Conference

 Oct 2020--Becky Craven--Keep the Change

When I was eight years old, my older brother, Lee, and I would spend time with our friends playing in the branches of a neighborhood tree. We loved being together in the fellowship of our friends in the shade of that tree. One day, Lee fell out of the tree and broke his arm. Having a broken arm made it hard for him to climb the tree by himself. But life in the tree just wasn’t the same without him there. So some of us steadied him from behind while others pulled on his good arm, and without too much effort, Lee was back in the tree. His arm was still broken, but he was with us again enjoying our friendship as he healed.

I have often thought about my experience of playing in the tree as being a type of our activity in the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the shade of gospel branches, we enjoy many blessings associated with our covenants. Some may have fallen from the safety of their covenants and need our help climbing back into the security of gospel branches. It can be difficult for them to come back on their own. Can we gently tug a little here and hoist up a little there to help them heal while they enjoy our friendship?