The Parable of the Sower

My Dearest Sisters of the Lorin Farr 4^th Ward--

Happy Sabbath!  I hope you’ve had a lovely, restful Spring day.

Were you able to watch General Conference?  Wasn’t it so up-lifting!  And it isn’t too late to tune in: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-parable-of-the-sower?lang=eng

Each one of you were particularly on my mind as I watched and listened, and one talk really stuck out in my mind.  Elder Oaks talked about “The Parable of the Sower”: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-parable-of-the-sower?lang=eng

Wasn’t it a great reminder for us to re-evaluate where we are with the gospel?  It is put so simply, I was even able to use it for our Family Night lesson this last Monday, so you are fortunate enough to also have some illustrations by my very own wee ones. J

 

This parable is found in St. Mark 4:3-8 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/mark/4.5-6?lang=eng#4)

 3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

 4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

 5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

 6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

In just a few short verses, we are warned of circumstances and attitudes that can keep us from receiving the “seed of the gospel” to “bring forth a goodly harvest.”  If my 3 year old can get it, you can understand, too. :)

Take a moment with me, to examine where your seed of the gospel word has ended up. 

•  Has it fallen by the way-side? (unprepared, hard-hearted)
• Is it on stony ground to be scorched by the sun? (merely converted to the many attractive characteristics of the Church and not the foundational doctrines, for example the social aspects.)
• Choked by thorns? (materialism, false doctrines, worldly pleasures, fear)
• Or has it been carefully planted in good ground? (praying, scripture reading, serving, and regularly partaking of the sacrament to always have His Spirit to be with us)

Sisters, I love and care deeply about each of you. Your troubles give me cold sores and keep me up at night. J (I wish I were kidding.)  I want great happiness and success for each of you, and I testify that this will happen as you allow your testimony to grow deep roots in good gospel ground!  Be active!  Participate!  We need you, and we LOVE you!

Sincerely,

Lydia

PS. I am making some major visiting teaching changes, and have talked to many of you, but if I haven’t talked to you yet, PLEASE contact me ASAP if you would be willing to participate in Visiting Teaching, and you will make my day and help cure my cold sores. J