The Ten Virgins

Matthew 25:1-13

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

But he answered and said, Verily, I say unto you, I know you not.

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.


Joseph Smith Translations: v. 1 "And then, at that day, before the Son of man comes, the kingdom of heaven..."

v.12 "But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, Ye know me not."

Classification: The Second Coming

Narrative: A few days before the feast of the Passover, a few days before His crucifixion,  Jesus went and sat on the Mount of Olives. Here it was that His disciples came to Him wanting to know more about the second coming and when it would be. It was here that He told them the parable of the fig tree, the parable of the ten virgins, the parable of the talents and the parable of the sheep and goats.

Interpretation: The bridegroom is the Savior and the event that they are all waiting for is His second coming. The virgins are all those (male and female) who have covenanted to be there, ready and waiting, when He comes. But only half of them will be ready when He does finally come.

Application: The virgins in the story were all together. They were all able to choose freely and equally how they were going to spend their time waiting. They all had the same opportunity to provide themselves with oil. None of them could say they didn't know, or weren't shown the way. They all had the same knowledge, the same amount of money to buy the oil. But only five had the forethought to prepare a little more.
  What is our oil? Our testimonies, the amount of time we put into service of our fellow men, the time we spend developing talents and sharing them. The time we spend doing genealogy, doing the things that would please our Heavenly Father. 
   Spencer W. Kimball said of this parable, "This was not selfishness or unkindness. The kind of oil that is needed to illuminate the way and light up the darkness is not shareable. How can one share obedience to the principle of tithing; a mind at peace from righteous living; an accumulation of knowledge; How can one share faith or testimony? How can one share attitudes or chastity... Each must obtain that kind of oil for himself.. In the parable, oil can be purchased at the market. In our lives the oil of preparedness is accumulated drop by drop in righteous living. Fasting, family prayer.. control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures - each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity - these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps."
   I don't want to be part of the half that isn't ready. And I don't want anyone I know to be part of it either. We can do this together by sharing our knowledge, teaching one another what we know, helping each other when we're down, and encouraging each other. But it only works when all are willing to make it work. No one can be forced into it. And at the end of the day the only person I can provide oil for is myself.


"Preparation for the Second Coming" by Dallin H. Oaks

Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, 1616, Hieronymus Francken the younger

The Budding Fig Tree

Matthew 24:14-36

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains:

Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Behold, I have told you before.

Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.


Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:18 "For then, in those days, shall be great tribulation on the Jews, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, such as was not before sent upon Israel, of God, since the beginning of their kingdom until this time; no, nor ever shall be sent again upon Israel."

Classification: The Church of the Future - The Second Coming

Narrative: The apostles asked the Lord for a more specific time as to when He would come again, He, of course, couldn't give a specific date but told them of these signs to watch for.

Interpretation: Just as the tree begins budding in the spring, these signs begin in the spring. The Second Coming will not happen until the end of the summer and harvest time, but these signs give a good indication of when it is spring and when the summer is drawing close to an end.

Application: After reading these verses I feel like spring has come and gone. I feel like we are in the middle of the heat of summer. I find verse 22 interesting where it says the days will be shortened for my elect's sake. I'm sure we all feel like the days are flying by so fast. Even my children have noticed this. Who remembers being 14 years old and thinking time was going too fast? My 14 year old does (15 now).
      Honestly, I hope the Savior's second coming is soon. The world is so scary with the amount of filth so easily available. I remember when I was a young girl pondering on these days and wondering what life would be like as a mom during this time. Back then I thought I would be worrying about my children's physical safety. Here I am and it turns out I don't worry about their physical safety. It's their spiritual safety that keeps me up at night. I appreciated so much President Boyd K. Packer's talk from last October:  "The Key to Spiritual Protection".
He says, "Parents today wonder if there is a safe place to raise children. There is a safe place. It is in a gospel centered home. We focus on the family in the Church, and we counsel parents everywhere to raise their children in righteousness. The Apostle Paul prophesied and warned that 'in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.'
    Paul also prophesied, 'Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.' These verses serve as a warning, showing which patterns to avoid. We must be ever watchful and diligent. We can review each of these prophecies and put a checkmark by them as being present and of concern in the world today."
   President Packer goes on to say, "The scriptures hold the keys to spiritual protection. They contain the doctrine and laws and ordinances that will bring each child of God to a testimony of Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer.... Children taught an understanding of the scriptures early in life will come to know the path they should walk and will be more inclined to remain on that path....Paul and others warned about the trials of our time and the days yet to come. But peace can be settled in the heart of each who turns to the scriptures and unlocks the promises of protection and redemption that are taught therein."


