On Holy Tuesday, Jesus taught in the temple. Here is a nice ChatGPT summary of the things he taught.
In this post, I dive into the parable of the Ten Virgins, depicted in this video:
What stands out to me is that this is a parable of the reality of boats that can be missed through inaction, distraction, and slothful, lazy behavior. The grandest among these boats to miss is to be unprepared for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. But we miss many other boats when living in less prepared states. Sometimes, we miss opportunities for family-building, child-rearing, friendship-strengthening, career and educational growth, and more.
The parable motivates taking actions that delay gratification and build something more significant than present whims. It encourages healthy habits that accumulate oil of conversion in the lamps of testimony one drop at a time.
Note that even the five who kept no oil in their lamps were willing virgins for the bridegroom. They wanted to be on the boat. They were those whose actions did not align with their commitments and desires. Their neglect left them behind.
Note that when they asked those with oil for help, the faithful virgins did not ignore them or shame them. They stated the truth and shared the best potential solution they could imagine. But there was no chance for them. There is no quick fix to putting yourself in an entirely unprepared state. The growth and maturation required take time. While you can change direction as fast as it takes to say “I’ll change” and mean it, you cannot cover the ground of transformation overnight. It takes time, effort, and iteration to follow through.
Note that when they arrived at the door, the bridegroom did not ignore them or shame them. He spoke to them, even if it was with words that hurt to hear. He delivered the truth. He knows those virgins have become something that is not aligned with their voiced desires. In that confusing, split frame of mind, how could He know who they really are? They are living dual lives. He dismissed them with, “I know you not.”
As Elder Bednar reminds us, there are “many possible interpretations of the parable of the ten virgins to highlight the relationship between testimony and conversion.” This Easter season, I hope we reflect on duality in our lives. Where are we committing or omitting actions unaligned with who we want to become? Write those down and change them. The atonement of Jesus Christ enables us to repent.
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Footnotes:
- Fearless, written moral inventories of our lives are Step 4 of 12-step programs, which we could all benefit from and use to evaluate our preparedness in life.
- For motivation to repent and to reframe what that word means in your life, see: