The Law of the Harvest

On Sunday I was visiting another ward where the speakers talked about the Law of the Harvest. When we hear "The Law of the Harvest" we usually think about missionary work or food storage, at least I do- it must have something to do with wheat¹, hence the picture. The speakers did an excellent job and I enjoyed their talks, but this morning while reading in the Old Testament Institute Manual I read an amazing quote that explained the Law of the Harvest to me in a different way. The quote was by Elder Sterling W. Sill who said:

"One of the distinguishing characteristics of our world is that it is a place of law and order, and the basic law of creation is God's fundamental law of compensation. It says that all work must be paid for, that we can no more do a good thing without sometime, in some way receiving a reward, than we can do an evil thing without suffering a penalty. In everything that we do, including the very thoughts that we think, we are subject to this interesting, undeviating eternal law. It is just as universal in its operation as are the laws of gravity, electricity, light or heat. It is never set aside, it is never suspended or restricted, and it governs in every department of human activity. Nothing is ever denied to well-directed effort and nothing is ever achieved without it.

"The Lord himself gave this law its clearest expression when he said, 'There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated--and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.' (D&C 130:20-21) It is a thrilling challenge, that we may have any blessing that we are willing to live for. And the primary law of the universe is this immutable, inexorable, irrevocable law of the harvest that says, 'Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.' (Gala. 6:7)"²

I especially love the line, "It is a thrilling challenge, that we may have any blessing that we are willing to live for." I then asked myself, "What am I willing to live for?" This is a deep question which provides introspection and takes quite a bit of honesty while doing some self analysis.

What are you willing to live for?

Notes:
1. See D&C 6:3 (11:3; 12:3; 14:3) and 33:7.
2. Sill, Sterling W. The Law of the Harvest, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1963, p. 11. Quoted in "Chapter 27: The Price of Sin: Tragedy in the House of David," Old Testament Student Manual Genesis- 2 Samuel, 1981, pg 300.

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