The Parable of the Mango Tree

While serving in Vava'u Elder Heimuli would get up at 4:30 a.m. to pick mangos from his farm so he could have some before the kids knocked them all down for themselves. You see, mangos are a delicious, highly desirable fruit on these islands. Yummy! Mango trees are huge with the fruit in the tops of the trees, and both adults and kids often throw rocks and sticks to knock down the mangos for eating. The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ can be likened to the Mango tree bearing fruit. Some people pick the fruit and are nourished by it and others throw rocks and sticks to knock the fruit down, but the tree of life itself continues to flourish. The islands here lost a huge crop of mangoes to Cyclone Rene, and the trees took a beating from the high winds. They showed stress for a few days but within a few weeks the battered leaves turned green. New leaves sprouted and the tree put on its best smile again. [See any mangoes?]