One of our best loved parables is also, in my opinion, one of the least understood. But it doesn’t need to be that way, if we will start really studying it out. Seeing how connected polygamy is to this parable blew my mind. Is it possible that Jesus prophesied and warned us of the false doctrine of Mormon Polygamy almost 2,000 years before it appeared?
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Transcript:
[00:00:00] Welcome to 132 problems revisiting Mormon Polygamy, where we explore the scriptural and theological case for plural marriage. I’m so glad you’re here. As always, I recommend listening to these episodes in order, starting at the beginning. I again, want to thank all of those who support this podcast. It means so much to me and it is so helpful. So, thank you very much. And if anyone else feels inclined, I would very much appreciate it. This is episode 79 where we are going to take a close look at one of the most beloved and I believe least understood parables of Jesus Christ. We’re going to dissect the parable and also consider its connections to polygamy and what they both have to teach us, teach us about each other. So thank you for joining us as we take this deep dive into the murky waters of Mormon polygamy and some of the teachings of the savior. I am approaching this topic today with not an insignificant amount of trepidation. This is, this is not a topic I had planned to do an episode on. Certainly not now. And um and I’m aware that this is one of our best known and for many best beloved parables. So I’m concerned that maybe I’m to some extent going to poke a sacred cow. And, um, and I don’t want to create, obviously, I never want to create contention or bad feelings. So I guess I’ll share the reason I’m doing this episode and then share my intention and my hope. I, um my son who is my producer, had to go out of town for the entire month. I needed three episodes before he left. So luckily I had a couple of interviews and, but I had two days to prepare for this episode. And this is a topic that has been heavily on my mind and I’ve been praying to the Lord. Why am I thinking about this so much? And um and then when I got that phone call from my son, I was like, oh, am I supposed to do an episode on this? And I felt a very, very strong confirmation of yes. And I will say I thought I could get this episode ready in two days because it’s something I’ve thought about a lot and have been thinking about even like I said more specifically recently, but I was not, I was not prepared for how deep this would go and for the connections that I would find as I prepared for this. So again, I’m recording in the middle of the night, right up against my deadline. My eyes probably look really tired because I have, I always seem to go way more deep than I intend to. But that’s why I’m sharing this information. And my hope, my hope is that people will at least come with an open heart and an open mind, willing to hear things, even if they are new things that they hadn’t heard or considered before. Of course, everyone is as always free to accept, to take or leave anything I say, I do hope that you will let the Lord be part of that journey and be willing to take things to the Lord. Maybe you will receive more understanding that you can share with me. Um If you, if you receive information of why I’m, why you think I’m wrong. I would love to hear that as well because I really believe that’s how we learn is sharing our ideas with one another. So at the very least I want to get this conversation going and I’m just trying to follow the inspiration that I feel I have received. So with that being said, let’s get into it. So first of all, laying the groundwork that I believe that the savior is universally recognized as the master teacher, right? Like we can just accept that the savior knew what he was doing in his parables, in his teaching and they should line up and make sense, right? I want to read a little bit from Matthew 13 to understand why the Savior claims he why the Savior explains that he teaches in parables starting in verse nine, who hath he just finished a parable and says, who hath ears to hear? Let him hear. And the disciples came and said unto him, why speak us unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. But to them, it is not given skips forward. He says, I speak to them, I speak to them in parables because they seeing, see not and hearing, they hear not neither do they understand, right? So we understand that the parables are the savior’s method to teach. So we can each receive on the level that we are ready to accept. Right? I think that another lesson on this same topic is taught beautifully in alma 12. These have always been some of my favorite scriptures. It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God. Nevertheless, they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of His word which he doth grant unto the Children of men according to the heed and diligence, which diligence which they give unto him. And therefore he that will harden his heart. The same receive the lesser portion of the word and he that will not harden his heart to him is given the greater portion of the world word until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until He know them in full. And they, that will not that and they, that will harden their hearts to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries. And then they are taken captive by the devil and led by his will down to destruction. Now, this is what is meant by the chains of hell. Right? So it’s actually critically important how the savior teaches and how we receive those teachings, how we approach the parable and what we are able to and, and willing to receive from them. So this is an important distinction that we need to keep in mind going forward. The why those who do not harden their hearts and can be given
[00:05:40] the greater portion until they eventually can know all the mysteries of God versus those who do harden their hearts. The other kind of wise, we’re going to talk about both of those in this parable, um who received the less lesser portion until they know less and less and less and nothing and they are wrapped in the chains of hell. Those are the two directions that the savior opens up for us through his teachings. And I think that are always open to us as we approach the gospel and the the concept of truth, right? And, and as we employ the Holy Spirit in our lives, I’m sorry if I’m not very articulate it’s been a long day. So those are the two categories of wise, the humble and teachable, versus the proud and stiff necked, right? We will talk about that a lot more as we go forward. So I mentioned in my discussion with my sons that I recorded that we used to discuss the parables a lot and we did because I was always being given clues and insights into how things didn’t make sense, which I came to recognize. And that was an indication that I was understanding a lesser portion. And I came to experience that as an invitation to seek the greater portion, when things start to become to like filter up to your awareness, that they don’t quite make sense. I think that is the Lord inviting us and telling us we’re ready to seek more. And that’s something that we’ve really um that, that, that is a journey that I think is just beautiful and delicious. And so um some this parable though the parable of the 10 virgins section. Um My goodness, Matthew 25 includes these three parables, the 10 virgins, then the parable of the talents and then the parable of the sheep and the goats. And um it’s really, this was one that was hard to crack. And so I’m going to start back just with my explorations this week to share some of the things I’ve learned in no particular order. We’re just going to come at this parable in every direction that I know how to help us understand it better. And so, first of all, something that I find really interesting, there are only two places in LDS scripture, one place in other scripture, but two places in LDS scripture where 10 virgins are mentioned, the parable of the 10 virgins of Matthew 25 and the worst parts of doctrine and covenants 132. So I’ll just start on section six verse 61. And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood, if any man espouse a virgin and desire to espouse another, it’s hard to read these. I always want to interject all of the thoughts and the first give her consent. And if he espouse the second and they are virgins and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified. He cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him for he cannot commit adultery with that which belong to him and to no one else breathe. And if you have 10 virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery for they belong to him and they are given unto him therefore, is he justified? But if one or either of the 10 virgins after she is espoused, shall be with another man. She has committed adultery and shall be destroyed for they are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth according to my commandment and to fulfill the promise which was given by my father before the fountain of the world and for their exultation in the eternal worlds that they may bear the souls of men for herein as the work of my father continued that he may be glorified. So again, 10 virgins, right? It’s a very distinct connection to the parable of the 10 virgins. And that was not lost on the early polygamist. This was one of the scriptural passages that was my opinion, badly twisted by polygamous scripts. Orson Pratt Orson Pratt is that was the polygamous scriptory who Brigham Young always deferred to, to make the scriptural case. So, um he’s the one that argued this, his, it’s included in the seer and um I I will link to it below. It’s pages 172 and 1 71 71 through 172 of the seer where he specifically talks about it, but it’s quite wordy. And so um Ogden um or Ogden Kraut who is the, was the modern polygamy scholar. And as I have read more and more of Orson Pratt, I’m realizing that I don’t think Ogden Kraut ever had an original idea. All he does is restate the arguments of Orson Pratt and this is no exception. So I’m going to read from Ogden Kraut’s polygamy in the Bible page 218, which is simply a restating of Orson Pratt’s argument. Again, we have another parable concerning the bridegroom. It is written that 10 virgins went forth to meet the bridegroom these 10 girls are not guests of a wedding because there is no mention of any other bride. Neither can the 10 girls be interpreted to be the Saints of God because no one would be left to represent the guests. If we understand them to represent women who, who were to be wives and all the rest of the saints would be the guests. These virgins were the honorable wives mentioned by the psalmist which were taken from among the king’s daughters.
