Parables

I think a parable can help a person truly understand a gospel principle. Jesus Christ gave many parables during his ministry and as we study those, we can find many meanings and insights into how to live our lives. I love how the Bible Dictionary teaches that a parable is meant to veil the meaning. Two people can hear the same story. While one learns a valuable lesson, the other takes it as just a story. Those who internalize the parable and look for its meaning have an opportunity to learn and to grow in the gospel. The person who hears more than just a story is often looking for those lessons through those parables and looking for opportunities to expand their understanding of the gospel. My children have enjoyed parables and looked for the meaning behind them. The lesson from a parable can only be distinguished by the person who spoke the parable. I guess you could take any parable and twist its meaning to mean something else. My son had an interview with the Bishop a few nights ago and the Bishop shared a parable with my son. This parable meant something to my son and I think he will always remember it. Parables, at times, can touch us in a more personable way that simply learning a lesson in Sunday School. In the 13th chapter of Matthew, Jesus Christ shares three parables of the gathering. The Parable of the tares, found in Matthew 13:24-30, explains a man who sowed good seeds in his feel. Then, while he slept, his enemy came in the night and “sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.” When the servants discovered the tares, they asked the householder if they should remove the tares. The householder told them no, because he was afraid the wheat roots would come up with the tare roots. So they let them grow together. At the time of the harvest, they burned the tares and gathered the wheat. The New Testament Institute Manual explains that “The righteous and wicked grew together in New Testament times, eventually leading to the Great Apostasy. In the latter days, they will grow together until the end of the world, when the wicked will be destroyed and the righteous will be gathered in the kingdom of God.” I believe this parable explains the remarkable growth of the Church, considering that it is fairly new compared to most world religions and started small in the American frontier. The wheat and the tares grew together, in the same field. We, as members of The Church have been counseled to be be in the world, not of the world. That is why we don’t all live together in one place, we are dispersed throughout the world so that we can share the gospel with others and help others along the way. Then, when the Savior comes again, those who have lived a Christlike life will be gathered together. The Parable of the mustard seed, found in Matthew 13:31-33, & 52, describes the kingdom of heaven to a grain of mustard seed. Matthew 13:21 describes the mustard seed as, “... indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.” This parable explains the remarkable growth of the Church, considering that it is fairly new compared to most world religions and started small in the American frontier. The church has been restored, in the latter days, and is growing forth throughout the world. “The latter-day Church will spread throughout the earth, aided by the leaven of testimonies of the Three Witnesses and the latter-day scriptures” (New Testament Student Manual). This parable also explains why the Church sends out so many missionaries. The Parable of the treasure and the pearl of great price, found in Matthew 13:44-46, tells of a man who found a treasure hid in a field, he sells all that he has and buys the field. It also tells of another man who find a pearl of great price. He goes and sells all that he has so that he can buy it. This parable helps understand why are some members of the Church willing to sacrifice so much worldly wealth and recognition in order to maintain membership in the Church? The Parable of the gospel net, found in Matthew 13:47-50, tells of a net that collects all kinds of things from the sea. After the net was full, the good was gathered into vessels and the bad was cast away. This parable describes the future growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The church is sending out more and more missionaries and they are reaching so many places in the world. It’s just like a net is being casted. These missionaries are teaching the gospel to as many people as they can and reaching out to as many people they can. The missionaries in our area have Facebook accounts and chat to people all over the world via Facebook. Some choose to accept the gospel and join the church. They are gathered into the figurative net of the gospel. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints sacrifice a lot to be members of the church, but the sacrifices hardly feel like sacrifices because of the blessings that come from those sacrifices. We give 10 percent of our increases to the church, we also give generous fast offerings to our wards that is used to help those in our ward who need help. The world would say we sacrifice drinking, sex before marriage, smoking, various activities on Sunday, and all kinds of activities that the world loves that we are commanded to abstain from. I sacrifice my time to magnify my calling and to be a visiting teacher.

Jesus Christ worked so many miracles during his life. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to reread about some of those miracles.

