Alma described the process of growth from desire, to belief, to faith, to knowledge. One of the favorite teaching techniques of ancient scripture writers was to compare something in nature to something in the human experience. The prophets and the Savior, the Master Teacher, did that often.
Alma compared the word of God to a seed that is planted in our hearts. The good seed (the good word, or the good Word—the Savior) begins to enlarge our soul and enlighten our understanding and begins to be delicious. The good seed can swell and sprout and eventually develop into a full-grown tree, which bears fruit. There is no end to the tree’s capacity; it continues to produce seeds, which in turn produce more fruit, and so on. There is a clear hint in all of this of our own eternal potential: everlasting life consists of producing seed forever, that is, continually regenerating. Each of us is like a tree of life, with the capacity and potential to bear seed and produce fruit forever (the “continuation of the seeds forever and ever”; D&C 132:19). “There is no end to matter; there is no end to space; there is no end to spirit; there is no end to race.”10
Young missionaries are called to serve, and many of them begin with barely a seed of faith and knowledge. They arrive at a missionary training center, where the Spirit is abundant and seeds become plentiful, and “Miracle Growth” is poured on those seeds which sprout. Throughout their missions their trees will grow, becoming more and more productive, and the missionaries partake of the fruit of their labors. If they nourish their trees with great care—with prayer, scripture study, and service—the trees will sink deep roots and become stable and solid. If they neglect their trees and will not nourish them—that is, they are not obedient and faithful in mighty prayer, scripture study, and dedicated service—the trees will not develop deep roots and will wither away. Some Church members, even returned missionaries, get a good tree growing, even an impressive tree, and then for various reasons stop nourishing it; the tree becomes dormant, or inactive, and unproductive. That makes it good for nothing but to be cut down and cast out. All this can happen, not because the seed itself was not good but because the ground is barren (compare the parable of the four kinds of soil in Matthew 13:3–8, especially v. 5). If they will not continue to nourish the tree, fruit is impossible. If we refuse to pray, study, obey, work hard, and love our companion (mission or marriage) and other people, too, we will bear no fruit here or in eternity. If we refuse to nourish the word, we can never taste of the fruit of the tree of life.
So Alma encouraged us to experiment with the word, and the Savior is the Word. Isaiah 11:1 speaks of new shoots out of the root; we are new shoots out of the Root. He is our nourishment. With him we can also sink deep roots and become firm and steadfast. The secret is constant nourishment.