After reading the
definition of parable in the Bible Dictionary, I came up with my own
definition. A parable is a form of
teaching in which the truth is covered by a story. The person that is seeking the truth will find
the principles and meaning that the story is conveying. To a person that does not want to seek or
know the truth, a parable is just a story with no meaning or principles behind
it. The beauty of teaching with parables
is that a person must be willing to seek new knowledge, or else it will just be
a regular story.
There is a parable that
describes the growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and
that is the parable of the mustard seed.
The Lord Jesus Christ compares the kingdom of heaven to a small seed of
mustard. A mustard seed is about 2mm in
diameter, but that tiny seed can become a full grown tree that sprouts with
many branches. He continues saying the
seed will grow to a tree where birds can come and lodge in the branches of
it. The true church was once again
established here on earth by Joseph Smith with humble small beginnings. Today the church has millions of members
worldwide. The church started as a
mustard seed and today it is a tree full of branches.
One reason the church is
still growing today is because there are missionaries called to all parts of
the world to share the gospel. They are
the birds that come and lodge in the tree.
Birds take seeds and spread them.
They plant a small seed of mustard in people’s hearts which could grow
to a mature tree, with roots so deep nothing could tear it down. Once the Holy Ghost confirms to them the
gospel is real, they are able to share and preach the gospel either by serving
a mission or by becoming living examples of the gospel.
There are many members that
are willing to give up world fame and recognition to maintain their membership
in the church because they have a different perspective. Members of the church have an eternal
perspective while non members have a worldly perspective. As members of the church, we know what our
ultimate goal is in life. This is a good
comparison to the parable of the Pearl of Great Price. Once you have that Pearl of Great Price, you
will do anything to keep it, even if it means to give up certain things.
There are many reasons
members choose to leave the church. From
my personal experience, many members leave because they choose to become
offended by something another member said.
Another big reason why members leave the church is because trials become
harder to overcome and it is easier to walk away than to endure. Those reasons remind me of the parable of the
sower. They are the seeds that do not
grow roots. Since they have no roots
they are easier to fall. At the end of
every story from members that leave the church, it comes down to being a
choice. A person can choose to become
offended, a person can choose to be defeated by a trial, and a person can
choose to walk away from a problem. Sometimes
it is easier to walk away from something than to fix it. It takes humility, perseverance, and
endurance to stay in the church. It is
easier to become prideful.
I can’t see myself ever
leaving the church, because I love the gospel.
I can’t see my life without the gospel. The gospel is my Pearl of Great Price. I am blessed to have it, and I won’t do
anything that will make me loose that Pearl of Great Price. I am willing to do whatever it takes for me
to receive the blessings of the gospel. The
gospel brings a happiness and balance to my life that nothing else can. I have been blessed with accepting
family. I haven’t had to make great
sacrifices in order to enjoy the gospel.
I know what I am willing to do if it came down to choosing between the
gospel and other things. I know what I need
in my life in order to be happy and have balance in this chaotic world.
I think the net in the
parable of the net cast into the sea represents the gospel. The kingdom of heaven here on earth is the
blessings of the gospel (going to the temple, service to others, family). When the parable talks about casting the net
into the sea, I think of the gospel being spread all over the world. The sea is the world, the sea has many
different kinds of fish, and just like world has many different kinds of
people. I think being gathered unto the
net represents the gospel getting to every single person in the entire planet
and finding out who endured until the end and who didn’t. That is represented by gathering the good and
casting out the bad from the vessel.
There won’t be excuses when the gathering happens because the net will
reach everyone. It is not easy to endure
until the end, but it is not impossible either.
With Heavenly Father on our side, we can overcome anything and reach our
potential here on Earth and beyond Earth.
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