Fruit to Make One Happy

Elder Gary E. Stevenson is an Apostle. He travels all over the world, and everywhere he goes, he meets Primary children. Sometimes children draw pictures of him, and he laughed that they always make him look better!

Elder Stevenson said part of his talk was just for Primary children. That means you! He remembered when he was little, his mother would say, “Gary, pay attention and listen.”

He told the children, “I know you have a purpose.” Heavenly Father and Jesus know you and love you. Even though you are young, you are an important part of Their work. You can help make your home and the world better.

When Elder Stevenson was a boy, he loved fruit. His family bought fresh fruit from farm stands. One stand had very sweet, juicy peaches. He even showed a picture of himself with his dad next to a fruit stand.

In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Lehi had a dream about a beautiful tree. Its fruit was the sweetest he had ever tasted, and it made him very happy. The tree is a symbol of God’s love, and of Jesus Christ. The fruit is a symbol of the blessings Jesus gives us.

What is your favorite fruit? You can look at a fruit and smell it, but you only know how good it is when you taste it. Gospel truths are the same. They become sweet when we live them!

Elder Stevenson shared three gospel fruits he loves.

First: We are children of a loving Heavenly Father. Once, after a big earthquake in South America, Elder Stevenson asked the people to sing “I Am a Child of God.” A very young Primary boy ran right up to the front to stand next to him. Elder Stevenson picked him up, and the boy sang every word in a loud, sweet voice. It helped everyone feel the Spirit.

Second: Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness through Jesus Christ. In Japan, Elder Stevenson had a friend whose wife had died. His friend was very sad. Elder Stevenson taught him that his wife’s spirit was in a place of rest, happiness, and peace. His friend’s face changed, and he felt joy. Because God loves us, He sent Jesus, so we can repent and keep trying.

Third: The gift of the Holy Ghost. When you are baptized at eight years old, you can receive this gift. The Holy Ghost warns us, comforts us, and tells us what is true.

When Lehi tasted the fruit, he wanted his family to taste it too. Elder Stevenson invited children to love, share, and invite. When we do, we will feel even more joy!

A scripture for this talk: 1 Nephi 8:10–12. Lehi tasted fruit that made him happy. It stands for God’s love.

Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said that every time he travels on the Lord’s errand, he meets remarkable people, and he is always impressed with children. He has met Primary children recently in Australia, New Caledonia, Samoa, Colombia, and Peru. Sometimes they draw pictures of the Apostles, and you always improve how I look, he joked.

He said part of his message was especially for Primary children. Since it was the last session of conference, they might be tired or restless. He remembered his mother saying, “Gary, pay attention and listen.” Then he told them, “I know you have a purpose. ‘Your Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, know you and love you.’” Even though they are young, they are an important part of God’s work and “You are some of the most valued and faithful members of the whole Church.” “You are our future.”

When he was young, Elder Stevenson loved his family’s tradition of buying fresh fruit from farm stands. One stand had delicious, sweet, juicy peaches. Then he said, “Now that we are all hungry, let us read a Book of Mormon story.”

In Lehi’s vision, Lehi saw “I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.” He said it was most sweet above all he had ever tasted, and it filled his soul with great joy. The tree stands for the love of God, including the birth, life, and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The fruit stands for blessings through Jesus Christ, like ordinances, covenants, gospel truths, and eternal life. We can look at fruit and smell it, but once we taste it, we know how much we like it. Gospel truths are the same: they become sweet as we live them.

Elder Stevenson shared three gospel fruits. First, we are children of a loving Heavenly Father who knows us personally. “This is your most important identity.” This truth makes us stronger and kinder, because everyone around us is our brother or sister. After a severe earthquake in South America, Elder Stevenson invited everyone at a devotional to sing “I Am a Child of God.” A very young Primary boy got away from his parents, ran up to the stand, and sang every word in his sweet, loud voice while Elder Stevenson held him.

Second, the great plan of happiness through Jesus Christ. In Japan, Elder Stevenson became friends with a Buddhist temple priest who became very sad and depressed after his wife died. Elder Stevenson and a friend visited him and asked if he knew where his wife was. They taught him that her spirit was in the spirit world, in a state of rest, happiness, and peace. His face changed. It was like watching him taste the fruit of the tree of life. Because God loves us, He sent Jesus Christ, who took upon Himself our sins so we can repent, be forgiven, and keep progressing.

