The Sacred Grove



When Colton was about 4 years old we were on our way to church.  I was watching out the window as we passed the flooded farmlands of southern Indiana when suddenly he spoke up from the back seat. 

"Wait a minute! If Jesus said Joseph Smith shouldn't go to any churches why do we have to go?!!"

We had a good laugh and have chuckled about it over the years. 

Eight years later when he was teaching our Family Home Evening lesson about The First Vision, he asked 4-year old Ella.  "What happened when Joseph Smith prayed in the grove?"

Without skipping a beat she smiled and said, "He got runned over!"

We all burst into laughter as she looked at us with confusion, her little eyebrows scrunching up.  "If you pray in the road you will get runned over." 

Colton corrected road to grove and the lesson continued.  We laughed many times as this became a favorite family story.

In both cases they had incomplete understanding.  They needed more details, teaching,  study, life experience and prayer to help them develop their own testimonies of the truth of Joseph Smith's vision.  

Ten years later Alex and Ella had the opportunity to attend an EFY session at Palmyra. They had the blessing of daily scripture study in the Sacred Grove.  Here is what Alex wrote in her journal:

"Joseph had pondered before praying in the Grove.  Part of trust is following promptings we don't understand." 

My kids' testimonies didn't come over night.  And they are still working on it.  So am I. 

Just like Joseph Smith had to prepare and study and learn over time as well.

In JSH 1:13 he says "At length I came to the conclusion..."

At length.  It wasn't overnight. And then it wasn't anywhere close to the complete answer. It was the next action step.  He was inspired to pray.  

In our instant gratification world it can be easy to think "I prayed and asked and the answer didn't come".  

Instead we can be assured that an answer not coming yet or in the way someone else's answer did, doesn't  mean there is something wrong with us or that He isn't there.  It may just be that we aren't yet at the length needed for us to learn and understand.

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