[00:10:45] Again, all of those that is just a restatement of Orson pratt argument for anyone who doesn’t know what I’m talking about with the king’s daughters. Please watch the episode on was Jesus a polygamist because it’s truly just anyway, it’s very tortured and very bizarre and not solid at all. But we’ll go continue on whatever interpretation men are comfortable with. They may be discomforted when they are forced to admit that Jesus was using and sanctioning polygamy in this parable. So this was another case where the script, they claim the scriptures teach polygamy, right? And, and they claim that Jesus was a polygamous because he the bridegroom and the 10 virgins were his bride. So the association with polygamy and and section 132 is not the only problem with this parable that should give us insight that we might need to seek deeper understanding, to help us really know the lesson that the savior was trying to teach us through this. So Um, I’m going to read through the parable first and I’m just going to point out a few of the preliminary. Well, actually here I don’t even think I will point out the problems. I’ll just read through it and we’ll get into them later. So this is Matthew 25 verses one through 13. Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto 10 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. Um Remember that part, it’s important when all um and at midnight, there was a cry maid behold the bridegroom cometh. Go ye out to meet him. We’re going to go into all of this in a lot more depth than a minute. Um Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the white, give us of your oil for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered not so lest there not be enough for us and you but go ye rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves. And while they went to the by the bridegroom came and they that were ready, went in to him, 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 watch. Therefore for ye know, need neither the day nor the hour when in the son of man cometh. Now, I as I’m reading through it, I hope that some of you are getting some of those insights, the invitations to understand that something’s not quite right here on the level that I believe we mainly understand this, right? We always claim that the savior taught on various levels, but we kind of take this surface level and think that that’s all there is. We don’t really seem to understand the message that he was teaching about why he teaches in parables. So that’s what I want to do here because I think there are many, many indications that there is more here that we need to understand because this, this um lesser portion falls, falls short in many ways. So before we get into the rest of the problems, I just want to point out aside from the connection to 100 32 to section 132 and the 10 virgins. This is the only place where the savior talks about virgins. He doesn’t even use the word anywhere else in scripture. Isn’t that interesting? It’s hardly used at all in the New Testament a little bit here and there. But it’s, it’s interesting that he only teaches it in this uses it in this one application. We already know that the Savior was in trouble for dining with harlots and for spending his time with people that the society rejected and looked down on. So we already know that the Savior did reject the social um the ways that that society had of valuing the worth of people, right? He, he did not abide by those and he especially rejected the ones that were unequal that were hard on women, right? And so I think that this is another indication that we can have that um I looked into virgin because it’s interesting, a lot of people use the arguments to claim whether or not Mary was a virgin because there are two words in the in that are translated as Virgin in the Old Testament. And I can think the New Testament. So I’ll just because it’s interesting, there’s Alma, which simply means a young woman. It’s the equivalent of Elam, I might be mispronouncing. Those is a L ma H and Elam is EHL am which means a young man. So it’s a young woman and a young man. Both of those imply virginity because that was the cultural standard of the day. There wasn’t a double standard, it wasn’t acceptable in Jewish culture for men, not boys to not be virgins before they were married either. But there’s another word that is specifically for women that does specifically mean virgin, which is Beulah and usually Alma and Beulah are used synonymously, right? And so it’s interesting to understand that because some people use the fact that Mary is described with Alma to claim that she’s not necessarily a virgin, but I think that’s silly. They’re synonymous. So, but anyway, more importantly,
[00:15:45] the important thing to understand here is that these are words that describe um youth, right? They just describe a point of progress in our lives. We tend to take virgin and sort of put it as this like ultimate. Um We put it on a pedestal as this ultimate state that women should eternally be in somehow, which really doesn’t make any sense. I think I’ve talked about this in some other podcasts because it really troubled me for a long time. Like what is with this? Why is virgin the state that we want to be? And I really think that that is a mistaken idea that that we tend to bring to the scriptures and that later translators tended to bring to the scriptures, but that the savior actually didn’t ever teach. Um the idea is saying virgin or youth, which is more appropriate, young woman is more akin to see child, right? It’s a state of expectancy, a state of not yet fulfilled maturity that we should be looking to grow beyond. So just like infants milk when they we want them to progress to be able to chew and digest meat, right? We also want a young woman or a young man to mature and progress to the point where they become a spouse where they become a parent. So it’s a mistake to put too much. Um, I, I don’t know to give too much elevation to this state of virgin. And I think it’s useful to recognize that the savior actually didn’t do that except in this one parable where I think he was trying to teach us a very specific lesson that we will get into. So, ok, now let’s dig in a little bit after that little sidetrack. But um I also want to say after all of this deep study that the more, more and more as I study the Old Testament, I recognize my and I think most of our deep inability to truly comprehend the fullness of the teachings of the Savior because of our lack of understanding and familiarity, our lack of familiarity with the Old Testament. He utilized so many Old Testament symbols. There’s I mean, more and more as I read through the Old Testament, knowing the parables or as I read through the parables after having read through the old parts of the Old Testament, I am just amazed at what a true master teacher he was and being able to bring all of these things together. I feel like I could spend the entire rest of my life, seeking deep, greater and greater understanding through the Old Testament to help me understand the parables of the savior. So Matthew 25 where we find the parable of the 10 virgins, then the parable of the talents and then the sheep and the goats is a prime example of that. All of those are extremely important temple symbols. And so as I read through the Old Testament, looking for those words, it’s amazing what I have found. So I want to share just a few things in the Old Testament to kind of give an indication of what I’m talking about. Although although I cannot even begin to make a dent in all that there is to learn and to read on this. I did find it interesting reading about um lamps in the Old Testament because as I said, um Matthew 25 is this parable is the only time that does Savier talks about virgins. It’s the only place anywhere that 10 virgins are mentioned. And it’s interesting that they have lamps because throughout the Old Testament, lamps are very important, but they always come in a group of seven just like the menorah, right? I hopefully can get you a picture of the menorah that there are seven lamps, seven candles because that’s so so important candles and synonymous with lamps always come in seven. So I’m going to give a couple of examples of that. I also think it’s important to pay attention that it also corresponds to that there are seven churches, right? Or I did episode on Isaiah 41 where there are the seven women that cling to one man. If anyone still thinks that about, that’s about polygamy. Please go watch that episode. It’s to be brief, the seven churches that I want to cling to Christ saying we don’t want to be dependent on you. We don’t want anything from you except your name. We want to use your name. Right. And so anyway, let’s go on and read a couple of these things. These are mainly instructions being given about how they were to build the temple, the sanctuary or the temple. So Exodus 2537 and make seven lamps thereof and they shall light the lamps thereof that they might might that they may give light over against it right after that, he speaks of the talent. So again, those symbols, they often come together, they are important temple symbols. Again in Exodus 37 2023. And he made his seven lamps and his snuffers and his snuffer dishes of pure gold, of a talent of pure gold. He made he it and all the vessels thereof. So much symbolism in this parable in Zechariah 41 and the angel that talked with me came again and waked me and as a man that is wakened out of his sleep and said unto me, what seest thou and I said, I have looked and behold a candlestick of all gold with a bow on top of it and his seven lamps thereon his seven lamps. This is not instructions about the temple. This is a vision given to
[00:20:45] Zechariah and the seven pipes to the seven lamps which are upon the top thereof. And then we’ll continue with some more examples. Numbers 82, speak unto Aaron and say unto him when thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick. So you can see how important this is that lamps will also there’s more instruction the lamps were to be perpetually burning. They were to always be be um burning thats it it they were to be always filled with oil and to never go out. And it’s interesting to consider the possible meanings I don’t claim to know. But one thought that came to mind is the lamps could symbolize the temple and the flame, the burning the power of the ordinances in the temple. I don’t know. It’s just a lot of beautiful things to consider what the Lord can help us understand through these things. So through these symbols. So Exodus 2720 about the lamps always needed to be burning and thou shalt and the Children of Israel that they bring the pure oil olive. That’s it’s, it’s translated awkwardly in the King James version. Others translated as pure oil of pressed olives. But the King James version in a few places says pure oil, olive beaten for the light. So it just means pure olive oil um for the light to cause the lamps to burn. Always right. So again, we have oil as an important temple symbol. I should have included that in my list. Um Leviticus 24 2 command the Children of Israel that they bring unto the pure oil, olive, beaten for the lights. Again, all pure olive oil for the light to cause the lamps to burn continually. Exodus 37 and Aaron shall burn their own sweet incense every morning. When he dresses the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron light the lamps at even he shall burn incense upon it. A perpetual incense before the Lord. Throughout your generation, the lamps were never to go out. In second chronicles, 29 6, he um had to repent for allowing the lamps to go out for our fathers have trespassed and done that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord God and have forsaken him and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord and turned their backs and have shut up the doors of the porch and put out the lamps. They allowed the lamps of the temple to be put out. And so, um another thing that I think is useful to read from Psalms, Proverbs and some other places is the purpose of lamps. Lamps tend to represent God lighting our way through the commandments and teachings. They’re not ours to earn our salvation. With that’s a difference again, between the parable that we’re going to get into. Don’t worry. And the symbolism that’s used in it and, and what people should have recognized and likely would have recognized. The disciples like me would have recognized this when the savior first gave the parable. So Psalms 1 19 105, the word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path, right? So the lamp symbolizes the word of God that leads and directs you not a way that you earn your salvation. Proverbs 623 for the commandment is a lamp and the law and the law is light. Samuel 2229 for thou art my lamp. Oh Lord and the Lord will lighten my darkness. And then again, the seven lamps continues even in the New Testament revelation 45 and out of the throne preceded lightnings and thundering and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. And so again, just like the menorah, it’s always seven lamps, not ever 10, except there is one important exception that I think actually is important to remember as I, as we go forward to the episode, I’m preparing on the temple and our our modern temple and where our endowment came from. So this is the one, the one exception where there are 10 lamps is not in the instructions for how the temple is to be built, but in the description for how Solomon built the temple and I think that’s an important divergence to recognize. So this is first king 749 and the candlesticks of gold five on the right side and five on the left before the oracle with the flowers and the lamps and the tongues of gold, right? So that’s the one place where it’s not lamps, but it’s candlesticks. And there are 10 of them which doesn’t correspond to any of the instructions that were given about how to build the temple. So important things to consider. Again, I’m not claiming to be authoritative on any of this. I’m sharing my exploration and my thoughts. Oh, no, do I not have we might have bad sound up until this point. I forgot to use my microphone. Sorry about that. So OK, let’s continue on. So um it would be fascinating to read through all of the instructions that were given about how to build the temple and compare them to how Solomon who was the fallen polygamist leader, right? In, in many ways and to see how he did build the temple compared to the instructions he was given. I think that would be an interesting exercise to embark on. But for now, let’s start breaking down the parable. Let’s get into it. So I hope that I’ve given you some indication of the level of symbolism that is included in all of the savior’s parables, but definitely in this one. So um first of all, I want to talk about the problems, right?
