Surrendering Our Will The Quality of the Seed Elder Gary R. Whiting Women's Department Class Zion's Outpost February 12, 2018 I. The main parables or teachings about seeds in scripture come from A The Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3-21, Mark 4:3-17, Luke 8:5-15. B. The Parable of the Mustard Seed in Matthew 13:30, Matthew 17:20, Mark 4:25; Luke 17:6 C. The Experiment of Faith in Alma 16:152-173 D. Com of Wheat in John 12:23-26 II. Each of these says something different about the seed A The Parable of the Sower 1. Describes the ability of various hearts to receive and support the seed (word of God) and the subsequent plant the springs from the seed. 2. In this parable, the seed is presumed to be viable and healthy 3. Parable examines the ability and willingness of the hearts of people to give place to the word and allow its maturation. B. The Parable of the Mustard Seed 1. Talks about the faith of the seed itself 2. Seed is the example of faith 3. Related to allowing the seed to grow and mature until it becomes fruitful or achieves the measure of its creation. C. The Experiment on the Word 1. The seed is compared to the word of God, like in the Parable of the Sower a. This is an example of how faith works b. Demonstrates that saving faith is in the word of God or living by every word of God. 2. In the first part of the experiment is judging the quality of the seed a. Is it good, viable, powerful, etc. b. Does it show the ability to give life and to be fruitful? c. Once the seed is judged to be good, it is shown to be evidence of faith 3. Part 2 is similar to the Parable of the Sower a. Encourages faith to endure to maturity (to the end) b. It asks what kind of gardener a person is (does faith endure) (1) Thankful? (2) Steward? (3) Diligent? c. Careful, attentive farmer who cares well for the seed/new growth will be blessed with fruit Page -1-
d. Slothful, lazy or careless farmer will not see fruit, or at least, not much or not with much quality. D. The Com of Wheat 1. The seed is a type of the death and resurrection of Jes us Christ a. And Jes us answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a com of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am there shall also my servant be; if any man serve me, him will my Father honor.(john 12:23-26). 2. Commands that his followers must likewise be willing to lay down their lives as Jesus did. III. Our focus is aimed more at the Parable of the Sower and the Experiment on the Word A. Lesson material discusses the word as a seed and the character of the word B. The word of God 1. Is pure (Proverbs 30:5) 2. It is incorruptible (1 Peter 2:3) 3. It is life-giving, it quickens (Genesis 1) 4. It is reliable (Isaiah 55:10-11) 5. It is fruitful (1 Timothy 4:5) 6. It heals and comforts (Jacob 2:8-9) 7. It feeds (2 Nephi 14:4-6) 8. It is eternal (John 1:14) 9. It generates faith (Romans 10:16) C. The Parable of the Sower describes the same seed contacting (falling onto/into) different soil types. 1. If it is the same word and the word is good, what makes the difference? 2. Alma addresses this a. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care, it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit. But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold, it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root, it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out. Now this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable. But it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree; therefore ye can not have the fruit thereof. And thus it is if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree oflife (Alma 16:165-169). 3. Parable of the Sower and the Experiment on the Word a. The seed (word of God) is good b. Every word of God is capable of producing a celestial bounty Page -2-
( 1) There is no "no glory" word of God (2) There is no telestial word of God (3) There is no terrestrial word of God ( 4) All of the word of God is capable of celestial blessings (a) Wherefore, verily I say unto you, that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal, neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam your father, whom I created; behold, I gave unto him that he should be an agent unto himself; and I gave unto him commandment, but no temporal commandment gave I unto him; for my commandments are spiritual; they are not natural, nor temporal, neither carnal nor sensual (D&C 28:9). c. There are variants in our heart response to the word of God (1) Glories/no glory are evidence of the variance of heart responses. (2) It is not a reflection of the word of God (a) For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and for ever; and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing (Monnon 4:68). d. Measure of our stewardship of the word (1) Honor it or despise it (2) Treasure it or think little of it (3) Desire it or do not desire it ( 4) Cling to it or let it go (5) Hope in it or not (6) Anticipate it or ignore it D. Parable of the Tares is also important. 1. Some imitations of the good seed which must be judged by time, observation and fruit 2. Seeds produce after their kind (Genesis 1) IV. Examples to consider A Noah (Genesis 8) 1. Survived on the word of God a. Only he and his sons walked with God out of the people of his day b. These few believed God 2. Prophesied, warned, taught the gospel as it was given to Enoch 3. Built the ark and prepared it as God had said a. God said he was going to send a flood to destroy life on the earth b. Noah could escape by believing God and disbelieving all else ( 1) Eye single to the glory of God Page -3-
