Allegories have been used to explain difficult or unfamiliar concepts throughout time. It is said that God descended in 1838 upon a rural agriculture community. To explain how the teaching of God will spread, God used terms familiar to the people, in explaining how the religion will grow.

How do we increase church membership? God compared the proselytizing of individuals to the harvesting of crops. To obtain a good harvest, weeding and fertilization are usually required. Today pesticides would also be included to accomplish a good harvest. In the Book of Prophecy (Ofudesaki), God states that weeding and fertilizing are also required to bring new members to our churches. God has given us the fertilizer. This fertilizer is a special prayer (Joyous Service) that brings people to our churches. But for this fertilizer (prayer) to be effective, we must weed our minds of evil (greed, arrogance, and self love).   When we spread the fertilizer (perform the prayer) with a sincere mind, then God will answer our prayer and bring an abundance of people to our churches. It is certainly interesting in using agriculture terminology and applying it to how to increase church membership.

Weeding our minds, and spreading the fertilizer (Joyous Service) can be said to be a summary of the Book of Prophecy, which contains over 1000 verses. Yet today, many of us do not understand these special verses from God.