some of those kids after you get baptized! — and don’t pretend to be less smart just because you think you need to “fit in.” Embrace the way you were made. Your freckles are actually cute; your nose isn’t too small; and you don’t need self-tanner — you actually need sunscreen, daily! (You’ll be at peace with your glow-in-the-dark light skin soon enough.) Also, God will lead you to your career — He knows best!

In June 1982, I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor that had attacked my right optic nerve, causing complete blindness in that eye. The tumor was growing toward the left optic nerve, and I was at risk of losing my eyesight completely. Surgery was recommended, but it would mean opening my skull from ear to ear and lifting the brain to allow access to the tumor. The surgery was very risky.

Today is our final Good Word Friday from the book of James. In chapter four, James gives us an important key to spiritual growth and maturity. In order to grow in God, we must submit ourselves to Him and resist the devil. 

Dear Natalie,

It’s Future Natalie writing to say hello. Strange to receive a letter from yourself I’m sure, but hopefully also helpful and insightful in a way. So, here goes…

I’m writing to you as a new mom and almost 34-year-old. If you’re reading this, you’re probably curled up somewhere with a cozy cup of tea (newsflash: not much has changed on your beverage of choice), excited to receive a message (though handwritten would have been even better).

Depending on how familiar you are with social media, you may or may not know the term "hashtags" or how hashtags are used. Briefly, hashtags — designated by the # symbol — are used to group together social media postings and photos under a single heading for easy retrieval.

For example, if you open a web browser and type #alma41, you will see a varied collection of photos and commentaries that people (from various faiths) have posted relating to Alma 41. This article will show up in that list as well. If you type #TCOJC, you will see a wide variety of photographs, posted (mostly) by members of our Church.

Hey little girl. It’s me. The future you. The 26-year-old you, to be exact (stop saying “ew,” I’m not THAT old). And I’m here to let you in on a few things. No, not like a lecture, relax. More like a cheat sheet—a few insider tips that’ll help you on the road ahead. Yes, you need it. Trust me.

Today's Miracle Monday is a testimony of praise written by Sister Valerie Dulisse.

God takes care of every situation when we fervently pray! Our son, Steven, and soon-to-be daughter in law, Chelsie, were to be married in Hawaii on August 1.

My husband, Chuck, had recently passed out on an airplane, and when he had a nuclear stress test, the doctor found two blocked arteries. They immediately scheduled a heart catheterization, which they said had to be done a day after we were scheduled to fly out for the wedding. The doctor told Chuck that he should not fly until this was taken care of, even though Chuck told him our son was getting married.