#30: C is for Conversion

The parable of the 10 Virgins. I think it’s one of the more well known parables in the New Testament. (If you’d like a refresher on the story, look here.)

We’re told to apply the scriptures to our own lives so that they gain deeper personal meaning. And it bothered me when I was younger that the 5 wise virgins didn’t just share their oil with the other girls. So I decided to change the parable slightly because I don’t use oil lamps often enough for me to relate to them. Now instead of lamps, the 10 virgins own flashlights. And they’re going camping (because why else would they need flashlights?) And these flashlights, of course, use batteries.

Now if you know anything about camping, you know that you should always take fresh batteries for your flashlights. Because the woods are dark and scary at night and without a good flashlight you might get eaten by something.

So here we have our 10 Campers and they each have a flashlight. Only half of them have extra batteries though. And they’ve been camping for a while. Now the story makes more sense to me because it’s not that the 5 wise campers are being selfish with their extra batteries. You can’t really share extra batteries. When your flashlight goes out, you need all 4 of your extra batteries. (yes, I know it’s still not a perfect analogy, but if you don’t like it, you can make up your own. That’s what’s so great about life—EVERYTHING relates to a gospel topic somehow)

In October 2012 general conference Elder David A. Bednar from the Quorum of the 12 Apostles shared his interpretation of the parable of the 10 Virgins. His explanation is one of my favorites now. He compares the lamp/flashlight to our testimonies and the oil/batteries to our spiritual conversion.

Were the five wise virgins selfish and unwilling to share, or were they indicating correctly that the oil (batteries) of conversion cannot be borrowed? Can the spiritual strength that results from consistent obedience to the commandments be given to another person? …The clear answer to each of these questions is no.”

So there you have it. When it gets spiritually dark out, you need a good flashlight with extra batteries. And you have to bring your own batteries on the camping trip. That’s the ground-rule. And you can get batteries at church, and in your scriptures, on your knees in prayer and on your feet in service to others. So go get your extra batteries before it gets dark!

C is for Conversion