Thursday, March 10, 2011

The Pearl of Great Price ~ a parable

Check out this BYU Scripture Discussion - #13 Why Parables? in the series Our Savior in the Gospels. The Scripture Discussions are a great way to follow along if you aren't able to make it to class or if you do come to class they are a great way to prepare for and/or review the lesson.

This particular one #13 Why parables has a great discussion about the parable of the sower from a bit different perspective. Often when we read that parable we think about different people who provide different kinds of soil for the good seeds of the gospel. This discussion puts a personal spin on the parable, inviting us to examine ourselves and see when at different times we provide good fertile ground, or hard packed dry dirt by the wayside. Have a listen, and please share any insights you discover.

Matthew 13:44¶Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto ^atreasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

45¶Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

46Who, when he had found one ^apearl of great price, went and sold ^ball that he had, and bought it.

What would you give

for the kingdom of Heaven?

Behold, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom that I may receive this great joy. ~King Lamoni's father from Alma 22:15

Recently we had a lesson on seeking first the kingdom of God. In my personal scripture study I was drawn to Proverbs. My heart filled with joy as I realized the value of Wisdom - the pearl of great price. This is my life's pursuit!
Proverbs 3:13¶^aHappy is the man that findeth ^bwisdom, and the man thatgetteth ^cunderstanding.
14For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

Lesson 11: “He Spake Many Things unto Them in Parables”

New Testament Class Member Study Guide, (1997)

Matthew 13

•
What is the meaning of the parable of the sower? (See Matthew 13:3–8, 18–23.) Why do you think the parable focuses more on the ground than on the sower or the seed?
•
What invitation did Jesus extend after he presented the parable of the sower? (See Matthew 13:9.) What do you think the word hear means in this invitation? What does it mean to see but see not and to hear but hear not? (See Matthew 13:13–15.)
•
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven are about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 98–100). How have you seen the work of God increase as illustrated by these parables?

Suggestion for Family Discussion

Obtain 14 small pieces of paper. On each piece of paper write one of the following phrases, which relate to the parable of the wheat and the tares: (1) the sower, (2) the Lord and his Apostles, (3) the good seed, (4) the righteous members of the Church, (5) the field, (6) the world, (7) the tares, (8) the wicked,(9) the enemy, (10) the devil, (11) the harvest, (12) the end of the world, (13) the reapers, and (14) the angels. To review the parable of the wheat and the tares, mix the pieces of paper. Have family members match the persons, objects, and actions in the parable with their meanings. You may want to read Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43 and Doctrine and Covenants 86:1–7 as you conduct this discussion.

Scripture Chain: “Ears to Hear”

Matthew 13:9–16

Mosiah 2:9 And these are the words which he ^aspake and caused to be written, saying: My brethren, all ye that have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither to ^btrifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should ^chearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your ^dhearts that ye may understand, and your ^eminds that the ^fmysteries of God may be unfolded to your view.

Alma 10:2–6

Alma 12:9–11

9And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to ^aknow the ^bmysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart^conly according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.

10And therefore, he that will ^aharden his heart, the same receiveth the ^blesser portion of the word; and he that will ^cnotharden his heart, to him is ^dgiven the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Lesson 10: “Take My Yoke upon You, and Learn of Me”

Purpose

The purpose of this week's lesson is to help us understand that as we take the Savior’s yoke upon us and do his will, we will find the peace and joy that he has promised.

We discussed this a couple of weeks ago when we read Matthew 11:28–30 ( Jesus invites all who labor and are heavy laden to come unto him, take his yoke upon them, and learn of him.) The question was asked, how can taking the Lord's yoke upon us lighten our burdens? Many wonderful ideas were shared in class and if you would like to add your own, feel free to comment at the bottom of the post.

I think part of the reason our load gets lighter when we take Christ's yoke upon us is because when we try to make our own way in life we are pulling the wagon by ourselves. When we follow Christ who is The Way, suddenly we've got the help of God and all His angels to help us pull whatever load we've got! Divine help is available to for the asking.

Consider this question: How does obeying and serving the Lord make our burdens light?

"Lesson 10: “Take My Yoke upon You, and Learn of Me”," New Testament Class Member Study Guide, (1997)

Matthew 11:28–30; 12:1–13; Luke 7:36–50; 13:10–17

•
What are some examples of burdens we bear in this life? How can the Lord “give [us] rest” from these burdens? (See Matthew 11:28–30.) What does it mean to take Christ’s yoke upon you? (See the scripture chain in this section.)
•
The woman who entered the house of Simon the Pharisee carried the burden of sin (Luke 7:37). What did the woman do that allowed Jesus to take away her burden? (See Luke 7:38, 44–50.) What can we do so the Savior will remove the burden of sin from our lives?

Suggestion for Family Discussion

Have a family member hold an open, empty container such as a bag or box. Ask other family members to put objects into the container, one at a time. When the container becomes heavy, invite a family member to help carry it. Explain that the objects represent burdens we carry, such as adversity and sorrow. The help from the second family member represents the rest the Savior offers us as we come to him when we “labour and are heavy laden” (Matthew 11:28). Read Matthew 11:28–30 and Mosiah 24:8–15, and help family members understand that when we follow the Savior, he will ease our burdens and make them light.

Scripture Chain: “Take My Yoke upon You, … and Ye Shall Find Rest”

Lesson 9: “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God”

Elder Marvin J. Ashton described a meeting in which a group of Church members considered the question “How can you tell if someone is converted to Jesus Christ?”:

“For forty-five minutes those in attendance made numerous suggestions in response to this question, and the leader carefully wrote down each answer on a large chalkboard. All of the comments were thoughtful and appropriate. But after a time, this great teacher erased everything he had written. Then, acknowledging that all of the comments had been worthwhile and appreciated, he taught a vital principle: ‘The best and most clear indicator that we are progressing spiritually and coming unto Christ is the way we treat other people.’”

Elder Ashton added: “The way we treat the members of our families, our friends, those with whom we work each day is as important as are some of the more noticeable gospel principles we sometimes emphasize” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1992, 25; or Ensign, May 1992, 20).