Of Soils Souls The Parable of the Sower

Of Soils & Souls: The Parable of the Sower

There are certain stories which are not so much the heritage of the scholar and the material of theologian as the possession of every man; and such are the parables of Jesus. Even in an age when men know less and less of the Bible, and care less for it, it remains true that the stories Jesus told are the best known stories in the world. 2

What is the difference between allegories and parables? 3

Definition of a Parable § A symbolic story that imparts gospel truths by comparing them to earthly things. ▫ Almost without exception, a parable is narration without explanation 4

Joseph Smith gives us the key. He said: "l inquire what was the question which drew out the answer or caused the Savior to use those parables. " 5

The Parable of the Sower is the Parable of all Parables 6

Elder James E. Talmage, the sower comes "first in the order of delivery, " and literarily, he added, it deserves "first place among productions of its class. " 7

Joseph applied each parable to a specific scene in the progress of the kingdom of God. o The sower Ø To the establishment of the kingdom in the time of Christ o The wheat & tares Ø To the corruption of the Church in the age of apostasy o Mustard seed Ø To the growth of the kingdom in the last days o Leaven Ø Expanding testimony of truth (3 witnesses) o Treasure hidden in field Ø Gathering of the Latter-day Saints in their lands of inheritance o Pearl of great price Ø Saints' search for Zion o Gospel net Ø Gathering of people "of every kind" to the kingdom before their separation on the Day of Judgment.

“ “Have ye understood all these things ? ” (Matthew 13: 51) 9

Joseph Smith responded for the Saints in his day, "Yea, Lord; for these things are so plain and so glorious, that every Saint in the last days must respond with a hearty Amen to them. 10

It is intended as a continuum upon which hearers were in constant motion, not merely as a dressed with four unchangeable drawers. 11

The Wayside The most striking characteristic of wayside soil is its total absence of plant life. Yet the real problem is not the lack of vegetation, but the absence of fruit. 12

Insofar as he is able, he keeps people from hearing; if they hear, he tries to keep them from understanding; if they understand, he attempts to keep them from believing. 13

Stony Ground Luke recorded that the reason the plant withers is not primarily because it lacks earth but "because it lack[s] moisture" (Luke 8: 6). 14

Reasons that they wither by the scorching sun are fourfold: ▪ "tribulation" (Matthew 13: 21) ▪ "affliction" (Mark 4: 17) ▪ "persecution" (Matthew 13: 21; Mark 4: 17) ▪ "temptation" (Luke 8: 13) 15

“ “Young people, if that teaching seems too general, here is a specific example. If the emblems of the sacrament are being passed and you are texting or whispering or playing video games or doing anything else to deny yourself essential spiritual food, you are severing your spiritual roots and moving yourself toward stony ground. You are making yourself vulnerable to withering away when you encounter tribulation like isolation, intimidation, or ridicule. And that applies to adults also…. Another potential destroyer of spiritual roots—accelerated by current technology but not unique to it—is the keyhole view of the gospel or the Church. This limited view focuses on a particular doctrine or practice or perceived deficiency in a leader and ignores the grand panorama of the gospel plan. ” -Elder Oaks 16

Among Thorns The adversary attempts to divert the sunlight and redirect the rain so that the strength of the soil might be leached by lesser plants. 17

Vices these thorns represent in the parable: ▪ “cares and riches and pleasures of this life” (Luke 8: 14) ▪ “the care[s] of this world” ▪ “the deceitfulness of riches” (Matthew 13: 22; Mark 4: 19) ▪ “the lusts of other things” 18

“ “I will speak first of the deceitfulness of riches. Wherever we are in our spiritual journey—whatever our state of conversion—we are all tempted by this. When attitudes or priorities are fixed on the acquisition, use, or possession of property, we call that materialism. So much has been said and written about materialism that little needs to be added here. 2 Those who believe in what has been called theology of prosperity are suffering from the deceitfulness of riches. The possession of wealth or significant income is not a mark of heavenly favor, and their absence is not evidence of heavenly disfavor. ” -Elder Oaks 19

“ “We surrender to the “pleasures of this life” (1) when we are addicted, which impairs God’s precious gift of agency; (2) when we are beguiled by trivial distractions, which draw us away from things of eternal importance; and (3) when we have an entitlementality, which impairs the personal growth necessary to qualify us for our eternal destiny. ” -Elder Oaks 20

“ “We are overcome by the ‘cares … of this life’ when we are paralyzed by fear of the future, which hinders our going forward in faith, trusting in God and His promises. ” -Elder Oaks 21

Good Ground ▪ The sower's final soil—and ultimate goal—is described simply as “good ground, ” good not merely because it is able to support seeds but because those seeds “sprang up, and bare fruit. ” ▪ “But even here, ” wrote Elder Bruce R. Mc. Conkie, “crops of equal value are not harvested by all the Saints. There are many degrees of receptive belief; there are many gradations of effective cultivation. ” 22

“ “We have the seed of the gospel word. It is up to each of us to set the priorities and to do the things that make our soil good and our harvest plentiful. We achieve this by praying, by scripture reading, by serving, and by regularly partaking of the sacrament to always have His Spirit to be with us. We must also seek that mighty change of heart that replaces evil desires and selfish concerns with the love of God and the desire to serve Him and His children. ” -Elder Oaks 23