Stake Conference

The Oak Tree

by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr

A mighty wind blew night and day It stole the oak tree's leaves away Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark Until the oak was tired and stark But still the oak tree held its ground While other trees fell all around The weary wind gave up and spoke. How can you still be standing Oak? The oak tree said, I know that you Can break each branch of mine in two Carry every leaf away Shake my limbs, and make me sway But I have roots stretched in the earth Growing stronger since my birth You'll never touch them, for you see They are the deepest part of me Until today, I wasn't sure Of just how much I could endure But now I've found, with thanks to you I'm stronger than I ever knew The mission Pres. for the Long Beach Mission shared this poem in the adult meeting for Stake Conference. I was so moved that I tried to find it online. After several attempts, here it is. I love to draw and as he read this poem I imagined a drawing of a tree, leaves scattered around it, with fallen branches and fallen trees in the background. Just a few sticks remain as branches, roots can be seen not quite above the ground and a network of roots reaching deep. The wind swirling around with high dark clouds.