The Disker; A Modern Parable

My husband teaches a Sunday School class. He seems to end-up there with the same age group every once in a while. He remembers so well the class he had just before he was called as bishop. Some young men and young women are easy to teach, involved with the class and spiritually ready to be given the lessons based on The Scriptures. Others in the class, young men and women are there because they are supposed to be in Sunday School and some of them are a challenge. The challenge are the reason he was inspired to write this parable. The class members took turns reading it.

He was trying to explain how the Savior taught in parables in our Scriptures. It was more than that to him, the teacher. However, it began a time of stories in "parable form" from students in the class. I'm not sure my Steve will ever forget this lesson. It's based on true principles.

                                                 The Disker; a Modern Parable

1. Whereas through the past many years, even unto today, there is an owner of a small plot of land that has several wheeled and fuel powered farm maintenance machines that can be used to pull his disc to plow the soil and turn over and dress the soil of his family’s small farm.

2. The property owner likes one of the fuel-driven machines better than all of the others and prefers to use his favorite machine when he is disking the soil of his small property.

3. The preferred fuel-driven wheeled machine is a small, orange-colored, and is a rusty, diesel-
fuel powered machine that was very old even when it was purchased by the property owner.

4. The farmer’s favorite machine has a many mechanical problems including that it must be towed by another machine to start the power-unit because the machine has never had a starter even from the day that the property owner purchased the machine.

5. One of the reasons that the property owner likes the small, rusty machine more than the others is that it is very powerful for its small size and it can run for days with very little fuel being used while pulling the disc across the land.

6. Another reason that the farmer likes the small, rusty machine is the sound that the engine makes when it is pulling the disc, especially when the disc digs deeply into the soft soil.

7. One of the plots of land that the farmer must plow is made up of very hard and rocky soil.

8.  The farmer dislikes the sound of the disc as it bounces along the surface of the hard and rocky soil.

9. Whereas within this hard and rocky plot of land there is a small section, within the shade of a large oak tree, that is made up of land that is dark and verily it is soft rich soil.

10. Whereas when the tractor and the disc pass-over the small area of soft, rich soil... the disc behind the machine digs deeply into the ground and the engine of the small rusty machine makes as very pleasant roaring sound that makes the farmer pleased.

11. Whereas when the tractor and the disc pass over the rest of the plot of ground the disc makes the sound of symbols as it bounces and rattles over the rocks and the hard ground; the sound of which the farmer finds to be unpleasant.

12. So as to find some part of the disking of the that hard and rocky ground more to the farmers pleasure he pulls the disc through the soft, deep and dark soil each time he completes his circuit around the plot of ground, thus making the small plot of soft soil even deeper and softer rather than giving equal attention to all of the rest of the hard rocky ground.

13. After following this same pattern for many years, whereas the soft and yielding ground gets the     majority of the farmers disking attention because it is pleasant to disc and the hard and rocky soil gets less of the farmers attention because it is very unpleasant and unyielding to disc, the farmer sees that his actions are amiss and are not productive.

   14. The soft soil, even though it is the most pleasant to disc, could be productive with far less of the farmers attention and the hard and rocky soil, which is unpleasant to disc, could be much more productive if the farmer gave it the attention that it needed.


15. The farmer came to realize that if he increased his disking of the hard ground that eventually the ground would break apart and soften and with continued attention become as soft and pleasant to disc as the small plot he paid so much attention.

16. The farmer realized that life and people are the same way.

17. The people that are pleasant and return companionship that provides great pleasure may not require constant attention and frequent care and still be strong and hearty people.

18. Whereas those people that are hard and rocky and resistant to attention and care may not be pleasant and easy to give attention that they are the very ones that need the attention and care the most to become pleasant, yeilding and rewarding.

19. The farmer realized that in life, the hard, rocky and unpleasant children of God are the very ones that need and deserve the greatest love and attention even if they are resistant.

20. Whereas in so caring for the hard and resistance ways of our brothers and sisters they will provide the greatest satisfaction and most pleasant and rewarding experience to the farmer as they soften and become pleasant, yeilding and productive.

Parable written by Steve Lazenby 10/12/13 for Santa Paula Ward Sunday School