I was once on a business trip in an exotic city and being driven to my destination. We crossed a long harbor bridge with large concrete walls on either side which obscured any view of the surrounding scenery.
I stared at the passing wall wondering what was on the other side. Then, as we turned off the bridge, I found myself absently looking back to see a sailboat I somehow expected to find passing below.
And it was there.
I suddenly sat up, startled to realize that I had known the boat was there—even though I hadn’t seen it through the cement wall. Pondering this mystery, it occurred to me that while blurring past those blank grey concrete barriers on the bridge, bright flashes of light had shined through the small slits between the slabs which my mind apparently had stitched together into a latent image of what was beyond.
And so it was that I knew what was down there before I knew, I knew. But I wouldn’t have perceived any of this if I hadn’t looked back.
Sometimes our testimonies can develop like this. We may not be able to see perfectly, but the spiritual experiences of our lives accumulate and can be stitched together into testimonies that are brighter than the sums of their parts.
Threading together the many small spiritual moments—if any can be thought of as small—can reveal the grand designs of the Savior. Perfect understanding will probably not come in a single event. But if we keep our eyes open we will see the small miracles of our lives combining to create a wide panorama of spiritual understanding.
As Elder Alexander Dushcu taught in April Conference, 2024, marveling at the way Joseph Smith received his “Pillar of light” testimony, and adding that, “In time and through “great diligence,” we too can have our own pillar of light—one ray at a time. And in the midst of that pillar, we too will find a loving Heavenly Father calling us by name, pointing us to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and inviting us to “Hear Him!”
With love,
Steven J. Lund
President of the Young Men General Presidency