From Stolen Gifts to Sacred Covenants: Guarding What Truly Matters

There are times when life feels like a break-in. You wake up expecting the joy, the anticipated blessings, the culmination of effort—and suddenly, it’s all gone. Everything you thought you were protecting, everything you were counting on, has vanished overnight.

I was listening to the recent followHIM podcast, and a story shared really struck a chord with me. It was about a family in American Samoa whose Christmas was marked by a devastating loss: all their carefully saved gifts were stolen from under the tree. It sounds heartbreaking, doesn't it? A true 'rough start.'

But what followed was nothing short of miraculous. Instead of letting the disappointment end there, they created a new tradition: sleeping around the Christmas tree to guard their gifts. The narrative shifted from the tragedy of loss to the strength of community and the power of a shared commitment.

What I took away from that story—and what I think we need to carry with us as we navigate our own 'Christmas' moments—is that the principle of safeguarding our most precious things doesn't just apply to physical objects. It applies to our covenants.

The Most Valuable Things We Guard

The speaker connected the physical act of guarding presents to the spiritual imperative of protecting our covenant relationships with Heavenly Father. We all face moments of uncertainty. Maybe it’s a big decision about education, a challenging dating situation, or the daunting prospect of missionary service. It’s easy to feel inadequate, to feel like the gifts we’ve been given—our talents, our opportunities—are fragile and might get stolen by doubt or distraction.

But here’s the pivot point, the 'new tradition' we can establish for ourselves: When everything else feels shaky, what do our baptismal and temple covenants whisper to us? What blessings has the Lord promised us through keeping those sacred promises?

“When you prioritize your covenant relationship, everything else begins to fall into place.”

That realization—that the covenant relationship is the foundation upon which all other joys are built—is everything. It’s the joy that, as President Nelson has taught us so often, has little to do with our circumstances and everything to do with our focus.

Making a New Tradition

The best part of the story was the shift in mindset. They didn't dwell on the theft; they built a tradition around the *protection*. And I think that’s the challenge for us as disciples today. When something goes wrong—when the plan falls apart, when the calling feels too big, when the doubt creeps in—we need to declare a new tradition. We need to declare: "We are going to guard our covenants. We are going to surround our relationships with the Spirit."

This is the heart of being an internet missionary, isn't it? It’s not about having the perfect presentation or the perfect moment. It’s about the consistent, daily commitment to the principles we know to be true, no matter what the external circumstances look like. It’s about showing up, guarding the relationship, and letting the joy of the Savior’s love guide us.

If you’re feeling the weight of a big decision right now, I encourage you to lean into the foundational promises of your covenants. If you want to explore how to answer those hard questions that pop up when we feel uncertain, I highly recommend checking out Davee. He’s excellent at walking through those tough investigator questions!

For those who love digging deeper into scripture, remember that HolyPlaces has some fantastic Book Clubs and Bible Study Groups going on. It’s a wonderful way to build community while strengthening our understanding of the gospel.

I invite you to listen to the full podcast episode for the whole story. It’s a beautiful reminder that even when the gifts are taken, the covenant remains the most sacred, enduring gift.

What traditions are you building this year to guard your covenants? Share your thoughts below, and let’s keep lifting each other up in the Spirit!