"The Leaves are Commencing to Show on the Fig Tree" by Bernard P. Brockbank, April 1976

The Two Sons and the Wicked Husbandmen

Matthew 21:28-46

But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

And when the chief priests and the Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.



Joseph Smith Translations: v. 32 "For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, afterward, when ye had seen me, repented not, that ye might believe him. For he that believed not John concerning me, cannot believe me, except he first repent. And except ye repent, the preaching of John shall condemn you in the day of judgment."

v.33 "And again, hear another parable; for unto you that believe not, I speak in parables; that your unrighteousness may be rewarded unto you. Behold, there was a certain householder....."

JST Matt. 21:47-56 (appendix) (Compare Matthew 21:45-46) "And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

And they said among themselves, Shall this man think that he alone can spoil this great kingdom? And they were angry with him.

But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they learned that the multitude took him for a prophet.

And now his disciples came to him, and Jesus said unto them, Marvel ye at the words of the parable which I spake unto them?

Verily, I say unto you, I am the stone, and those wicked ones reject me.

I am the head of the corner. These Jews shall fall upon me, and shall be broken.

And the kingdom of God shall be taken from them, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof; (meaning the Gentiles.)

Wherefore, on whomsoever this stone shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.

And when the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, he will destroy those miserable, wicked men, and will let again his vineyard unto other husbandmen, even in the last days, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

And then understood they the parable which he spake unto them, that the Gentiles should destroy also, when the Lord should descend out of heaven to reign in his vineyard, which is the earth and the inhabitants thereof.

Classification: The Jewish Church and Nation, its History, and Causes of its Fall

Narrative: Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem for His Triumphal entry. He cleansed the temple and then healed the blind and lame, and took care of those who wanted to be with Him. When the chief priests saw all of this they became very angry. Jesus went away that night and stayed in Bethany but came back the next morning where the chief priests confronted him. They demanded to know by what authority he thought he could cleanse the temple. Jesus gave them these parables. The chief priests and Pharisees knew He was talking about them and they would have loved to have taken Him then and killed him but there was a big crowd watching and they didn't want to anger the crowd.

Interpretation: The certain man is God. The first son represents the sinners, the publicans and the harlots. They said absolutely not would they do the Lord's work. Eventually they repent and get to work. The second son represents the chief priests and Pharisees, those who wear the garments of righteousness and profess to be godly when in fact they are far from it.

In the second parable, the householder is God, the husbandmen are those who covenanted to do the Lord's work. The servants sent to receive the fruits are the prophets that were sent before Jesus came to earth. And the heir, of course is the Savior.

Application: In my last post I talked about the Laborers in the Vineyard and how we should be happy with those who work in the vineyard regardless of when they came in. Well.... this one pertains to those who have agreed to work in the vineyard, were shown the way inside, and then layed down to take a nap. I don't want to point any fingers, and at the end of the day I will be happy with what I get and not worry about what anyone else gets. So, here's the lesson with this one. If you agreed to work, then make sure you're working. I get frustrated with those who won't work and even look like they're trying to find the gate that lets them out. These are the words I imagine Nephi would say to them, "Wo be unto you!" So to those who are looking for the path back to the marketplace here's my message for you: You will not find a better job! You will not find a better employer! No matter what other prospective employers promise, you will never receive a better pay than from this master. This master will pay all that He has promised and more. The guy who says otherwise is a liar and will leave you high and dry at the end of the day. No other work will bring you as much peace, comfort and joy as this work. This is the vineyard where you will find love and acceptance. You will find this in no other vineyard, no other field. Come join us. Help us gather the fruit and taste how wonderful it is. 


"A Pattern for All" by Merrill J. Bateman

The Pounds and Talents

Luke 19:11-27

And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying: We will not have this man reign over us.

And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

(And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)

For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.


Matthew 25:14-30

For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest  that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.


