FRIENDS & TESTIMONIES - Black Acorn Shells

Tough as Black Acorn Shells

More than 40 years ago my wonderful mission president taught me an unforgettable lesson on friendship in the kingdom.  At our first Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) Zone conference, then President Hal R. Johnson started our first missionary interview this way:  “Look out there in that chapel.  Those brethren are probably the closest friends you have in the world, right? You’ve worked with many of them building the kingdom. Friends are important in the gospel. Remember your friendship with these great missionaries . Such friendships protect your testimony.” That impressed me. Then to help me remember he used an object lesson. “Consider the black acorn--it has the toughest, protective shell known to man. You could hammer it, try to crush it, anything to try and break it. Nothing works. That’s what friendships will do for you as you continue growing in the Kingdom.”  He was right. My best friends have always been fellow laborers in the kingdom.  By the way, President Johnson was later called to be President of the Sao Paulo Temple before he passed away.