Thank you for the beautiful music today. I love hearing the words that Joseph Smith wrote. And thank you for your participation on the devotional discussion board. Your comments inspired the remarks we will share today.
Welcome to BYU-Idaho. It is a new year and a new semester. I remember first arriving in Rexburg. It was August, and the wheat fields had been cut so there was just brown dirt. The potato plants had been sprayed, and they were curled and brown. While we were still finishing our mission service in Tokyo, my husband had described his love of Rexburg. He lived here as a young boy. He loved the farms, and he had talked up their beauty. It just wasn’t what I had pictured. For those of you tuning in from around the world, let me describe what those fields across from campus and the temple look like right now. They are covered in sparkling white snow, and they shimmer like glitter in the sunlight. They are truly beautiful.
It wasn’t until the following spring and summer that I understood my husband’s fascination with the fields. He worked on the dry farm of his home teacher when he was 11 years old. He sometimes got to drive the tractor while they sang to the radio. He has great memories associated with Rexburg.
So, after our first winter, I watched the snow melt (by about June) and saw the plows begin to plant the seeds. Then came the vibrant green of the sprouting wheat and then the golden yellow heads that wave in the wind. I started to understand the magic of the harvest.
Now, I am not much of a green thumb, but I like to do some of my own planting. My favorite flower to plant is a tulip. I like to get out my auger and attach it to the drill, and then away I go making deep holes in the flowerbeds that surround our home. It is fun to place the bulbs in and give them a good wish before covering them with dirt. Then the waiting begins. Winter in Rexburg can feel extra long. Even after living here for 14 years, I sometimes wonder if this will be the year that winter never leaves. Sometimes, in about February, I think, “What if spring never comes again?”
It’s funny, though, how when spring does finally come, I forget that I tucked those bulbs in the ground. Then, much to my surprise, they break through and bring me so much joy. It is funny to be surprised when I know that I put them there in the first place; but it seems like so long ago and they pop up when other things are still a bit frozen and slow to come around.
As I think about this idea of tucking tulips in the ground for a later springtime surprise, I find it to be a lot like planting seeds of faith that can pop back up to give great joy and hope after a winter of trial.
What kinds of seeds could we plant that would help us through a difficult time? May I suggest three varieties. You will have many others.
- The seed of an answered prayer
- The seed of a scripture hero
- The seed of sure testimony that comes from applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ
We will all experience times when things around us aren’t as green and hopeful. We will feel weary from the wind. We might feel like the cold snow will never melt. Having something to remember and to bring the good feelings that go along with it can warm us up to the Spirit again.
Today in the opening song were the words “Faith is like a little seed, if planted it will grow.” [1] I know this is true.
Try to think of a time when your prayer was answered. That can count as your first seed. I have had prayers for lost keys answered, and I have had prayers for lost life plans answered. These prayers were answered when I turned my idea for where the keys were or my idea for what I wanted to have happen in my life over to Heavenly Father and simply followed His guidance. Now, I can rely on those experiences when other losses come. I know that if I listen, I can find what I am seeking.
Over the holiday, I misplaced the keys to my car. The time I spent worrying and looking was making it hard to concentrate on the service and fun I wanted to enjoy with my family. I knelt many times, but it wasn’t until I pled, “Heavenly Father, I want to serve my family, but this is taking up so much of my energy. I know keys are not important, but I really want to be fully present to serve. I will try to forget about the keys.” Later that day, I walked into my laundry room, and the drawer where we keep batteries was open with the keys lying inside. This is not my regular spot for keeping my keys. Such a small thing, but big to me. And now, I have another experience to tuck away in my testimony garden.
Your second seed could be the example of someone found in the scriptures. For me, I find the story of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, inspiring. She was faithful even when her life was turning out different from what she had planned. Luke 1:6 records this about Elizabeth and Zacharias:
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. [2]
While my husband and I waited and prayed for ten years to add more children to our family, I was far less consistent in my obedience. I wanted to be more like my hero Elizabeth. The peace I sought did not come until, one day on a lonely beach in California, I gave up my plan for my family and turned it over completely to the Lord. I am grateful for scripture heroes to fertilize my faith.
Your third seed, one that is guaranteed to bloom and multiply, could be based on your own experience with the Savior’s Atonement. I only have to remember one of the many times I have knelt and asked for forgiveness and felt the Savior’s promise of relief to grow again my faith in Him and His gospel. We can always count on this seed to grow.
It is so wonderful that our Father in Heaven has given us physical reminders of spiritual truths. Spring does come after winter, the sun rises every day, and we can have joy during and after our trials. We are blessed to be at BYU-Idaho, where our small seeds of faith can bloom and then be carried with us wherever we go from here.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
[1] “Faith,” Children’s Songbook, 96.
[2] Luke 1:6.