[00:26:04] We’re going to start breaking down the problems. The first one that really strikes me is the stark scarcity mentality that is present in this parable. The um the five virgins say give us of your oil for our lamps that are gone out. But the wise answered saying not so lest there not be enough for us and you, I spent so long trying to understand how the Savior, what what the savior could be teaching in this parable with this kind of scarcity mentality, which is diametrically opposed to everything the savior taught and did throughout his life and everything the savior seemed to want us to understand, right? I mean, there are so many examples but miracle after miracle and teaching after teaching you that are the savior used to teach us to reject precisely this kind of scarcity thinking. So the filling the nets of the apostles with fish, right? Obviously, the multiplying of the loaves and fishes, there are, those are all echoes of Old Testament miracles as well. The um the water from a rock manna and quail in the wilderness, the endless supply of both, both grain and interestingly oil for the widow and so many other things, right? And so how does the scarcity mentality make sense? And this idea that oil will run out, especially when we have that exact symbol used in an Old Testament miracle that the Savior would have been referencing with this. So then we have doctrine covenants 104 17 for the earth is full and there is enough and to spare the teaching, the savior always wants us to be able to um except abundance, right? Consider the lilies of the field. They take no thought, neither do they spin. I’m mixing up all of the parables. But you understand what I’m saying? The savior is saying your needs can always be met. You never need to be in fear or have this scarcity mentality. And so um then we can include some of some other teachings, Matthew 1720. And if you and if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible unto you John 1412. And he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do? Because I go unto my father, Jesus never teaches or praises or in any way wants us to embrace any sort of scarcity mentality, especially when it comes to the Kingdom of God, right? Or the love of God or inclusion in the kingdom. The idea that only half of the most faithful will somehow make it into the wedding feast is, is just so strange and confusing to me. And so it’s anathema to everything that Jesus taught. So that’s the first problem that I just couldn’t see my way through with this level of understanding. And so now let’s go to oil and another temple symbol, right? We claim that Jesus is the master teacher and yet this metaphor falls completely flat. It doesn’t work at all to try to make it, make sense of what we claim oil is. We claim that it wasn’t that the virgins weren’t, were being selfish or that they had a scarcity mentality. It’s that oil can’t be shared. It simply can’t be shared. We are claiming like oil very much can be shared, right? You take it and pour it into the lamp from the vessel. You can definitely physically share oil. It is something that can be shared. So to claim that the savior used a symbol that was that inappropriate. He used the symbol of oil that could not only be shared but apparently also bought and sold to symbolize things like the spirit and good works that can’t be shared that I I can’t make sense of that either. We basically are saying that the savior messed up in this parable or that it wasn’t, you know, he just wasn’t able to get the appropriate symbol to use for his metaphor. That doesn’t make sense to me. He’s the master teacher. And so also as I said, oil, if it couldn’t be shared, how could it be bought and sold? Right? If you can, if it’s all the good works, how can you go and buy those things. And especially another thing that I find interesting, it refers to the last days. And so there are this parable, there are many references that in the last days the right just won’t be able to buy and sell. However we want to interpret that physically, I mean, literally or symbolically is fine, but those are the teachings that we’re dealing with. So let’s look at those revelation 1317, no man might buy or sell. Save he that had the mark or the name of the beast. Revelation 1817, and the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her for no man, over Babylon, for no man buy their merchandise anymore. Next two verses provide an extensive list of things people cannot buy, which in verse 13 includes oil specifically. So this breaks down. I hope that you’re understanding the problems that I see here again, I welcome your thoughts. Always. Let’s go on to the next problem that I see in this parable, slumbered and slept, right? All of the virgins, all 10 of them, including the supposed wise,
[00:31:24] slumbered and slept. The entire point of the parable that Jesus gives us is to watch. That’s how he sums it up in verse 13. Watch. Therefore, for, you know, neither the hour or the day, right? So watch means to be spiritually awake, discerning of truth and error connected to God, able to be led directly by God and not in the blind stupor of sleep. That’s what sleep represents, right? Is not being connected directly to God and led by the spirit, but just kind of following thoughtlessly along having the the scales of darkness on our eyes. So it’s really in some other symbols of to watch, that means those on duty, right? The watch, the fourth watch where the guards that were were to watch and the shepherds were keeping watch over their flock by night watch means to be awake, to be alert, to be on the lookout and aware of what’s happening. And so there are far too many scriptural insights to sleeping versus watching that I could ever begin to cover. So I’m only going to do a very partial list and only from the New Testament. I hope that people will take this as an invitation to research further as I’ve said before. I love the keyword search option on the scriptures. It is so helpful and with a little bit of inspiration, you can be given the words to search or the things to search and it just made it so that we can we have so much more access to the scriptures than our ancestors did, which is such a huge blessing to us. So I want to use some of the um share some of the New Testament insights into watching versus sleeping. Right? First Corinthians six 13 watch ye stand fast in the faith. Quit you like men be strong. Quit means. Um oh my gosh, I’m too tired to think of what it means, but it just means, behave as men. Right. Then first Thessalonians 55, ye are all the Children of light and the Children of the day. We have not, we are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as do others but let us watch and be sober. These are what the followers of Jesus Christ are supposed to be doing right? Romans 1311. Now it is high time to awaken out of sleep. For now is our salvation nearer than we believed. The night is far spent. The day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Do you see the importance of sleeping versus watching? Um Then you know, we have the examples of the Garden of Gethsemane. These are heartbreaking. Luke 2244 and being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose up from prayer was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow. I think that means to his sorrow. And he said unto them, why sleep, ye rise and pray lest ye enter into temptation, Matthew 2640 he cometh unto his disciples and find them asleep. This is again after he had suffered and said unto them Peter, what could ye not watch with me? An hour watch and pray that ye not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak. I guess I feel the need to just differentiate between a physical sleeping and our physical need to sleep. That I know that gets a little mixed up there. That is the savior is using that as a symbol about spiritual sleep. This is not about physical sleep. It’s about spiritual sleep, right? Versus spiritual watching. And then quickly we go to the book of Mormon to help us understand a little bit more about being asleep versus being awakened, which is a keyword in the book of Mormon. Again, a very incomplete list. Second Nephi eight verse nine, quoting Isaiah 51 awake awake, put on strength o arm of the Lord awake as the as in the ancient days, verse 17, awake, awake, stand up o Jerusalem which has drunk at the hand of the Lord of at the hand of the Lord, the cup of his fury awake awake, put on the strength O Zion, put on thy beautiful garments. Alma 57, behold, he changed their hearts. Yeah. He awakened them out of a deep sleep and they awoke unto God that they had that mighty change of heart. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness. Nevertheless, the souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word. Yeah, they were encircled around by the bands of death and the chains of hell and in everlasting destruction did await them until they awoke. Right. Second Nephi, one verse 13 0 that ye would awake awake from a deep sleep. Yeah. Even from the sleep of hell and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the Children of men that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe. And I hope you’re catching the connection again between the chains of hell that Alma speaks of when we refuse to receive more and more truth. But we are comfortable just with what we have, right? That helps us understand more the definition of the word sleep and then back to the New Testament. These scriptures give us insight to not only the problem with sleeping and the command to watch, but the next problem I see in the parable as well, the idea that it’s ok that we’re asleep because a cry will be given to announce the coming of the bridegroom
