S: Scottish Parables
BC: "Learn from the past, prepare for the future, live in the present." Pres. Thomas S. Monson
FC: Scottish Parables | By Robert & Joleen Ripplinger 2010-2011
1: Scottish Parables | We hope you enjoy this wee book of Scottish Parables. May you learn lessons from each parable. "...And now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them." Mosiah 4:10
2: Prickly Thistles | Thistle Statue in Perth | Thistles have a beautiful flower. | Grandpa in moat at Ravenscraig Castle | "Know thou...that these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." D&C 122:7
3: Large thistles at Culross | The most common thistle. | Thistles of Scotland It is said that early in the eleventh century a raiding party of Vikings from Denmark attacked a Scottish castle. They came by night and took off their shoes to be as quiet as possible. Reaching the castle moat, they jumped in to swim across. To their surprise, the moat did not hold water . . . but thistles! Their shouts of pain awoke the defenders of the castle, who rushed out, and the Danes fled. Now the thistle is not a useful plant. Only donkeys eat it. But it is a tough, prickly plant, which you cannot simply grasp hold of and pull out of the ground like a common weed. It was this prickliness that the Scottish people liked. The thistle is a popular symbol in Scotland. The homely thistle was something everyone could identify with. To the Scots it is a reminder that their country might not be the most rich and fertile, but it is not to be grasped lightly. | Just as the thistle, an undesired plant, proved to be a great benefit to the Scots, so, too, our trials and adversities, also undesired, can be valuable friends to us by the things they teach us.
4: Three Highland Coo's | "...he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another." 3 Nephi 11:29
5: Three Highland Coo’s Three Highland Coo’s were grazing in a meadow. Little did they know that they were being watched by a bear. The bear longed to capture and eat them, but felt he was no match for the three of them. Whenever he came near they turned their tails to one another, no matter which way he approached he was met by their horns. The bear began whispering rumors to cause jealousy and distrust among the coos. This method worked so well that the coos grew cold and unfriendly, then finally avoided each other. Soon each coo was grazing by himself. That is when the Bear attacked them, one by one, and soon ate all three. One of Satan’s effective tools is to sew seeds of discord between family members or friends. If he can do this, he knows he has made the group weak. Each of us must be loyal to our family, the church, and the Lord’s commandments. As we do this, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome. There is strength in numbers.
6: Filled With The Spirit | Filled With the Spirit | Filled With the Spirit You cannot crush a full can of pop in your hands, but it is very easy to bend or crush an empty pop can. If we are filled with the Spirit we will be like a full can of pop, we will be strong When you are filled with the Spirit you are full and strong. You want to keep the commandments. You will have no desire to cheat or gossip or watch a bad movie. You will be strong and happy. You will not bend to peer pressure. When you are empty and do not have the Spirit with you, you easily bent to peer pressure, or other temptations. You will be unhappy. We seek the Spirit which will make us strong. Then we will give temptations no heed. | “the fruit of the Spirit is gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” Galations 5:22-23
7: “Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; . . . be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.” Isaiah 52:11 | Red Squirrels Scottish woodlands have beautiful red squirrels scampering around the trees. In recent years red squirrels have become more and more rare as the larger gray squirrels have moved north from England. These gray squirrels are a carrier of a virus that doesn't appear to affect their health, but can give red squirrels a fatal disease. As children of the covenant, we are like the beautiful Scottish Red Squirrel, rare and beautiful. The ways of the world, sometimes called Babylon, are like the gray squirrels. The ways of the world can include sinful ways that can destroy us spiritually if we embrace them. While we are in the world, we must not be of the world. We need to be friends to all and hold up the light of the gospel by our good example. However, we must not participate in or do any worldly activity or belief that conflicts with the gospel. Do not let these evils creep into your life, for they will take over just like the gray squirrels. While there is no immunization for the red squirrels, by keeping the commandments fully we can be immunized from the spiritual diseases of the world.
