Faith: The Ultimate Plant Food

Come Follow Me (Alma 32-35)

Once upon a time, there were two trees.

One tree, if chosen, would be a problem.  Make that ALL the problems.

The other tree was the solution.

But the first tree would also be potential. With those problems there would also be the possibility of learning from mistakes, growth, and progress.

But the second tree would actually realize that potential. Without the second tree, all the lessons learned, all the growth achieved, all the progress attained, would count for nothing.

Because the biggest problem introduced by the first tree was this: once humanity left the pristine perfection of the glory of God, it was completely impossible to go back into that glory because we would now be stained. Without the glorious, delicious fruit of the second tree, we would be forever exiled from our first home in the presence of God.

The second tree - the fruit on the tree - the beautiful spring of water at the roots of the tree - all represent the same thing - the source of the solution: the perfect love of Jesus Christ, made manifest in his atoning sacrifice. We can be restored to what we once were when we lived with God - now, with all the experience of the lessons learned and the growth and progress attained because of the first tree, but clean and pure, justified to be in that glory again, because of the pure love of Jesus Christ - the delicious fruit of the second tree.

Think of those two trees as you read the way Alma teaches the humble Zoramites. It isn’t faith he invites them to plant - no, no. It’s God’s word - the beautiful reality of His plan for His children, which centers in the sacred holy offering of His perfect Son.

Alma assures if there is only a desire to believe such an incomprehensibly generous plan, that desire is enough. Planting this idea in your heart - “I want to believe I can be clean and live with God again” - is a personal choice.  And God loves it when we choose Him.

Alma taught:

“And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.

“But if ye will nourish the word, yea nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.

“And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck of the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.”  (Alma 32:40-42)

We don’t plant faith - we plant with faith. Faith is the plant food.

Alma concludes his sermon at the end of the following chapter:

“And now, my brethren, I desire that ye shall plant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith. And hold, it will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life. And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will.

Amen. (Alma 33:23)

Look again.

Alma 32:40 says you can’t… if you WON’T.

Versus Alma 33:23: you CAN… if you WILL.

If you want it, you can have it.

Won’t… produces can’t.

Which means - “because of [the] Son - WILL produces CAN.

That’s why desire is so important to faith - what makes faith the ultimate plant food. When Father knows you mean to follow Him at all costs…

Well. That’s when miracles happen. And the biggest miracle of all is that in all the ugliness and nastiness produced by the first tree, life can be sweet and delicious, because of the second tree.

Because of the Son.

Even when it seems that it changes absolutely nothing, knowing who we are - and whose we are - changes absolutely everything.