Month: November 2017

Who are the Lost Sheep in the Parable of the Lost Sheep?

A careful analysis of the three versions we have of the Parable of the Lost Sheep reveals that Christ does not consider the lost sheep to be inactive members that need to be found and brought back to the fold.  On the contrary, the lost sheep represent something entirely different.

There are three extant versions of the parable of the lost sheep (five if you count the Joseph Smith Translation, but his translation is identical to the King James version so we won’t count them).  Below are the three versions.  Take note that each of them introduces a different background to the parable, and each brings different elements into the story.

Mathew 18:11-13

For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

Gospel of Thomas (107):

The kingdom is like a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One of them, the largest, went astray. He left the ninety-nine and looked for that one until he found it.  When he had gone to such trouble, he said to the sheep, ‘I care for you more than the ninety-nine.’

Luke 15:2-7

And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

And verse 10: “likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

In the first version by Mathew, it would seem that Jesus is telling this story to bring attention to the fact that the good shepherd will go to extraordinary measures to seek out one lost sheep to bring it back to the righteous fold.  But by a careful examination of the context and comparing with other teachings of Jesus we can tease out a deeper meaning. In previous verses of Chapter 11, Jesus teaches the disciples how precious souls are, and equates precious souls to little children.  In verse 11, Christ says, “For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost.” He has not come to save those that are “righteous” because they do not think they are sinners.  Joseph Smith has Jesus adding in the JST New Testament: “For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost, and to call sinners to repentance; but these little ones have no need of repentance, and I will save them.”  Little children have no need of repentance, but sinners, in order to become as little children and be saved, must repent. A sheep must leave the “righteous” flock in order to repent and become as a little child.   It is those souls that are so valuable to the Savior that He rejoices more in that sheep than in the other ninety-nine that went not astray, or were so righteous they didn’t think they needed repentance.

In the Gospel of Thomas, it is the largest sheep that is lost.  The shepherd goes after the most important of his flock—a sinner seeking repentance.  The Shepherd actually tells the sheep that he loves him/her more than the others. A reading of the Gospel of Thomas, which scholars believe is one of the very earliest accounts containing the words of Christ written in the 1^st century, reveals that the writer believes very few will gain the kingdom of heaven.  This is because worldly desires and culture so obscure the path that only the most dedicated and honest seeker of truth will find it. Perhaps only one in ninety-nine who profess to be the Lord’s will actually attain the kingdom of heaven.

I will choose you, one out of a thousand, and two out of ten thousand, and they shall stand as a single one. (The Gospel of Thomas (23))

Many are standing at the door, but it is the solitary who will enter the bridal chamber. (75)

In Luke’s version of the parable he supports this interpretation of the story.  Christ is talking to the Pharisees instead of the disciples.  The ninety-nine sheep are a flock of self-righteous sheep who are justified.  The good shepherd leaves this flock of sheep, who by their own standard are justified and need no saving.  He goes to extraordinary measures to fine the one sheep who knows that he is lost and has left the flock seeking repentance.  He finds that one sheep and rejoices over its being found.

For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. (Romans 10:3)

Who are the lost sheep?  From a deeper reading of Luke’s version, it becomes apparent that the lost sheep are actually more righteous in God’s eyes than the ninety – nine.  The Lord, as the shepherd, will expend a lot of effort and time in finding those who are becoming as little children because of their repentance.  They recognize they are sinners and are becoming qualified to be lifted on to the Savior’s shoulders and carried home to be rejoiced over.  The Ninety-nine are justified that they are righteous, and not in need of correction.  Perhaps there is a leader telling them that because they have performed some ordinances and keep the commandments they have nothing to worry about.  Perhaps they are being told not to worry, “all is well”. A few honest truth-seeking sheep will recognize the peril of staying with the flock and leave to search for truth and righteousness. When the good shepherd finds him, he is diligently seeking for light.

If you have ever watched a group of sheep, you will notice that when they are stressed or sense danger they will bunch up into as tight a group as they can.  Very rarely will you find a sheep all alone. People are very much like sheep.  We tend to follow the crowd because we feel safe, but the Lord wants us to think and act on our own. Instead, we tend to do what other people do or tell us what to do.  This is probably not just out of trying to fit in or conform, but we feel safer following what we consider a wiser majority intelligence.

The lost sheep are saved because they hear the good shepherd call to them.  (Alma 5:37-38; John 21:16) The others are lost because they think they are righteous and do not seek to hear the Master’s voice.  They do not seek because they have been told they are already righteous. And besides, as sheep, it is safer to be in the midst of the flock, isn’t it?

