And Then Shall Many be Offended

 In chapter 24 of Matthew, Jesus' disciples ask Him about the signs that will tell of His coming. One of these signs is that “many [will] be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.” Unfortunately, so much evidence of this exists in our world today. In fact, the political landscape we see in the United States with an incredible divisiveness is pretty consistent in many other countries throughout the world. It wasn't very long ago that politicians would work together to get the right things done. Today, it hardly matters how good something is, if it wasn't introduced by the right party it cannot be supported.

Offense. It is so easy to allow ourselves the convenience of being offended. We can use that to justify going against principles we might already know to be true. Elder David A. Bednar suggested that “to be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else” (Bednar). Although I am not suggesting the choice to offend does not exist, I do believe we should think hard when we allow another's actions or words to make up the primary reason or catalyst that drives our action or inaction. We should not justify ourselves of things we know are wrong just because someone else said or did something.

Almost immediately after stating that many will be offended, the Savior goes on to explain that those who remain “steadfast and [are] not overcome, the same shall be saved.” We must understand that if we choose NOT to be offended and remain strong in our convictions, we will be blessed for doing so. It is also important to understand that those blessings will pour out on us, our loved ones, and many others with whom we have contact.

Works Cited

Bednar, D. A. (2006). And nothing shall offend them. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved November 20, 2021, from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2006/10/and-nothing-shall-offend-them?lang=eng.

The Reward is the Same

 A good man, he lived a life devoted to serving others; however, he did not accept the gospel of Jesus Christ until he was into his 60s. When he did get baptized, he embraced the gospel with all his might. He lived the principles as near he could and he continued to serve his fellow man as much as he could. 

I lived in a household where I was taught the gospel from a young age and I decided to embrace those teachings and apply them to my life. I was baptized as a child and continued to learn about the gospel from that day. Although I haven't always been successful, I have tried my best to live according to those teachings and hold true to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Richard lived only a few more years after his baptism before he passed away. His departure from this life is difficult to those who love him. It isn't because we are worried about his salvation. We miss him dearly. Richard and I had talked many times about how late in his life he accepted the gospel. He worried that he may have acted too late. He felt he had a lot of catching up to do. 

During our discussions, we would invariably turn to the parable Jesus told of a householder who hired laborers at various times through the day (Matthew 20:1-16). To those he hired first, he agreed to pay the usual wage of a penny, sending them into the vineyard. Later, he hired others agreeing to pay them “whatsoever is right”. The householder continued throughout the day to hire more laborers with the same promise to pay a fare wage.

After the day was done, the householder payed the laborers starting with those who came last. He paid them a penny for their labors. Those who worked from the start of the day assumed they would be paid more than the agreed upon penny because they had worked longer than these. When the householder paid them their penny, they complained that he had “made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.”

The householder's response to their query was simple, “friend, I do thee no wrong … is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?”

It is important to understand that whether we are called to the vineyard early in the day or not until the eleventh hour, our reward will be the same. Richard, who wasn't called to labor until very late in his life, will receive the same reward for his labors as those who received their call early in the first hour. The Father promises that all who labor in His vineyard will be made “equal in power, and in might, and in dominion” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:95).

I am grateful that the Lord will surely pay “whatsoever is right.”