What parallels can you draw from this? I see just a few.....
The Jewish people are a very romantic people. They like to get married on a Tuesday because that is the day the Lord created the heavens and the stars and light. They also like to have their marriage ceremony at midnight because that is when the night sky is in its full glory and splendor.
An ancient Jewish wedding takes many months. It begins at the well where the women like to gather. Aunts and mothers and grandmothers talk about perspective couples. Occasionally a young woman will mention a young man she is interested in. Mostly the women will scheme on who they believe are good matches.
Soon a match is decided upon. The father of a young woman will have a meeting with the perspective groom. The perspective bride is there too but she is not allowed to speak. As you read this story place yourself in the story as the perspective bride, The groom as the Savior and the groom’s father as our Heavenly Father.
The perspective bride’s father negotiates with the perspective groom until an agreement is made. When a marriage agreement is made the perspective groom will pour a glass of wine and carry it over to the bride-to-be. She has a minute to decide if she will agree on the arrangement or not. If she drinks the wine the marriage is complete and they are officially married with that drink of wine, but they do not come together until the groom’s father says the final word. Some may say this drink is symbolic of baptism and the covenants we make with God to keep His commandments and take His name upon us.
The married couple waits about 8 months to a year before they come together. In this time the bride and groom have specific obligations. The bride has an obligation to keep a lamp burning in her window at all times so if the Bridegroom passes He will know that she is being faithful to Him and always remembers Him. This lamp could be symbolic of us keeping our covenants. When He passes us, will He see that we are being true to our covenants with Him? The Doctrine in Covenants teaches that the lamp light is the Holy Ghost. When we are keeping His commandments and always remembering Him the Holy Ghost will be with us and we will emanate a light.
The Bridegroom’s obligation is to build a house for his wife. This takes time. His father will be the one who says when the house is completed. Just like Christ says in the scriptures “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself.” (John 14:1-2) When the Father says the house is finished, then the Bridegroom may go and get his wife to bring her to the house. Then it is time for the wedding celebration!
One of the first things the couple did after they were married was to send invitations out to their friends for the wedding feast. The friends are to wait and be prepared for the moment when the wedding celebration is announced. They don’t know the exact hour when the house will be finished, but they have a good idea. Symbolically, we could be as the guests, waiting for the announcement of the celebration. It is very poor manners not to be waiting and ready for the call that could come any day or night.
The bridegroom will walk from his home to the house of his bride. Together they journey to their new home which He built for her. As he leaves his house, his family and friends join him on the path. Her family and friends join in the procession. Friends light lamps as they walk. The lamp lights were symbols of eternity. Imagine the joy and celebration along the way and all through the night.
In Christ’s parable of the 10 virgins, the Bridegroom was delayed in his coming. It was late. The 10 virgins were prepared for a late night procession. But perhaps didn’t expect such a long delay. But 5 of the virgins were wise and brought vessels with them to refill their lamps in case they went out. The 5 foolish asked the wise, “Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Latter-Day prophets teach us that ALL 10 virgins are upstanding disciples of Christ. The 10 virgins symbolize disciples who made covenants with the Lord.
The five wise represent those disciples who add the drops of oil to their vessels…
President Spencer W. Kimball said, “Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions … —these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps.”
Though the parable of the 10 virgins is referring to the second coming of the Savior, we could also use it as a parable for preparing to enter the temple.
Be wise in your preparation to enter the temple. Put the oil of Faith, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Knowledge, Choice and Accountability, Good Works, Integrity and Virtue in their vessels. All these activities will prepare you to make and keep sacred covenants, receive the ordinances of the temple and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.
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