Sun Dublan
Consider The Lilies 

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.

3/6/2003 Webmaster: Troy Bowman