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.