Throughout the ministry and teaching of Christ, He used parables to teach the people of religious truths comparing them to objects or situations that were around them at the time. In my own words, the definition of a parable is a story that teaches us principles of the gospel that can be applied in our lives and in the lives of those that came before us and those that will come after. A parable is in some ways can be compared to a scavenger hunt, those that are actively involved searching in this “scavenger hunt” will find what they are looking for or they will find the meaning of a parable. Those that are not actively involved in the scavenger hunt will not necessarily know what they are looking for and therefore, they will not find it or they will not understand the meaning of a parable.
Parables can be used to answer questions that we might have in these latter days. For example:
What describes the future growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? The Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven - Matthew 13: 31-33
Why does the Church send out so many missionaries?
The Parable of the Gospel Net - Matthew 13: 47-50
How do you explain the remarkable growth of the Church, considering that it is fairly new compared to most world religions and started small in the American frontier?
Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven Matthew - 13:31-33
Why are some members of the Church willing to sacrifice so much worldly wealth and recognition in order to maintain membership in the Church?
Parable of the Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price - Matthew 13: 44-46
Why do some Church members choose to leave the Church?
The Parable of the Tares - Matthew 13: 24-30
Matthew 13:44-46 is the parable of the treasure and the pearl of great price. This parable can be likened to the sacrifices that we have to make in our lives to obtain the treasure of the gospel. I would be willing to sacrifice everything that I own even my life to obtain the treasure of the gospel. That sounds like a lot, but we are taught the Law of Consecration that we will put forth all that we have and all that we can to the building up of the Lord’s Kingdom. The blessings of the gospel include so many things here on earth, but ultimately we are all seeking the greatest blessing of all which is eternal life and I would be willing to give up anything to live with our Heavenly Father again for eternity. I have seen so many examples of sacrifice in my family, the first example I have seen is in my Dad. My Dad grew up in a home that was filled with anything and everything that is opposite the teachings of the Gospel. He was constantly faced with pressure from his family to participate in those things, something kept him from being involved in it. He was baptized when he was 21 years old and has since dedicated his entire life to the gospel which has included many sacrifices. My brother and I have also had the wonderful opportunity to sacrifice 18 months to 2 years of our lives to give to the Lord in service. As I have seen the sacrifice in my family and even experienced it in my own life, I know that the blessings that come from our sacrifice are far greater than the temporary anguish we may have when we are faced with sacrifice.
Matthew 13: 47 is the parable of the net cast into the sea. The net represents the gospel being spread forth throughout the world or it can also mean those that are gathering many different people through their missionary efforts whether it be serving a full-time mission or in other capacities as members of the Church. The act of gathering in verse 47 is our efforts here to bring others to the gospel, missionary work. In the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Joseph Smith says “Behold the seed of Joseph, spreading forth the Gospel net upon the face of the earth, gathering of every kind, that the good may be saved in vessels prepared for that purpose, and the angels will take care of the bad.” (Teachings of the Prophet of Joseph Smith, 102) As we strive to share the gospel in our everyday lives, there will be those that accept the gospel and those that do not. Our job is to continue to find those that are ready to receive the gospel and to continue to spread the gospel in any way that we can whether it be through work, service, or even in the home. Those that do not accept the gospel we will continue to remember in our prayers and hope that they will be ready to accept the gospel later in their life.
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