Throughout His ministry, the Savior taught the world the purpose of life as it had been taught for millennia by the prophets that prepared the way for his coming. In the hours before his betrayal and arrest, he entered a garden where he would bring the offering of his perfect life for all mankind. In the opening lines of what is now known as the Intercessory Prayer, the Lord declares his eternal purpose in these words, “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.” (John 17:1-2) In all soberness and humility, the Son declares his purposeful intent to glorify His Father by granting His Father’s children, an opportunity to receive Eternal Life. And what is eternal life? “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (:3) In a way that could not be more clear or concise, the Lord teaches that Life Eternal is simply this: To Know God.
The Lord emphasized the importance of this knowledge of God as He sat upon the Mount of Olives and there the Apostles met with him privately and received instruction. It was during that instruction that the Lord gave the parable of the ten virgins, as recorded in Matthew 25:1-13. This parable is one of the few that while given in a context that could be understood by the original audience of Apostles, had little application to those in attendance at the time in which it was given. Instead, this parable is told for and about those who would live in these the latter-days. Following is the parable in its entirety, with corrections made by the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) having been italicized. It should be noted that some of these JST corrections shown here are not included in the 1979 LDS edition of the King James Bible, as not all revisions could be included for the sake of brevity.
And then, at that day, before the Son of Man comes, the kingdom of heaven shall be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five of them were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.”
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, “Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.” But the wise answered, saying, “Lest there be not enough for us and you: 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 unto us.” But he answered and said, “Verily I say unto you, ye know me not.” Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh. (Matthew 25:1-13)
While deep understanding can be gained through this parable which will be discussed later, it is relevant to point to the culmination of the parable. Ten virgins awaited the coming of the Bridegroom of which, five were wise and five were foolish. In telling of these virgins, the Lord indicates that the differentiating factor separating the two groups was not their ability to endure, for both wise and foolish had successfully endured the night, one of course being without light when He came. But in the end, the reason that the foolish were not admitted into the wedding feast, and thus into His presence was not that they were late, but in his words that they knew him not. In describing previously those that were wise, the Savior indicated that they had prepared themselves and thus had come to know him, afterward being admitted into his presence. Again, the emphasis at the beginning of the prayer uttered in the Garden was that he would provide the ability to have eternal life, which is to know God.
What does it mean to know God? Moroni described those who know God as True Followers of the Son. In conclusion to his discourse on charity Moroni pleads with you and I, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.” (Moroni 7:48) Moroni teaches us the requirements of knowing God when he states that to know Him or in his words, to see Him as He is, we must be like Him, we must be filled with this love, and we must be purified even as He is pure.
In that Garden of olives made sacred by the offering delivered there, the Lord in conclusion of his mission, declared the importance of all of His disciples to know His divinity, “And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” (John 17:13) It is true joy when one knows God, for then they will be like Him and they will have His joy.