8: Our Scotland Treasures
9: Treasures | Fleck by fleck we have gathered gold in our wee pouch. When we went to Scotland on our mission we dreamed of a gold mine. A list of almost 600 YSA names seemed huge. But as we visited each person, we started gathering little flecks of gold to fill our pouch. Along the way we did find a few gold nuggets but our pouch was filled to overflowing with little flecks of gold gathered here and there in the Dundee Stake. “Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:9
11: Protecting Armour In Scotland during Medieval times there were many battles fought against evil, for freedom. Warriors wore or carried protective armour which covered the most vulnerable areas of their bodies. We are also engaged in a battle against evil and we must protect ourselves if we are to be victorious. We need to put on the whole “armour of God” which will help us “stand against the wiles of the devil.” "Put on the whole armour of God," Paul wrote, "that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. "Wherefore, take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having the breastplate of righteousness. "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Eph. 6:11, 13-17.) Remember to examine your armour daily. Is there any unguarded or unprotected place? You can cloth yourself in the armour of God daily, through study, prayer, and a determination to keep the commandments of God and serve Him. In this we will find safety and peace.
12: "Let not the head say unto the feet it hath no need of the feet; For without the feet how shall the body be able to stand? Also the body hath need of every member, that all may be edified together, that the system may be kept perfect." D&C 84:109-110 | St. Vigeans Church
13: The Little Shingle Nail There was a new church built in Scotland and people came from far and wide to see it. They admired its beauty! Up on the roof, a little shingle nail heard the people admiring and praising everything about the beautiful new church. No one ever knew he was there. He became angry and jealous. He felt insignificant, and did not feel very important. He thought no one will even miss me if I quit. So he released his hold of the shingle and slid down the roof to the ground. That night it rained and rained. Soon, the slate tile fell off, and there was a wee little hole where the nail had been. Water leaked through the hole and it got larger. Water leaked through the roof, down the wall and onto the carpet. The plaster began to fall off and the carpet was stained. All this because the little nail decided to quit. Have you ever felt like the little shingle nail, not noticed and not very important? Have you though no one will notice if you don't do your part? Each of us is needed. You are important and are noticed by our Heavenly Father. No one can take your place. We are all needed. No job is insignificant.
14: "...the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." 2 Nephi 32:3
15: Sat Nav Guidance Satellite navigation is a wonderful invention. We would have been lost without it trying to find addresses throughout Scotland. You could just type in the postal code and it would guide you to your destination. If you made a wrong turn it would recalculate, figure another way to direct you back to where you needed to be. Wouldn’t it be fun to have a Sat Nav (GPS) to show us the way through our life? The scriptures are like our Sat Nav or compass. They tell us all things that we should do. They show us the way so we can return to live with our Heavenly Father. They lead us around pitfalls and dangerous roads. They can help us when we make a mistake or take a wrong turn. They show us how to get back on the road we want to be on. Like the Sat Nav you can recalculate, repent, turn around and get back on the road you want to be on to reach your final destination. We love the scriptures. We learn something new every time we read them. Questions are answered from reading the scriptures. The answers to life’s greatest questions are found in the scriptures. Do you know how amazing it is to know that you have a Loving Heavenly Father, and that he has a plan for your life? You were not just put here alone on earth alone to figure it out. Heavenly Father gave us the scriptures, prophets, and revelation that teach us these truths. We are very blessed.
