My favorite time of the year is the first two weeks of each season. Is it better than the first flower, the first falling leaf, or the first snowflake?
I love the Bradford pear trees that bloom all over Salt Lake City. Sure, it smells like rotten fish, but smelling this scent always brings back nostalgia and happy memories of spring holidays gone by.
I noticed that the delicate white flowers were completely missing from the tree. I’m sad that I won’t be able to meet my friends until next spring.
But I also recognize the beauty of Heavenly Father’s plan through the changes in the weather.
Our infinitely loving God teaches us that every season has its time. This beautiful world is divine proof that we should never stop at any stage of life.
Yes, we’ve tasted winter snowflakes and hot chocolate, but now let’s welcome the return of spring. And indeed, we will soon leave the tulips in full bloom behind, but we will rejoice in the warmth of summer.
There are moments to cherish now as the seasons teach us, but even better moments to embrace moving forward.
There are moments to cherish now as the seasons teach us, but even better moments to embrace moving forward.
It appears that the author of Ecclesiastes was well aware of this. In chapter 3, verses 1 to 7, we read:
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
“There is a time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.
“There is a time to kill, a time to heal, a time to tear down, and a time to build.
“There is a time to cry, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
“There is a time to throw away stones, a time to gather stones, a time to embrace each other, and a time not to hug.
“There is a time to gain, a time to lose, a time to protect, and a time to throw away.
“There is a time to tear, a time to sew, a time to be silent, and a time to speak.”
This simplicity of seasonal separation gets lost in the busyness of daily life. Maybe we’re afraid to let go of past grudges or worry about future life decisions. But when we trust in His plan, He shows us that there is a time and place for all seasons, past, present, and future.
In April 2026 general conference, President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, testified that constant prayer through life’s circumstances brings the peace of the Lord and constant support.
“Praying without ceasing in times of joy, pain and sorrow will always be rewarded according to God’s will and perfect timing,” he said.
We may allow past mistakes, sins, regrets, and anguish to hold us back from our past seasons. But the Savior’s hopeful example shows us how to move forward into the new season.
Emily Bell Freeman, Young Women general president, also spoke at the April 2026 conference. “Jesus Christ knows all the best days and the worst days: the suffering so great that an angel was sent to strengthen him, the betrayal of a close friend, the cross of Calvary.
“But his story also includes the garden, the rolled stone, and the empty tomb. Because of him, no matter how bad things are right now, your best days are ahead. Jesus Christ is our strength.”
I remember a winter a few years ago that seemed to last forever.
On a particularly snowy day, I looked directly at nature and gently said, “It’s okay, just leave it alone. We had a season in winter, but it’s over. It’s okay to move on and bloom. We need you in spring.”
After a few weeks, I felt terrible about the mistake I had made at work and felt like a failure beyond measure. Then you looked out the window and what did you see? Once barren trees are now blooming in all their spring glory.
It was as if the trees were trying to tell me something. “It’s okay, just leave me alone. We had a season in winter, but it’s over. It’s okay to move on and bloom. We need you in the spring.”
Our loving God, the God who causes the trees to bloom, the leaves to fall, and the breeze to guide the snowflakes, does indeed ordain a new season for our own growth.
Because of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, I know that no matter how cold our winters are, we can move on to warmer seasons.
— Joel Randall is a reporter for Church News.
