Gardens create places of natural beauty and offer opportunities for strengthening friendships and teaching our children the law of the harvest. Growing a garden can help us become more self-reliant. But in the following account, members describe blessings they have received from gardening that go beyond food—blessings that have enriched their relationships with family, Church members, and friends.
Small Harvest, Great Friends
Elisa Freeman, Wyoming, USA
On one of my many trips to Deseret Industries while I was attending Brigham Young University, I found some large gardening pots for sale. I bought them on a whim and made plans to use them to plant a garden in my Provo, Utah, apartment complex. I knew nothing about gardens, except that a familiar Primary hymn—“The Prophet Said to Plant a Garden”—taught me to follow the prophet by planting one.
I worked in my garden in the afternoons when I knew people would be getting home from class or work. Before then, my apartment complex had not been very friendly, and I had almost moved out. My roommates and I decided to use the garden as a way not only to connect with the ward but also to connect people in our ward with one another. We made a conscious effort to speak with everyone who walked by as we gardened. By the end of the summer, I didn’t have much of a harvest—only a few tomatoes, carrots, and some basil. But what I really ended up with was a better sense of belonging and the knowledge that I had helped build ward unity. I formed some of my dearest friendships while working in that garden.
When I look back at that summer, I am so grateful I followed the directions of that Primary song. I learned that the Lord blesses us in unexpected ways when we follow the counsel of His prophets.
Growing Relationships
