Discussion Ideas and Questions for "Fruit" by Elder Neil L. Andersen
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I love a speaker who understands what it’s like at the end of General Conference and tries to make their talk not only full of spiritual goodness but engaging before we all tire out. “Fruit” by Elder Neil L. Andersen in the October 2019 General Conference has great imagery of delicious fruit. The question is, how will we make feasting on the fruit of the tree life a daily habit?
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Questions to Ponder
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What does it mean to gather fruits unto life eternal?
The account of Lehi describes being surrounded by a “dark and dreary wilderness.” How do you feel the current world environment compares to that statement? In what ways?
What are the eternal blessings symbolized by the tree at the end of the path?
How do those laughing and mocking limit you or distract you from your eternal purposes?
What tools does the adversary use to cause you to doubt your faith and to pull you away from our Heavenly Father?
Does the adversary work by just one big thing or lots of little things in your life to distract you?
What steps can you take to strengthen your efforts in guarding against the adversary?
As you ponder the faith of Jason Hall, what hard times and mistakes in your life or the life of a loved one have led to deeper understanding and faith in Christ?
How can you help your loved ones who have wandered from the path return?
How can focusing on the Plan of Salvation bring joy to your life?
Discussion Ideas
Begin by asking someone to draw the basics of Lehi’s dream (seriously, just the basics) on the board. In this depiction, what is the tree of life? After recognizing it is the love of God, ask them what comes after the tree of life? Meaning, when do we partake of the fruit in our lives? Elder Andersen’s mentions how we should be feasting on the fruit of the tree of life now. Continue the path of the tree of life a little (you can have it lead to the temple or heaven). How does understanding that the tree of life isn’t just a final destination we reach at the end of our life help you see this dream differently? How often might we come and go from the tree in this life? How does it help to understand that there is always a way back to the tree? What can help us not wander away?
Bring some fruit of course! Make a big basket full of delicious fruit. Ask who wants a banana, orange, etc. and pass them out (assuming there are no allergies). Ask people what their favorite fruit is. Then invite them to ponder what the fruit of the tree of life might taste like. How can we know?
What does it mean to “be on guard”? How do we do that in our families and as individuals? What things can help? How can we help each other? (You can totally tie in the armour of God here too)
Hand out pieces of fruit to people in your class before it starts. Then ask those with fruit to come put it in the basket and give an example of how we can gather fruit today (you may want to warn them so they have time to think).
Hang my coloring page up on the board and discuss how the armour of God can help us feast on the fruit.
