The Sower and the Candle

Mark 4:1-25

1 And he began again to teach by the ^asea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

 2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his ^adoctrine,

 3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a ^asower to sow:

 4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

 5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

 6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

 9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

 10 And when he was ^aalone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

 11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the^amystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in ^bparables:

 12 That seeing they may see, and not ^aperceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be ^bforgiven them.

 13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

 14 ¶The sower soweth the word.

 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, ^aSatan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

 16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately ^areceive it with gladness;

 17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when ^aaffliction or ^bpersecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.

 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of ^ariches, and the ^blusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

 20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

 21 ¶And he said unto them, Is a ^acandle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

 22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

 23 ^aIf any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

 24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: ^aand unto you that hear shall more be ^bgiven.

 25 ^aFor he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be ^btaken even that which he hath.

The Sower

Classification: The church of the future - its planting and growth

Narrative: Jesus was sitting by the sea (Galilee?) when a crowd started to gather around him. He went onto a boat and cast off a little ways so he could be heard better by the crowd. He told the crowd this parable and when the twelve asked why he spoke in parables he told them that the mysteries of God would only be given to those who earnestly sought for it.

Interpretation: The Sower - Anyone who spreads the Word of God

The seed is the Word of God.

The seed by the way side - One who heard the word of God but paid no attention to it. They carried on with their wicked ways.

The seed in the stony places - One who heard the word and liked what he heard but didn't put any roots into their new learnings. When things got hard and people started to make fun, this person quickly turned away.

The seed in the thorny place - One who heard the word but allowed the cares of this world (like money) to choke out any room for cares of a spiritual nature.

The seed in the good ground - One who heard the word, embraced it, committed to the work and shared the word with others who also committed and shared.

Application: I think we all have moments where our hearts are any one of these types of ground. We need to recognize what kind of soil we are currently allowing the word of God to live within our hearts. If we find that our hearts are a bit too stony then we need to do what we can to break up the rocks and make it good soil again. Nephi had a conversation with his brothers, Laman and Lemuel. The two older brothers were having a hard time understanding the doctrine Lehi was trying to teach them. Nephi asked them, "Have ye inquired of the Lord?" (1 Nephi 15:8) In anger they responded, "We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us." Poor frustrated Nephi (they were travelling together, It's not like he could just drive away and leave them to their lives) said to them, "How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts? Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?- If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you."    I know what Nephi told his brothers is true. I've seen it work in my own life and in the lives of others. Do all you can to keep your soil loamy (is that an actual gardening term? I don't know) and be willing to help anyone who asks for help in changing their soil.

"The parable clearly taught where the responsibility lay with regard to the kingdom of God and the reception of the gospel. It was not with the sower and it was not in the seed - it was in the soil, the heart of man." E. Keith Howick, The Parables of Jesus the Messiah

He Who Hath Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear: These parables were not intended for a select few. They are not for just members of a church or just Christians. Christ wanted His word to go to ANYONE who would take the time to listen and to ponder on what He had to say. As my friend, Wendy Ward, pointed out to me the other day, Satan sends fiery darts at us to blind our eyes. (1 Nephi 15:24 And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.) How great that we can help each other to see and hear the word of God and not be led away!

The Candle - also known as the Lamp under a bushel

Jesus gave this little parable along with the parable of the sower. It means no one lights a candle and then sticks it under something in order to hide it. The light is the light of Christ and is meant to be shared. Share that light, spread that seed, allow Christ to make our hearts places of good soil and hope for the same in others.

Landscape with the Parable of the Sower, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, 1557

Here is my friend,Jennilyn's, blog. I love what she had to say about 1Nephi 15.

 "Press On" by Joseph B. Wirthlin

New Wine into Old Bottles

Matthew 9:14-17

"Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.

Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved."

There's the text for the parable as written in the King James Version of the Bible. Any guesses as to the meaning of the parable? Anyone? This was very challenging for me. I couldn't make sense of any of it. Here's the thing for anyone who might be reading that is not LDS: The Bible we use is the King James Version. However, we also believe that our prophet Joseph Smith made corrections to errors done to the Bible during translation of the original text. (These would be errors done by King James' people. We do not claim that Matthew, Mark, Luke or John erred. Just a few of the British people that King James employed to translate the original text.) The Joseph Smith corrections are not added to the Bible. They are put into the footnotes. So anyone who takes the extra time to look at the footnotes will see the corrections Joseph Smith made. Here's the parable again but this time, for the sake of continuity, I will add the Joseph Smith Translation in bold italics and see what a difference it makes.

"Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast

Then said the Pharisees unto him, Why will ye not receive us with our baptism, seeing we keep the whole law?

But Jesus said unto them, Ye keep not the law. If ye had kept the law, ye would have received me, for I am he who gave the law.

I receive not you with your baptism, because it profiteth you nothing.

For when that which is new is come, the old is ready to be put away.

No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.

Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved."

Classification: The Jewish Church and the causes of its fall

Narrative: Without the JST it looks like the new wine in the old bottles has something to do with fasting but it doesn't. Jesus explained that his disciples don't fast because there's no reason to, he's right there. But there will soon be a day when he will not be there and then they will need to fast. The conversation ended there in verse 15 and then a new conversation began with the indignant Pharisees wanting to know why Jesus didn't cling to them and tell them what a great job they were doing seeing they "kept the whole law".

