My Parable of the Flower

I finally sent this story to the editor of the Ensign, one of the magazines for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We'll see if they ever publish it. Let me know what you think!

Parable of the Flower

By SarahLynn Zavoral

I once had the opportunity to work with people from all walks of life that seemed very different from my own. As I sought the Lord’s will to know how I could serve and work with them, I had a very clear dream. The message I took from it is one I will never forget.

In the dream, I found myself with a group of friends touring a museum. The guide led us into a courtyard where a vase of unusual looking flowers sat on a table. With some solace, the guide informed us that these flowers were special. “When you smell this flower,” he whispered, “it can tell whether you love it or not.”

What a peculiar thing for a flower to do, we thought. With a bit of cynicism toward the guide, a man from our group marched up to the flowers. He stooped down and took a hasty sniff. “I can’t smell a thing,” he announced. “What a wasteful flower, it doesn’t even smell.” Immediately, the flower began to wilt, to which the man became more annoyed. “What a stupid flower! It can’t even last a few moments of someone smelling it!”

Quietly, another man from the group stepped toward the flower that had just wilted before our eyes. He embraced it and gently held it to his nose. “Wow, this flower has the most beautiful fragrance!” Immediately, the flower opened its bud. “And look!” the gentleman cried. “It’s starting to grow again!” He sniffed again and assured us that it smelled wonderful. The flower continued to grow from its wilted state.

Others in the group, including myself, rushed to get a closer look. The flower was magnificent! As life was restored to the flower, colors of the sunset bathed its intricate petals. Pollen wisped throughout the bouquet, and water pearls seemed to rise out of the buds. The fragrance was like fresh honey suckle, and with every graceful whiff that we took from it, the flower grew more beautiful and more fragrant. Soon, its beauty was more remarkable than we had ever seen!

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the first man who smelled the flower. He was alone in a dark corner with one of the flowers from the vase. Unlike the ones I had smelled, all life from his flower was dried up. As he furiously beat at the flower I could hear him say, “What a worthless piece of nature. I don’t understand how everyone is so impressed with you and can love you! You’re no more special than an ugly prairie weed!”

Suddenly, I realized that the insight from the museum guide was true. The flower really could tell who it was loved by, and it responded differently to those who did and didn’t see its worth. I thought to myself, still dreaming, how similar this is with the way we treat people.

The next morning, I knew how I was to work with the people I was serving. I recommitted myself to live the council given to us from our Heavenly Guide in D&C 18:10, “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.”