Climbing the Steps: Finding Our Sanctuary on the Mountain of Covenant

Friends, have you ever stood at the base of something monumental—a mountain, a great undertaking, a profound calling—and felt completely overwhelmed? Like the sheer scale of the task is too much for one set of feet?

I was thinking about that feeling the other day. It reminds me so much of the journey up Mount Sinai. You hear the description—the fire, the smoke, the lightning—and you think, "How could anyone endure that?"

But what the podcast highlighted, and what I’ve found so true in my own journey back into the fold, is that the process isn't about one giant leap. It’s about putting one foot in front of the other, step by steady step.

The Protective Bars of the Law

The speaker talked about how the commandments, the covenants, aren't meant to be a restrictive list of "thou shalt nots." That framing feels so heavy, doesn't it? Like a burden we have to drag behind us. But hear this: they are actually "protective bars." They are the guardrails that keep us from stumbling into the deepest valleys of our own making.

We are so blessed to have the framework of the gospel—the principles and ordinances—that guides us back to the Savior. These aren't shackles; they are the very steps leading us up the mountain toward the view.

The beautiful irony, which struck me, is that the very "gold" we are given—our talents, our time, our resources, the blessings of our callings—can be used to build either a sacred Tabernacle for Him, or a glittering, beautiful Golden Calf for ourselves.

It’s a serious question for any of us who feel the pull of building our own little idols—the idol of comfort, the idol of worldly success, the idol of self-sufficiency. Are we using the gifts the Lord has entrusted to us to build a sanctuary for Him, or are we just piling up pretty trinkets?

This whole discussion on Exodus really brought me back to the heart of what it means to be a disciple today. We don't need to be physically at a mountain top to feel the weight of covenant keeping. We are called to be internet missionaries, disciples anywhere, all the time. Our field is the digital space, the neighborhood block, the dinner table.

If we take the lesson of the "second set of tablets"—God’s enduring mercy when our first set broke—it gives me such hope. It reminds me that even when we mess up, even when we fall into sin, the Lord’s capacity for grace is more enduring than our mistakes.

If you are feeling the weight of the commandments, if you feel like you’re struggling to keep walking on the path, I encourage you to dive deeper into this. Listen to the full podcast episode on Exodus 19-34 - Moses at Mount Sinai. It’s a powerful study of the covenant.

Where to Build Your Sanctuary This Week

As we all strive to be more Christlike, I wanted to pass along a small piece of missionary preparation wisdom. When you’re feeling discouraged about your current efforts in the field, remember the analogy of the climb. Don't look at the summit; look at the next step. Focus only on the next right thing, the next scripture study, the next sincere conversation.

For those of us who are digging into scripture discipleship, I highly recommend checking out the Book Club options in HolyPlaces. It’s a wonderful way to keep the momentum going with fellow disciples.

If you want to wrestle with the harder questions—the ones that make you pause and think, "But *why*?"—I encourage you to utilize Davee. He’s fantastic at walking you through the tough questions an investigator might bring up, helping you prepare your answers with the Spirit.

What "gold" are you using today? Are you building a temple for the Lord, or a calf for yourself? Let’s talk about the difference in the comments below!