are not seen, which are true.
Now, God imparteth His word by angels unto men, yea, not only
men but women also.
Now this is not all; little children do
have words given unto them many times,
which confound the wise and the learned.
Now, as I said concerning faith--that it was not
a perfect knowledge--even so it is with my words.
Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection,
any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.
If ye will experiment upon my words,
and exercise a particle of faith,
yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe,
let this desire work in you, until ye can give place
for a portion of my words.
We will compare the word unto a seed.
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.
And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect?
Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing.
And 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.
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, it withers away, and ye cast it out.
Now, this is not because the seed was not good;
but it is because your ground is barren,
and ye will not nourish the tree.
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 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 the fruit thereof, and ye
shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled,
that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.
Then ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, your diligence,
patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree
to bring forth fruit unto you.
Shall we believe in one God, that we
might obtain this fruit?
Also, in what manner should we plant the seed
or exercise our faith?
Do ye remember what Zenos, the prophet of old,
has said concerning prayer or worship?
He said: Thou art merciful, O God, for Thou hast
heard my prayer when I was in the wilderness,
and in my field, and when I did turn unto my closet.
Yea, and Thou hast also heard me when I had been cast out
and have been despised by my enemies.
And it is because of Thy Son that Thou hast been merciful
unto me.
Therefore I will cry unto Thee in all mine afflictions,
for in Thee is my joy; for Thou hast turned Thy judgments away
from me, because of Thy Son.
Do ye believe those scriptures which have
been written by them of old?
Believe in the Son of God, that He
will come to redeem His people, that He shall suffer and die
to atone for their sins; and that He shall rise again
from the dead, which shall bring to pass
the resurrection, that all men shall stand before Him,
to be judged at that last and judgment day,
according to their works.
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 behold, 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.
Amen.