"You Cannot Stay On The Summit Forever"
A year or so ago I ran across a very short essay. Entitled "You Cannot Stay On The Summit Forever", it gave voice to feelings I have often had. I suspect that many of you may relate to it as well.
You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again.
So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what
is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one
sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is
an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what
one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still
know.
Rene Daumal, mountain climber
As I read and reread this, I thought of my own spiritual experiences. Like the mountain climber, I have been to summits (of spiritual experiences) several times in my life. And, again like the mountain climber, I've come down from that spirtual high as the cares and worries and distractions of life have intruded. Sometimes I even feel left alone, stumbling along, wondering where is that "constant companionship" of the Holy Ghost that I'm supposed to have!
Then I have to stop and remind myself that this life is school, and opportunity to learn eternal lessons, and to recall those lessons as I come to the challenges of mortal life. To "endure to the end" as we are taught in Matthew 24:13. Endure means to bear, stand, suffer, tolerate, sustain, and undergo. "Endure to the end" ought to be added to the 4th Article of Faith as the fifth principle of the gospel! The Lord knows well the path of the plan of salvation, having trod it himself and born the weight of the world to a much greater degree than any of us ever will. He has given us a key to weather the times when we feel we can no longer see clearly as once we may have done. In D&C 6 He responds to Oliver Cowdery's request for a further witness of the gospel. In verses 14-15 the Lord reminds him that He has already enlightened Oliver on a previous occasion. Further in 22-24 the Savior he asks "what greater witness can you have than from God?".
Like the mountain climber, once having had a witness, we know how to conduct ourselves "in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up". Our spiritual feelings and witnesses are to be remembered and treasured up to bolster our faith, to help us "endure to the end". Unlike the mountain climber we will find that we CAN 'stay on the summit forever' for our faith will become knowledge and we will know, "nothing doubting" (Ether 3:19).
Brothers and Sisters, let us nurture and sustain our testimonies, not only through daily prayer and scripture study, but by the recollection of what the Lord has already given us. Let us share those experiences with our families and with others as we are led that that we might be sustained and encouraged together as we climb the mountain of the Lord.
Bro. Schmutz
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