The Stones Remain

One of our favourite experiences over the last few days has been spending a wee bit of time again with my missionary companion Marty Andrews and his wife Wendy.

Each day we carve out an hour or two to spend together.

One favourite moment for Marty and me was at the Palmyra, New York Temple, overlooking the Sacred Grove and the Joseph Smith Family Home.

Forty-one years ago, in a small, forested area near Saffron Walden in England, as young missionaries, Marty and I shared a moment that was sacred to us as we knelt in prayer together.

There were no heavenly manifestations like those experienced by Joseph Smith, but there came a powerful and unmistakable knowledge that the work in which we were engaged was indeed true.

And now, four decades later, we found ourselves walking together through another forest, this time beside the temple in Palmyra.

As we walked, memories and tears flooded back. We were overwhelmed by our thoughts and emotions as we embraced and reflected on the sacred nature of all that had happened in our lives since those early days as missionaries.

Marty explained the significance of a line of stones piled together along the edge of the forest. Just over 200 years ago, as recorded in journals of the day, Joseph Smith and members of his family cleared that very land in preparation for planting crops. The stones they removed were gathered and placed along the boundary of the field.

Resting there on the edge of the forest, they looked almost like a defensive wall.

We gazed upon the stones for a while and sat upon them considering what message there was in that moment for us.

For nearly two centuries those stones have remained where they were placed.

Generations have come and gone. Seasons have changed. Storms, snow and sunshine have all left their mark. Yet the stones remain.

We could only imagine the toil and sacrifice required to clear that land. Day after day, Joseph and his family would have lifted countless stones from the soil, carrying them one by one to the edge of the field. It must have been demanding work, but necessary if something worthwhile was to grow.

As we sat there, I wondered if testimonies are built in much the same way.

Rarely are they formed in a single dramatic moment. More often they are built stone by stone through prayer, service, scripture study, obedience, sacrifice and countless small acts of faith. Over time, those experiences are gathered together until they form something strong enough to withstand the seasons of life.

Much has changed since our prayer together in 1985 in Saffron Walden. Life has brought joy and sorrow, success and disappointment, unexpected blessings and difficult challenges. Yet the witness we received that day remains.

Perhaps that is one of the purposes of sacred experiences. They become spiritual stones of remembrance that we can return to throughout our lives, reminding us of what we once knew and still know to be true.

As Marty and I sat together on those old stones overlooking the temple and the Sacred Grove, we felt grateful – not only for testimonies that have endured, but for a friendship that has flourished.

Some things, when built upon a sure foundation, grow stronger with time.

Which experiences have become the foundation stones of your testimony?