16: Castles Scotland is a land of enchanted castles and hundreds of years of history. The Scots have fought to protect their country, their freedoms, their homes and their families for hundreds of years. Castles were built where they could watch for enemies or other intruders. They built castles along the rivers and the sea, or on a hill. Castles were built strong and solid to protect the family living inside. Many castles had moats filled with water which made it hard to reach the castle. The only way to enter the fortress was through the main gate or bridge. Stirling Castle has an outer defense wall for protection of the castle. If the enemy were to break through that, there is still an inner defense wall to protect the royal family. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to build a strong castle, with stone walls to help protect our families against the evil of the outside world? However, we are told to be in the world but not of the world. We cannot isolate ourselves; we have to live in the world. There is evil all around us. There are still ways that we can protect our families from enemies and marauders. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have the scriptures that will teach us all things which we shall do. We have living Prophets to give us guidance for our day. We have the commandments that help keep us safe. These outer defenses will protect us from the evils in the world today. We also have our own inner defenses. These are the covenants we have made with our Heavenly Father and our Savior. We have exercised our free agency to make these covenants, and if we will remain true to them we will be safe. | Edinburgh Castle | Castle View of North Sea | Stirling Castle
17: Kellie Castle | Blair Castle | Claypots | Ravenscraig | Broughty Ferry Castle | Balhousie Castle
18: Glamis Castle | Falkland Palace | Claypots Castle | Arbroath | Fernie Castle | Modern Home Castle
19: Castles in Scotland | Blair Castle | Scone Palace | C laypots Castle | Dunfermline Abby & Castle
20: “I know my sheep and they are numbered . . . for unto such shall ye continue to minister for ye know not but that they will return and repent and come unto me with full purpose of heart and I shall heal them and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them.” 3Nephi 18:31-32
21: Are you part of the fold? | “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.” John 10:27 | Shepherds Scotland is such a beautiful country. There are many beautiful green rolling hills. It was very common, in the country, to see the hills dotted with sheep grazing on the lush green grass. We loved seeing the sheep grazing on hills, because it reminded us of our calling. We were gathering sheep together and we were looking for His lost sheep. This scripture became one of our favorites while serving with the Young Single Adults in Scotland. “Thou shalt serve me and go forth in my name and gather together my sheep” Mosiah 26:20 We were out finding YSA Sheep that were scattered throughout the Dundee Scotland Stake, inviting them back into the fold of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Indeed, every sheep is precious.
22: “Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable always abounding in good works” Mosiah 5:15 | Deep Roots
23: “And now, my sons, remember, remember, that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send for his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” Helaman 5:12 | "continue in steadfastness” D&C 29:23 | In early March, 2011, Scotland suffered a violent wind storm. Some of the worst winds the country had ever felt. Huge trees that had stood for years were uprooted and blew over. As we drove around the villages and cities we saw many trees uprooted from the ground. They were everywhere. Even the motorway was closed because trees had blow over and blocked the road. It took weeks to clean up the debris. It was sad to see all the nice beautiful trees uprooted. Some trees had been standing for decades. However, these trees had shallow roots. The trees that survived the wind and storm had deeper roots. They were firmly planted in the ground. Like a tree with deep roots, we must establish a firm foundation in the gospel to weather the spiritual storms that beset us. As members of the church we want to be solid and deep rooted so we can withstand the winds of temptation, false doctrine, and adversity. We do not want to be uprooted. We can sink deep roots in the gospel of Jesus Christ which is a sure foundation that will keep us strong. | Deep Roots
24: Tartans | Tartan is described as a beautiful, check-like woven arrangement or pattern. A tartan has one set pattern and is made up of one ‘sett’ repeated over and over again until the desired length is made. Each pattern or sett became a symbol of a Scottish Clan or kinship. Each tartan identifies that person as belonging to an area or as a certain group or clan. There are hundreds of tartans patterns registered in Scotland. Beautiful tartan patterns that are repeated make a beautiful tartan cloth. Families that follow Heavenly Fathers pattern make a beautiful pattern for a family or clan. This pattern for families is essential to Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness. “The ideal family is composed of a righteous Melchizedek Priesthood bearer with a righteous wife sealed to him. They have children born in the covenant or sealed to them. With a mother in the home in an environment of love and service the parents teach their children through example and precept, the ways of the Lord and His truths. The children mature by living the teachings instilled from birth. They in turn seek good companions with similar ideals and are sealed in the temple, bear children and the eternal plan continues, with generation strengthening generation.” Elder Richard G Scott We can make a beautiful family tartan by following Heavenly Fathers pattern of an ideal family. Our families are blessed as we repeat this pattern generation after generation
