Breaking Up the Fallow Ground: Preparing Our Hearts for the Harvest

Brothers and sisters, if you’ve ever felt like you’re trying to plant something good—a new habit, a commitment to scripture study, a deeper understanding of the Plan of Salvation—but it just seems to fall flat, like the seed hits hard, compacted earth, you know the feeling. It’s discouraging. You put in the effort, you water the seed, but nothing seems to take root. It feels like the ground itself is resistant.

I was recently pondering this concept, remembering talks about the progress we make in our discipleship journey. We talk so much about *sowing*—sowing seeds of righteousness, sowing time in the temple, sowing kindness in our daily interactions. And that’s vital. But what about the ground itself? What if the soil isn't ready to receive the seed?

The prophet Hosea speaks powerfully to this, reminding us that we are all, in a spiritual sense, farmers. We all sow, and we all reap. But the key insight, the one that really stopped me in my tracks, is the instruction: “break up your fallow ground.”

What is this 'Fallow Ground' in our lives?

When we read about fallow ground, we think of land left untouched, hard, and resistant to plowing. Spiritually, it speaks to the parts of our hearts—or even our communities—that have become hardened, resistant to the word of the Lord. It’s not necessarily a place of active sin, but a place of spiritual complacency, where the word of God, however pure, seems to have little effect. It’s tough to break up, and it resists the plow.

But the good news, the gospel miracle, is that we don't have to tackle this alone. Hosea tells us *how* to break it up: “for it is time to seek the Lord.”

The Work: Seeking Until the Blessing is Evident

This isn't a one-time event; it's a process. It’s the sustained effort of seeking Him. Think about it: breaking up fallow ground is difficult work. It takes effort, it takes the plow, and it can feel exhausting. But the promise is that we must stay with it—we must keep seeking Him—until the blessing of God is evident. We must keep working at softening that hard ground.

This is a powerful principle for us as rogue disciples. We are called to be internet missionaries, disciples anywhere, all the time. Sometimes, sharing the gospel feels like trying to plant seeds in fallow ground—you talk to an investigator, you share a testimony, and it seems to bounce off their defenses. It feels unproductive. Don't let that stop you. Keep seeking the Lord with your investigator, keep studying the scriptures with your ward family, keep showing up to the temple. Keep plowing.

A Little Prep Skill for Our Discipleship

If you’re feeling spiritually stuck this week, I challenge you to focus on *seeking*. Don't just read a chapter; *seek* the Lord's guidance on what that chapter means for your current challenge. Ask the Spirit, "What does this scripture reveal about the ground I need to prepare in my life right now?" This mindful seeking is the plow.

Remember, the harvest—the mercy, the understanding, the conversion—is coming. We just have to keep tending the soil. Don't get discouraged by the resistance; use it as a reminder that the Lord is calling you to a deeper, more profound work of preparation.

If you want to continue digging into these deeper principles, I highly recommend checking out the latest insights on the Book of Mormon in LivingBook. Sometimes a focused Bible Study Group or a deep dive into a Book Club topic can help soften the ground for us all. Let’s keep pressing forward together!