[00:36:43] that again is not consistent with anything else that we are taught. The message seems to be go ahead and sleep because you’ll be given a clear warning and plenty of time to get ready without any need to watch. Right? So that’s, that’s a problem. So let’s these following verses, address both of those problems. I think the sleeping versus waking. And the idea that there will be a cry made a warning. Luke 2136 watch. Ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the son of man. Right is telling to watch Matthew 2442 watch. Therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord Doth come but know this that if the good man of the house had known and what watch the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore, be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the son of man cometh, right? You can’t be asleep. Mark 1335 watch. Ye. Therefore for ye know not when the master of the house cometh at even or at midnight or at the cock crowing or in the morning lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping and what I say unto you, I say unto all watch. How can the possibly make sense? I hope you are seeing the problems that I am seeing. Luke 1237 blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he, when he cometh shall find watching verily, I say unto you that he shall gird himself and make them to sit down to meet and will come forth and serve them. And if and if ye shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so blessed are those servants. But this know that if the good man of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also for the son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not again, too many scriptures to quote all of them about continuing on how the Lord will come as a thief in the night without warning for those who are asleep. And so, ok, so, so these are, this is a pretty good summation of some of the problems that I see in this parable, I I went through them pretty fast. So I invite anyone to go ahead and pause this and read through that parable again and see what you think, see what you see. Does this make sense to you? Are you seeing the invitations that I’m seeing from the Lord to seek more? At least that’s my interpretation. I have to have that caveat all the way through this is how this is how my experience has been and what my interpretation is, right? And so I think that before, OK, so before I share the insights that helped me come to what I believe is the greater portion of this parable or at least the greater understanding that I have been given. I want to share a few more of the problems that I see. So and how they have played out in our history. This parable not only teaches and supports a scarcity mentality, it also teaches a gospel, I believe of a fear of fear based works right. We need to earn our salvation. However, we talk about it, drop by drop, adding oil to our lamps. Again, I want to clarify. I will say this several times. There are beautiful, valuable lessons to be had on every level of the parable. We’ll talk about that later, how the Lord even uses this level of the parable to help us understand beautiful things while at the same time inviting us to dig deeper into the parable. So I don’t want to minimize or erase anybody’s interpretation of this parable or beautiful things they have learned. I think that we can just accept those. And at the same time recognize that there are deeper places to go this parable, I believe, right? And so the idea though is that we earn our salvation, right? They hadn’t put enough oil in their lamps through taking the spirit as their guide or through their good works or through whatever it was, it was something that they earned and could be accumulated into the lamp that people could see who were the ones who had oil and who weren’t. Right. I think that that’s very, very problematic. And so we’re going to, we’re going to talk about that because this is absolutely how it was used. Also keep in mind that the parable was always interpreted to be, these are the the virgins, the worthy ones invited to the wedding feast. They were there with their lamps in their wedding clothes, right? And so it’s always been interpreted, interpreted as half of the temple worthy members. That is certainly how our earliest leaders interpreted and taught. And so even like no matter who you are or where you are, you can never know for sure because only half of you are going to make it. So it is this drastic scarcity mentality of you have to earn enough oil that you have more than you’re in the top half. So you can make it into the feast. Do you get what I’m saying? Maybe we don’t look at it directly that way in our day. But that is if you read it, that is what it teaches and that it is absolutely how it was used. And so I’m going to give some examples of that and again there, um I guess this will be showing in a few weeks, but there have been some discussions about Brigham Young. I am not trying to find fault with Brigham Young. That is never my goal or with any of our early leaders. But
[00:42:01] while that is not my purpose, it is essential that we learn to discern truth from error, right? And we have to look at the fruits of various teachings. And so looking at how the parable of the foolish and wise virgins was utilized by our earliest leaders by Brigham Young is important to help us understand more about this parable and what I believe the Lord was trying to teach us in it. So I’m going to read several quotes from Brigham Young. These are all taken from the complete discourses of Brigham Young that is available online. So I will give you those references. I don’t know if all of them were included in the journal of discourses or not, but I took them from the complete discourses. So this was given 28th of May 1847. It’s in volume one page 480. Um It’s also strange, Brigham Young, this is the only, the only quote I have found so far where Brigham Young claimed to be receiving a revelation. I thought in general he didn’t do that. So this one was interesting. He’s speaking in a revelatory voice from the Lord. He says this is part of what he says. This is my commandment unto you. Mine elder saith the Lord almighty that you speedily repent lest judgments overtake you and you be numbered with the foolish virgins. Let this suffice take heed to your ways and keep your former covenants. So this was told just a little while after they had left on that first trip to Utah, before they’ve even gotten into the valley. That was, that was um his teaching. Then I’ll just continue through with quite a few of them, December 3rd eight, but it won’t even be half of them. Just some of them. December 3rd 1847. This is volume one page 569 of the complete discourses. And, and this was given to the people who were suffering so brutally in winter quarters after he had come back from his first trip to Utah. He, he first says that if the people had known what the church really was, most of them would have, most of them would not have joined it. He says to be LDS, it will cost all a man has no different whether much or little or he will be found a the foolish virgins without any oil in their laps. I want you to also pay attention to how he always uses this in the context of foolish virgins. It’s always this warning that you will be foolish virgins. I haven’t found exceptions to that. So this was February 18th 1855 volume two, page 644. In the progress of the age in which we live, we discern the fulfillment of prophecy and the preparation for the second coming of the Lord and Savior to dwell upon the earth. We expect that the refuge of lies will be swept away in that city nation government or kingdom which serves not God and gives no heed to the principles of truth and religion will be utterly wasted away and destroyed. I want to pay attention. I want to draw attention to the fact that this was given during the reformation. So what it meant to live the gospel was to live polygamy. This is when it was being pushed hard along with things like blood atonement and others. So I’ll skip ahead. It becomes us. Therefore, 11 at all to have our wedding garments to have our lamps, one and all to have our wedding have on our wedding garments to have our lamps trimmed and burning well filled with oil. Lest we also be taken unawares and shall share the fate of the foolish virgins. So it’s similar to the prophecies that have continued to this day from from various polygamous leaders, including Warren Jeffs, right? The whole earth is going to be destroyed except us. We need to be prepared and then there are dozens and dozens more all implying the need for perfect obedience to the leaders. That’s how this parable was understood and used. And so I I just have to point out the parable understood on the level that we tend to understand it that we have to gather oil no matter how we define it. Even Brigham Young defined it as spirit, right as the spirit, but that we have to gather that through our works and our obedience. That understanding is a powerful, powerful tool for any leader to have and to abuse. And so um I’m going to go on with a few more of these teachings. The 15th of June 1856. This is volume two pages 1103 through 1104. Not all of these people are doing as I have been counseling. You still, I will venture to say that there are as many wise, as foolish, wise ones, as foolish, but many will have to separate from their own family connections. If they do not do better, parents and Children will have to separate and husbands and wives air long. Who does this sound like? Right? Where does Warren Jeffs get all of these ideas? Uh I’ll skip ahead. We will keep hammering at you with the word of God, which is quick and powerful until you become sheep if possible, that we may not have foolish virgins in the company. Though, in all this, I do not expect to even desire to thwart the plans and sayings of Jesus Christ in the lead. Let us do all the good. We can extend the hand of be benevolence to all keep the commandments of God and live our religion. And after all, there will still, and after all, there will be five foolish virgins. And if we are not careful, we shall all be on the list of the foolish ones. So that was interesting. It made me think that maybe this parable is where um the idea for Santa’s Nadia nice list came from because that’s what it sounds like. Right. Which list are you going to be on um second of September 1860. This is volume 30 pages 939 to 941.
