If you are a fruit-bearing tree, what kind of fruits are you producing? And how much fruit are you producing? The fruits of Ammon and his brethren are their converts, the Lamanites. And they are not few but many! And the labor they did which produced those fruits was not easy. They couldn't do it alone for sure...
" 28 And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God.
29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their asynagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been bstoned, and taken and bound with cstrong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.
30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our ajoy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.
31 Now behold, we can look forth and see the afruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are bmany; yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us.
32 For behold, they had rather asacrifice their lives than even to take the life of their enemy; and they have bburied their weapons of war deep in the earth, because of their love towards their brethren.
33 And now behold I say unto you, has there been so great love in all the land? Behold, I say unto you, Nay, there has not, even among the Nephites.
34 For behold, they would take up arms against their brethren; they would not suffer themselves to be slain. But behold how amany of these have laid down their lives; and we know that they have gone to their God, because of their love and of their hatred to sin."
The Lamanites who were coverted made their choice to never use their weapons of war ever again "because of their love towards their brethren" and because of "their hatred to sin." How amazing is that? Have you ever hate anyone or anything? Sounds like the Lamanites know exactly what is the best thing to hate, sin! If you've never experienced hate at all, now you got something to hate. We can choose to hate! It's totally ok to hate sin! Just as the Lamanites chose to bury their weapons of war, we can also choose to borrow our own weapons of war. We can choose to hate them and then bury them deep in the earth. And we can choose to never use our weapons of war ever again or do our sins no more. And we can choose to do this because of love just as the Lamanites did.
What are the weapons of war which you would like to bury deep in the earth? For me, the bad habits which are not helpful for me. I choose to bury them and do them no more. And I choose to strengthen my good habits and develop more good habits. How about you?
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