Article March 14, 1936 Issue

The Mountaintop

HILAH R. FOOTE

From a low-lying hill, facing the west, a student one evening sat watching the sun slowly sinking behind a vast panorama of blue cameo-cut mountains. Back of her, several miles away on the top of a low mountain, stood a large, many-storied hotel that had never been finished. For years it had stood there, with its scores of windows looking out over the countryside in every direction. In turning to look at it the student noticed all the unattractive features of the building; but finding little to hold her attention, she turned again toward the sunset.

She had not had a happy afternoon, as someone to whom she had tried to be kind and loving seemed to manifest much unkindliness and resentment in return. So she slipped away by herself to see the beauties in nature and to talk with her Father, and her heart went out in prayer that she might be shown how to solve the problem. Something soon caused her to turn around again, and her gaze rested on one of the loveliest sights she had ever seen. A tall pyramid of brilliant opalescent flame stood on the top of the mountain, right where the unattractive, lonely structure had been. It was so beautiful that she could hardly believe it was real. Then she realized that it was the reflection of the sun's rays, shining forth from the scores of windows of the hotel. The dull, ugly building had been entirely transformed by this beautiful manifestation of reflected glory. She could hardly take her eyes from it for fear of losing the vision. Slowly the sun went down over the mountains to brighten other spaces, while its glory gradually faded from the building, leaving it again in the shadow.

Several times the student returned at sunset, but the reflection never again appeared quite so luminous. However, the lesson so beautifully taught her by the experience had been learned, namely, to see in another the real man, no matter what error seems to present to the false mortal senses. Right where we think we see some ungracious, unloving person, right there is the reflection of God. Think of it! The very reflection of God! If we could obtain such a vision of man and keep it under all circumstances, heaven would be present within us here and now.

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