Parables

What are parables?  My own definition is: a parable  is a comparison between something spiritual and something worldly.  Using this comparison, we can learn about spiritual things in an easy way if we choose to learn about them.  Parables are also an easy way to teach many people something.  Many different religions use parables as a way to teach their followers.  Christ did it during His time on the Earth.  Using those different parables, found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we can learn the different things that the Lord wanted to make sure His people knew.

We can also use those parables to answer different questions.  If you wanted to find the answer to describe the future growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you would just have to read the  parables of the mustard seed and the leaven.  If you wanted to find the answer to why the Church sends out so many missionaries, then you'd just have to read the parable of the gospel net.  If you wanted to know why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has grown remarkably even though it is fairly new compared to most world religions, then you could read the parable of the mustard seed in order to find the answer.  If you wanted to know why some of the members of the Church are willing to sacrifice so much in order to maintain membership in the church, the parable of the treasure and the pearl of great price can lead you to that answer.  And if you wanted to know why some members of the Church choose to leave it, the parable of the tares can help explain why.  Even in today's world, these parables are things that can help us learn and grow spiritually.

The parables of the treasure and the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:44-46) talk about sacrificing all you have in order to gain that treasure in your life.  The Gospel of Christ is compared to the treasure or the pearl.  In order to obtain that treasure in my life, I would be willing to sacrifice whatever was necessary in order to keep hold of this treasure.  My schooling, my time and trips I am planning to make, my housing, my car, my friends, whatever was necessary in order to keep hold of this wonderful treasure, especially since I have a knowledge of how amazing this Gospel truly is.  Some of the sacrifices my family made included giving up some of their worldly possessions and worldly objects that they enjoyed in order to truly take hold of the Gospel and allow it to bless their lives.

In the parable of the net cast into sea (Matthew 13:47), I believe that the net represents both the Church and the fact that so many different kinds of people all around the world have been "gathered" into it, and the word of Christ and how many different people can believe it.  To be gathered in the net can be to learn the different lessons of the Church, and believe it.  This can also mean to become one with one another, and work with each other in order to become a better people.  The representation that is brought by the gathering the good into vessels and casting the bad away is, essentially, to make sure that those who are true followers of Christ and His Gospel are kept safe and blessed, while those who aren't followers of Christ don't have power over those who are, and aren't as blessed.  But, these are just my thoughts.

Parables are a great way to teach someone principles of the Church, and helped me growing up better understand the different things that I needed to understand in order to be better prepared for the more in depth things I would be taught later on in my life.