Stone

We live in a fallen world full of decay and change. Food spoils. Disease rots the body. Homes and vehicles need constant repair. Flowers blossom, but then die and fall to the ground. Fads come and go. Children grow up while grandparents pass away. World economies and politics are in constant flux.

With so much change, it’s easy to wonder, “Can I count on anything ever staying the same?”

In our mortal experience, the most constant things we experience are stones. Rock is not invincible. It can be broken and it does eventually erode. However, there is a reason the most permanent records are literally written in stone, foundations are made upon solid rocks, and monuments are carved into granite. Compared to everything else in this world, stone lasts a very, very long time.

Many of Jesus’s names include Stone or Rock. He is the “stone of Israel”, “the stone that the builders rejected” but “became the head of the corner.” He is the Rock, that if we should build on, we will never fall. (Doctrine & Covenants 50:44; Luke 20:17)

“Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”

Helaman 5:12, emphasis added

Jesus Christ is “the Rock of Heaven, which is broad as eternity.” (Moses 7:53) He is eternal and steady and unchanging. Unlike the stones in this fallen world, He never erodes or breaks. “He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (1 Nephi 10:18) Jesus Christ, His teachings, and His priesthood truly do last forever.

Though things of this world will sway with every passing whim, Jesus Christ is constant. We can always, always count on Him.

Thoughts about Jesus Christ—our Advocate, our Savior, and our Friend.

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Questions To Ponder On

In what ways is Jesus Christ compared to a stone or rock?

Many of Jesus’s names include Stone or Rock. He is “the stone of Israel,” “the stone that the builders rejected” but “became the head of the corner.” He is the Rock, that if we should build on, we will never fall. Jesus Christ is “the Rock of Heaven, which is broad as eternity.” Unlike the stones in this fallen world, He never erodes or breaks.

Can anything in life be truly constant?

In our mortal experience, the most constant things we encounter are stones, because they last a very long time. But even rock erodes. The one truly constant thing is Jesus Christ. Though things of this world will sway with every passing whim, Jesus Christ is constant. We can always, always count on Him.

What happens if we build our lives on Jesus Christ?

If we build on the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, then when the devil sends forth his mighty winds and storms, they will have no power to drag us down to misery and endless woe. Because of the rock upon which we are built, which is a sure foundation, we cannot fall.

How long does Jesus Christ’s strength and support last?

Jesus Christ is eternal and steady and unchanging. “He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” His teachings and His priesthood truly do last forever.

How does the symbolism of Christ as a stone bring hope in a decaying world?

With so much change—disease, death, and shifting trends—it’s easy to wonder if anything stays the same. Stones seem lasting, but even they erode. Jesus Christ, the “Rock of Heaven,” is different. He is a sure foundation who never changes, and in Him we find something we can always count on.