"I wasn't there for the weeds"

Well, today I finally finished reading Mormon Scientist: The Life and Faith of Henry Eyring. Sister Gruwell purchased it for me as a gift on one of her visits out here this past summer. The book is about the life of renowned scientist Henry Eyring. Written by his grandson, Henry J. Eyring, Mormon Scientist explores Henry's contributions to science and religion, his family heritage, and his paradoxical way of thinking.

Today I was reading the last of four parts in the book entitled "Testament." I was really impressed of a story told by his son, Elder Henry B. Eyring of the Quorum of the 12. I've been thinking about it frequently today. President Eyring relates an account of his dad serving one last time, right before his death, on the local church welfare farm. Henry Eyring was pretty ill in his last year alive. He was the senior high counselor in his stake, and he had the responsibility for the welfare farm. An assignment was given to weed a field of onions, so he assigned himself to go work on the farm.

President Eyring said of his father, "He never told me how hard it was, but I have met several people who were with him that day. I talked to one of them on the phone, and he said that he was weeding in the row next to Dad through much of the day. He told me the same thing that others who were there have told me. He said that the pain was so great that Dad was pulling himself along on his stomach with his elbows. He couldn't kneel. Everyone who has talked to me about that day has remarked how Dad smiled and laughed and talked happily with them as they worked in the field of onions."

Now this is the joke that Henry Eyring told to his son afterwards. He said he was there at the end of the day. After all the work was finished and the onions were all weeded, someone said to him, "Henry, good heavens! You didn't pull those weeds, did you? Those weeds were sprayed two days ago, and they were going to die anyway." President Eyring retells how his father roared. He thought it was the funniest thing. He thought it was a great joke on himself. He had worked through the day on the wrong weeds. They were sprayed and would have died anyways. President Eyring said, "When Dad told me this story, I knew how tough it was. So I asked him, 'Dad, how could you make a joke out of that? How could you take it so pleasantly? He said something to me that I will never forget, and I hope you won't. He said, 'Hal, I wasn't there for the weeds.'"

Having recounted the story, President Eyring drew from it this moral: "Now, you'll be in an onion patch much of your life. So will I. It will be hard to see the powers of Heaven magnifying us in our efforts. It may even be hard to see our work being of any value at all. And sometimes our work won't go well. . . But you didn't come for the weeds. You came for the Savior. And if you pray, and if you choose to be clean, and if you follow God's servants, you will be able to work and wait long enough to bring down the powers of Heaven."

I just loved this story. It made me realize what really is important in life. It also made me realize that some of the stuff that I am engaged in daily will not be important in the long scheme of things. Sometimes we have to do as Henry Eyring did and just laugh off some situations and just remember that "we're not here for the weeds."