[00:47:18] Yet after all the label labor that will be performed by the elders of Israel and traveling to the utmost part of the earth and gather, gathering out the people from all nations, kindred tongue and people. And after all the preaching faith and toil that will, that will be wrought by the servants of God. When Christ comes, there will be five foolish virgins and five y five ws my exhortation to every man woman and child that has in the name of Christ, my positive command to you, which I urge upon you and which is your imperative duty to hearken to and obey is to so live every moment that there that there will not be a dark spot upon your lives that you can say every night. The last is the best day I have ever lived. God be praised that I have been enabled to so live this day that I can go to sleep with a clear conscience in short, so live that when you in the spirit, in the spirit world, you can truthfully say I could not better. My mortal life. Were I to live it over again? I exhort you for the sake of the house of Israel, for the sake of Zion, which we are to build up to so live from this time henceforth and forever that your characters may be, may with pleasure, be scrutinized by holy beings. He goes on to call them to repentance for various sins. I know of no person who has a right to sin. Brother Brigham, don’t you sometimes sin if I do it is none of your business and the whole of you are not smart enough to catch me in a wrong. Look back at my life since I have been preaching the gospel and point out if you can the iniquity I have committed, I never yet felt that I had license to commit sin. And if I have not, who has some may imagine that I am boasting you may call it what you please. God has preserved my feet and tongue and I am here to day. They’re not so good as I ought to be and you are not so good as you ought to be. There is a chance for us all to be much better. Where is the boy in this community who has the right to disgrace his father by sin? Where’s the daughter who has the right to disgrace her mother by defiling herself? Have you any such license, young women? Have you any such license young men? If you cannot show your license to commit sin, we shall consider you impostors and that you have no right and do and do not belong to our society. We will dis fellowship all such men and women, whether old or young they are already dis fellowshipped in my feelings. I’ve read that entire extensive quote because I think it’s so important to point out this gospel of works versus grace. Right. I talk about this in my episode on the atonement. I think it might be episode 41. If you haven’t watched that, I’m going to skip ahead here. I didn’t know where I talk about it, but it seems appropriate here. Remember that after the parable of the virgins comes the parable of the talents. And I think that that’s really important to consider. I share, I go into some depth in that episode on the atonement about my interpretation of the parable of the talents. But I want to just briefly restate it here because I think it’s important to compare to this gospel. We are hearing preach from Brigham Young that you basically have to earn your salvation through being perfect, right? And um so in the parallel of the talents that follows after, and I’ll give the interpretation how I think they go together. But I think the parable of the talents is the true parable where the savior is trying to teach us what the gospel actually is. And in it, he talks about the man that was given five and took five talents and took them into the world and traded with his fellow man and returned five additional to the savior and the man that was given two and did the same thing and the man that was given one talent and he buried it in the earth. And then when the savior came back, he gave him. And he said, here is that I, that io thine that I owe thee. I knew that thou were a hard master and reap for thou hast not sowed. And so, um, I, I, my best and favorite interpretation of this that really enlightened my mind so much and, and I welcome other thoughts and other interpretations. I’m sharing mine but is to understand the talents as portions of grace, right? I was always taught that it was about like practicing piano. You know, clearly, it’s not about our talents as we define them. Talents meant money. But I think that we could look at them as sort of portions of grace, even though grace isn’t portioned out that way. The man who needed five talents, maybe it’s someone who needed a lot of grace, right? Who really struggled some of you. This will be a review. I apologize, but I didn’t want to leave it out for someone who doesn’t remember who hasn’t watched that episode. Someone who required five portions of grace because maybe he really struggled in a lot of ways. But he let that weakness and that struggle and the grace God gave him effect like um influence how he dealt with his fellow man. So every bit of grace that was bestowed on him, he bestowed on his fellow man right, so that he returned a full amount in the Savior’s investment into him. He treated everyone with such grace that he was able to double the grace that the Lord had given him. And maybe the man with two portions of grace was someone who had some weaknesses that really helped him to be able to be more compassionate with other people’s weaknesses,
[00:52:27] right? And so he the same as in his interactions with his fellow man, as he took his talents to the marketplace, what the Lord invested in Him, he was able to invest in others and he magnified and doubled the grace that God has given him. I think that this is what the Lord is always teaching us. And the man who was given one talent, he buried it in the earth. And he said, look, Lord, I didn’t even need the talent you gave me. I did it on my own. I earned it all. I didn’t even need any grace from you. And I certainly didn’t give much grace to my fellow man, right? I judged them pretty harshly according to the standard that I thought I was able to live up to. So here you go. Here’s your grace. I don’t need it. I did it all on my own that I think is what the savior is trying to teach and note that it’s that man, the man who said, I don’t need your grace. I did it all on my own and who didn’t give enough grace to his fellow man. He’s the one who was cast out into weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Right. I think that’s important to recognize and it sounds to me like that is very much the gospel that Brigham Young understood and taught and insisted upon. And so I, I think it’s interesting. I um we’re gonna go on to more of these quotes. Um This is May 17th, 1868 in volume five, page 94. When the bride, groom, groom was coming, the cry was made, go ye out to meet him. But while he tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And when they woke with the cry, the bridegroom is here, there were foolish virgins among those among them who had no oil in their lamps. He did not say that they would be among the ungodly. It is among those who are the bride, the lamb’s wife, the foolish are to be found. I just wanted to give you a lot of several examples. Again, this isn’t even half of them. This is a parable that that brother Brigham used a lot. He used frequently to, I think, you know, keep the people obedient. And so, um then we have March 29th, 1869 volume five page 42. It is true that we are all that we are weak, feeble, frail and prone to wander from the path of righteous, but from the paths of righteousness. We are made subject to vanity still it is our duty to bring, to bring it to subjugation, to bring it to subjugation to the law of Christ, all the powers of our nature to bring into subjugation to the law of Christ, all the powers of our nature. If we thus subdue the wicked man that, that is within us, and then I’ll summarize what he says, then we can hope to be worthy when it, when it will be said, behold, the bridegroom, go out to meet him. Now, will we deceive ourselves and be found among the foolish virgins with no oil in our vessels? And when the wheat and tears are separated, shall I be found a tear or a wheat? Let us ask ourselves the question. Am I a wheat or a tear? He always wanted to keep them in insecurity in their relationship to God. Right? April 29th, 1877 I want to point out this is the last one I’ll read. I believe this was just a few months before his death. And keep in mind he had just spent the last four years building the Gardo house. He he wasn’t able to work much on the temple to complete the temple. But the Gardo House was his latest and most outrageously opulent mansion in his long line of mansions. And he owned II I don’t even know how many dozens of homes and businesses, most of the property in Salt Lake City and most of the businesses and much of it acquired from other members who had built it um through back tithing that they owed him, right? So he acquired or took much of it from others. So this is volume five pages, 1293 through 1294. Fear not with regard to the success of this church and kingdom rather fear, you should not be counted worthy to be numbered among the sanctified when Jesus comes to make up his jewels. Rather fear, fearless. You should be found in the condition of the five foolish virgins who whose lamps had gone out and who were unprepared to meet the bridegroom because they had no oil. Remember latter day saints, there were five wise and five foolish and equal division and yet they were all virgins, right? They were all all part of you. The application is just is a just one and has a direct bearing on us a lot. As Latter day saints, the wise among us will take heed, will hearken to the instructions and counsels of the servants of God will pattern after Christ and thirst after the things of God. And our lamps will be trimmed and burning and we will be prepared to meet the bridegroom when he comes and they that are ready to will enter in with him to the marriage. And whether or not the door be shut on those who are not so well prepared is a matter that belongs solely to him. And he can do just as he pleases about it. I want to have oil in my vessel. So that in case I should. And so so that in case I should and in consequence of the weakness of the, of the flesh slumber, a little on, on a rising my lamp would be trimmed, ready to burn. This is doubtless your desire then live for it. Mingle, not your voices with the wicked seek, not after the delusive things of world in, in their present state. But um he often talks about them, not, not minding their poverty, right? Um but is not the Lord going to give the earth, give the earth and the riches thereof to the saints. Yes, that is the promise. And he has spoken it by the mouth of his many prophets.
