Sabbath Day Reflections

Yesterday, I was privileged to speak in my church about one of Christ's parables. I thought it would be a good idea for me to post here what I spoke about because I believe these words to be true and invite anyone who reads and has questions, to please feel free to ask me about what I believe. I'm always willing to share!

Katie

Washington D.C. 2^nd Ward Talk – May 10, 2015

Laborers in the Vineyard & God’s Infinite Kindness – Matthew 20: 1-16, Alma 36:17-21, D&C 121, Isaiah 54:10

Good morning everyone. My name is Katie Klotzer, for those of you who don’t know me, and I have been in the ward since the beginning of September of last year. I feel so grateful to be able to speak to you today as I have felt so full and edified by the Spirit these last few months. I have so much to be grateful for and I feel humbled to talk about what I know to be true.

I want to talk to you today about a parable that I have had the opportunity to learn more about, especially in the last few months, and one that represents principles I hold very dear to my heart. The parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, as Jesus Christ taught, starts with a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. He agreed with these laborers that at the end of the day, they would be paid a penny for their work. Each laborer willingly agreed and went to work. About three hours later, he again went into the marketplace and hired more laborers for his vineyard. Another three hours later and then another three after that, he did likewise. At the eleventh hour, around 5 pm according to Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, he found still more “standing idle” and asked them “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” They replied that no man had hired them. The householder then told them to go into his vineyard and he would pay them “whatsoever is right”.

When it came to the end of the day and the time for the householder to pay the day’s wages to every laborer, he delivered unto each a penny. The laborers who had been working all day became angry and asked the householder why the eleventh-hour laborers were getting paid the same wage. The householder then said, “Friend, I do thee no wrong; didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.”

So here we have three sides to this story: the perspective of the householder, the perspective of the early laborers, and the perspective of the late laborers. Elder Holland in his April 2012 General Conference address said this of the early laborers, “…these first men chosen were the most fortunate in that entire labor pool that morning.” And of the eleventh-hour laborers, he said “…how very, very grateful [they must have been]. Surely, never had such compassion been seen in all their working days.” Taking these two perspectives into account, the point of view of the householder is where I would like to delve a little deeper. The householder, symbolic of God and his infinite kindness to all his children.

A couple of weeks ago, I had an experience with a coworker where we were talking about making mistakes and feeling disappointment in ourselves and from those we love. Like most everyone in this world, I could perfectly empathize with my friend’s feelings, having felt in the past deep disappointment in my actions. After hearing her story, I felt impressed to quietly bare testimony to her that the Lord is an eternally kind being whose love and mercy know no bounds. I told her that he loved her SO much and that no matter what she did, none of us are beyond the reach of God’s love. What an incredible gift that is, especially because it shows God’s faith in us to do better and be better.

After this conversation, I couldn’t help but think on the way home of the times when I have felt that the Lord, or others, were disappointed in me. I remember that I felt more alone than I had ever felt. While thinking about this, the song, My Kindness Shall Not Depart from Thee, came to my mind. I love this song and I’m sure many of you have heard of it, but I’m going to read you a few of the lyrics now.

For a little while

Have I forsaken thee;

But with great mercies will I gather thee.

In a little wrath, I hid my face from thee

For a moment.

But with everlasting kindness will I gather thee,

And with mercy will I take thee ‘neath my wings,

For the mountains shall depart,

And the hills shall be removed,

And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,

But know, my child,

My kindness shall not depart from thee!

Though thine afflictions seem

At times too great to bear,

I know thine every thought and every care.

And though the very jaws

Of hell gape after thee, I am with thee.

And with everlasting mercy will I succor thee,

And with healing will I take thee ‘neath my wings.

Though the mountains shall depart,

And the hills shall be removed,

And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,

Know, my child,

My kindness shall not depart from thee!

The healing, mercy, and love that this song talks about are given to us constantly and consistently. God never truly leaves us alone. He sometimes “hides his face from [us]”, but only for a moment. A teaching moment. Our afflictions are always heard and known by God. The kindness that he gives is more powerful than hills, valleys, mountains, and seas. He will always gather us and succor us. ALWAYS. I wish I could convey how deeply I know that this is true. God will gather us. God will succor us. His Son, Jesus Christ, will and does heal us. Their kindness shall NEVER depart from us.

In a BYU devotional given last year by a professor in the School of Family Life, Jonathan Sandberg spoke of the necessity to suffer before we can be truly and fully healed. He stated that it is a requisite part of the healing process to suffer. Suffer. Suffering. But doesn’t suffering hurt? Yes! It does! But from that suffering, along with healing, comes more knowledge, more power, more faith, and more love in and for our Savior, Jesus Christ. My favorite scripture is Alma 36:17-21 for this exact reason. Alma is recounting his conversion story.

17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

 18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

 19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

 21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

Alma explains that his joy was MORE EXQUISITE than his pain. And only because of the thought of the Savior and his atoning sacrifice. Christ has always and will always be there to bring us out of the gall of bitterness. His mercy is exponential and eternal. We will be able to “remember [our] pains no more” as long as we put our trust in Christ and believe that He can heal us. I know that I yearn for that comfort, healing, and power, especially because I know that this life is too hard to go through it without Him.

Like Alma’s conversion story and the song I shared with you, the story of the Laborers in the Vineyard, as Elder Holland puts it, is “a story about God’s goodness, His patience and forgiveness, and the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a story about generosity and compassion. It is a story about grace.” It truly is. I don’t even think I fully understand how encompassing God’s grace and compassion is. I have also come to realize that the God’s grace was extended to the first laborers of the vineyard, as well as the eleventh-hour laborers. The early laborers must have forgotten that while they were still paid a “penny” at the end of the day, they received a multitude of blessings during the day. Through the “burden and heat” of the day, the Lord was there to make their yokes light and to ease up their burdens. Whether they, and therefore we, are able to recognize that depends on the condition of their hearts.

So if we are the early laborers, we should exclaim with great anticipation and joy that our brothers and sisters are joining even at the eleventh hour! If we are the late laborers, we should know that God welcomes all into his arms. The Atonement is for every man and every woman. “…surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t deserve it” (Elder Holland, April 2012).

Elder Holland continues, “Even if you feel you are the lost and last laborer of the eleventh hour, the Lord of the vineyard still stands beckoning. ‘Come boldly [to] the throne of grace,’ and fall at the feet of the Holy One of Israel.

…And what a reward there will be for that contribution when the Lord of the vineyard looks you in the eye and accounts are settled at the end of our earthly day…His concern is for the faith at which you finally arrive, not the hour of the day in which you got there.”

I know these principles to be true. I know that God and the Savior, Jesus Christ, love me and love all of their children. Their love and kindness is unfathomable. I know that if we wake up every morning asking God what our purpose is and what it should be, we will be blessed with a meaningful purpose and find fulfillment in every day. I know with all of my heart that they have a wonderful plan for all of us, one that is even better than we could imagine. God cares about what we care about. So much. I can barely express with words how much gratitude I feel for the Lord for giving me EVERYTHING.

I know that the Book of Mormon is a testament of Jesus Christ and is a true book. I love the Book of Mormon and the many answers I have received from it. I know that Joseph Smith was chosen before he came to this earth to begin the restoration of the Church with the full truth. I love this Gospel so much and am grateful for the mentors and role models I have had and who have been such wonderful examples to me. I’m so grateful for my mother and for her desire to learn more truth when she was 15 years old. Her testimony has been a firm foundation for mine. I am grateful for God’s infinite kindness and mercy, and that he has made it possible for us to return to him and be with our families forever. The family here on earth truly is the pattern of heaven. And I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.