Are your roots sufficiently deep??

     We know that if we plant a plant it has to have good ground to grow. In Mark 4 verse 5 it says "And some fell on the stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had not depth of earth: 6. But when the sun was up, it scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away." When I read this I think of how everything we have learned or been taught and how it has all built up to make us strong and help us withstand the elements. In our lives it may not be the sun, rain, or temperature rather it be trials that we have to overcome. I know that everything that I have been taught has made me into the person that I am today and helped me get through some very tough times. 

     This parable makes me think of my sister and cousin who are serving missions. They have told several circumstances where their new converts are converted to them as missionaries rather then being strongly rooted in the gospel. Any of us can fall into this problem if we do not strive to keep our covenants that we have made, attend church, and read and pray daily. 

    I found a talk given by Elder Oaks entitled The Parable of the Sower given in April 2015 General Conference. In it he says, "Spiritual food is necessary for spiritual survival, especially in a world that is moving away from belief in God and the absolutes of right and wrong. In an age dominated by the Internet, which magnifies messages that menace faith, we must increase our exposure to spiritual truth in order to strengthen our faith and stay rooted in the gospel." I know in a world full of distractions it is easy for us to get consumed by scrolling through Facebook, or watching YouTube videos and forget the most vital steps that we have been asked to take so that we can stay rooted. 

      

     Elder Oaks continues, "Young people, if that teaching seems too general, here is a specific example. If the emblems of the sacrament are being passed and you are texting or whispering or playing video games or doing anything else to deny yourself essential spiritual food, you are severing your spiritual roots and moving yourself toward stony ground. You are making yourself vulnerable to withering away when you encounter tribulation like isolation, intimidation, or ridicule. And that applies to adults also." In high school I was addicted to my phone, and we weren't supposed to have our phones on Sundays, that was a house rule, but I would always say that I needed it for my scriptures. I did use it for that purpose, but occasionally I would find myself receiving a text or notification during the sacrament and I would have the habit of looking. After only one time of getting caught by my mom I felt awful, I realized right there that I was addicted and that I should not be looking at my phone during the main reason that we were at church. I told myself that I would do better and not do that ever again. I  am so thankful that I corrected that at a younger age, because if I would not have I know that I would have missed out on many great blessings and experiences.

Self Evaluate: 

Am I strongly rooted in the gospel, and if not how can I change?

Am I too distracted with worldly possessions to have spiritual experiences? 

How can I become better?