4. He had no church, no community or other support beyond his boys. 5. By strict adherence to the word of God he was delivered when the rest of the world perished. B. Nephi, the son of Lehi 1. Is a good case study because he helps us see how his faith developed 2. Nephi's background a. Taught by "goodly parents" b. Highly favored of the Lord (recognized blessings, thankful) c. Had great knowledge of the goodness and mysteries of God (1) reference to whole life, but certainly was aspect of his learning as a child d. Observed and heard his father's ministry and testimony e. Differed from his older brothers who "knew not the dealigs of that God who had created them" (1Nephi1:41). 3. His active preparation (1Nephi1:47-48) a. He wanted to know the mysteries of God (1) He cried out to God (2) The Lord visited me (3) Softened my heart to believe all Lehi had spoken b. Nephi actively prepared his heart for the word of God (1) Developed faith (2) Confidence in the word of God c. Was liberal with the word of God ( 1) Second witness to his father's testimony C. When God called the boys to return to Jerusalem for the records, Nephi willingly accepted the assignment 1. I will go and do what God commands 2. Because I know God supplies means to accomplish tasks given. 3. After first try failed, older boys ready to quit a. "as the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness, until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us. Wherefore let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord (1 Nephi 1:75-76). (1) It was God's plan, his word (2) Nephi recognized his stewardship of the word "Let us be faithful..." (3) Has some understanding of the rationale of the mission and was invested in it. 4. After second try a. Oldest brothers angry, beat on Sam and Nephi b. God sends an angel to intervene and command them to return to Jerusalem ( 1) Faith builder for Nephi (2) He has firsthand knowledge/revelation that God's wants this task accomplished. Page -4-
c. Older brothers show heart of unbelief, but Nephi shows his faith in the word of God ( 1) "And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying, Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands. Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea, and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through out of captivity on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea. Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that an angel hath spoken unto you, wherefore can ye doubt? Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban even as the Egyptians. Now when I had spoken these words, they were yet wroth, and did still continue to murmur; nevertheless they did follow me up until we came without the walls of Jerusalem ( 1 Nephi 1:99-103). 5. The third try, Nephi goes in by himself, anned with faith a. "I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things I should do. Nevertheless I went forth... (1 Nephi 1: 106-107a). b. Obtains the plates, accomplishes the will of God. 6. Nephi's life shows many examples of faith in the Lord. a. This is an early example b. See that he prepared his heart to believe by seeking the Lord (1) Submitting his will to the will of the Lord. c. Believed the word of the Lord as it was delivered d. He was diligent to keep God's word and plan as a steward of the seed (word of God) ( 1) This is how he nourished the seed and the tree that grew up from it. (2) It began nourishing him also. Page -5-
Seed Thoughts I paid a dime for a package of seeds And the clerk tossed them out with a flip. "We've got 'em assorted for every man's needs," He said with a smile on his lip. "Pansies and poppies and asters and peas! Ten cents a package and pick as you please!" Now seeds are just dimes to the man in the store And dimes are the things he needs; And I've been to buy them in seasons before, But have thought of them merely as seeds. But it flashed through my mind as I took them this time "You have purchased a miracle here for a dime!" "You've a dime's worth of power no man can create, You've a dime' s worth oflife in your hand! You've a dime's worth of mystery, destiny, fate, Which the wisest cannot understand. In this bright little package, now isn't it odd? You've a dime's worth of something known only to God. -Edgar A. Guest "It always amazes me to look at the little, wrinkled brown seeds and think of the rainbows in 'em," said Captain Jim. "When I ponder on them seeds I don't find it nowise hard to believe that we've got souls that'll live in other worlds. You couldn't hardly believe there was life in them tiny things, some no bigger than grains of dust, let alone colour and scent, if you hadn't seen the miracle, could you?" (L. M. Montgomery, Anne's House of Dreams) "We reap what we sow. Choose what you nourish carefully." Anonymous "You're frustrated because you keep waiting for the blooming of flowers of which you have yet to sow the seeds." Steve Maraboli "Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences." Robert Louis Stevenson "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." Robert Louis Stevenson "Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed." Robert H. Schuller Page -6-