by Gayla Prince (1984)
“Parable of the Ten Virgins” is painted by Gayla Prince ,You can find the picture at an LDS bookstore or you might try:
Gayla Prince
http://gaylaprince.com/the-ten-virgins/
Royal Impressions
P.O. Box 700 St. George, UT 84771
10 virgins announcement.doc33 KB
10 virgins bookmark.pdf2.44 MB
The Ten Virgins presentation goes along with the painting by Gayla Prince (1984)
I am the FIRST virgin. I represent a Christ-like person. I represent a woman who has developed those Christ-like qualities of love, patience, kindness, obedience, understanding, truth, hope and faith.
This is the person who-is merciful and just, one who is pure in heart, and Hungers and thirsts after righteousness. This is the member of the church who is A peacemaker, who is humble and meek, and that doesn’t mean weak. It means A person so strong of character and in control that when someone says or does something to them that is hurtful, instead of lashing back in word or deed, this person turns the other cheek.
You can not be a Christ-like person unless you know Christ. And we can Know Christ through studying the scriptures, through fasting and prayer and by being obedient to His commandments, and covenants. A Christ-like woman attends her church meetings, pays tithes and offerings and does all that the prophet has asked her to do.
I am the SECOND virgin. I represent repentance. I represent repentance because no unclean thing can enter into the Celestial Kingdom or dwell with God. Now no one is perfect, we all make mistakes. But we can be come perfect through repentance.
Please notice that I am dressed simply in white linen. Remember Christ’s teaches us “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins,
behold, he will confess them and forsake them.” (D&C 58:42-43) “For I, the Lord,cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance; nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven.” (D&C 1:31-32)
When we are baptized, we are forgiven of our sins. And then weekly, during the sacrament service, we renew our commitments and our covenant to our Father in Heaven that we will take upon us the name of Christ, that we will always
remember the sacrifice He made for each one of us, and that we will try to live our lives in such a way that we can have His spirit to be with us.
My face glows with confidence and sincerity. I feel joy and gratitude to the Savior for the sacrifice He has made for me and for you. I look forward to meeting my Savior.
I am the THIRD virgin. I represent ordinance and temple work. I remind us that “that which is bound here on earth is bound in heaven ‘ (D&C 128: 10) Families can be together forever because of the covenants we make in the temple.
The ordinances we need to have performed for ourselves in this life are:
Baptism, Confirmation, Endowments, and Temple Marriage. Each one is great and important.
Temple work also includes genealogy. We must remember to keep a journal, start our own personal history and gather valuable information and dates on our family and ancestors, and then go to the Temple and have the work done for these
people. Baptizing for the dead is another of these important ordinances. The Holy Ghost is a gift we receive at Baptism. If we are listening to the wrong kind of music, or watching the wrong kind of programs on television, or in the movies, or if we are angry with someone, the spirit leaves swiftly, silently.
I am the FOURTH virgin. I represent truth, light, knowledge and talents. The glory of God is intelligence (D&C 93:36) We have been asked to seek diligently out of the best books (D&C 88:118) We have been asked to read daily from the Book of Mormon. We know it is impossible for man to be saved in ignorance (D&C 131:6) Our intelligence will rise with us in the resurrection (D&C 130:18-19) When we die, we will not take with us our clothes, our homes or any material possession. When we meet our Savior we take with us our knowledge and our talents.
We should try to discover and develop and use our talents to help build up the kingdom of God. This represents all talents, not just musical talents. We are asked by our Savior to not bury our talents and we know that each one of us has been given special gifts and talents. Sometimes our talents come in quiet packages, perhaps a listening ear or an understanding heart. If we use and find our talents we will be blessed with more talents. If we do not do this that which we have will be taken from us (D&C 60:2-3, 13)
As you look closely at my face you may notice the look and expression of one who has dreams and goals and the determination and enthusiasm to step by step go forth and accomplish goals that make dreams a reality.
I am the FIFTH virgin. I represent charity and service. Charity, is the pure love of Christ. It is service to others. I feel calm and I am smiling. I enjoy serving where I can. I try not to complain. I do not tell the bishop when and where I will serve but gladly accept each call that comes to me and then I try to serve with all of my heart.
Mary, the mother of Christ, seems to be the epitome of motherhood and the sweet unseen service to one’s family and others. We are not always thanked when we serve our families but our service does not go unseen by our Heavenly Father. I do not want to call attention to myself before my good works that I do through quiet acts of service … I know that the Father sees in secret, and He will reward me openly someday.
