I love this story around Christmas time. It gives us a chance to truly reflect on all that our Savior did for us. It's called
The Three Trees:
"Once upon a time, three little trees stood in a forest high on a mountain, dreaming of what they would be when they were grown.
The first little tree looked up at the stars twinkling like diamonds in the night sky. “I want to hold treasure,” it said. “I want to be filled with gold and decorated with jewels. I will be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!”
The second little tree looked down the mountainside at the ocean far below. “I want to be a strong sailing ship,” it said. “I want to travel mighty waters and carry powerful kings. I will be the strongest ship in the world!”
The third little tree said, “I don’t want to leave this mountaintop at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me their eyes will raise up to heaven, and they will think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world!”
Years passed, and the trees grew. And then one day, three woodcutters climbed the mountain.
One woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, “This tree is beautiful! It is perfect for me.” With a dozen swoops of his axe, the first tree fell.
“Now I shall be made into a beautiful treasure chest,” thought the first tree. “I shall hold marvelous treasures!”
Another woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, “This tree is strong! It is perfect for me.” With a dozen swoops of his axe, the second tree fell.
“Now I shall sail mighty waters,” thought the second tree. “I shall be made into a strong ship fit for powerful kings!”
The third tree felt its heart sink as the last woodcutter approached. It stood straight and tall and pointed bravely towards heaven. But the last woodcutter never even looked up. “Any kind of tree will do for me,” he muttered. With a dozen swoops of his axe, the third tree fell.
The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter took it to a carpenter’s shop. But the carpenter was not thinking about treasure chests. Instead, he cut and carved the tree into a simple feedbox. The once-beautiful tree was not filled with gold or decorated with jewels. It was covered with dust, and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.
The second tree rejoiced when the wookcutter took it to a shipyard. But the shipbuilder was not thinking about mighty sailing ships. Instead, he hammered and sawed the tree into a simple fishing boat. The once-strong tree was too weak to sail the ocean. It was taken to a little lake, where every day it carried loads of dead, smelly fish.
The third tree was confused when the woodcutter took it to a lumberyard, where it was cut into strong beams and then left alone. “What happened?” the once-tall tree wondered. “All I ever wanted to do was stay on the mountaintop, grow tall, and make people think of God.”
Years passed, and the three trees nearly forgot their dreams.
But then one still and silent night, golden starlight poured over the first tree, as a young woman placed a newborn baby into the feedbox.
“I wish I could make a cradle for him,” her husband whispered.
The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the clean and shining wood. “This manger is beautiful,” she said. And suddenly the first tree knew it was holding the greatest treasure in the world.
And then one humid and cloudy day, a tired traveller and his friends crowded into the small fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree sailed quietly out into the lake. But a thundering storm arose, and the second tree shuddered, knowing that it did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the fierce wind and rain.
The tired traveler awoke. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said with a strong voice, “Peace, be still.” The storm stopped as quickly as it had began. And suddenly the second tree knew it was carrying the King of heaven and earth.
And then one terrible Friday morning, the third tree was startled as its beams were yanked from the old lumberyard. It flinched as it was was carried through an angry, jeering, spitting crowd. It shuddered when soldiers nailed a man’s hands and feet to her. It groaned as the man cried out in agony and died. It felt ugly and harsh and cruel.
But at dawn the next Sunday, on the first Easter morning, the earth trembled with joy beneath the third tree, and it knew that God’s love had changed everything.
It had made the first little tree a beautiful treasure chest. It had made the second little tree a strong sailing ship. And every time people looked upon the third little tree, they would think of God.
That was even better than being the tallest tree in the world."
In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Lehi is teaching about the plan of salvation and the fall of Adam and Eve. He then goes into talk about agency. He says, "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh... And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." (2 Nephi 2:27)
As we use the gift of agency for good or when we choose the right, we are promised that we can have liberty and eternal life. But when we don't use our agency for the way that it has been intended, we suffer pain, heartache, and misery. Trust me, I know from experience. I make choices every day. Some are small, some are big, but a choice is a choice. I don't always make the right decision. Some things I do and say, aren't always in line with what the Spirit is really telling me to do. Even when I think that I am doing or saying what I'm supposed to, it feels right. But in all actuality, I end up hurting someone, even though I don't mean to. Then because I haven't used my agency very well, I bring pain, heartache and misery to not only myself, but to others. BUT...there's always a way to overcome those feelings...
God knows that we are not perfect and that we will make mistakes. Because of this, He has given us another gift, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and we can use it all the time, especially when we don't use our agency for good. We can be forgiven, we can move on with renewed hope and faith. We can be clean. We can be happy, and can have liberty and eternal life. 
