Fields and Trees

Experiencing beauty and sweetness greater than they had ever before tasted…

Forty six years ago, my family vacationed in Maui. I’ve previously spoken of the palm tree I then leaned against with guitar in hand and hastily started a corny song, “Mr. Palm Tree.” It was in a beautiful grassy park behind the Maui Sunset Resort in Kihei, where we had stayed. We have visited the tree many times in recent years. Today, in 2026 the song still isn’t finished. But, this week, a Sea Almond tree in that same spacious field, called us back. But first a story about fields and trees.

Palm and Sea Almond Tree

Once a prophet dreamed that he was traveling through a dark and dreary wilderness. A man dressed in a white robe appeared before him and invited him to follow. They traveled for many hours through darkness. Upon praying for mercy he beheld a large and spacious field. He beheld a tree whose fruit could make one happy. He partook of the fruit. It was sweeter than anything he had ever tasted. It filled his soul with exceedingly great joy. The prophet was Lehi. The tree represented the love of God. After tasting the fruit he looked for those he loved and invited them to come and partake. (Ref. Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 8)

I’ve often thought that life is much like Lehi’s dream. 

We met a man recently whose life could be characterized by a man walking for hours in a dark and dreary wilderness. He is a sincere man, but mostly without friends and family, hungry for nourishment of all kinds. We and others are providing what help we can. Unable to attend our support meeting because of a schedule conflict, he called and asked if we could give him a ride to an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) support meeting. We gladly agreed. The meeting was under the Sea Almond tree, only a frisbee-throw away from Mr. Palm Tree. For Sister Hardman and me, this was the first time we attended an AA meeting. 

Amidst the wind and shade we sat among a large circle of beach chairs as support for our friend, and as participants. On that day the focus was AA Step 11, “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” A few persons present were asked to recite the reading material. Then in the breeze the group was silent for meditation, followed by a respectful time of individual sharing. 

Like our own ARP meetings, we were among persons early in their recovery, and some who have been sober for months and years. They attributed their progress to ‘their higher power.’ Also similar to our ARP experience we felt no judgement or criticism, only love and compassion for all present. For some, their wilderness was still somewhat dark, for others their prayers, pleas for mercy, and the beckoning light was transforming their wilderness into a field with a beautiful tree of life and the love of God. They were experiencing beauty and sweetness greater than they had ever before tasted. As the meeting concluded, we all stood and joined hands in a circle almost as big as the Sea Almond tree’s shadow, prayed, and departed with mutual encouragement. We are grateful for the help our friend received that day, and for the help all experience when they pray and let God help them.

Perhaps someday I’ll finish, Mr. Palm Tree, not as a simplistic song about the paradise features of the land and sea, but perhaps as a tribute to the people, the locals and the guests, the dark and the light.

Haleakala Summit

In addition to our ARP service, we love serving the members of our Kahului 1st Ward, the youth and the adults. For a stake wide youth conference, we helped prepare large images of the Savior for their Christ Walk activity. The next day in our Sunday School class many of the youth acknowledged the Christ Walk as their favorite, most meaningful part of the conference. We took time this past week to ascend Haleakala and bask in the panoramic view of the horizon including the massive erosion crater to the east, the ‘big’ island of Hawaii peaks to the south, the valley and distant mountains of Maui to the west, and the cloud lined ocean to the north. On another day we traversed the Road to Hana and hiked the National Park beautiful Pipiwai Trail through the bamboo forest to the base of a waterfall so tall that it exceeds the limits of my backward tilting neck. We attend and support YSA and Spanish branch activities.

400-foot Waimoku Falls

Approaching our final two weeks before we return home to Utah, we will spend a couple days on the Big Island and then return Saturday for an activity which the ward is calling the Hardman Hoedown. Till next time, and till we see you again.

‘Ohe’o Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools)

Love, Elder and Sister Hardman