Trees of Righteousness

Elder Mark S. Palmer told a story in the most recent general conference about a willow tree that was severely damaged in a storm. He related, “It lay on the ground with its roots pulled out and was a sorry sight. I was ready to rev up the chainsaw and cut the tree up for firewood when our neighbour came running out to stop me. He chastised me for giving up on the tree, and he emphatically urged us not to get rid of it. He then pointed to one root still in the ground and said that if we propped the tree up, cut off its branches, and nourished it, the roots would take hold once again.” He told how he was skeptical that the tree could really be saved, but he went along with this plan, cutting off all the branches and planting it again. He continued, “And the result? After some time, we saw signs of life as the tree began to take root. Now, 12 years later, the tree is vibrant and full of life, with strong roots, and once again contributing to the beauty of the landscape.” This was at the mission home in Spokane, Washington, when he directed the mission there. We lived in that mission at that time (in northern Idaho), and I remember with fondness that the drive to the temple there in Spokane was full of beautiful trees. Elder Palmer also commented that the house itself was “surrounded by majestic trees,” and so one might ask why this one willow needed saving with so many other trees present. But, of course, Elder Palmer’s lesson wasn’t about trees but about people, and no matter how far some have strayed, they are all worth saving. He spoke to those whose faith may look a little like this fallen tree and said this: “I have prayed that you will feel the witness of the Holy Ghost as you now hear this loving invitation and magnificent promise from our Saviour, Jesus Christ: ‘Will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?’” He commented, “The journey back is often not easy or comfortable, but it is worth it. When our willow was stood back up, all its branches were cut away. It was not pretty. We too may feel vulnerable as we discard old ways and are stripped of pride. Focusing your faith on Jesus Christ and His gospel—the trunk and the roots—will give you the hope and the courage to take that first step back.” The Savior does not want to lose any of the trees of His vineyard, and He does everything He can to bring forth fruit in each of us.

                This story by Elder Palmer reminds me of the short poem I memorized in my youth by Joyce Kilmer titled Trees:

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree. 

Trees should remind us to look to God, and this willow tree that fell to the ground in a storm eventually lifted its arms in prayer again just as we all can even after we stumble spiritually. The prophet Isaiah wrote about what the Savior can do for each of us as we let Him heal us: “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified” (Isaiah 61:3). We can be “trees of righteousness,” figuratively like what this willow tree became after being replanted: “vibrant and full of life, with strong roots.” This can only happen through the Savior, just as this tree could only be saved through the help of another. Elder Palmer added, “My neighbour knew what the willow could once again become. So too the Lord knows your divine potential and what your faith and your testimony can become. He will never give up on you. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all that is broken can be healed.” As we receive the Savior’s hand in our lives, following Alma’s counsel, we will become indeed the tree that the Savior wants us to be: “But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, 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” (Alma 32:41).