Notice my basket and fruits are partially hidden. This is symbolic of the hidden treasures spoken of in the word of wisdom. I desire to be a virtuous woman. This is what the Savior says about a virtuous woman: “Who can find a virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies. Her candle goeth not out by night: She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea she reacheth forth her hands to the needy; Strength and honor are her clothing; She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and her tongue is the law of kindness; Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates. (Proverbs 31:10)
I am the closest of the five wise virgins to the foolish virgins. Looking down, almost as if I am trying to think of ways to help my sisters return to the side of the wise. I try to serve everyone and not make judgments for know that the Savior has said And in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me’ (Matt. 25:40)
I am the SIXTH virgin. I represent vanity and seeking after riches. I represent those members of the church who become entangled in the vanities of the world. I am the tallest virgin in the painting because it is easy to see the riches of the world. I would be the one to whom wealth and possessions are most important. I place the importance of money and material possessions above all else. I am proud to have more than others and to be admired for my beauty. If you look closely at me you will see my beauty is cold and hard like the jewelry I wear. I feel smug because I know I am beautiful to look at. I do not heed the scripture ‘Wo unto the rich men that will not give your substance to the poor, for your-riches will canker your souls.’ (D&C 56:16) My lamp does not have enough oil to light my way to the bridegroom because I have chosen worldly over
spiritual things.
I am the SEVENTH virgin. I represent the sin and pleasures of the world. I love the attitude eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die. I am very appealing because I am fun loving and throw caution to the wind. I just want to have a good time. I love to dress immodestly. I don’t really consider how my dress may affect other people’s minds and thoughts. I don’t worry about setting a good example; I just want to be in style. I love being popular, no matter the cost to my self-esteem.
I love to procrastinate because I think I have plenty of time to repent. love to follow the crowd who seems to be having a good time whether it fits the commandments of the Savior or not. Drinking and Sinning are alike in that they gradually dull the mind and senses, until one day you wake up horrified at what you have done and become. My attitude is if it feels good I’ll do it and worry about the consequences later. Much later. My lamp does not have enough oil to meet the bridegroom. I wonder if I have made a terrible mistake?
I am the EIGHTH virgin. I represent addiction and excess. I represent the filthiness of body, mind and spirit. These addictions are what we take into our bodies such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs, excess sugar, excess eating, or anything else that would be harmful to our bodies. I do not really believe that my body is a temple or that Heavenly Father cares what I do to my body. I don’t have any really good health habits such as good nutrition or regular exercise. I don’t worry about addictions of the mind either. I love soap operas and unrestricted TV and movies. I don’t worry about what comes out of my mouth either. Slang words and an occasional swear word help to prove my points as I speak. I love a trashy magazine or a really racy romance novel. I love listening to dirty jokes and then passing them on. I don’t worry about what comes in my mind because I think I can handle anything. I don’t try to guard against Satan because I am not worried about him. I will worry about Satan tomorrow. Right now I just think I am having a good time. The bridegroom came too soon. I have no oil in my lamp.
I am the NINTH virgin. I represent dark works and idol worshipping. Anciently there were groups of people who worshipped idols made out of metal, wood or stone and they came in many forms. If I lived in your day, the things that I would worship are a car, a home, name brand clothes, jewelry, boats, ski equipment, a flawless figure. I crave possessions. I do not value church or reverence. I do not value my family or meaningful relationships. It doesn’t matter where you stand or walk, my eyes follow you. You see, I am waiting very slyly, very craftily to catch you in a moment of weakness and pull you down to my level.
I have forgotten that the Lord’s power is greater than my power. It is still possible for me to repent and to go to the side of the wise but I must change my habits and my heart. I have no oil to find my way to the bridegroom unless I repent.
I am the TENTH virgin. I represent unrighteous power and ego. I am puffed up because I know I am better than others around me. I believe that my standing in the community is more important and greater than my standing in the church.
I really do not want to serve anyone at all unless it benefits me. I would rather have people serve me. I would like to wait for the bridegroom to come to me. I get bored easily. I need to be pampered and entertained before I want to come to church.