Classification:  The ministry of the Church in the parables given on the Mount of Olives, addressed especially to the Apostles, on work and watchfulness.

Interpretation: A man goes away for a while and places his money in charge of different stewards. Most of the stewards double what they were given but one does nothing with what he was given. He was lazy and slothful and possibly purposely holding back increasing the resources as evidenced by saying, "I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed."  The lord replies by telling him he should have just given the money to the bank and walked away so the bank could take care of it. Instead he buried it where it was of no use to anyone.

Those that doubled what they were given, were given much more as a reward.

 The man represents the Lord. The stewards are people of the church who have been given opportunities and responsibilities. What we do with those determines our reward when we die, or when the Savior comes again.

Application: The Lord will take account of what we have been given in life (talents, opportunities, resources, connections...) and will determine our reward based on what we did with those things. The underlying message being make use of what you have been given. If you have been given little, make use of it and grow as much as you can. Yes, some are given more than others but you have to worry about you and remember at the end of the day the Lord determines our reward. 


"But Be Ye Doers of the Word" by L. Tom Perry

woodcut, 1712

Laborers in the Vineyard

Matthew 20:1-16

For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.

So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house.

Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?

Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.




The Unprofitable Servant Luke Luke 17:7-10

But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?

And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?

Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.

So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

Bible Dictionary - Vine : Palestine has always been famous for its vines. The growing of grapes was part of the regular occupation of the Israelites after the settlement of Canaan. The vine was frequently regarded as a symbol of the Jewish and Christian Church.


Classification: The Ministry of the Church

Interpretation: The vineyard is the Church and the gospel, the householder is the Savior, the hirelings are those that join the church and covenant to build up the Kingdom of God. Some began the Lord's work early in life, others at mid life, and still others very late in life, practically on their death bed. Regardless of when they begin to work, all receive the same reward.

There are two ways this can be interpreted. I think the common one that we often think of is this one: Those that started early in life thought they should receive a greater reward. But the Lord reminds them that they are being rewarded with what was agreed upon and it's His will to decide who gets rewarded with what.

The second interpretation is more in terms of time periods in the history of the world instead of time periods in terms of a person's life. The Israelites first covenanted to work in the vineyard. Eventually the Gentiles were allowed in to do the work. This angered many Jews who did not think the Gentiles should get the same Heavenly reward as the Jews.

Application:  I feel like I have been in the vineyard my whole life. And I have been blessed for it! The joy of feeling like I'm accomplishing something, meeting fellow workers, the comforting, secure feeling that my family will be provided with Heavenly blessings is priceless. I know there are people in the church that have a superior attitude about being lifelong members from pioneer stock and seem to have an entitlement problem. We've all seen them. They come out of the woodwork every time we discuss this parable in Sunday School. 

Let's imagine for a moment those laboring in the vineyard. Sure, it's probably hard work. The sun might be beating fiercely down on them. But can you see their smiles? Can you see the relief on their faces knowing they will have the means to provide another meal for the children? Can you feel the joy in their hearts as they make friends with those laboring beside them? Why wouldn't we want everyone to have that?

Now imagine those standing idle in the marketplace. Why are they at the marketplace? They are looking for work. They are looking for something, someway to provide for their families. Can you see the worry and fear on their faces as they worry about making enough money to pay for tomorrow's meals? They were asked near the end of the day, "Why stand ye here all the day idle?" Their answer, "Because no man hath hired us!" They want a job. They desperately need a job! They're not asking for a handout, just for the opportunity to work.

Remember the prized wage that the laborers are rewarded at the end of the day: A penny. One penny. Nobody is buying mansions on high with a penny. That's enough to buy food for the next day. I want you to take a look at this picture: 

Do you see the lady in the middle? The light forces the eye to look at her first. She is completely incensed at the pay. It's the pay she agreed to. So why did she think she was getting more? Now look in the bottom right hand corner. You should see a husband and wife looking together at their pay. Right beside them is a little child. Look how happy they are knowing they will be able to feed the child. Why would anyone want to deny them of this payment? Sure, they showed up to work at the end of the day but not because they were loafing around. It's because they didn't know where to go. No one showed them the way until close to the end. What relief, what happiness, what Heavenly shouts of joy must have been made knowing this family made it in to the vineyard before it was too late. Why would anyone want to deny them this?

