This (edited) talk/paper was delivered to a Sunday School class that I taught many years ago. 

My Concise Oxford Dictionary defines “parable” as “Fictional narrative used to typify moral or spiritual relations.” Jesus used many of these little stories-with-a-moral. In fact, in the 13th chapter of the gospel according to St. Matthew, we read: 

[Mat 13:31] Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 

[Mat 13:32] Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

[Mat 13:33] Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

[Mat 13:34] All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them.

If Jesus spoke in parables, can it be so wrong to do so? Which brings us back to “How shall we view the scriptures,” these sacred writings – writings that are made sacred by their association with or acceptance by some religion – that are regarded as authoritative and, according to some people, not to be questioned. [Allow time for responses] 

Many Christians believe that the Bible is the literal Word of God – that it was, in fact, dictated by God word for word. I have even heard it said, in favour of the King James version of the Bible, that “If Medieval English was good enough for Jesus and his disciples, it’s good enough for me.” But what do you believe about scripture, and what does our own church teach about it? [Allow time for responses] 

The great Hindu epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana are regarded as scripture even though their stories, containing as they do references to Hanuman, the monkey-headed general, and Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, are even more fanciful than the story of Balaam’s ass, which is found in the 22nd chapter of Numbers. You remember that story, don’t you: 

[Num 22:21] And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. 

[Num 22:22] And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

[Num 22:23] And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

[Num 22:24] But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

[Num 22:25] And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall: and he smote her again.

[Num 22:26] And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

[Num 22:27] And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.

[Num 22:28] And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

[Num 22:29] And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.

[Num 22:30] And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.

[Num 22:31] Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

As a church, we tend to think of scripture as writings which teach about God and His relationship with His creation; and we teach that the scriptures provide divine guidance and inspired insight for life when responsibly interpreted and faithfully applied. Our church, however, also believes in continuing revelation and, while the Bible is the central book of scripture for the church, there is a procedure through which continuing revelations may be added to our scriptures (collected in a book known as the Doctrine and Covenants). 

Although, like the Hindus, we espouse more than one book of scripture, we do not limit the truth of God to either (1) previous revelation, or (2) future revelation given only to the church; neither do we limit the truth of God to past understandings. As we read in Section 147 of Doctrine and Covenants: “Instruction which has been given in former years is applicable in principle to the needs of today and should be so regarded by those who are seeking ways to accomplish the will of their heavenly Father. But the demands of a growing church require that these principles shall be evaluated and subjected to further interpretation. This requisite has always been present. In meeting it under the guidance of my spirit, my servants have learned the intent of these principles more truly.”  

Furthermore, to the extent that we accept the instruction given to the church and recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants, we believe in finding wisdom wherever it can be found (and, I might add, in my opinion much of it can be found in scriptures of faiths other than our own). In Section 85 (known as “The Olive Leaf”), for example, the church is admonished: 

[Sec 85:36a] …Call your solemn assembly, as I have commanded you; and as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning even by study, and also by faith. 

In fact, to the extent that we believe our own scriptures, we believe that God has spoken not only to the Jews and the early Christian church, but to people throughout the world throughout the ages, in ways appropriate to their cultural development and understanding, and that He is the “one God” of love that is responsible for the diverse manifestations of the Golden Rule. The Book of Mormon, for example, admonishes: “Thou fool, that shall say, A bible, we have got a bible, and we need no more bible. …because that I have spoken one word, ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be, until the end of man…. Wherefore, because that ye have a bible, ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written: For I command all men, both in the east, and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them: …For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews, and they shall write it: And I shall also speak unto the Nephites, and they shall write it; And I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; And I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth, and they shall write it.” 

It is said that the meaning of a communication lies in the response that it evokes. Personally, I think that was and continues to be the purpose of the Bible and its many fanciful stories: The Bible was constructed to instruct, and it is our job to determine just what we can learn from it.