“Other Fell into Good Ground, and Brought Forth Fruit”
Matthew 13:8
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
President Henry B. Eyring said:
“During His mortal ministry, the Savior gave us the parable of the seed and the sower. The seed was the word of God. The sower was the Lord. The survival of the seed and its growth depended on the condition of the soil. You remember His words:
“‘And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
“‘Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
“‘And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
“‘And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
“‘But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
“‘Who hath ears to hear, let him hear’ (Matthew 13:4–9).
“Again, the seed is the word of God. The soil is the heart of the person who receives the seed.
“. . . We all have had seeds, or the word of God, planted in our hearts at one time. For some, it was in childhood when our parents invited us to be baptized and confirmed by those in authority. Others of us were taught by called servants of God. Each felt that the seed was good, even felt the swelling in our hearts, and experienced joy as our hearts and minds seemed to expand.
“All of us have had our faith tested by precious blessings delayed, vicious attacks of those who wanted to destroy our faith, temptations to sin, and selfish interests that reduced our efforts to cultivate and soften the spiritual depths of our hearts.
“Those who are saddened by the loss of the joy they once had are the blessed ones. Some do not see the withering of faith within themselves. Satan is clever. He tells those he wishes to be miserable that the joy they once felt was childish self-delusion. . . .
“. . . If you listen with the Spirit, you will find your heart softened, your faith strengthened, and your capacity to love the Lord increased.”
(“Where Two or Three Are Gathered,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 20, 21.)