I do not tell the truth unless it will benefit me. I live one way for my church friends and another way for my daily friends. I rationalize that I am too smart and too good for the lowly things church has to offer. If people talk good about the church then so do I. If people talk bad about the church, then so do I. I want to look good and have people envy me. I love my proud and pompous expression. I have forgotten that the Lord hates a proud look and a prideful attitude. The scriptures tell us “Be Thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answers to thy prayers.’ (D&C 112: 10) Maybe my lack of humility is what has kept me from going in to see the bridegroom. Surely not. I am better than everyone. Then why don’t I have enough oil to meet the bridegroom?
BELOW IS THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT ORIGINALLY CAME WITH THE SKIT.
WE STARTED WITH VIRGIN # 10 AND WORKED DOWN TO # 1….. so that we ended on a good note:) We also gave the girls a copy of the painting (it was about 4”x7” or so) for them to keep and we had a sister in the ward that does ceramics make up a traditional “oil lamp” for each of the girls to take home.
We had 10 different women sit in a semi-circle in front of the YW. Each woman represented each of the 10 different virgins. The script is really a description of each virgin. The first five virgins represent those who were wise and prepared. Each of these virgins represents a virtue necessary to meet the bridegroom and obtain the Celestial Kingdom. The other five represent
those who were foolish and not prepared, each representing a vice that would prevent one from entering into the Celestial Kingdom.
The Five Wise: The Five Foolish:
*A Christ-like person *Vanity and seeking after riches
*Repentance and forgiveness *Sins and pleasures of the world
*Ordinances and temple work (Genealogy) *Addictions and excess
*Truth, light and knowledge/talents *Dark works and idol worshipping
*Charity — service to others *Unrighteous power and ego (pride)
“The Parable of the 10 Virgins, and thus, the message of this painting, is a message for the members of the Church. It was a message sent to the elect with a warning that even the elect can be deceived. These virgins, who symbolize both men and women, represent those who profess a belief in Christ. The lamps are symbols of their outward profession of this belief. The gifts they hold are what is most precious to them and are symbols of what they offer to Christ.
“The first five virgins represent those who were wise and prepared and brought extra oil. Each of these virgins represent a virtue necessary to meet the Bridegroom and obtain the Celestial Kingdom. The other five virgins represent those who were foolish and not prepared with extra oil. Each of these virgins represent a vice that
would prevent one from entering the Celestial Kingdom.
“1. The first virgin represents a Christ-like person. This is the person who is meek, humble, obedient, long-suffering, gracious, and just: one who has faith, is pure in heart, one who hungers and thirsts after righteousness, and is a peacemaker. This virgin prays and fasts, keeps the commandments and studies the scriptures to
learn of Christ. You cannot be a Christ-like person unless you know Christ. —– Her gifts are palm fronds – which are symbolic of Christ entering Jerusalem for the last time when those who recognized Him as the Messiah laid palm fronds at his feet. Another gift, olive branches, are symbolic of the gathering of Israel in the
last days. Her final gift is seven white lilies, which represent the seven dispensations of time.
“2. The second virgin represents repentance and one who has accepted the atonement of Christ for her sins. She looks to Him with love and gratitude for being her own personal Savior. —– Her gifts are a stalk of wheat and a vessel of water, which are representative of the sacrament. She is dressed in white linen, the material Christ was wrapped in when he was taken from the cross.
“3. The third virgin represents the ordinances necessary on this earth to enter the kingdom, such as: Baptism, Confirmation, Endowments, Temple Marriage, and Temple Work which includes genealogy, etc.—– Her gifts are two doves, which represent the Holy Ghost and the Holy Spirit of Promise. She is dressed in blue, trimmed with gold – blue and gold are the colors of the priesthood.
“4. The fourth virgin represents truth, light and knowledge, and discovering, developing, and using talents for building up the kingdom. —– Scrolls are her gift, which represent the knowledge, truth, and light she has gained, and the lyre is also her gift, representing all the talents she has developed, not just musical talents. She is the tallest and easiest to be seen of the five wise virgins, because talents and knowledge are the most obvious and easiest to be seen of the five virtues.
“5. The fifth virgin represents charity, the true love of Christ, and service. She is in the background, quietly going about her business without calling attention to herself. She has a serene smile. She represents the epitome of motherhood or fatherhood, of sweet, unseen service to her family and to others. Many who have viewed this painting have compared her to Mary, the mother of Jesus. There are few, perhaps one in ten, who will reach her level of charity and service. —– Her gift is a basket of fruits. It represents two things: First, `By their fruits ye shall know them, and Second, The Word of Wisdom. The tray and fruits are partly hidden, which represents the hidden treasures spoken of in the Word of Wisdom.
