Teaching For Our Time Follow-up /Laborers in the Vineyard

The Laborers in the Vineyard  - follow-up from comments made in class

Elder Holland draws our attention to the personal pitfalls we may encounter as we labor in the vineyard of the Lord while supplying up guidelines to overcome those pitfalls.  As we view others accepting the restored gospel at different points in life, we can know that our Savior is aware and understanding of the many reasons, often unknown to us, why each person has the opportunity to accept His teachings when they do.  Whether earlier or later, He knows what we need, and how we each progress best. 

However, his culminating, core statements are pleading to all, young or old, member or not, active or less active member, to come unto Christ.  Ideally, we take advantage of the privilege to come unto Christ regularly, each week as we take the sacrament, and even each day.  But, in this talk, he begs us to recognize that the parable is our Heavenly Father’s invitation to us, telling us it is not too late to come to Him.  Elder Holland’s comments of mercy towards others and forgiveness for us all remind us of the covenants we are offered to strengthen and to bless us.  When made, those covenants bind us to our fellow man as well as to the Lord.  Of great importance to us, they become a source of strength as we realize that our Heavenly Father is willingly bound to us to help us as we strive to come to Him through His Son Jesus Christ.   John Bytheway summarized one of Elder Oak’s talks* in this way: When we know what to do, and we do what we know, we become different. (We are changed by the Savior as we follow His counsel.) We are never alone in our struggles.  Our covenants are much more than obligation; they are protection for us, as we come to rely on His promise to be with us as we seek to obey Him. 

We notice that the laborers did not stay in their homes, waiting for work to come to them.  Likewise, the one hiring did not stay in his, but was out in the fields or street, ready to meet those who would make the effort to come.  It is reminiscent of the parable of the prodigal son, whose father, when still afar off, was watching for his repentant son and ran to meet him rejoicing.  Our Heavenly Father is also ready and waiting to meet us, rejoicing as He embraces us to bring us home.  From the joy that brings us, we are ready to serve Him for however long He needs us.

Note: *  “The Challenge to Become “ by Dallin H. Oaks, Oct. 2000 Gen. Conferencehttp://www.lds.org/general-conference/2000/10/the-challenge-to-become?lang=eng

Scripture resource: Matthew 20: 1-15  http://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/20?lang=eng

Hymn no. 250: “We Are All Enlisted”   http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Curriculum/music.htm/hymns.htm/special%20topics.htm/250%20we%20are%20all%20enlisted.htm#JD_Hymns.250