WHAT IS THIS THING THAT THOU HAST DONE? Moses 4:19

During the years we enjoyed raising our family while living in Reno, Nevada; there were a lot of emotional roller coaster rides as the seasons rotated one upon another. These rides often reminded me of the fickle passions of men and the joys of life which can quickly be replaced by sorrow depending on our choices.

For example, every spring my emotions would joyously soar as I witnessed the green shades of new life erasing the drabness of winter. By mid-June, these elation's were dissolved with the sad reality that most of those innocent little blade-lets poking through the winter watered ground were weeds – noxious, sweat-on-the-brow producing – weeds.

I remember one year as I was trying to eradicate that year’s crop of Red Root which was flourishing during the hot sunny days, I thought of Adam in the Garden and wondered if … when Heavenly Father was explaining the conditions of mortality which would befall Adam because of his decision to partake of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge … The scriptures remind us of Father’s words, ‘As a result of your choices, the earth will be smitten with noxious weeds.’ … It may even be remotely possible that when the green blades of that first spring sprung into summer weeds , with their attending noxiousness, that Adam might have said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’ … Maybe, with a little more stretching of our imaginations we can even hear Heavenly Father replying to Adam, ‘No son, I was not kidding.’

It doesn't take much of a stretch to understand where my mind went next. As I was following another root to what seemed like an endless destination, my mind started reflecting upon the tendency that myself and so many of the posterity of Adam have, to think and act as if the Lord must have been kidding when he pronounced his laws and commandments and the subsequent results which would come upon us through disobedience.

Have we not demonstrated by our thoughts and actions our incredulous, ‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ when Heavenly Father told us that sowing of adulterous behavior would yield weeds of sorrow and grief?

Have we not demonstrated by our thoughts and actions our incredulous, ‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ when Heavenly Father told us that sowing poor health practices and bad nutritional habits would yield aches and pains which multiply like weeds?

Have we not demonstrated by our thoughts and actions our incredulous, ‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ when Heavenly Father told us that sowing of irreverence would yield weeds which would choke out blessings and yield crops of condemnation?

Have we not demonstrated by our thoughts and actions our incredulous, ‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ when Heavenly Father bestowed the stewardship of parenting on mothers and fathers, that our negligence in fulfilling that duty would result in perpetuating weeds for many seasons?

Have we not demonstrated by our thoughts and actions our incredulous, ‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ when Heavenly Father admonished us to be honest in our dealings and act with integrity with all whom we encounter, that finding a better way to do ‘business as usual’ would make it difficult to distinguish the weeds from the fruits of our labors?

Over and over in life just as with father Adam, we observe the reality of Heavenly Father’s pronouncements. Just as surely as some of the blades of beauty which break forth during spring’s warming days, will without fail grow into weeds – noxious, sweat-on-the-brow producing – weeds, which will continue to remind us of the unconditional-ness and seriousness of Heavenly Father’s words, likewise, continuously throughout our lives we receive evidential testimony of the truths contained in the pleadings of an Eternal Parent’s concerned counsel of how a successful life should be conducted and what would be the results if alternative paths were to be chosen.

So as you go about struggling on your own emotional roller coaster rides as the seasons rotate bringing your own abundant flourishing crop of weeds – noxious, sweat-on-the-brow producing – weeds, this or any summer, just let it be one more reminder of Heavenly Fathers possible reassurance to Adam’s query, ‘No son, I was not kidding.’ Nor was He kidding when He gave us all the rest of His laws and the consequential results which would befall us because of our following or neglecting to follow his All Knowing Counsel.