Consider the Lilies of the field, how they grow, they
toil not, neither do they spin, yet I say unto you that Solomon in all
his glory was not arrayed as one of these.
A long time ago during the rainy season, the canal
would run full into the lakes going through our pasture. Just as it
entered our fence the canal ran through a low level place forming a
flood plain, where through the years, it deposited the fertile silt as
it slowed and settled. During the dry time of the year this little
fertile plain would be covered with Lilies. I have never seen that
particular kind of Lily any other place before of since that time. The
soft, fleshy stems and leaves were a dull purple color. The stems were
generally about a half inch thick and grew about two and a half to
three feet tall. The plant was soft and very easily broken but it
produced a big beautiful white flower. The flowers were bell shaped
forming a one piece cup and had nice aroma.
On one occasion my cousin Fahy Robinson and I were
riding down through the little plain while the lilies were in full
bloom in all their glory. Fahy was intrigued with the beautiful blooms
and said that he would like to use those Lilies for decoration for his
upcoming wedding reception. As I remember we used the Lilies
complemented with the tall stems of Yucca flowers that were blooming
at the same time on the ranch. It seems like that I remember those big
white Lilies in a little pool with a mirror simulating the water.
As the channel washed deeper through the flood plain it
finally was no longer flooded. The delicate Lilies disappeared, the
Johnson Grass and the Sunflower seeds that came down in the river
water soon began to grow and became a high jungle in the fertile soil.
The cattle made little trails through this thick high growth. I
remember that in some places the sunflowers were higher than my head
blocking my vision while riding horseback.
We hauled many trailer loads of this fertile soil for
our flower gardens and even used it for seating Adobes in our
buildings. There were no rocks in the soil and we didn't have to
strain it. In digging up the soil we never saw any sign of the bulbs
or roots of those wonderful Lilies. All that remains is the memory of
those lovely delicate plants with their big beautiful unique
blossoms.
About ten years ago Naoma and I were working as
District Presidents up in the Mountains of the Chihuahua Mission. We
had scheduled a branch conference in the little Chapel of the
scattered little branch of "El Terrero De Arisiachic". We left early
Saturday morning and traveled to San Buena Ventura and turned west to
climb up the Emes, over the top and through Zaragoza and the little
towns in those high valleys. After going through Gomez Farías and Peña
Blanca we turned onto the highway that took us through San José de
Babícora and around the southern end of big beautiful Laguna de
Babícora. It was during the rainy season and the lake was nearly full.
It came to the foot of the mountains beneath us and was a blue expanse
extending so far to the north that we could hardly see the dim line of
mountains on the north end of the Lake.
We traveled through beautiful pine forests and over the
high pass and came into the view of the big "Papigochic Basin". What a
view! We could see in the distance the tiny town of La Concha with
it's Poplar Trees standing tall in it's streets. I often wondered if
some Mormon influence had caused Poplar Trees to be planted there. As
far as the eye could see the big valley opened up before us. We would
be traveling the next three hours in this big basin leaving the big
Madera Valley, on the other side of the mountains, behind us to the
west. As we passed through Yepómera we remembered that Ema Beall had
come with us on one occasion to find her Grandparents graves in the
Yepomera cemetery. We drove through Temósachic and Mátachic and on to
Guerrero noticing the many little towns with their expansive orchards
all along the Papigochic River.
By the time we got to Guerrero it was noon and we
stopped to eat a very good "Comida Corrida". From Guerrero we cut
across on a dirt road to hit the highway that goes west from La Junta
to Tomóchic. After climbing out of the Papigochic Basin we traveled
through high mountains following the winding highway to "La
Cieneguita". There were turned of on a one track dirt road toward our
destination.
Just before climbing up to our little chapel on the
hill in El Terrero de Arisiachic, we were going through a little
meadow when Naoma exclaimed, "Look at the beautiful red flowers". We
stopped to get out to see the flowers and found that they were clumps
of delicate red Lilies growing around the edges of the meadows near
the protection of the big rocks. Naoma insisted that she wanted to
take some home to plant so we got out the shovel that we always carry
in the van and began to dig up the bulbs of the beautiful Lilies. When
we had dug up all that we could conveniently dig up we decided we
probably had enough. When we asked the people of the branch what they
called the flowers they said that they called them "Lirios del Campo".
I would translate that into the famous "Lilies of the Field". I have
often wondered if these might be the ones the Savior referred to in
His teaching.
Se we brought the Bulbs home and planted them and we
have been taking these delicate red Lilies to church each year as they
bloom along our driveway. Soon it will be warm enough for them to
start blooming and they will send up a single stock until the
Beautiful Lily will bloom on the end of it. Then the long spear like
leaves will begin to come up. I have never ceased to marvel at this
one time appearance of this lovely Lily each year from each little
bulb. The bulbs have slowly multiplied to fill the row along the
driveway.
Now that we have considered the Lilies let us consider
the purpose of the Master Teacher in using them to teach His Apostles
on two occasions. Surely he did not mean to give them license to think
that he meant to take no thought for the morrow in the way that he
always condemned, that of "eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we
die". He was beautifully making his point of SEEKING FIRST THE KINGDOM
OF HEAVEN AND THEN ALL THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU. After serving
the Lord first we can obtain riches if we seek them to do good and
build His kingdom.
The Lord knows that we too often worry about our
security and spend all our energy and thought and time to accumulate
this worlds goods. He explained these beautiful comparisons of the
Creations to emphasize the power of our Heavenly Father to take care
of his creations and show that we can depend on Him to take care of us
and trust in Him if we seek first to do His will and do many good
things of our own free will.
In considering the Lilies we find that they don't toil
or spin but they definitely are constantly about "The Fathers
Business" which is to fill the measure of their creation. They were
created to bring forth their Lovely blooms each year, to please the
eye and gladden the heart, and to multiply and replenish the earth in
their own sphere by bringing forth their bulbs and seeds. May we learn
the lesson of the Lilies and fulfill the measure of our creation and
live up to the mission that the Lord has given each of us, His
children.