One of the biggest misunderstood doctrines taught in the LDS church I grew up believing was to “follow the prophet, he will never lead you astray”.  After a bit of research, I was surprised to find out the following facts:

1. “Follow the prophets” and the follow-on, “they will never lead you astray” is not scriptural. There is even a thread, folklore really, in the LDS church related to this myth that goes something like this:  If a prophet tells you to do something wrong, you will not be held accountable.  On the contrary, it will be accounted to you as righteousness because you followed the prophet.  Tell that to the Mormon men of Southern Utah who murdered everyone over the age of 6 in the Fencher Party at Mountain Meadows, Utah in 1857. They followed their prophet and priesthood leaders. Almost to a man, they all deeply regretted their actions and feared eternal damnation. (Juanita Brooks; Levi S. Peterson, p.114) This kind of logic is dangerous because a person thinks being obedient to a righteous leader, as they assume, absolves them of any responsibility in sinful actions, and abrogates a person’s requirement of the Lord to “prove all things”.

2. President Wilford Woodruff was the first to coin the phrase,” The prophet will never lead you astray.” He made that statement because he was having so much trouble getting the saints to accept the abolishment of the practice of polygamy as a new doctrine of the LDS church in the late 19^thcentury.  He even went so far as to say that the Lord would remove him from his place before letting him lead the people astray. Both of the church presidents before him would have scoffed at such a statement.

3. The statement attributed to Joseph Smith that “if you follow the majority of the saints and the records of the church, you will not be deceived” is apocryphal—Joseph probably never said that. I believe it was quoted by Lorenzo Snow 40 years after Joseph was supposed to have said it. It was not written down or recorded in any journals or records until it was stated in a talk in general conference.  Even so, most of the records of the church did not go with the saints to Utah. Nor did most of the saints in Nauvoo go to Utah after the LDS church was split during the succession crises in 1844.

4. Brigham Young, Joseph Smith, David O McKay, Spencer Kimball, to name a few past presidents of the LDS church, preached against the doctrine of following the president of the church “no matter what”. Spencer Kimball chastised Ezra Benson after he gave a talk at BYU in which he stated that the prophet can never teach incorrect doctrine. President Kimball required Elder Benson to issue an apology for teaching false doctrine.  Incidentally, this same doctrine of the infallibility of the presidents of the church has been preached in general conference in recent years.

5. There are dozens of examples in the scriptures warning of the false doctrine to follow the prophet- “no matter what”. (A few: Acts 5:29; 2 Nephi 4:34; 2Nephi 9:41; 2Nephi 28:14; numerous statements from Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel)

6. There is an interesting account in 1 Kings 13 about a prophet from Judah who was sent by the Lord to deliver a message to King Jeroboam of Israel. The Lord specifically instructed this prophet not to tarry or stay in Israel but to immediately return to Judah. After delivering his message to the King he immediately begins his journey back to Judah.  On the way, he encounters another prophet who resides in Israel.  This Prophet of Israel tells the prophet of Judah that the Lord instructed him to deliver a message to the prophet of Judah to remain for a time with the other prophet.  This was not what the Lord had instructed the prophet of Judah to do. Trusting the word of a prophet, who was after all, an anointed messenger of God, the prophet of Judah decided to listen and follow the words of the other prophet.  The prophet of Judah was later killed by a Lion for disobeying the commands personally delivered to him by the Lord.  Moral of the story:  Prophets can be and are deceived.

7. LDS church has published a retraction of the doctrine taught by Brigham Young that Blacks were cursed as to the priesthood. The paper states that Brigham was only voicing his opinion. If that is so, when do we know if the president of the church is just voicing his opinion?  Was Brigham voicing his opinion, too, when he said a man and a woman cannot be saved in the celestial kingdom without having practiced polygamy in mortality?  If this was considered salvation doctrine then, but not today, what are we to assume about the nature of the prophecies declared by the presidents and authorities of the church?

8. 2 Nephi 32 describes that after we have repented and are baptized we are to follow the words of Christ. In fact, Nephi says that Christ himself will tell you what to do at some point;  not a prophet, not a church authority, but Christ himself.

9. It is idolatry to place a man in the position as a dispenser of salvation in the place of the Savior. (Isaiah 30:1; D&C 1:19)

Salvation is personal, and it is to be found only after much study and labor.  It is not found by following a man.  If a prophet teaches such a thing he is placing himself between you and the Savior and your salvation.  Joseph Smith taught this. All of the prophets since Adam have taught this.   I remember an interview I had with my stake president years ago in conjunction with my Stake calling at the time.  We were chatting about something unrelated to the work we were doing, and he said something peculiar. “Isn’t it a good thing that we are saved, and that we don’t need to worry about that.”  I was a bit shocked that he would say such a thing, because I felt to the contrary that salvation is meant to be a laborious process and is not guaranteed just because you have performed some outward ordinances.   You cannot be saved in your sins, and the process of changing the inner man is a lifelong struggle.

I am not saying that inspired and righteous men and women should not be listened to and their righteous works emulated. What I am saying is that if they come between you and the Lord, you are being distracted from the real work of saving your soul.  If a prophet tells you to do something that may not be scriptural, you had better take it to the Lord and get His opinion.