One of the “Ideas for Personal Scripture Study” in the April 26-May 2 Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 suggests: “It might be helpful to review the parable of the ten virgins, found in Matthew 25:1-13. The Savior compared the oil in this parable to truth and to the Holy Spirit (see Doctrine and Covenants 45:57; emphasis added). What insights do you gain when you read the parable this way?”
Learning from the Five Wise Virgins
In reviewing the parable of the ten virgins, their initial actions speak louder than words: “They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps” (Matthew 25:3-4). Those who were foolish did not take any extra oil in separate containers. They were unready to face delays or unforeseen circumstances.
The wise virgins, on the other hand, were prepared to wait for the bridegroom to come, endure unexpected situations, and add their lighted lamps to his arrival. Their actions suggest that we need to watch and be patiently preparing for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. As Jan E. Newman, Second Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency, recently taught: “Remember that conversion must come from within. As illustrated in the parable of the ten virgins, we cannot give someone else the oil of our conversion, as much as we might want to” (“Teaching in the Savior’s Way,” in Conference Report, Apr. 2021).
The wise virgins clearly demonstrate the importance of being ready to persevere faithfully during hardships. In preparing for Joseph Smith to reorganize The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Christ revealed, “If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7). According to President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, this scripture clearly teaches Latter-day Saints: “Ours is an active religion, helping God’s children along the strait and narrow path to develop their full potential during this life and return to Him one day. Viewed from this perspective, enduring to the end is exalting and glorious, not grim and gloomy. This is a joyful religion, one of hope, strength, and deliverance. … Enduring to the end is a process filling every minute of our life, every hour, every day, from sunrise to sunrise. It is accomplished through personal discipline following the commandments of God” (“Have We Not Reason to Rejoice?”, Ensign, Nov. 2007, 20).
The Truth of The Living Jesus Christ
With the advent of the 21st century, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles unitedly proclaimed their testimonies of “The Living Christ” that is highlighted by the following 15 excerpts defining the truth, greatness, and grace of Jesus Christ:
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“None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.
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“He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New.
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“He was the creator of the earth.
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“He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead.
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“He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.
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“He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind.
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“He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.
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“He rose from the grave to ‘become the firstfruits of them that slept’ (1 Corinthians 15:20).
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“He also ministered among His ‘other sheep’ (John 10:16) in ancient America.
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“He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long promised ‘dispensation of the fulness of times’ (Ephesians 1:10).
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“Of Him the Prophet [Joseph] wrote: ‘That he lives! … That by him, and through him, and of him the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God’ (Doctrine and Covenants 76: 22-24).
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“We declare in words of solemnity that His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth.
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“We testify that He will someday return to earth.
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“Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.
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“His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come” (“The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
As Jesus declared during His earthly ministry, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
Guided by the Spirit
Faithfully following Christ leads us to repent, to be baptized by immersion, and to receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands (see Articles of Faith 1:4). Members of Christ’s Church also renew their baptismal covenants through the ordinance of the sacrament. The night before His Crucifixion, Jesus blessed sacramental emblems and gave them to His Apostles. The resurrected Jesus instituted this same ordinance when He appeared to the Nephites living in ancient America, and Moroni recorded the precise wording of the Savior’s sacred prayers (see Moroni 4:3, 5:2). In the restored Church of Jesus Christ, both sacramental prayers promise that those who are faithful may have “his Spirit to be with them” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79).
The ordinance of the sacrament reminds us to keep our lamps of testimony well lit. We are invited to take upon ourselves the name of Christ, to remember Him, and keep His commandments (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:77). The intent of Christ’s sacrament is to inspire us to follow the examples of the five wise virgins. Elder David A. Bednar has powerfully taught: “This precious oil is acquired one drop at a time … patiently and persistently. No shortcut is available; no last-minute flurry of preparation is possible” (“Converted Unto the Lord,” Ensign, Nov. 2012, 109).
As we learn to remember and keep the covenants we make during the sacrament, the promise of receiving the Spirit entitles us to personal revelation. Receiving the moment-by-moment guidance of the Holy Ghost is what we need to be ready and prepared to keep our faith strong during the coming week’s challenges and temptations.
At the April 2018 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson clearly taught: “If we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation…In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost. My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation” (“Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign, May 2018, 96).