Mathew 13:3 …Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
This parable is one of my favorites because I grew up in the heat of Arizona, and I remember my dad working endlessly at his garden. It was an everyday job, starting with the hours of preparation as he wanted the soil to be rich and moist so that it would produce the most food. Then he would make neat, orderly rows to separate the different seeds so that the harvest was productive and so the plants didn’t compete with each other. We found that there were some plants that would spread and take over other plants, which would then kill the plants that were intended. Then there were the weeds. They grew faster and more expansive then the veggies. After the soil was prepared and the seeds planted with a system, the garden required weeding and watering every day to allow it to produce a high volume of vegetables.
“A few years ago while we were serving in the mission field, a minister who was investigating the Church said, “I hear you talk about the benefit of a living prophet. What sort of pronouncements has he made lately?” We replied, “The prophet has taught us that we need to live frugally. We need to stay out of debt, fix up our homes, and plant gardens that we may enjoy the fruit of our labor.” The minister thought for a moment and then said, “That is not what I would have imagined a prophet to say, but as I consider it, what better advice could be given?” -Barbara W. Winder
I find it extremely interesting that the Lord uses gardening as a parable to understand how we can become courageous and faithful, free from distractions and iniquities. Several times he tells this story of the soil, and the difference it makes where you plant your seeds. Then in Alma he talks about planting the seed of faith and then nurturing to grow into a grand tree of faith. He tells of the mustard seed, which is one of the smallest seeds, grows to be large and strong. Letting us know that we don’t have to mighty and impressive when we start, but one day at a time as we fill our lives with His guidance we can become mighty in faith.
Mathew 13:31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
The challenge this week is to CULTIVATE YOUR GARDEN OF FAITH
This is not a one-and-done event. Every year after the harvest, the Iowa farmers cultivate the soil; they spend just as much time preparing the soil as they do watching it grow or harvesting it. They know that their harvest will be more productive if they protect, nurture, and moisten the soil before planting the crops. If they will take the time to do the prep work, then the maintenance is easier.
“The peace Christ gives allows us to view mortality through the precious perspective of eternity and supplies a spiritual settledness (see Colossians 1:23) that helps us maintain a consistent focus on our heavenly destination. Thus, we can be blessed to hush our fears because His doctrine provides purpose and direction in all aspects of our lives. His ordinances and covenants fortify and comfort in times both good and bad. And His priesthood authority gives assurance that the things that matter most can endure both in time and in eternity.” -David A. Bednar
My friend who has a very successful garden puts black plastic down before making holes to plant her seeds. This protects her garden from the weeds that inevitably will invade. This is how I feel about all that the Lord gives us to protect us; For the Strength of Youth, the Word of Wisdom, the Commandments, words of the prophets, and of course the scriptures. They are protective shields that will help stop the invasion of Satan and his demons. They will still attempt to break into our gardens, but with the protective plastic in place they have little effect. When they do seem to make their way into our garden, we are able easily pluck them out.
“No doubt most of our youth have their evening prayers, but perhaps many of them struggle with the habit of personal morning prayer. As parents, as their prime gospel teachers, we can correct this. Which parent in Book of Mormon times would have let their sons march out to the front of battle without a breastplate and shield and sword to protect them against the potentially mortal blows of the enemy? But how many of us let our children march out the front door each morning to the most dangerous of all battlefields, to face Satan and his myriad of temptations, without their spiritual breastplate and shield and sword that come from the protective power of prayer? The Lord said, “Pray always, … that you may conquer Satan” (D&C 10:5). As parents, we can help instill within our children the habit and power of morning prayer.” -Tad R. Callister
My sister, Kimberly, had a gorgeous garden as well, but the rabbits and deer would eat all her veggies. She put up a fence to keep them from destroying her garden. She still had weeds that she pulled on a regular basis, but those rabbits and deer stayed away. The Lord understands that we all have different weaknesses and that the adversary is very crafty at exposing them. That is why we have the gift of the Holy Ghost and personal communication with our Heavenly Father through prayer. We can council with them to know what protective gear we need prioritize to maintain our spiritual well-being. Imagine how little effect those animals and weeds would have had on my sister’s garden if she would have been able to put plastic down as well as a fence. In our lives, our protective materials don’t cost money, they just require effort and desire. The more attention we put in the details, the easier life will be at avoiding distractions and sins.
