As she was reading it occured to her to interchange marriage or relationship with seed or tree.
Read
Alama 32
28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give
place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a
true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief,
that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to
swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions,
ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is
a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my
soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it
beginneth to be delicious to me.
29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you,
Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge. (or
nevertheless it's still not a perfect marriage)
30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth
to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it
swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will
not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith:
for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it
sprouteth and beginneth to grow.
31 And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say
unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own alikeness.
32 Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not,
behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away.
33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and
planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to
grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.
34 And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge
is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because
you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye
also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth
begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand.
35 O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is
light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible,
therefore ye must know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have
tasted this light is your knowledge perfect?
36 Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your faith
(marriage), for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed
that ye might try the experiment to know if the seed was good.
37 And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us
nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow
up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it
with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.
This is the part that got to me:
38 But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its
nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of
the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers
away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
39 Now, this is not because the seed was not good,(this is not
because DH is no good) neither is it because the fruit thereof would
not be desirable (neither is it becasue your marriage is not
desirable or wont work); but it is because your ground is barren,(we
planted in the wrong place...we started off wrong and have been going
about it all wrong) and ye will not nourish the tree ( we don't pray
together or read scriptures together or do anything but fight
together...both of our faults), therefore ye cannot have the fruit
thereof.
40 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.
41 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.
42 And because of your adiligence 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 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.
43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and
your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the
tree to bring forth fruit unto you.
place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a
true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief,
that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to
swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions,
ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is
a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my
soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it
beginneth to be delicious to me.
29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you,
Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge. (or
nevertheless it's still not a perfect marriage)
30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth
to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it
swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will
not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith:
for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it
sprouteth and beginneth to grow.
31 And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say
unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own alikeness.
32 Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not,
behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away.
33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and
planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to
grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.
34 And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge
is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because
you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye
also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth
begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand.
35 O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is
light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible,
therefore ye must know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have
tasted this light is your knowledge perfect?
36 Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your faith
(marriage), for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed
that ye might try the experiment to know if the seed was good.
37 And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us
nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow
up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it
with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.
This is the part that got to me:
38 But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its
nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of
the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers
away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
39 Now, this is not because the seed was not good,(this is not
because DH is no good) neither is it because the fruit thereof would
not be desirable (neither is it becasue your marriage is not
desirable or wont work); but it is because your ground is barren,(we
planted in the wrong place...we started off wrong and have been going
about it all wrong) and ye will not nourish the tree ( we don't pray
together or read scriptures together or do anything but fight
together...both of our faults), therefore ye cannot have the fruit
thereof.
40 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.
41 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.
42 And because of your adiligence 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 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.
43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and
your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the
tree to bring forth fruit unto you.
I have included her thoughts as she typed them. I really liked the message you get by inserting marriage or relationship. This could apply to so many things in life. Our marriages especially. If we truly feel this way, act and treat our marriages as we do our testimonies can you imagine how they would grow! If the world treated their marriage that well, as such a precious thing marriages would not fail. People would work harder to save them, to protect them, to nurture them from the start. So often we take for granted, and we do not place it in as important a place as it should be. Celestial marriage is our number one goal as LDS people, yet so often we do not make a concious effort to save, improve, nurture our relationship, our marriage, our love. We should! I am printing this and hanging it on my wall as a reminder. I am also sending a copy to L. I know my marriage is not in a good place right now. But I pray for it daily, I pray for God's will daily, his guidance. I think making the decision to nurture my marriage is the best way to possibly save it. No matter what happens on earth I know I want the Celestial marriage, Eternal marriage. There is no way to have that with out nurturing and growing the relationship. I hope that you can read, ponder, pray and apply to your lives, you relationships, and marriage. And for those of you that have already done so- Keep on doing!
Posts
I needed to read that one! It's great perspective and being on the "other side" of marriage stresses it's dead on... for us. I'm passing it on to a young couple that is struggling, I think it will help them to see where the weakest part of their relationship is without it being either one of them... if that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jae, and tell your friend thanks for me.