Third, the gift of the Holy Ghost, which children receive after baptism at age eight. The Holy Ghost warns, comforts, and testifies. The Primary song “I Know My Father Lives” teaches that the Spirit whispers that it is true.

When Lehi tasted the fruit, he wanted his family to partake of it too. Elder Stevenson invited children to do something as simple as gospel fruit is delicious. Love, share, and invite. He promised that they will feel joy, and even greater joy as their loved ones partake as well.

Scripture to look up: 1 Nephi 8:10–12. Lehi saw a tree whose fruit was desirable to make one happy, the love of God that fills our souls with joy.

Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said he has come to expect something whenever he is on the Lord’s errand: “I meet remarkable, extraordinary people, Latter-day Saints and friends. I am always impressed with children I meet.” He has recently met Primary children in Australia, New Caledonia, Samoa, Colombia, and Peru. “Sometimes you even draw our pictures, and you always improve how I look!”

Though conference speaks to everyone, part of his message was directly for children of Primary age. In the last session of conference they might be tired or restless, and he remembered his mother saying, “Gary, pay attention and listen.” “I know you have a purpose. ‘Your Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, know you and love you.’ Even though you are young, ‘you are an important part of Their work.’ You are some of the most valued and faithful members of the whole Church. You can help to make your homes, your communities, and even the world better. You are our future.” Heavenly Father has given children talents and spiritual gifts and wants them to use those gifts to be happy and bless others.

As a boy he loved his family’s tradition of buying fresh fruit from farm stands at harvest; one stand was known for sweet, juicy peaches, and fruit bought where it was grown seemed sweeter. “Now that we are all hungry, let us read a Book of Mormon story.” Lehi said, “I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.” The fruit was most sweet above all he had tasted, and it filled his “soul with exceedingly great joy” (1 Nephi 8:10–12). The tree stands for the love of God, including its greatest manifestations, the birth, life, and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The fruit symbolizes blessings through the Atonement: ordinances, covenants, truths of the restored gospel, and ultimately eternal life. We can hold, smell, and look at fruit, “But once we have tasted it, we know how much we like it. Gospel truths are the same.” Truths we learn at home and in Primary become sweet as we live them.

He shared three gospel fruits. First, we are children of a loving Heavenly Father, who knows everything and loves everyone. “This is your most important identity.” He gave us bodies, abilities, and spiritual gifts and wants us to discover and develop them. This knowledge makes us stronger and kinder, knowing everyone around us is our brother or sister. Recently, at a devotional in South America with members suffering after a severe earthquake, he invited Primary children to stand and all to sing “I Am a Child of God.” An incredibly young primary boy got away from his parents and ran right up to the stand next to him, and as Elder Stevenson swooped him up, he sang every word in his sweet, loud, young voice, inviting the Spirit to comfort and testify to all. Paul taught, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16).

Second, the great plan of happiness through Jesus Christ. In Japan he befriended a Buddhist temple priest, a happy man until his wife died and he became deeply sad. Elder Stevenson and a friend visited to minister to him and asked if he knew where his wife was. Startled, he asked, “What do you mean?” They shared that the spirits of all people at death are taken home to God, and that his wife’s spirit was received into the spirit world, a state of rest, happiness, and peace (Alma 40:11–12). “His countenance changed in that moment.” It was as if he partook of the fruit of the tree of life: “Peace for despair, joy for sadness, hope for ashes.” Central to the plan is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Even when we make mistakes or wonder if we will ever be good enough, there is “there is good news—wonderful, hopeful news! Because God loves [us], He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who took upon Himself [our] sins so [we] can repent, be forgiven, and keep progressing.”

Third, a most delicious fruit for Latter-day Saints is the gift of the Holy Ghost, received by the laying on of hands after baptism at age eight. The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit and a member of the Godhead whose roles include to warn, to comfort, and to testify, as the Primary song “I Know My Father Lives” teaches.

He closed with Lehi’s response: “It filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also.” Likewise, he said, consider how family, friends, and loved ones will be blessed by the fruit that blesses you. “I invite you to do something that is as simple as gospel fruit is delicious: love, share, and invite. Do this with words and actions.” He promised that you will feel even greater joy as loved ones around you partake as well.