JESUS CHRIST IS THE OLIVE TREE, THE LIVING SYMBOL OF PEACE IN OUR LIVES!

This week was amazing! My companion and I saw the blessings that come with giving our all and working hard! Many miracles poured upon us as we saw eager people willing to establish a connection with our Heavenly Father. I can see in this area that so many will be rescued and come back to his fold and many will enter the waters.

In my study in Jacob 5, I saw the olive tree and learned so much about it. How its symbolism throughout history has proved to be of great importance- being a symbol of the house of Israel and associated with peace.  I learned as I read in Genesis 8:11, when the dove returns to Noah's ark and in her mouth she had a leaf of the olive tree as a symbol that God once more was in peace with the earth. It made me realize we are all descendants of the roots that our ancestors planted. Be they good or bad, we all have the duty to look at the way our tree is growing and to make a choice, like in Jacob, and think... do we leave the bad branches in hope that they will one day change and bring forth fruit or act and cut them off so they wont corrupt the good fruit that we have already nurtured? This made me think a lot about our youth and how they are those fruits. I know that we have amazing kids but they are facing so many temptations in this life and its up to us to cut those bad things. I've seen the marvelous things that the gospel can do for them, for my bad branches have been cut off, and now I can really see the good fruit that I am getting here! I advise all the youth to keep on going strong, let nothing stop your goals and may you strive to serve the Lord with all your strength all your life for JESUS CHRIST IS THE OLIVE TREE, THE LIVING SYMBOL OF PEACE IN OUR LIVES AND THE SAVIOR OF ALL WHO WILLINGLY APPLY HIS ATONEMENT IN THEIR LIVES!

Elder Blanco