Interpretation:  Jesus made it clear several times throughout the four gospels that He was not happy with those who were leading the church. If they kept the law it was so they could show everyone how pious they were. They kept the letter of the law and not for the purpose of what it was set up for - to recognize the Savior when He came. Had they kept the law as it was given by the Lord to Moses they (the Pharisees and Sadducees)  would have recognized Jesus for who and what He was. But they didn't because the law by then had been corrupted (Isaiah 24:5). So, He spent three years traveling the area teaching the people the correct way to live. He called new leaders, gave them new commandments (John 13:34-35), made a new covenant that He sealed with His blood (Matthew 26:28). Those who should have recognized the truth were the ones who rejected it. These people were stuck in their old ways and were unable to accept anything new.

Application: I have made covenants with my Savior both at baptism and in the temple. The question I have to keep asking myself is, "Do I show up at church just to show people how righteous I am? Do I make a show of paying my tithing or do I do it humbly like the widow with her mite? Am I following the current prophet and doing what he tells us to do?" 
    The Lord directs our prophet to lead us where we need to go. If we begin to stray and change the correct way of doing things (which we do because we're human) the current, living prophet will keep us on the correct course. By following the prophet (and making frequent personal examinations in the mirror) we can keep our covenants and our personal water vessels strong. (HA! Just like a mormon woman to change it from wine bottle to water vessel.) 

Seeking Shiloah, by Joseph Brickey

 "The Power of Covenants" by D. Todd Christofferson

The Two Debtors

(The actual parable is in bold italics. I wanted to include the rest of the scriptures to remind us of the scene that took place.)

  Luke 7:36-50

And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him.  And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.

And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee, And he saith, Master, say on.

There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.



Classification: Forgiveness and the Love of God

Narrative: Jesus was invited to dine with a Pharisee. This Pharisee, named Simon, should have provided Jesus with at least water to wash his feet upon entering, as dictated by the social customs of the time. Simon didn't offer him water or a kiss (also a social custom of the time). So when this woman, a known woman of sin, came along and washed his feet with her tears the Pharisee wanted to see how Jesus would react.

Interpretation: When forgiveness is granted for a large debt versus a small debt, greater love and gratitude is given in return.

Application: I don't think any of us can ever truly appreciate how much we are in debt to the Savior. I don't think it's humanly possible to understand the depth to which he went through to pay for each of our sins individually. Some of us feel it a little deeper than others because we understand the severity of our sins. Elder David A. Bednar talked about this last April in his talk "We Believe in Being Chaste". He said: "the extent and intensity of your repentance must match the nature and severity of your sins..." This woman understood her sins, her repentance matched it, and she understood very clearly what the Savior's role meant for all of us. Bednar says, "The Savior is often referred to as the Great Physician, and this title has both symbolic and literal significance. All of us have experienced the pain associated with a physical injury or wound. When we are in pain, we typically seek relief and are grateful for the medication and treatments that help to alleviate our suffering. Consider sin as a spiritual wound that causes guilt or, as described by Alma to his son, Corianton, "remorse of conscience". (Alma 42:18) Guilt is to our spirit what pain is to our body -a warning of danger and a protection from additional damage. From the Atonement of the Savior flows the soothing salve that can heal our spiritual wounds and remove guilt. However, this salve can only be applied through the principles of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, and consistent obedience. The results of sincere repentance are peace of conscience, comfort, and spiritual healing and renewal."

Unlike the woman who showed up at the Pharisee's home, we cannot wash His feet with our tears because He does not walk among us. But we can take that love and gratitude and do what he has asked us to do with our time and energy - feed His sheep, keep His commandments, do the work required of a disciple of Christ today.

"To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you."
 -C.S. Lewis

17th Century Anointing of Jesus, Painting at the High Altar, Ballum Church, Denmark

 "Repent..That I May Heal You" Neil L. Anderson

The Wise and Foolish Builder

I had been working on my Personal Progress for about 5 years (as an adult) and was almost done. I just needed to do one last project, and I wanted to do something cool! I came up with this idea to tackle all of the parables of the Savior as recorded in the four gospels of the New Testament (I think I found them all). The Bible Dictionary gave GREAT help in showing me that each parable has an interpretation and an application. The interpretation being what the Lord interpreted it to be at the time he gave it, and the application being however you apply it to your life wherever and whenever you are. I used many sources to help me with this project: scriptures (obviously), institute manuals, wikipedia, and a few other web sites. I don't cite the sources as I go along because I'm lazy. Sorry.

I am LDS so my ideas, views and opinions will reflect that. I do not claim to be a preacher or professor of anything! These are Just. My. Thoughts!

For each parable I found a conference talk (when available) that I felt went well with each parable. I'll post a blog for each parable. SO! If you want to leave a comment with your ideas for how we can apply these parables to our lives, GREAT! If you want to just comment about how dumb I am, please don't. My ego is fragile enough. Thank you.

Laura Kemner

 Matthew 7:24-27

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Classification: Prayer and Earnestness in Religious Life

Narrative: After delivering the sermon on the mount Jesus spoke these words. This was the sermon that made him stand out from all the other biblical scholars. Matt 7:28-29 "And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."

Interpretation: The rock, or the firm foundation, is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The houses are individual lives. The storms are the troubles that arise in the world and life.

Application: Building a strong testimony is the gospel of Jesus Christ and holding fast to them when the storms of life come along makes one wise. Ignoring the gospel, and loafing through life living in whatever way pleases one, makes them foolish. When the storms of life come along they don't know how to deal with it.
The line about the house on the sandy foundation (and great was the fall of it) reminds me of 1 Nephi 11:36 "And it came to pass...that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great."

The best application of this parable would be to take a look at our own lives, test our foundations and make sure they are strong. If they're not strong, go back to the basics of saying prayers, reading your scriptures and attending church.

Wise and Foolish Builders by Danny Hahlbohm

"Upon This Rock" Bruce R. McConkie