At the end of the day, we are just the laborers, just the servants, the prize of working is not for us to decide. We are all beggars depending on the Lord's mercy. I decided to include the unprofitable servant with this parable because it reminds us that no matter how hard we work, the Savior will never be in our debt. Noah wanted me to add that we get blessings for working hard but even without the blessings He still would never be in our debt. The Atonement he endured for us is too large to ever repay. 

"The Laborers in the Vineyard" by Jeffrey R. Holland


By the way: The painting is Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, circa 1750 by Jacob de Wet.

The Unjust Judge, The Pharisee and the Publican

Luke 18:1-14

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

I fast twice in a week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Bible Dictionary - Publicans : Men who bought or farmed the taxes under the Roman government were called publicans. The name is also used to describe those who actually collected the money, and who were properly called portitores. Both classes were detested by  the Jews, and any Jew who undertook the work was excommunicated. Many of the tax gatherers in Galilee would be in the service of Herod and not of Rome. There are many references in the New Testament to the readiness with which the publicans received the gospel.  Matthew 9:9-10, Matthew 10:3, Matthew 21:31-32, Mark 2:14-15, Luke 3:12, Luke 5:27-29,Luke 7:29,  Luke 15:1, Luke 18:13, Luke 19:2,8

Classification: Prayer and Earnestness in Religious Life; Reversal of Human Judgment, as to just and unjust.

Interpretation: The unjust judge didn't want to help the widow but to keep her from bugging him he does. Jesus says if the unjust judge finally gives up and helps, imagine how much more help we will get from our loving Heavenly Father when we ask.

The Pharisee's prayer reminds me of the Zoramites prayer. He assumes he is perfect and doesn't need help so just says thank you for making him so perfect. Meanwhile, the publican feels very acutely how much of a sinner he is (whether he is or not we don't know. That's just how he feels) and begs for mercy from God.

In the end both get what they asked for. The Pharisee asked for nothing so received nothing, the publican asked for mercy and received it.

Application: This set of parables goes along very well with The Friend at Midnight in urging people to continue praying and never give up in the face of great adversity, also to be humble in your prayers. Acknowledge your weaknesses, your sins, ask for help, ask for forgiveness, ask for strength, ask for whatever you need to help your heart to change and be humble and grateful. 

In Jeffrey R. Holland's talk Like a Broken Vessel he says, "..never lose faith in your Father in Heaven, who loves you more than you can comprehend. As President Monson said to the Relief Society sisters so movingly last Saturday evening: 'That love never changes...It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God's love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve [it]. It is simply always there.' Never, ever doubt that, and never harden your heart. Faithfully pursue the time-tested devotional practices that bring the Spirit of the Lord into your life. Seek the counsel of those who hold keys for your spiritual well-being. Ask for and cherish priesthood blessings. Take the sacrament every week, and hold fast to the perfecting promises of the Atonement of Jesus Christ."

Many of us often have sincere prayers where we don't ask for anything and only thank our Heavenly Father for the blessings we have. But I think our goal is to do this humbly with a heart full of gratitude, knowing that without God we are nothing. 


"The Pharisee and the Publican" by Howard W. Hunter

The Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 16:19-31

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores,

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now is comforted, and thou art tormented.

And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

And he said unto him, if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Classification: Reversal of Human Judgment; Rich and Poor

Narrative: This parable is given in the same moment Jesus gave the parable of the unjust steward. Jesus makes it clear (with help from JST Luke 16:16-23) that He likens the rich man in both parables to the Pharisees of His day.

Interpretation: A greedy man who hoards his money to himself will find it nearly impossible to enter into heaven while the poor man who suffered much will be welcomed greatly.
   If the people still alive will not listen to the prophets (or read their words) then they will not listen to one who had returned from the dead. They will either believe the words of the Savior and His prophets or they won't. I don't think the Lazarus in this parable is the same Lazarus that the Savior really did raise from the dead.

Application: It's up to you whether or not to believe in the words of the prophets and change your ways now before you die. Learn wisdom while in thy youth (no matter how old you are) and learn to keep the commandments of God. (See Alma 37:35)

"Be Ye Prepared" by Elder Legrand Richards