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This time of year, I think a lot about my yard. It isn’t lush or thick, and there are many weeds. 

I can see my neighbors shaking their heads. 

Not that I haven’t tried to improve the situation. I have applied fertilizer, consulted with those whose green grass I covet, and even attended an Extension class on lawns a few years ago. After that class, I ripped out part of the front lawn and re-seeded it. 

Still, at best, it could be described as patchy. Some areas are green with grass, while others are bare or weedy. 

In the Scriptures, we read of our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ as gardeners. 

In the New Testament, Jesus taught: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman (or gardener).” He called on His disciples to “bear much fruit” and glorify God (see John 15:1-8). 

In The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, there is an extended allegory of an olive tree, symbolizing our individual growth as plants in God’s vineyard. 

At multiple points, observing how the olive trees throughout the vineyard had turned wild, the lord of the vineyard cries: “What could I have done more for my vineyard?” (Jacob 5:41). 

There are important lessons in both these passages for our everyday lives.

First, the Lord knows where we should be planted. Sometimes that means learning to thrive in a difficult environment. Wherever we are planted, we can ask: “Why has God placed me here? How can I serve others?” We can also ask: “What does God want me to learn while I am planted in this part of His vineyard?”

Second, we learn that God is at work in His vineyard, that He never stops working to help His children grow, and that there is a place for each of us to work in His vineyard: “the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them” (Jacob 5:72). 

Importantly, the lord of the vineyard worked right along with the servants. As we live the gospel of Jesus Christ, care for those in need, invite others to receive the blessings of the gospel, and unite families for eternity, God works right along with us to do His work and improve the lives of His children.

Finally, the Lord will fill in the gaps. Because Christ suffered for us in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross of Calvary, He knows our pains, our trials, and our suffering. He can provide the mercy, grace, and strength that we need to overcome the trials of life. 

I know that with sunshine, some rain, and time, my lawn will improve, grow, and eventually flourish. May we each allow our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ to work in our lives so that we may become all that They want us to become. 

Dr. Brent Roberts is the Bishop of the Sandy River Ward, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and also Assistant Provost for Academic Outreach and Dean of Greenwood Library at Longwood University. He can be reached at brentsroberts@hotmail.com.