The Apple Story

I wanted to share a conversation I had with Prez Walker. The conversation started at the end of 1997 during what was becoming a regular chastening shortly after I had, once again, upset either a companion or leader with some overzealous behavior in regards to the process I took towards baptizing. After a short but heated exchange of opinions, very frustrated, I asked Prez if I should just give up, slow down, and/or take it easy in an effort to avoid offending anyone else. In Prez’s typical and almost mischievous way, he leaned back in his chair, put his hands behind his head, and said, “Ruggles, let me tell you a short story.”

He proceeded to tell me about a young man who was charged with preparing sliced apples. This young man was eager to impress his employer but was surprised when all he was given was a hammer. As the young man did his best with what he was given, he reluctantly went to present what were hardly sliced apples. After leaving the apples with his employer, he was soon given a dull machete. The young man quickly took advantage of his new tool preparing what were much better looking sliced apples. Each time the young man returned with his apples, he was given a better tool until he eventually was given a paring knife. By this time, the young man could not only prepare finely cut apples, but many more apples in the time it used to take.

After telling the story, Prez looked at me and asked, “What would have happened if the young man refused to present the apples he had prepared with the hammer until they looked like they were cut with a paring knife?” I responded that the young man would have wasted a lot of apples and he would have never felt like he could have presented the apples because no matter how hard he tried, he would not have been able to make the apples appear as if they had been cut by a paring knife and would have thought himself a failure. Prez then looked at me and said that he didn’t want me to not slice apples or even slice less. He told me that after each month that I presented to the Lord what I had prepared, that I should make sure to start next month with better tools and skills to not only improve upon what I presented, but how many as well. Prez then looked at me and said, “Ruggles, don’t be afraid by the mess that may surround you until you learn to prepare perfectly sliced apples.”

That was the last time I ever looked back concerning myself with whether or not I should “take it easy” until I figured out how to become a better missionary. I learned that it is the process of constantly refining myself that truly leads me to becoming what the Lord wants me to be. I’ve held on to that story as it has served me well over the years in reminding me that when I fear the “collateral damage” of the process it takes to be better at something, I am only fearing myself and therefore aligning myself with the self doubt that our adversary works hard to promote.

To my surprise, while I was with a group of former missionaries at the ten year reunion, Prez started that story again. This time instead of apples he used watermelons, and instead of expounding on the watermelons, Prez paralleled an even better example. Prez made reference to the pioneers that traveled across the country to Utah. Initially, there were several deaths along the trail towards Salt Lake and many doubted whether or not it was worth the risk. Many of the first pioneers who crossed the plains did not follow what they viewed as important instructions and died because of it. As the leaders of the church continued to encourage the journey, members paid better attention to the prophet’s instructions and soon the journeys across the plains resulted in no deaths at all. The instructions never changed, just the members following them with perfect obedience! Prez pointed out, interestingly, the church didn’t slow the number of members across the plains because of the tragedies that initially took place. Similarly, we as missionaries were told what to do but until we followed the instructions with exactness, we couldn’t reach our full potential.


Obviously the three years Prez was in Chile were very similar in process to both the apple and pioneer stories. Likewise, a good number of us Westies share the same progression. How many of us felt that it would have been better to stop or slow down our methods until we were better at it? The one time I slowed down, because I was afraid of a mess I had created the previous month, was one of the darkest times of my mission. I soon realized that the feelings that consumed me were not of the Spirit. After a reflective, “De donde vienen estos sentimientos?” self evaluation, I quickly went back to what let me feel the Spirit. Soon I began working with that paring knife and took part in building God’s kingdom in ways I had only read about.

While I return home from celebrating Prez coming home ten years ago I feel overwhelmed with gratitude that the Lord saw fit to allow me to be part of something so special and sacred. May we all take to heart what could be in our wards and stakes. Let’s remember that the best way to retain is through the waters of baptism! Retain does not mean retard. We are not to slow the work of the Lord because of our limited mortal perspective. As I have studied this topic off and on, I found a couple scriptures and notes that I wanted to share to end my soapbox. Thank you for all the friendships. I’m forever grateful. The scriptures and notes are as follows:

Hebrews 5:8, “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.”

JST Hebrews 11:40 “God having provided some better things for them through their sufferings, for without their sufferings they could not be made perfect.”

Alma 32:16, “blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe.”
St John 20:29, “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

Moses 5:6, “And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.”