[00:57:48] But when will this inheritance pass into the hands of his, of his people when we shall have sanctified the Lord in our hearts, sanctified our bodies and spirits and the truth. And we become pure and holy, free from selfishness and free from every sin and until we shall have received this state of perfection, we need never expect we, we never need expect these things committed to our care for. He will not do it. So again, the the double standard just the way that this teaching was utilized very effectively and it fits right? His understanding of the parable fits. So this works based. Gospel of Fear is not the true gospel of Jesus Christ. This perspective can be found in the lesser portion of each parable, but the greater portion always reveals a completely different picture. They do not reveal a gospel of fear and works, but a gospel of love, joy, peace, charity, and grace. We need to get that greater portion so that we can understand why the gospel is the good news, right? Because otherwise it sure sounds heavy. This this fear based gospel is something that we’ll touch on a little bit more. As we, when we get into our episodes on blood atonement, those are rather difficult and to see the effect that these teachings had on people is very, I mean, it’s predictable but it’s, it’s hard, right? So those two gospels could not be more different, the gospel of works versus the Gospel of Grace. So it is true again that there are valuable messages on every level, the lesser and the greater portion, we can learn valuable things, but we can see from the teachings of Brigham Young that there is great danger in staying forever in the lesser portion. We need to grow in light and knowledge and truth. We need to go from milk to meat and seek greater understanding. So, ok, now we’re gonna go in and try to try to help solve some of the problems I might have created. So I did because of all of these problems I puzzled about this parable for years long before I saw the connections to these connections to polygamy, I just discovered in preparation for this episode. And this episode and looking up how this was utilized by other leaders, I didn’t know any of that until getting ready for this episode. But still seeing all of the problems, I really struggled and I tried to find all kinds of different ways to make sense of it. I prayed and I tried different interpretations to try to learn the lessons, the deeper lessons that would make sense. And so finally, my oldest son who I used to have a lot of scriptural conversations with, I still do. He’s just in law school. So he’s a lot busier now. But he called me one day while I believe, while he was in college with to tell me his insight and it blew me away and completely solved this parable for me. So that’s what I’m going to share with you because it was like that like, you know, the metaphorical light bulb, it just was like, oh, I get it. I see. Oh my goodness. I’ve been so thankful ever since. So this is what I’m going to explain. I, I again, go slowly if you need to, to try to understand. But I think for me, this is the key to understanding the true message Jesus wanted us to understand in this parable. And it comes in the very first verse this is how Jesus starts this parable. Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto 10 virgins? I hope you caught that. This is the only parable that begins this way. It is a critical distinction between this parable and every other parable. And as I said, in my opinion, it’s the key to understanding the greater portion of this parable. In every other parable, Jesus gives, he himself tells us what the kingdom of Heaven is like. He makes the analogy. And so in this parable, he’s not saying the Kingdom of Heaven is like he’s saying this is what people will say. The Kingdom of Heaven is like, do you understand then in that day, shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto people will say that the Kingdom of Heaven is like this is like these 10 virgins. I think that is a critical the distinction. So I had already studied this out for myself, but I found a list, a comprehensive list of the perils parables of Jesus that I will um link below if anyone wants to look at it for themselves. So I’ll just give you some examples of how all of the other parables start. I’ve not yet found anything that contradicts this pattern. So we’ll start with Matthew 1324. The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a man who sowed good seed in his field. Again, the King James version translation does a couple of these. Strangely, it’s the same wording and, and, and all of the others is trans translated just as the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man or the kingdom of Heaven is as a man. But in this one, it says it is likened unto a man, which just means the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man traveling in his field. Um Chapter 31 the king kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed. These are all Matthew kingdom of, I mean um chapter Matthew 33 the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto
[01:02:59] le in chapter 44 the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure, hid in a field. 45. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man. 47 the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net. Um 18 verse 23 the Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a certain rich uh to a certain in king which you can see there. It uses that same awkward wording, but it’s the same, it’s the exact same thing and it comes from the same words. Um Chapter 20 verse one, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that is an, is an householder. Chapter 20 verse two. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son. So you see, I won’t even go into all of the other parables. Matthew is where I believe most of them are recorded. But there are several other examples in every single parable, Jesus himself makes the comparison, makes the analogy. He is trying to help us understand eternal truth by telling us by comparing the Kingdom of Heaven to things that are more concrete that we can hopefully understand a little bit better. But in this one parable, the parable of the 10 virgins, it is different. Jesus is not making the comparison. He is not telling us the kingdom of Heaven is like 10 virgins. He’s saying the Kingdom of Heaven will be likened unto 10 virgins by others in the last days. And I think often we’re so serious with how we read the um Savior. I like to read this one like I sometimes when you read about the beam and the mote, you know, I think it’s fun to see the savior doing this with some humor. He’s saying they have a moat in their eye and you have a beam in your eye. Like it’s a ridiculous um uh it, it’s a ridiculous circumstance to talk about. So I think there was some humor in it, right? I think the same as this. He’s like, OK, get this guys. This is what they’re going to say. The Kingdom of Heaven is like, and they would have all caught the symbolism as he was giving it. And I think maybe to some extent laughed along. That’s, that’s how I imagine this parable being given and understanding the parable this way as Jesus not teaching these ideas, but warning against these ideas and potentially even making fun of these ideas to some extent has helped me to grow to love this parable where I used to be so troubled by it and really struggle with it. The scarcity mentality, the idea that gospel in heaven is a zero sum game. If I make it in, it means that someone else can’t and vice versa. If someone else makes it in, it means that I can’t because only half of the covenant people can be included and half must be excluded. It means that that is not a truth taught by Jesus Christ, that is a falsehood taught by man that Jesus is warning us against. And it’s telling us to watch, to be alert, to stay awake as we go forward and talk about more to take the spirit as our guide so that we won’t be deceived by these false ideas. The idea that we accumulate worthiness through our good works, our acts, you know, whatever it might be, we somehow earn our worth and earn our salvation in something physical like oil that everyone can see, right? That everyone can tell who’s worthy, who’s not, or at least we always need to be worried about it and trying, right? Just that, that idea that always leads to either pride or to inferiority and insecurity that never leads to love of God and love of fellow man. That is not an idea that Jesus was teaching. It’s a false idea that Jesus was warning would be taught. And so again, harkening back to the things I covered in episode 41. It is an inversion of the truth. This parable is warning us of these things that would be taught. Um the truth of the gospel, right? The truth of the atom is that it is a gift given to us that we can never be. Um what’s the profitable servants, right? We are always in the dead of Jesus Christ and we are dependent wholly on grace. And our good works are a natural outgrowth of our experiencing the love of God. And that grows into the love of our fellow man. And our desire to be used by God to help him in some small way in his great work of saving mankind and saving the world. That’s what we are enlisted in naturally joyfully gratefully when we are blessed to come into the presence of God and experience his love. That’s how it really works. The Gospel is never a burden, it’s never discouraging or depressing or depleting. And it’s the opposite. It’s not fearful. It’s a tremendous privilege that is ennobling and joyful and makes you grateful every single day that the Lord lets you be a part of it. That’s why it’s the good news, right? And so this greater portion of the parables of the 10, of the parable of the 10 virgins I believe is, is to be able to recognize and see through the false ideas that preachers of religion would proclaim. And so, um I think that the message of it is restated. Well, in second Timothy 43, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. But after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves, teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables. It’s the people wanting these ideas taught. And more than that, I think the leaders wanting to teach these ideas, right? And so the parable is to warn us of these fables that will be taught and will deceive many, especially those who are not truly wise. And we’re going to go forward and talk about that because that is an essential part
[01:08:39] of this parable. So the idea also, I just want to talk about the idea that we somehow that we as humans can judge one another can determine who is worthy, who is not, can see the oil in the vessel, right? That is another completely false idea that I think contradicts all of Christ’s other teachings. The idea that we can come up with some sort of list of requirements that we can check off. So we can measure our own rights and measure the righteousness and the worthiness of others, I think is also false. And so especially again, since half of us have to fail, right? We can never be sure. We’re always insecure. We’re always fearful. We’re always having to run ourselves ragged trying to earn something that we never had to or could earn in the first place. And so that’s, um, that, that’s something that I think is important to recognize. I love. Second Nephi 941. 0, then my beloved brethren come unto the Lord. The holy one. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him. And the keeper of the gate is the holy one of Israel and he employee no servant. There, there is never any person who can say who is worthy and who is not, who can come to the Lord and who can’t, that is not dependent on any human, no matter what calling or position they may hold that is dependent only on the Lord and us each as individuals. And there is none other way save it be by the gate for he cannot be deceive. God cannot be deceived. There’s no other way to enter his presence other than the gate that he himself keeps for the Lord is his name the Lord. So anyway, ok, I was going to restate some of that. So, um we’re going to go on to talk about the important lessons that this parable does teach right? In addition into the lessons that it tells us to be, to be wary of, to be warned of the lesson is not about a half and a half success rate or about virginity or virgins or about earning our salvations or determining who among us is worthy. But it very much is about wisdom. And so let’s we’re gonna go on and talk for a little while about wisdom. It’s so important and wisdom is a tricky word in the scriptures. There are definitely two types of wisdom, right? Or wisdom is on a spectrum. We could see. Um maybe we could call it a lesser and a greater portion of wisdom, right? Or way of understanding wisdom, it can be either good or bad and we need to discern between them between the good wisdom and the bad wisdom. And I think as I’ve thought about it, I thought maybe part of the reason the Lord uses wisdom this way and challenges us to discern between the positive and the negative wisdom in scriptures is so we can learn to discern between positive and negative wisdom in our own lives and in ourselves because we are so prone. This is something I think we all have to struggle with. So we need to learn to recognize each the positive and the negative type of wisdom. And the book of Mormon is an excellent place to start from my perspective. It’s the best source we have to help us understand this. So I’m going to start by reading through some of the negative examples of wisdom, right. Alma 21 am Lakai was a man. Alisia am Lakai. People say it differently was a wise man as to the wisdom of the world. Mosiah 24 7, the Lamanites began to wax great and began to be a cunning and a wise people as to the wisdom of the world. Yeah, a very cunning people delighting in all manner of wickedness and plunder. Second Nephi 2726. Therefore, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people. Yeah, a marvelous work and a wonder for the wisdom of their wise and their learned shall perish and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid and then we can go on from there. I had to check and make sure my sound was working now. So you had good sound for the rest of this. Second Nephi 2815. 0, the wise and the learned and the rich that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts and all those who preach false doctrines and all those who commit whos and pervert the right ways of the Lord woe woe woe be unto them saith the Lord God almighty for they shall be thrust down to hell. So you can see the wi w can be dangerous. Wisdom can be dangerous. Right? Second Nephi 1521 woe unto the wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight. Alma 3223. And now he imparted his word by angels unto men. Yeah, not only men but women also. Now this is not all little Children do have words given unto them many times which confound the wise and the learned. There are just a few more I read, there are many in the scriptures. I just chose some and maybe I should edit some of them out. But you’re getting, you’re getting all that I chose Alma 37 6. Now you may suppose that this is foolishness in me. But behold, I say unto you that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass and small means in many instances, Doth confound the wise and the Lord Doth work by means to bring about his great and internal and eternal purposes. And by very small means, the Lord Doth confound them wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.
