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"Tell Me the Stories of Jesus"
Learning from the Parables of the Savior
Study Guide
1. Read the chapter headings for Matthew 5, 6 and 7. What great sermon precedes the parable of the house built on a rock? Why do you think the Savior concluded his remarks with this analogy?
2. The discussions of trees, entering the kingdom, and building houses in Matthew 7:16-27 all have one major idea or theme. What is that theme?
3. Read Matthew 7:24-27 (with footnotes 24c, f, 28a, 29a). List a few of the "sandy" foundations upon which we sometimes build. List the best foundations upon which we can build.
4. To whom did Jesus liken the man who built his house upon the rock? To whom did he compare the man who built his house on the sand? What might the house represent?
5. Read 3 Nephi 11:37-40. What is Christ's doctrine? How can we build on it?
6. How do the JST footnotes for Matthew 7:28a and 29a add to your understanding?
7. What does the rain represent in this parable? Read Helaman 5:12. What are the rains, floods, and winds in your life? How has the Savior helped you through a storm?
Links to related articles/media:
"A Sure Foundation," May 2013 Ensign
"How Firm Our Foundation," May 2002 Ensign
"Upon This Rock," May 1981 Ensign
Howard W. Hunter: "The words of the Master regarding the house without a foundation say to me that a man cannot have a shallow and reckless notion that he is sufficient to himself and can build his own life on any basis that happens to be easy and agreeable. As long as the weather is fair, his foolishness may not be evident; but one day there will come the floods, the muddy waters of some sudden passion, the rushing current of unforeseen temptation. If his character has no sure foundation in more than just lip service, his whole moral structure may collapse." (CR, Oct. 1967.)
Thomas S. Monson: "If we do not have a deep foundation of faith and a solid testimony of truth, we may have difficulty withstanding the harsh storms and icy winds of adversity which inevitably come to each of us." (Liahona, Feb. 2012)