I’ve seen miracles in my life and I’m grateful for them. I know that God lives and that He is all powerful. This strengthens my faith in knowing that He created the earth and has power over it. I’m so grateful for the example my Savior provided for me, so that I can learn from His life and try to be like Him every day. I’m grateful for the faith of those who have been healed by the Savior. Their faith helps strengthen my faith and I will try to follow their example as I turn to the Savior with my trials and sorrows. I know He will continue to work miracles in my life.

The Holy Ghost

John was hesitant to baptize Jesus, he felt that he needed to be baptized of Jesus. John’s words are found in Matthew 3:14: “I have need to be baptized of thee...” John the Baptist knew that Jesus Christ was the Savior of the Lord and felt unworthy to baptize Jesus Christ. I think this shows that John the Baptist was humble. The New Testiment Institute manual shares some further instruction on the Holy Ghost. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the dove that was present at Jesus Christ’s baptism was a symbol of the Holy Ghost, but not an actual dove. “The sign of the dove was instituted before the creation of the world, a witness for the Holy Ghost, and the devil cannot come in the sign of a dove. The Holy Ghost is a personage, and is in the form of a personage. It does not confine itself to the form of the dove, but in sign of the dove. The Holy Ghost cannot be transformed into a dove; but the sign of a dove was given to John to signify the truth of the deed, as the dove is an emblem or token of truth and innocence” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 81). Jesus Christ was baptized to “fulfill all righteousness.” He was baptized to “showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them.” (2 Nephi 31:9) This verse tells us that baptism is a step necessary to eternal life, to the Celestial Kingdom. Jesus Christ was baptized to set an example for us to know how to return to our Heavenly Father again. It is a vital step to follow the path of righteousness. Jesus Christ was baptized to: • To set an example for all men • Fulfill all righteousness, obedience • Show humility to the father We learn from Matthew 3:13-17, that Jesus Christ was baptized and that John the Baptist performed this ordinance. All three members of the Godhead were present. Jesus Christ was in the water, the Holy Ghost was present in the form of a dove, and our Heavenly Father was in the heavens above. The three members of the Godhead are three distinct spirits.

John the Baptist I think I need to read from the Bible Dictionary more often. The explanation it gives of John the Baptist is amazing and I am so grateful I read it. John the Baptist was to “prepare the way for the Messiah and make ready a people to receive him. He was the outstanding bearer of the Aaronic Priesthood in all history, and was entrusted with its most noble mission.” (Bible Dictionary, BD) The angel prophesied to Zacharias, John’s father, about John the Baptist, saying, “And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.’ (Luke 1:16) Like the Savior, John the Baptist’s birth was announced to his father by an angel. At the young age of 8 years old, John was “ordained by an angel” (BD) to prepare the way for the Savior. John the Baptist was pre-appointed to baptize the Son of God. He knew that the sign of the dove would be present when he had baptized the Savior and when he did baptize Jesus Christ, the dove did appear and the voice of the Lord was heard, “bearing record that Jesus was the Beloved Son” (BD) and that the Father was “well pleased.” (BD) The Bible Dictionary states that, “Jesus took the occasion to bear testimony of the great work John had done, emphasizing that he was unwavering and true. (see Luke 7:24-28)” John the Baptist was praised by Jesus Christ, stating that there was no other greater than him. While Elizabeth carried John the Baptist in her womb, and Mary was pregnant with Jesus Christ, Mary visited Elisabeth. In Luke 1:41, Elisabeth describes the baby’s reaction when Mary spoke, she says, “the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.” Because Zachararias doubted that he and Elisabeth could conceive a child, he was struck mute for the term of the pregnancy. On the day of John’s circumcision, the crowd called the child Zacharias, after the name of his father. Elisabeth stated no, that his name was to be John. Zacharias asked for something to write on, so that he might write the name which he wanted the name of the child to be. Once he wrote his name, John, “his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.” (Luke 1:64) John the Baptist was the “last of the prophets under the law of Moses, he was the first of the new Testament prophets, and he brought the Aaronic Priesthood to the dispensation of the fullness of times.” (Bible Dictionary)