“I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior and of His gospel will … protect you from the sin and evil around you. … If you do not already have a testimony of these things, do that which is necessary to obtain one. It is essential for you to have your own testimony, for the testimonies of others will carry you only so far.” -Thomas S. Monson
When my parent lived in Roswell, New Mexico, they bought the lot next to them for a large garden. This was my mom’s favorite garden because it produced so much food. They always had surplus to give to others. When it was time to move, they had an enormous amount of carrots and potatoes, they didn’t know what to do with all of them. So they brought the potatoes and carrots with them. That food sustained them during some difficult financial moments. What a beautiful example of the true value of our gardens of faith. As we put forth that effort to have good soil, and then nurture them with obedience and diligence, and as we pluck out the bad habits and activities that threaten our faith, we will find that during our trials and temptations our faith will sustain us.
“We want to be encircled in the arms of our Heavenly Father’s love and guidance, and so we put His will first and with a broken heart plead that Christ will pour streams of cleansing water into our pitcher. At first it may come drop by drop, but as we seek, ask, and obey, it will come abundantly. This living water will begin to fill us, and brimming with His love, we can tip the pitcher of our soul and share its contents with others who thirst for healing, hope, and belonging. As our inner pitcher becomes clean, our earthly relationships begin to heal.” -Neill F. Marriott
The gardens in Arizona have always been difficult, because the ground is so hard and there’s always a water issue. My father, didn’t let that stop him. He planted a garden at every house, regardless of the obstacles he faced. My mother loves broccoli, so one year my parents planted broccoli. She was so excited for her garden-fresh broccoli, but it never grew. Instead a big green leafy plant grew which she assumed must be a weed since there was no trace of broccoli. She went out to pull those big plants out and when she moved the leaves she found them covered in Brussels sprouts. The seeds must have been mislabeled, but they enjoyed their abundance of Brussels Sprouts. This reminds me of our faith gardens as well, sometimes we don’t produce the fruit that we are anxiously hoping for, sometimes life looks different than our dreams, but we can still enjoy life and build strong, courageous faith during all circumstances.
“Every day, every hour, every minute of your span of mortal years must sometime be accounted for. And it is in this life that you walk by faith and prove yourself able to choose good over evil, right over wrong, enduring happiness over mere amusement. And your eternal reward will be according to your choosing.” -Elder Richard L. Evans
In perfect symbolism, the greatest garden of all time, was the Garden of Gethsemane, where Christ took upon himself all the pains, despairs, illness, sins, struggles, and fears of the world, so that he could perfectly understand us. By so doing, he became our Savior, Redeemer, and Advocate to the father. His mercy is perfectly fitting to each individual person, because he suffered individually for each one of us that he would know how to succor us perfectly. As you labor diligently in garden of life, striving to keep it abounding in delicious, fresh fruit, fear not, Christ is right beside you. He will help you eliminate the weeds and intruders so that your garden can be fruitful now and for eternity.
“As you study Christ’s life and teachings in a myriad of ways, your faith in Him will increase. You will come to know that He loves you individually and understands you perfectly. In His 33 years of mortality, He suffered rejection; persecution; bodily hunger, thirst, and fatigue; loneliness; verbal and physical abuse; and finally, an excruciating death at the hands of sinful men. In the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross of Calvary, He felt all of our pains, afflictions, temptations, sicknesses, and infirmities.“ -Jean B. Bingham
-Sherri Jorgensen
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