“6. The sixth virgin represents vanity and seeking after riches. She is the tallest of all the 10 virgins, because it is easy to see the riches of the world. She would be the one to whom wealth and possessions are most important. —– Her gift is a golden vessel, filled with gold and precious things. Her dress is costly. Even the scarlet color of her dress, which is decorated with jewels and gold, is a sign of wealth. It is important to remember that he who loves the riches is evil, not the riches.
“7. The seventh virgin represents the sins and pleasures of the world. This virgin is very appealing to people. She is fun-loving and fun to be around. She doesn’t’ realize how the immodesty of her gown makes her appear or how if affects the emotions and minds of others. Her testimony is weak and she generally goes with the crowd because she isn’t strong enough to stand on her own. She would live by the philosophy of `eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.’ —– Her gift is a large vessel containing an alcoholic beverage, because drinking and sinning are alike in that they gradually dull the mind and senses, until one day, you wake up horrified at what you have done and became.
“8. The eighth virgin represents addiction and excess. —– Her gifts are a swine’s head, which represents filthiness of body, mind, and spirit, and honeycomb, which represents the addicting vices which are too sweet for us to give up. These addictions are not just what we take into our body internally, such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs, sugar or excess eating, etc., but also addictions of the mind and soul, such as soap operas, unrestricted T.V., listening to the wrong kind of music, R-rated or filthy movies or books. Anything that would cause the body or mind to depend upon or desire them. She has a weak will and would delight in telling or hearing dirty jokes or stories, or in repeating gossip. She seems to be inviting: `Try it,… join me…. it’s fun.’
“9. The ninth virgin represents those who delve into dark works and idol worshiping. These are those who dleve into the mysteries, the occult, secret combinations, and perhaps other works in secret, like pornography, child abuse, and perversions. —– She has a band around her neck, which symbolizes these sins that, first, like threads and cords, become like bands and chains to drag us down to hell. The jewel on the forehead represents the mark of the beast. The gift she gives is an idol of a goat’s head and represents apostasy or anything that is put before the Lord. The goat is a symbol of Satan. She is dark and hidden. Her lamp has no glow to shine forth, it is consumed by her darkness. She consumes all light around her. Though what this virgin represents may be frightening and the power should be respected, it should be remembered that the Lord’s power is greater.
“10. The tenth virgin represents unrighteous power and ego. This is the one who is puffed up because she feels her calling is greater than someone else’s. This is also the one who manipulates or rationalizes and would have one set of standards on Sunday and another in the business world. —– She wears a crown and carries a scepter which are symbols of her power. She is jealous and envious of others, even her dress is green with envy. She has a partially hidden sword which represents gossip or cutting people down behind their back. The sword also represents the many people who get hurt when someone tries to use unrighteous power. She is the first of the procession as if she feels she belongs at the front and has the right to lead. Her gift is the crown and scepter she wears…. but will she give up her symbols of power even to the One to whom they belong?
“… Every person who views this painting will find their own meaning according to the experiences in their own life. To most people, it will bring mixed feelings as they see parts of themselves in all of the virgins. The way will be clear… prepare yourself, give up the vices, and strengthen the virtues.
“All the 10 virgins could be compared each with the other, but this is part of the wonder of each individual heart, to make your own comparisons and find meaning for yourself. However, the value and placements of the first virgin needs to be considered. Why is she
last in the procession? Why are the five wise virgins on the left rather than on the right? The first virgin knows Christ, she has become a Christ-like person. She is last in this rocession, but she shall be first. `And the first shall be last and the last shall be
first.’ We view her and the other wise virgins as if they were on the life. But as we become part of the procession, as we become one of the five wise virgins, as we join them in the painting, we are on the right.
“It is significant that the first virgin is first because that is where we should first look. As we contemplate the challenges of repentance and preparation, we sometimes feel a hopelessness. How to rid ourselves of these foolish things and gain more of the wise
qualities? It seems impossible. The answer lies with the first virgin – look to the light. Look to Christ. In order to become Christ-like, you must know Him. When you know Him, you love Him and all else domes. As you know and love Christ, you have no more desire
to sin. You willingly give all your sins away. As you know and love Christ, you willingly repent; you willingly take upon yourself the ordinances and receive the strength and blessings of His holy power: you willingly develop talents and thirst for knowledge: you willingly and lovingly perform services in His name. Christ is the key, the source of the light. To know Him is to love Him. To love Him is to become like Him.”
