Alma produced an unforgettable and very inspiring analogy. “Now, we will compare the word unto a seed” (Alma 32:4), in which the term, the word refers to the word of the Lord, the Gospel, or as people call it today, the Good Word. Ultimately, the elements in this “word” will be defined more specifically in Alma 33:22.
But verse 27 is a very important part of the beginning of this process. Alma explained that “even if ye can no more than desire to believe” the seed would begin to swell and then sprout, and as it grows, you will know that it was a good seed. Metaphorically, securely planting the message of the Gospel in our hearts, giving it room, not crowding it out, is the first step to growing our testimony.
What is “the seed”? In the musical, The Fantastics, there is a song called Plant a Radish. The lyrics say, “Plant a radish, Get a radish” and “Plant a carrot, Get a carrot.” If we do not plant the right seed, we are not going to get the results that Alma is talking about. The word is the truth of the Gospel and is represented by this seed. This is a big seed with many smaller parts. If you want to know the truth of the principle of tithing, you plant the tithing seed and it will grow. But if you want eternal life, you have to plant the seed of eternal life and then gain a testimony of that.
Alma teaches that obtaining a testimony is an experiential matter. To some philosophers, empirical knowledge is the only knowledge, the kind that you can measure or you can scientifically replicate. As has often been said, experiencing the word of God is something like tasting a strawberry. We can taste a strawberry, and distinguish it from other edibles, but it is impossible to describe the taste to someone who has never tasted one. Alma probably knew that these people had not yet tasted the word. They had come from a society that was anti-Christ, which had impeded their ability to gain spiritual experiences. So, Alma invited them to partake, and he was trying to communicate all the wonderful benefits of feasting on the word. However, since explaining a testimony is inadequate to one who has never experienced it, this metaphor helped to at least explain the steps one must go through to gain the effect for themselves. Follow the steps: Planting, nourishing, giving it care, giving it room, and giving it light. Do those and the spirit will grow and this seed will thrive.