Talk Preparation Guide for "Fruit to Make One Happy"

Elder Gary E. Stevenson uses the fruit in Lehi’s vision to illustrate the joy available through Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. Speaking especially to Primary children, he highlights three gospel blessings: our identity as children of Heavenly Father, the great plan of happiness through Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. He invites everyone to help others receive these blessings through loving, sharing, and inviting. As you prepare your sacrament meeting talk, consider which principle best meets your congregation’s needs, and select scriptures and personal experiences that help listeners draw closer to the Savior. Before reading, consider these preview questions: What makes gospel truths become sweet to us? How does knowing our divine identity influence our treatment of others? How does Jesus Christ offer hope during grief or discouragement? How does the Holy Ghost bless our daily lives? Whom can we invite to experience the joy of the gospel?

Topics

Experience Gospel Joy by Living Its Truths

Elder Stevenson compares living gospel truths to tasting delicious fruit. Lehi’s vision teaches that God’s love and the blessings of Jesus Christ’s Atonement bring profound joy. Gospel teachings become personally meaningful as we put them into practice.

The tree stands for the love of God, including the greatest manifestations of that love: the birth, life, and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

The fruit symbolizes blessings received through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, including ordinances, covenants, and truths of the restored gospel and ultimately eternal life.

They become sweet to us as we live them, bringing us happiness and joy.

Key Points:

Lehi’s vision provides a framework for understanding the joy of the gospel.
The love of God finds its greatest manifestations in Jesus Christ’s birth, life, and atoning sacrifice.
The fruit represents blessings available through the Savior, including ordinances, covenants, gospel truths, and eternal life.
Learning gospel truths prepares us to receive their blessings, but living those truths helps us experience their sweetness.

Experiences:

What experience shows you the difference between knowing a gospel principle and living it?
Which ordinance or covenant brings you closer to Jesus Christ, and how do you describe that blessing?
What familiar experience with fruit helps you explain gospel joy to children in the congregation?
When do you find joy through gospel living even while facing difficult circumstances?

Recognize Your Identity as a Child of God

Elder Stevenson teaches that being a child of a loving Heavenly Father is our most important identity. This knowledge strengthens us and encourages kindness toward others as our brothers and sisters. He also emphasizes that children have purpose, talents, and spiritual gifts that contribute to God’s work.

Heavenly Father knows us personally. This is your most important identity.

This knowledge also makes us kinder to others, knowing that everyone around us is our brother or sister.

You can help to make your homes, your communities, and even the world better.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

Key Points:

We live with Heavenly Father before coming to earth, and He knows and loves us personally.
Our identity as God’s children matters more than other labels or descriptions.
Heavenly Father gives us bodies, abilities, and spiritual gifts to develop and use to bless others.
Recognizing everyone as a child of God encourages kindness and respect.
Children contribute meaningfully to the Lord’s work and can invite the Spirit through their testimonies and songs.
The account of a child singing “I Am a Child of God” illustrates how this truth brings comfort during hardship.

Experiences:

What experience helps you recognize that Heavenly Father knows and loves you personally?
How does remembering that someone is a child of God change your response to that person?
What example shows a child strengthening your home, ward, or community through faith or service?
How does a Primary song help you or someone you love feel comfort during a difficult time?

Find Hope Through Jesus Christ’s Plan of Happiness

Elder Stevenson places the Atonement of Jesus Christ at the center of God’s great plan of happiness. His account of ministering to a grieving Buddhist priest illustrates the hope that knowledge of the spirit world offers. Through the Savior, we can repent, receive forgiveness, and continue progressing.

We witnessed a miraculous transformation: peace for despair, joy for sadness, hope for ashes.

The Book of Mormon calls this “the great plan of happiness.” Central to this plan is the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

This is why Jesus Christ is the strength of youth.

Key Points:

God’s plan offers understanding and hope concerning life after death.
The Savior’s Atonement is central to the great plan of happiness.
Jesus Christ makes joy possible both in this life and forever.
Mistakes and discouragement do not end our opportunity to progress; through Jesus Christ, we can repent and receive forgiveness.
Compassionate ministering creates opportunities to share gospel truths that comfort those who grieve.

Experiences:

How does knowledge of God’s plan help you face grief or uncertainty about death?
What experience illustrates the hope you find in Jesus Christ when you feel discouraged?
How does repentance help you experience forgiveness and renewed confidence in the Savior?
What example of compassionate ministering helps you explain how gospel truth and personal care work together?

Receive Guidance and Comfort from the Holy Ghost

Elder Stevenson identifies the gift of the Holy Ghost as another precious fruit of the gospel. This gift comes through confirmation by the laying on of hands following baptism. The Holy Ghost warns, comforts, and testifies of truth, including the reality of Heavenly Father’s love.

Finally, a most delicious fruit for Latter-day Saints is the gift of the Holy Ghost, His constant companionship.

His very important roles include to warn, to comfort, and to testify.

I know my Father lives and loves me too. The Spirit whispers this to me and tells me it is true, and tells me it is true.

Key Points:

The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead and a personage of Spirit.
Following baptism, members receive the gift of the Holy Ghost through confirmation by the laying on of hands.
This blessing is available both to children who are baptized at age eight and to converts who join the Church.
The Holy Ghost warns us, comforts us, and testifies of truth.
Simple songs can help children recognize and express truths confirmed by the Spirit.

Experiences:

What experience helps you recognize the Holy Ghost’s comfort during uncertainty or sorrow?
How does a spiritual prompting guide you toward a helpful action or away from danger?
What memory of baptism or confirmation helps you appreciate the gift of the Holy Ghost?
How does the Spirit strengthen your testimony of Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ?

Help Others Partake by Loving, Sharing, and Inviting

Elder Stevenson connects Lehi’s desire to share the fruit with his family to our opportunities to bless loved ones. He invites us to love, share, and invite through both words and actions. He promises greater joy as others also receive the blessings of the gospel.

It filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also.

Similarly, consider how your family, friends, and loved ones will be blessed to partake of the fruit that blesses you.

I invite you to do something that is as simple as gospel fruit is delicious: love, share, and invite. Do this with words and actions.

As you do so, I promise that you will not only feel joy and happiness that comes as you partake of fruit of the gospel but even greater joy as loved ones around you partake as well.

Key Points:

Experiencing gospel joy naturally encourages a desire to share it with others.
Family members, friends, and other loved ones can benefit from the gospel blessings we treasure.
Loving, sharing, and inviting involve actions as well as words.
Elder Stevenson promises increased joy as those around us also partake of gospel blessings.
His concluding testimony centers on the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and on Jesus Christ as Savior and Redeemer.

Experiences:

What experience shows you the joy of sharing a gospel blessing with someone you love?
How does an invitation from another person help you draw closer to Jesus Christ?
What simple act of love gives you an opportunity to share your faith naturally?
Who comes to mind as you consider a kind, personal invitation to experience a gospel blessing?