Painting depicting the parable of the ten virgins as taught by Jesus Christ. Five of the women are adding oil to their lamps in preparation to meet the bridegroom. The other five women have no oil and are asking the five wise virgins for oil. The wise women are not able to spare the oil for the foolish.
Near the end of His mortal ministry, Jesus Christ taught His disciples the importance of being prepared for the Second Coming by telling the parable of the ten virgins. This lesson can help you understand and feel the importance of preparing yourself to meet the Lord when He comes again.
Ready or not?
Think of a time when you were unprepared for something that required a lot of preparation.
How did it feel?
What are some reasons why we neglect to prepare for certain things?
Rate yourself on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 means you disagree; 10 means you agree) on the following statement:
I feel prepared for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 25:1–13 contains Jesus Christ’s parable of the ten virgins that He taught to help His followers prepare for His Second Coming. As you study, seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost to help you know ways you are prepared and ways you can improve. Ponder questions like “Who am I in this parable?”
Before studying the parable, it is important to understand Jewish wedding customs during the Savior’s day. The bridegroom, accompanied by his close friends, would go at night to the bride’s house for the wedding ceremony. Following the ceremony, the wedding party would proceed to the groom’s house for a feast. Wedding guests joining the procession, including virgins or bridesmaids, were expected to carry their own lamps or torches to indicate they were part of the wedding party and to add brightness and beauty to the occasion.
Read Matthew 25:1–4, and make a list of important elements in the Savior’s parable such as people or objects. Next to each element, write who or what you think it represents.
What do the elements in the parable of the ten virgins represent?
Modern-day revelation and prophetic teachings can help you understand symbolic meanings in the parable.
President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency taught: “The ten virgins obviously represent members of Christ’s Church, for all were invited to the wedding feast and all knew what was required to be admitted when the bridegroom came” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Preparation for the Second Coming,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 8).
The lamps can symbolize our testimonies (see David A. Bednar, “Converted unto the Lord,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 109). Note that all ten virgins had lamps.
The oil can symbolize our conversion unto the Lord Jesus Christ (see David A. Bednar, “Converted unto the Lord,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 109). This can include our efforts to follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost and to live obediently to the Savior and His gospel (see Doctrine and Covenants 45:56–58; Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle [1972], 256).
1. Answer the following questions in your study journal:
Which of these symbolic meanings is most significant to you, and why?
How would you explain in your own words the differences between the foolish and wise virgins?
What are some examples of things we can do to put symbolic oil in our lamps?
Read the remainder of the parable in Matthew 25:5–13 . As you do, imagine yourself as one of the virgins. You could listen to the scripture narration on ChurchofJesusChrist.org or the Gospel Library app. You could also watch the Bible video “The Ten Virgins” (1:40) or the video “They That Are Wise” from time code 0:00 to 5:41.
In Matthew 25:12, notice the bridegroom’s response to the foolish virgins who tried to enter the wedding feast late and without the necessary oil. Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 25:11 clarifies that the bridegroom said, “Ye know me not” (in Matthew 25:12, footnote a).
Remembering what the oil represents, why would the oil be essential to truly know the Savior and be ready to meet Him?
Why could the wise virgins not simply give the oil to the foolish virgins?
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Elder David A. Bednar, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles official portrait. 2020.
A grand objective of mortality is not merely learning about the Only Begotten of the Father but also striving to know Him. … We come to know the Savior as we do our best to go where He wants us to go, as we strive to say what He wants us to say, and as we become what He wants us to become.
(David A. Bednar, “If Ye Had Known Me,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 103, 104)
Consider recording the following truth: I can come to know the Savior and prepare for His Coming by striving to follow His example of righteous living. Take a few minutes to write a modern-day version of this parable. How would the wise virgins live today? How might you be able to tell they know the Lord and are converted to Him? How would the foolish virgins live? What are some reasons they would wait to come to know the Lord?
In your opinion, why is it worth the effort to come to know the Savior and to be ready to meet Him when He comes again?
How does trying to live like the Savior help us come to know Him better?
What experiences and righteous actions have best helped you come to know Jesus Christ?
2. Complete the following activity in your study journal:
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Simple drawing of an ancient oil lamp.
Draw a simple lamp in your study journal. Seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost to know examples of what you have done to know the Savior and ways you may be prepared for His coming. Consider writing these inside the lamp to symbolize your oil. Also seek inspiration to know what the Lord might have you do now to come to know Him better and be more prepared for His coming. Write one or two of these outside the lamp, symbolizing oil you still need to obtain.
Seek the help of the Lord as you strive to come to know Him better and prepare to meet Him.
Optional: Want to Learn More?
Matthew 25:6. What is the significance of the bridegroom coming at midnight?
Most Jewish wedding ceremonies would take place in the evening. Several scripture passages refer to the Savior coming again like a thief in the night (see Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 12:44 [in the Bible appendix]; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10; Doctrine and Covenants 45:19; 106:4). The coming of the bridegroom at midnight suggests the unexpected hour of the Savior’s return. President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) explained:
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Portrait painting of President Spencer W. Kimball.
The foolish virgins were not averse to buying oil. They knew they should have oil. They merely procrastinated, not knowing when the bridegroom would come. … Midnight is so late for those who have procrastinated.
(Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle [1972], 256)
What if the day of His coming were tomorrow?
President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency taught the following:
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Official Portrait of President Dallin H. Oaks taken March 2018.
If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow—through our premature death or through His unexpected coming—what would we do today? What confessions would we make? What practices would we discontinue? What accounts would we settle? What forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we bear?
If we would do those things then, why not now? Why not seek peace while peace can be obtained? If our lamps of preparation are drawn down, let us start immediately to replenish them.
Why were the wise virgins unwilling to share their oil?
Speaking of the wise virgins not sharing their oil with the foolish virgins, President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) taught:
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Portrait painting of President Spencer W. Kimball.
This was not selfishness or unkindness. The kind of oil that is needed to illuminate the way and light up the darkness is not shareable. How can one share obedience to the principle of tithing … ? … How can one share attitudes or chastity, or the experience of a mission? How can one share temple privileges? Each must obtain that kind of oil for himself. …
In our lives the oil of preparedness is accumulated drop by drop in righteous living. … Each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store.
(Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle [1972], 255–56)