I am one who, on occasion, enjoys discovering unique items at stores like HomeGoods, TJMaxx, Marshall's, Nordstrom Rack and Ross. Usually home decor or clothing! But, this time I found a different kind of treasure - an oil lamp. * I found this at Ross, and at $4.99 I had to get it. :) In fact, I bought two of them. I found another one tucked behind a picture frame. I was telling my mother-in-law about my find, and she said we should find 8 more. We were definitely on the same page. :) * * I giggled when I found these lamps, only because of a talk (see below) I had come across after the new mutual theme "Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard to the nations" had been introduced. * RESOURCE Your Light - A Standard to All Nations, Elder James E Faust, April 2006 * Here are a few notes from his talk: In the Savior’s parable of the ten virgins, each young woman had a lamp. Clearly, this parable has both a temporal and a spiritual application. Oil can be purchased at the market. But another kind of oil, spiritual oil that is not for sale, can be accumulated only by our daily good works. * The parable tells what happened as all ten young women waited for the bridegroom. The bridegroom came at the darkest hour, when least expected. It was midnight, and the foolish five had run out of oil. You might wonder why the five wise virgins could not share their oil with the other five. It was not selfishness on their part. Spiritual preparedness cannot be shared in an instant because we each fill our lamps drop by drop in our daily living. * The late President Spencer W. Kimball defined those drops of oil for us a few years ago when he said: * “There are oils that keep the gospel burning brightly. One type of oil is the oil of family prayer. It illuminates us and makes us bright and cheery but is difficult to obtain at midnight. One drop or two will not keep the lamp burning long. … “Another type of oil is the oil of fasting. The last midnight is late to start disciplining our lives in preparation for the great day of the Lord. … “Another oil that is not available at midnight is the indispensable oil of home service. This rare oil of service is accumulated through visits to the sick, through lending a helping hand. … “There is another oil that all will need—rich or poor, sick or well. Its light is brilliant and increases with use. The more that is used, the more that is left. It is easy to purchase in the day but not available at night. This is the tithing oil. “There is one … oil that is so precious that without adding it to the other oils no wick will burn. Without it, the light from all the others will dim and go out. This is the oil of chastity.” * My dear young friends, many of you put oil into your lamps last year when you followed President Hinckley’s challenge to read the Book of Mormon. You can continue to do so every time you read the scriptures, partake of the sacrament, and offer your daily prayers. And as you each put oil into your lamps, your light will become “a standard for the nations.” * POSSIBLE 10 HOUR PROJECT & PROGRAM The Ten Virgins by Emily Freeman Ten Women, Ten Stories - A Musical Parable found here at Deseret Book * This would make for a wonderful ten hour project for more than one of the young women. The CD/Songbook combo includes CD with vocals and songbook which includes the script, sheet music and performance track. Under direction of their young women leaders, the girls could do everything from: scheduling the building set design (teaching them how to keep it simple) musical practices (could take 10 minutes during opening exercises on Sunday) costume design (again, keep it simple) invitations/flyer programs for the night ADDITIONAL RESOURCES *
