“The scriptures teach us to thrust in our sickle with all our might (see D&C 4:4). I used a sickle constantly on our farm. For me, I learned it wasn’t enough to only swing a sickle hard. The sickle also had to be sharp in order to cut. If it was dull, I’d spend a lot of effort swinging it without much success.
“On the farm, we kept a file on hand to sharpen our sickle every day. In missionary work and indeed in all areas of life, we need to keep our spiritual sickles sharp so that we can achieve our own best potential. Reading scriptures daily, praying, and keeping all other commandments help us stay sharp and useful” (“Abandoned Seeds in Rocky Places,” New Era, July 2014, Kevin R. Duncan)