25: “her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.” D&C 115:5-6 | Shoogly Peg Just as stakes hold up a tent, stakes of Zion hold up the Church. We are each a stake holder, a member of a stake of Zion in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We strengthen the stake by strengthening each stake holder. Each stake holder can be strengthened by attending the temple, attending church and partaking of the sacrament, having Family Home Evenings, keeping covenants, and many other uplifting activities. There is a saying in Scotland, “Don’t be a Shoogley Peg.” A Shoogley Peg is a weak and wobbly tent peg, perhaps only half in the ground. It is not strong and may lose its ability to hold the tent in place. We want to be strong stake holders and not a Shoogley Peg
26: Anchors When serving our mission in Scotland, we lived right on the Firth of Tay by the North Sea. We saw many modern ships in the Tay, and drove by three antique ships every day. All of these ships had anchors. An anchor is a heavy object that sailors lower when they want to stay in one spot. They lower the anchor on a chain to the ocean floor, and it keeps the ship from drifting. Even in storms, when the ship is being tossed by the waves and wild wind, the anchor keeps the ship where it should be. We also need anchors in our lives something that will keep us from drifting, something that will keep us in the proper place where we need to be. We are like sailors lowering anchors when we keep the commandments. Commandments, like anchors, help keep us from drifting in life and keep us in the right place. When we feel tossed about by temptations or by the unkind words or actions of others, the commandments can help us stay steady and safe. Keeping the commandments are the anchors for our safety and peace amidst the storms of life. | “. . . yea learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.” Alma 37:35
27: “Keep the commandments. In this there is safety and peace.”
28: Act Well Thy Part While serving a mission in Scotland, David O. McKay had an experience that affected the remainder of his life. He and his companion had been in the town for a few weeks, but had had little success. One afternoon they walked around Stirling Castle. Elder McKay was feeling homesick. He later recalled: “As we returned to the town, I saw an unfinished building standing back from the sidewalk several yards. Over the front door was a stone arch, something unusual in a residence, and what was still more unusual, I could see from the sidewalk that there was an inscription chiseled in that arch. I said to my companion: ‘That’s unusual! I am going to see what the inscription is.’ When I approached near enough, this message came to me, not only in stone, but as if it came from the one in whose service we were engaged: ‘Whate’er Thou Art, Act Well Thy Part.’ “I turned and walked thoughtfully away, and when I reached my companion I repeated the message to him. “That was a message to me that morning to act my part well as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is merely another way of saying . . . ‘Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 7:21.)” (Cherished Experiences from the Writings of David O. McKay, comp. Clare Middlemiss , 174–75). He resolved that he would act well the part of a committed missionary. The stone was later acquired by the Church and is now in the Provo MTC. This was the Scotland/Ireland mission motto: "Act Well Thy Part” is on our Mission tie for the Elders and Mission Scarf for the Sisters.
30: "I counsel you: Look to the lighthouse of the Lord, Like the vital rudder of a ship, we have been provided a way to determine the direction we travel. The Lighthouse of the Lord beckons to all as we sail the seas of life. Our home port is the celestial kingdom of God. Our purpose is to steer an undeviating course in that direction. A man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder—never likely to reach home port. To us comes the signal: Chart your course, set your sail, position your rudder, and proceed.” President Thomas S. Monson Lets all chart our course for the Celestial Kingdom. This is the purpose for this life to prepare to meet God. "There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what its beacon light can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. It calls, "This way to safety; this way to home." Pres. Thomas S. Monson | Lighthouse
31: Lighthouse Boat near our flat at City Quay Dundee Scotland | D& C 115:5 “Arise and shine forth that thy light may be a standard unto the nations.”