[01:13:51] The same thing we find somewhat in doctrine and covenants. Section 1 28 18 talks about the things that are kept hid from the wise and the prudent but shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings. And again, many more examples throughout the scriptures. I haven’t even touched on the Bible which has many you can look up. So I I’m again hoping that this will be an invitation for anyone who wants to seek and learn more and share with me some of what you learned. So the scriptures though can also more importantly, help us understand positive wisdom, right? The, the good version of wisdom. And so let’s read through some of those and, and this, as we read through these, start thinking about some of the things that wisdom that the positive wisdom entails. Mormon 928. Be wise in the days of your probation, strip yourselves of all and cleanness. Ask not that you may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken that ye will yield to no temptation. But they will serve the true and living God that teaches us a lot about how to be wise. Jacob 611. 0, then my beloved brethren repent ye and enter in at the straight gate and continue in the way which is narrow until ye shall obtain eternal life. Oh, be wise. What more can I? What can I say more? Mosiah 1227. You have not applied your hearts to understanding therefore, you have not been wise. So the wise apply their hearts to understanding. We’re starting to get a list. Alma 3020 that talks about the Lamanites that they were more wise than many of the Nephites because they didn’t fall the teachings of Korah or Abi his teachings hem in 1614, and angels did appear unto men, wise men and to declare things unto them glad tidings of great joy. So the wise are people that angels can appear unto Mosiah 2910. And now let us be wise and look forward to these things. And do that, which will make for the peace of this people. Wise men will judge, will judge this people according to the commandments of God, Mosiah 29 8. Now I say unto you, let us be wise and consider these things. So the wise consider right that he goes on to talk about wisdom in government. And then 3514, I’m not going to read through it right now. It is loaded and I’m asking you to read it if you even want to pause right now and read 3514. There is so much there. Then Matthew 724 through 25 Wise Man hears and does the word of the Lord. And this is I’m just summarizing the lessons taught in Matthew that tells us that the wise man who hears the word of the Lord builds his house on the rock, which is the sure foundation and does not trust in the arm of flesh or make flesh, his arm. I’m taking some of that from second Nephi 2815 and 28. 31 important messages, right? They all start blending in together and coming together in so many beautiful ways. And then again, the same message in the doctrine covenant 76 9, speaking of those who fear and serve God, um um God in righteousness and who love truth, it says, and their wisdom shall be great and their understanding reach to heaven and before them, the wisdom of the wise shall perish and the understanding of the prudent shall come to n And so I think the ultimate guide to help us discern between good wisdom and not so good wisdom is second Nephi 928 and 29. 0, that cunning plan of the evil 10, the vain and the frailties and the foolishness of men. When they are learned, they think they are wise and they hearken not unto the counsel of God. For they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves where for their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not and they shall perish, but to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God. Right. Right. There is our definition. We get a little bit more continuing on to verses 42 and 43. And who so knock to him? Will he open and the wise and the learned and they, that are rich who are puffed up because of their learning and their wisdom and their riches. Yeah, they are, they whom he despise and say they shall cast these things away and consider themselves fools before God and come down in the depths of humility. He will not open unto them. But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever. So s uses wise in the positive way there as well. Yay, that happiness which is prepared for the saints. That’s part of the things of the wise and the prudent. So we can see after working through this for a long time and kind of seeing what was happening, I started to think about and describe the wisdom on the other side of foolishness, right? Wisdom before foolishness is not worth much when we just kind of think we’re all that and that we have everything we need. But the hard earned wisdom given by God sometimes painfully through our experiences that teach us our utter nothingness and complete reliance on God is worth everything. That is the wisdom we are. After the critical difference seems to be a humility, being humble and teachable. When our wisdom makes us believe, we already know everything we need to know when we are too certain that all of our beliefs and traditions are correct.
[01:19:11] And then, and so we are closed off to learning anything new, especially if it contradicts or threatens our traditions. That is the negative wisdom when our wisdom however comes as a result of being taught by the Lord. When what we have been taught can be combined with deep humility, a willingness to consider ourselves fools before the Lord to set aside any idea or tradition we hold no matter how core it is to what we have always been taught. As soon as the Lord starts to show us something new or starts to show us flaws in it. If we are willing to consider setting it aside, that is the positive wisdom. There is absolutely nothing bad or wrong about being studious or intelligent or learned or wise, those things are only bad if we let them cause us to be prideful, stiff necked, stubborn, unwilling to reconsider things that we may have wrong and just hadn’t known it up until now. It’s not that we should just accept any idea. Right. There are many bad ideas. But when ideas come, that can be backed up with evidence, reason and especially spiritual enlightenment, we have the option to either let our stubborn wisdom be our downfall and lead us to the chains of hell, or we can choose to be humble and teachable in order to gain greater and greater wisdom. Until in God’s time, we are brought into his presence and we can be taught all the mysteries of God. That’s the pattern, those are the directions we get to choose between at all times. And so I think it’s really important as we go forward to continue to think about what it means to be wise that well, I guess, I guess I’ll say that for a minute, but that is the category we are looking at is the wise. That’s what we need to consider. So now the next thing we need to investigate are the verses in the doctrine and covenants that refer back to this parable, right? Because they’re important and I think God uses them to teach us more about it. They are very well veiled so that we easily can read them on the lesser portion. But again, they give us indications and insights into the greater portion as well. So again, there’s value on every level, right? Don’t throw away the lessons that you’ve received but be open to considering new, new ones, a new degree of understanding. Um So let’s see, let me get there. Ok. So we’ll start with doctor and covenants 3317, Wherefore be faithful. Praying. Always again, that’s this is when I’m going to break it down a little as we go, be faithful. Praying. Always that’s the opposite of being asleep, right? Having your lamps trimmed, already trimmed, not being asleep and waiting to trim your labs, having them trimmed and burning an oil with you that you may be ready at the coming of the bridegroom. So first, so like I said, this sounds like it can fit perfectly on that what I consider the lesser portion. But first recognize how vastly different Joseph Smith’s use of this parable is from Brigham Young. He doesn’t use it to talk about the foolish virgins and to threaten that, you know, the the scarcity mentality. He doesn’t, he also doesn’t use it exactly as it is written, right? He’s changing it in some ways. He’s not using it to instill fear or a threat or a warning or scarcity. There isn’t enough oil, there’s not enough room in heaven, right? Instead it’s the opposite lesson that is being taught. So I want to read this in greater context to help provide some deeper understanding. I think. So, let’s start at verse 15. And who so having faith you shall confirm in my church by the laying on of hands and I will bestow gift of the holy ghost upon them. Again, it’s available to all. There’s room for everyone and the holy ghost is the exact same is the exact thing we need to become wise to see through the false teaching. The savior is warning about in this parable. And the book of Mormon and the Holy scriptures are given of me for your instruction. I love that because again, that’s what we just went through where we learned the most about true wisdom and the power of my spirit quicken all things including mainly our understanding. So we can gain more light and knowledge and be taught the greater portion under verse 17, wherefore be faithful, praying, always having your lamps trimmed and burning oil and oil with you that you may be ready at the coming of the bridegroom. In other words, don’t be asleep, don’t fall for the false teachings that are coming. Rely on the discernment of the Holy Spirit for behold, verily, I say unto you that I come quickly even so, I mean, I hope that was clear. I explained it the best I could. But again, go ahead and study it out and see what, what you discern because I really think that the Lord is using that lesser portion to teach us. But at the same time giving us more clues to help us see that there is a greater portion, right? Because this is this is elevating our understanding. Then we go on from there, these revelations were given in this order, right? That was the first one given.
