Being a missionary is debatably the best thing ever.
We get to watch people grow and change and progress and repent and become better, happier, more peace-filled people. I have developed a great love for the people around me. Some I know, many I do not. I love them and desire their happiness which can only fully come through baptism and confirmation. I know that this is the truth. A particularly interesting process to see is people pushing evil out of their lives, and enlarging the good. There was a talk in church the other week that illustrates my point.
The lady speaking told of how her front and back lawn has had a problem with a certain type of weed for many years. Every year the grass grows, looks great, but then the weed come and infests the front and back. The family hurries out every spring and pulls as many as they can. No matter the amount of time they spend trying to pick all the bad weeds, there are always more. They keep growing and they continually find weeds that they did not see or did not notice beforehand. There was no way, as time and experience had taught them, to get rid of the problem by picking the weeks alone. It just wasn't enough.
The family went to a landscaper and asked for advice. When he heard the course of action they had taken, he simply said, "Oh, well that won't work! You'll never be able to get rid of the weeds before they seed and produce even more problems." He explained to them that the true secret in pushing out the bad weeds was to not focus on plucking out the weeds, but to spent time and energy on making the grass stronger. Strengthening the roots of the grass eventually will push the bad weeds out, and in just a few months, the lawn should be completely weed- free!
The family put into action what they had learned. They used fertilizer, they watered an appropriate amount, and they took great care to simply strengthen the roots of the grass. In just a few months, the yard was free of the problems it had been experiencing for over 15 years.
How many times in our life do we stop, recognize all the problems, weaknesses, shortfalls, and carnal weaknesses that we have and try to pick and pluck them out? Simply focusing on getting rid of weaknesses is great, but it won't cleanse us of the long term problems. As we focus on the things that strengthen our roots-scriptures, fasting, prayer, good family relations, actively learning from church, then our new strength often times will overcome our problems and weaknesses from the past! Our problems will be thrust out, and we will enjoy a more clean, pure, healthy and enjoyable lifestyle. This is a repeatedly demonstrated pattern in the Book of Mormon. You fight the influences of Satan with more good. More spirit. More closeness to Father in Heaven.
This is a valuable lesson I have learned. Focusing on our roots brings lasting and fulfilling results as we work towards becoming more like our Savior, Jesus Christ.
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