Foundation Stones

Today I had a long talk with a good friend. And we talked about something that I've been thinking about for a couple of months now.

The history of the Church of Jesus Christ is an interesting, miraculous one. A history of people sacrificing everything for what they believed, despite persecution, an extermination order from the government, and having to flee every place they ever tried to settle, despite the good they did at each place, until Utah (outside the US' jurisdiction). While in Utah, they continued their tradition of building temples because temples are where sacred covenants with the Lord are made, where marriages occur, and where families are united both here and in the hereafter. The first started and fourth completed temple in the Utah territory (taking 40 years to build, in part by one of my ancestors), the Salt Lake Temple, itself has a unique history.

Sandstone and mortar were used for the basic foundation and footings. Then, when the US army came, the Latter-day Saints buried the entire foundation, fearing what the government that had so constantly turned a blind eye to the suffering of the people might do. Due to the prayers of the people, and the wisdom of leaders in both the army and the territory, positive relations developed. When they uncovered the foundation stones several years later, they found they had cracks in them. They had to recut, by hand, granite blocks that weighed between 2500-5600 pounds, to place them together without mortar of any kind. Started in 1847, it was finally completed in 1893, making it 117 years old, if I did my math correctly.

Sometimes our lives are like that. We try over and over to do what our hearts tell us is right, what we are guided by the Lord to do. Despite persecution and trials, we have come this far, to this place. And we laboriously build our testimony, foundation stones for our lives. And then something happens, something huge (whether that is death, disease, economic or personal disaster, the end of a marriage, etc.). Because of God's love, we continue on, but maybe we do not realize, until later, that some of our foundation stones are cracked. Not because we didn't cut with care but maybe just because of the material used, or because of how we tried to piece them together our way based on what we know and understand at the time, or because we left them buried for a few years while dealing with our own personal US army incident. Whatever the reason, you now find yourself looking at a bunch of cracked foundation stones.

So what do you choose to do? There are many that might become angry, disheartened, give up. It would be easy. You did your best. Why didn't the Lord warn you or just keep the stones from cracking? He can do that can't He? What a waste of effort, all those heavy blocks, ruined. Now you have to do it all over again. And you still have crops, metaphorically speaking, to bring in and another 170 rooms to build. Some people might do that.

Yet those who truly understood the purpose of the temple and were truly dedicated to building a House of the Lord wherein they could make sacred covenants both for themselves and their dead, continued on. And the temple still stands today. Do not despair. It may have been that sandstone would not have lasted with all the weight or elemental and physical forces upon it. It may have been that the mortar would have crumbled and brought such a large building down. It may have been many things of which I do not know because I do not know architecture well. But I do know that granite is a very solid rock and the granite foundations, and the way they were placed together, have proven themselves, as evidenced by time. I do know that the Lord loved His people enough to allow them to learn of the faulty stones before it was too late. I know that they learned from the first process and each successive temple has used that knowledge. It was a blessing, ultimately, and still is to members today.

Sister Sherri Dew once stated that the faith of the past would not be enough to sustain us in the future. As we look around us, we can understand what she meant. And we can see that the chance we have, now, to refound the temples we are, is essential and infinitely important if we wish to stand at the last day. In like manner, the foundation stones of our youth will not withstand the increasing pressures and trials upon us if they are not hewn out of the Rock of our Salvation and placed together as the Lord directs us. It is not cracked because He does not care. It is cracked because we must build our lives out of something better, something more sure, and something that is everlasting.

So, it is with gratitude, with increased skill, and with hard won callouses that we begin again. Proving our love and our testimony with each cut block and each carefully placed stone. In the end, our personal temples will stand as testimony to our lives and our dedication. And that is something to build for, something to dedicate.