The Roots to Endure

In my last blog I wrote about trees and how much I love them. Well it turns out I have more to say about trees...

I've often looked at trees as an example for myself. They stand strong and steadfast whatever comes their way. It takes a very long time for a tree to recover from an injury, in fact they never do fully recover.There are many people who carve things into trees like initials and dates. People do that because it lasts so long. The tree heals around those things, but it always holds onto them; the scar is always there. No matter how many years go by the most a tree can do is cover up the scar.

A tree can stand strong through rough winds and hard weather.  However, if a tree has shallow roots then when a storm comes to rage it cannot stand. It's roots must be deeply planted in the ground; with strong roots it can bear almost anything. The tree just stands tall and steadfast enduring through whatever storm or trial is sent it's way.

We have been charged with that same responsibility, "Ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ...and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." - 2 Nephi 31:20

The difference is that Christ has promised to be there for us and while a tree can never fully heal and must hold it's scar forever, we through Christ don't have to hold onto our scars. He is there to help us fully heal. Through the Atonement, we can be healed from the guilt of our sins and the pain we receive from the sins of others.

"Unless the roots of your testimony are firmly planted, it will be difficult for you to withstand...When firmly planted, your testimony of the gospel, of the Savior, and of our Heavenly Father will influence all that you do throughout your life." -President Thomas S. Monson

I can testify that if we trust in Christ and rely on him and his atonement we will have the strength to endure through all of life's trials and the ability for all of our scars to be healed.