Planted

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

In 1831, as church members from New York state relocated to Kirtland, Ohio, the Lord encouraged them to settle in and treat their new homes as permanent. “Let them act upon this land as for years,” He said, even though He had just indicated that they would only be there “for a little season” (Doctrine and Covenants 51:16-17).

Shortly after, He gave a similar charge to W. W. Phelps. Travel to Missouri, He said, and establish yourself as a printer, “that you may be planted in the land of your inheritance” (Doctrine and Covenants 55:5).

A month later, in Missouri, the Lord instructed Sidney Gilbert to “plant himself in this place, and establish a store,” so that other church members would have the supplies they would need “to plant them in their inheritance.” He reaffirmed that W. W. Phelps should be “planted” there as a printer and encouraged other church members to “be planted in the land of Zion [Missouri], as speedily as can be, with their families” (Doctrine and Covenants 57:8, 11, 14-15).

To be planted sounds more intentional than simply relocating. It conveys a commitment to your new home and an expectation to grow and flourish there. When you are planted, you put down roots, you forge new friendships, and you engage wholeheartedly with your new surroundings. You are all-in, behaving as though you will be there forever.

King Lamoni was impressed with Ammon’s statement of intent as he stood bound and captive after walking into the land of Ishmael. The king asked if Ammon intended to live among his people. Ammon responded:

Yea, I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die.

Alma 17:23

A person who intends to be around for the foreseeable future is more likely to be a good neighbor and a productive contributor. Ammon was immediately hired as a servant to the king.

Elder Stanley G. Ellis once gave the following advice to university students:

How do you handle the temporary stages of life? What if you are going to be here for only a year, two years, or a semester? …

President Boyd K. Packer learned while in the military the blessings that come from unpacking your bag and settling down—whether for days, months, or years. For him, it made the difference between misery and happiness. …

Accept a calling, make friends, get to know the area—be there until you are not. Even here at the Y, if you will only be in your ward this semester, unpack your bag and act “as for years.”

The alternative attitude of a transient is not good. We are only here for a little while, so we won’t make friends or we can’t accept a calling or we shouldn’t settle in. That attitude of being a “floater” will rob you and your family of much joy and satisfaction and that ward or community of the many contributions you could make.

“The Courage to Choose Wisely,” Brigham Young University Devotional Address, 13 March 2012

Today, I will be firmly planted. I will treat my job, my home, and my church assignments as permanent and will engage in them wholeheartedly.