Law of the Harvest LDS Talk

My dear Brothers and Sisters, It is so good to be with you today. The warmth and love that each of you have is so good to feel and to be part of the fellowship of the saints. Brother XYZ has asked that I talk to the Law of the Harvest. â€Å"Gallations 6:7 â€Å"Whatsoever a man Soweth , that shall he reap† I wish to first share with you a story. Many years ago when I was working in Sacramento I had to make a trip for work to San Los Opisbo. The funeral was to be in the early afternoon so I could make the trip in one day. I got all my items together. I had maps and directions from map-quest.I knew my direction and I was going to make it there. I got there in no problem but noticed that I took me a little longer then I had planned. Once there service was over I got in the van that I was driving and looked over the map and saw that I just needed to drive on the road I was on and then turn near the town of Avenal and that would get me on I-5. I started out and began driving. Aft er a while I noticed that I hadn't taken the right turn that I had planned on doing. I pulled over and saw that if I stayed on this road I could go into the town of Coalinga and then get I-5 again.But it was going to be more driving on this quite road. I said to myself well I will just have to go faster to make up the time. It felt like forever but I know it was not but I came up over a rise and saw the familiar outline of a highway patrol car. I pulled to the right of the road right as I passed him. His lights came on and over to me and came around behind me. He came over to my window where I had my drivers license and insurance waiting for him. He askeme where I was heading. After a long explanation he saw all my maps and told me that I was going to fast and that I needed to slow down.He let me off but said that if he ever caught me again He would â€Å"throw the book at me† – What did I learn from this lesson of my life. I had made a plan I had the directions and th e path laid our for me. I had a road map but I failed to get on the right road. Then in haste of youth I decided that I would try to race to make up time. Which cost me time. This is like life, Laws are eternal truth that we follow and the direct action of those laws. We can choose to follow the commandments but we CAN NOT CHOOSE the result of that choice. we have the map and course laid out for us to follow. Our leaders guide the way for us to follow.We need to listen to there council and wisdom. We can NOT expect to live a life of sin and of misdeeds and still return back to our Father. But I KNOW that the converse is true. That if we live a life of goodness and of obedience then we shall be welcomed home to our father. Then for life there is redemption. The amazing gift that God has give us through his son Jesus Christ. The way to overcome the consequences of our actions. Like the officer in my story They can grant us forgiveness and met out mercy because justice was served those many years ago in Gessmetine groves and on Calvary's hill.D&C 130 20-21 â€Å"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. † Take time today to reflect upon your life and the things that you have. I know that you will find that it is a direct reflection of the life that you have lived. Before I continue I need to read another scripture as a clarification Alma Chapter 38 ( Alma speaking to his sone Shiblon.He being a rightous man who was great missionary unto the people of Zoramites And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end. I say unto yo u, my son, that I have had great joy in thee already, because of thy faithfulness and thy diligence, and thy patience and thy long-suffering among the people of the Zoramites.For I know that thou wast in bonds; yea, and I also know that thou wast stoned for the word’s sake; and thou didst bear all these things with patience because the Lord was with thee; and now thou knowest that the Lord did deliver thee. And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day. I share that scripture so that none may think that the trails that they have are a ‘punishment' for sin.Trails act as the refiners fire spoken of in 1 Peter 1:7. Elder Sill said this â€Å"One of the distinguishing characteristics of our world is that it is a place of law and order, and the basic law of creation is God’ s fundamental law of compensation. It says that all work must be paid for, that we can no more do a good thing without sometime, in some way receiving a reward, than we can do an evil thing without suffering a penalty. In everything that we do, including the very thoughts that we think, we are subject to this interesting, undeviating eternal law.It is just as universal in its operation as are the laws of gravity, electricity, light or heat. It is never set aside, it is never suspended or restricted, and it governs in every department of human activity. Nothing is ever denied to well-directed effort and nothing is ever achieved without it. It is a thrilling challenge, that we may have any blessing that we are willing to live for. And the primary law of the universe is this immutable,†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. irrevocable law of the harvest that says, ‘Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. ’ ( Gala. 6:7 ) ( The Law of the Harvest, p. 1. ) Think of it my fellow saints D& C 82: 10 I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise. You need to make the choice today the kind of person you want to become and then do what is required to become that son or daughter of God. In my calling I work with the young men. I invite them to chart the course they want to take. If you lay out the course and you make your plans the small choices along the way are easier to make. The blessings are real I have seen them in my life and they can happen in your life.Sometimes other people are in your path that make living the gospel hard. I think of a story from my mission days. My mission president would from time to time send me a missionary that needed some guidance. Elder XYZ was one such Elder. He had a sleeping problem. He would sleep until 10, 11 maybe even noon and then get up to work. When I received the assignment. I was told that I needed to help him not by being the school master but by a quite example of love and com passion. Each morning I would rise at the appointed hour and begin my day. I would follow all the mission rules that I could.I tried with all my might to find people for us to teach and the work with. We began to teach these people when Elder Allen would rise we would begin our day. Brothers and Sisters the Lord blessed us with some amazing people to teach and baptize. Elder XYZ knew it I knew it and President XYZ knew that is was obedience to the rules of the mission and to what we needed to do that produced that fruit. The Lord was bound to help these people as a result of simple Elder ABC following the mission rules. Many times we just need to follow the commandments and as a result og our actions people lives are blessed.This most often happens with church leaders or those who are charged with helping people along the path of life. Because of ones faithful discharge then another is blessed Brother CFD was a faithful home teacher he would go out and visit the people that he had o n his route. Most if not all of them never came to church. He had a name on his list of Brother ERD. For four long years he would go to this man's home and talk with him and invite him to come back. He would get the same answer each time. â€Å"Nope not this week† A change started to come over him as he saw this faithful brother.Then one week he came to church. The ward welcomed him back and he became interested in the work that needed to get done. His wife had to be baptized and his grand kids needed names placed on the roles of the church. He came back to the fold of God because one man decided to share his time with another and follow the charge that he had as a priesthood leader. As we serve others two things happen. 1- Lives of the people change and are made easier or they get stuff that are given to them 2- the people giving the service are rewarded for the work they are done.This reward or compensation is both physical and also spiritual. Alpha was the President of his Teachers quorum , I was the advisor, One Sunday about two years ago we heard that brother YTR had a bad accident and would not be able to mow his lawn. In Priesthood we talked about the needs of Brother YTR and the Bishop told Alpha to get the lawn mowed. Alpha a young 15 year old , holder of the Priesthood of God, planned on going to this house. They got rides for the boys that needed them. They got lawn mowers and edgers. Then They called me.Alpha told me that They were going to there on Wednesday and thought I should know. I was surprised that it was planned. I told him that I could be there and would bring a watermelon if they wanted. He said sure and I was there at the home. Alpha and his fellow members of the Aaronic Priesthood provided service and were blessed. I was taught by these â€Å"boys† and they taught each other. These stories are not unique, you all have these same stories of obedience to a law of God and cherish in the blessings that you received . Each tim e that story is shared the blessings are relived and your excitement is filled.I want to warn us all to not think that these blessings are ours and ours alone. Many faithful people of all religions are given blessings and can feel of the Law of the Harvest. The lord is the same yesterday today and forever and when we do a righteous thing we will be blessed. For those of us who have strayed and who need help getting back on the path there is hope. Christ paid the price for our sin and know how to welcome us back. Luke 8 4- 15 Christ taught the parable of the sower And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, wh ich in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. Verse 13 tells of the hope that we have for these who fall away for a time. Let us do what we can to bring them back. The atonement of Christ is for all. I know that as a man soweth so shall he reap.