On Thursday, I met up with a friend for lunch and enjoyed a moment by one of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Forth Railway Bridge.

Opened on the 4th of March 1890, it has stood the age of time.

Landmarks give us a true sense of place.

The Eiffel Tower, The Grand Canyon, The Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu, The Great Wall of China, Mount Rushmore, The Acropolis, Big Ben, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, The Colosseum, Stonehenge, Niagara Falls and so forth…

𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌: “An object or a feature of a landscape or city that has importance or makes a place easily recognisable.”

Landmarks form markers, or reference points for orientation and direction, for travel and communication.

40 Cruise Ships this summer in the Firth of Forth are testament to the fact that the bridge is a significant landmark and a popular tourist attraction.

I shared with my friend a story my dad told me about the bridge.

6.5 million rivets were used in the construction of the bridge.

They’re no ordinary rivets; these are 8 centimetres long and 4 centimetres wide, that binds the structure together.

Dad was a train driver for most of his life travelling over the bridge many times. He told me that one of those rivets was made of gold.

It has long been painted over many times, and I’d guess few, if anyone knows which one of those 6.5 million, is the gold one.

Landmarks often evoke a sense of awe and wonder to people all around the world, whether they are natural or man-made.

They often tell us the story of human history, of a time long past, yet oft breath-taking and still relevant today.  They also serve as a point of interest and pride for the locals.

Reflecting upon the significance landmarks in my life, a rather unusual one came to mind.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf explained: “The scriptures are the word of God. They are God’s landmarks that show the way we should travel in order to draw closer to our Saviour and reach worthy goals.”

The scriptures have been a great marker and a point of reference.

They provide direction for travel in my own life and have helped me to understand the vital importance of communication with God.

Indeed, they are an essential landmark for me and millions of others.

There are 3,116,480 characters in the KJV of the Bible, 783,137 words, or 31,102 verses of scripture.

Each character, each word, each verse, are as vital to the Bible as the 6.5 million rivets are to the Forth Railway Bridge.

And if you look long and hard enough, there isn’t just one, but thousands of golden “rivets” to be found.

Go on, take a look!