[01:24:17] And so the next one I think is to help us see the difference between being foolish virgins. Those are who are not able to see past the lesser portion and cannot receive more and an entirely different category which is the wise, as described in scripture. I hope you agree to that. It’s not between foolish versions and wise versions, virgins. It talks about foolish versions and then it talks about the wise, the people who are lies in the positive version of wisdom. So let’s talk about that. Now, Dr covenant 4556 and at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the 10 virgins. So again, in the last days, these false ideas will be taught, right? 4057 for they that are wise note. He does not say the wise virgin virgins. Actually, the term wise virgins doesn’t appear anywhere in scripture. The savior never talks about virgins. Remember. And except in this one parable in Matthew 25 that talks about wise virgins, there’s no other reference of any kind like that anywhere else. So I don’t believe that the savior is talking about wise virgins, but about the people who are wise as it has previously been defined in the book of Mormon. And as it will go on to be defined in the doctrine and covenants, people who have gained wisdom, and he goes to give us more instruction about how to be in that group, in the group of the wise. It says, and they have received the truth, the truth of the gospel, not the false traditions. It’s referring again to the great promises of those who receive truth, including in Alma 12, that they cannot be shaken and that they can have all mysteries unfolded unto them and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide. They have not put their trust in the arm of flesh. They have not believed the false ideas. They have relied on the Lord and the spirit of discernment given to them by the Holy Ghost, which they’ve taken as their guide and have not been deceived by the false traditions that Jesus warned of verily, I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day. And then he goes on to give us more promises of the wise. And then it goes on from there to tell us more about the wise, to help us understand even more about this category and the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance and they shall multiply and wax strong and their Children shall grow up without sin unto salvation. For the Lord shall be in their midst. Remember, the wise are those who can abide the presence of God and His glory shall be upon them and He will be He will be their king and their lawgiver. So those are the promises given to the wise, the truly wise. Those who are willing to be taught, all of the mysteries of God taught all things, despite what they already know what they already think they know. And then the last one we need to cover is doctrine and covenants 63 and I um 63 it’s 5054. But we’ll also read 53. These things are the things which you must look forward to and speaking after the manner of the Lord. They are now nigh at hand and in a time to come, even in the day of the coming of the son of man. So again, it’s a sign of the times when you see these things be taught, you will know. It is in the end times, the latter days, right? Verse 54. And until that hour, there will be foolish virgins among the wise. Again, those two categories, not foolish virgins and wise, virgins, foolish virgins, and the wise, the foolish virgins are the um those who have not received the fullness have not grown past milk. Or are not, or they are in spiritual maturity. Have those who have not had the gospel Consummated in their lives and who are not able to see past the false teachings. And then the other group, the wise that we’ve discussed so much as defined in the book of Mormon and in the previous revelations, um the revelations in the doctrine of covenants, it continues and at that hour cometh an entire separation of the righteous and the wicked. Again, not the foolish virgins and the wise virgins, but the righteous and the wicked, completely different categories. Because even in the parables, it’s acknowledged and the the first layer interpretation of the parables, it’s acknowledged that the foolish virgins are not the wicked, right? So it’s important to recognize the differences and the nuances and subtleties that can help us understand what God is trying to teach us. So just summing this up. It is fascinating to me that the 10 virgins show up in the stories of the 10 virgins show up only in these two places. The savior’s parable warning us of the false teachings that we will encounter in the last days and the worst parts of section 132. That, that is amazing. It cannot be a coincidence. I I it again just makes me feel like God is amazing and that Jesus truly is the master teacher that clear back in that parable I believe was warning us of these false traditions. That we would experience and we would find through all of those subtle clues that in their day, they would have picked up on much more quickly than we do, but they’re still available for us to find and to see. So again, just to clarify, don’t throw out any beautiful lessons you’ve
[01:29:46] learned or experiences you’ve had based on the, the, um, I think lesser portion that interpretation there is value to be gained everywhere. But neither should we reject what may be the greater portion because of our connection or our bias for a previous interpretation, which may very well be the lesser portion. I think it’s at least worth considering. So remember that the wise who are too proud or set up their conclusions to see, they’re too proud or set in their conclusions to see and accept new ideas in truth will not be able to receive more. While the wise who are truly humble and open and hungry for truth, no matter where it may lead or no matter what they will be taught will be able to be taught all things by the Lord and they can come into his presence and eventually be taught all the mysteries of God. So again, I just invite, please be open, humble, willing to consider and take this to the Lord in humility and to seek to be taught by the spirit. And again, if you learn more, share it with me, let’s keep the conversation going. Because I think that’s how we all learn. So I have saved for last, what I believe is the best key to help us understand the importance of this parable and what it truly means to be wise, to be in the group of the wise, especially in the context of the podcast. And as I said, this all was new for me and just has blown me away. So this is another revelation to Joseph Smith recorded in Doctrine and covenants section 122. And it says the ends of the earth shall, shall inquire after thy name and fools shall have the derision and hell shall raise against thee. Again, contrasting fools with the wise. While the pure in heart and the wise and the noble and the virtuous shall seek counsel and authority and blessings constantly from thy hand and thy people shall never be turned against thee by the testimony of traitors. Again, amazing that even in this revelation, God is telling us how we should weigh testimonial evidence, right? God is telling us that even if it is stacks of affidavits, it can be the testimony of traitors and no matter who those traitors may be or what positions they may hold this applies. And although their influence shall cast thee into trouble and into bars and walls, thou shalt be had in honor and but for a small moment and thy voice shall be more terrible in the midst of thine enemies than the fierce lion because of thy righteousness and thy God shall stand by thee for ever. And ever. This hit me especially hard again talking about the whys and the content and subject matter of this podcast because I believe this is what is coming to pass from so many voices, so many people helping in this effort. We are experiencing the fulfillment of this revelation in incredible ways because of the righteousness of both Joseph Emma, the truth of their testimony and their lives is shining through all of the lies, all of the testimonies that are the testimonial evidence, that simply is not true, that cannot stand up. And I have to tell you don’t know that I’ve shared this before. But when I was feeling like I needed to do that first episode claiming that Joseph wasn’t a polygamist. I was struggling. It was hard for me. I had had profound answers again and again, I’d been given things in the scriptures and been shown all of the things I had been shown. But still, I just kept feeling like there’s so much smoke. II, I felt like I didn’t wanna stick my neck out on the line and lose the credibility. I’d worked so hard to gain and I did not want to be wrong. I didn’t want to mislead people. And I um when I really just took that to the Lord and prayed, you know, shared all that I was struggling with. I was given a beautiful and profound experience. And I to sum it up, I was told that those who stand by Joseph and Emma Smith and who defend them will not be left alone or hung out to dry, they will not be forsaken God will stand by them and by those who defend them forever. And that was beautiful and profound for me. And I feel like it has been borne out again and again and again, until all of my fear has been, has long ago been washed away. And I just feel more and more confident that this is indeed the truth. And that all of the evidence we need is there to back up that this is the truth. It just needs to continue to be brought out and people need to be exposed to it so that this will be understood, so that this prophecy, this revelation can continue to be fulfilled. So again, that’s part of why in our study of polygamy and our understanding of Joseph Smith, we must be among the wise and not the fools or the foolish virgins who believe the lies about Joseph and Emma and Hiram. And whether we claim to honor Joseph um honor Joseph as a prophet or we hold him in derision, we must not be deceived by the testimony of traitors. Um That, that again blew me away, that God tells us how to weigh testimonial evidence compared to hard physical evidence, which cannot be affected or forged or fraudulently created. And so if we need any further testimony of the power and importance
[01:35:36] of what happened in the restoration, I don’t know that we do but that, but some might and I keep receiving it despite all the problems, the messiness, the confusion of our history and of the restoration. Even this parable of Jesus God warning of the false ideas that would come forth in the last days. Even it gives me another huge confirmation of the importance of the restoration in no small part because it has direct application to polygamy and specifically the fraudulent parts of section 132. I just again, am amazed amazed by that, amazed that in the parable Jesus gives to warn us of false traditions. In the last days, it refers directly to section 132 through 10 virgins and these false teachings. It is beautiful to watch the Lord work and see what it unfolds in our lives as we discover it. So my prayer is that we can all continue to seek to be, to be the wise, to be truly wise in the most positive way to gain the wisdom on the other side of foolishness to take the Holy Spirit as our guide. So we can avoid all of the deceptions that have come and that will continue to come in our path. And so that we aren’t subject to putting our trust in the arm of flesh, so that even when we discover these new things that the Lord is unfolding to us, we cannot be shaken, but we can continue to grow in closeness and unity and connection to the Lord. So thank you again for joining me and I will see you next time.
