The Parable of the Clothes

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed. Ps 31:1

Once there was a man who wore a nice suit of clothes. He was proud of the way he looked and felt that he had been a good steward with the money he had been given in his life. He was well respected and looked up to by many.

One day, the man came upon God, and God said to the man, "You have done well. You have been a good steward. But have you dressed yourself the best that you can? Look closer."

And the man looked and saw that his coat was faded and threadbare.

God said to the man, "I have prepared the finest robe of silk and satin, of brocade and embroidery, with the brightest and most splendid of colors. I want to give it to you. Would you like to wear it?"

The man looked at the robe and said, "Oh yes, please Lord, I would like very much to wear such a beautiful garment. What must I do to have it?"

"The way is easy," said God, "Take off the clothes you are wearing so that I may dress you with the finest things."

"But, God," said the man, "If I take off my jacket, they will see that my shirt is ripped and my pants are stained."

And God said, "Take it off."

So the man took off his jacket and revealed that his shirt was ripped and tinged with blood from the battles he had fought in his life. His pants were stained and the cuffs were covered with mud from his long journey. The man said, "I have done as you asked. I am ready for my new clothes."

And God said, "I know that was hard for you. I know it is painful to expose yourself in that way, but your new clothes are not for covering up your imperfections. You must take off the rest of your clothes."

"But God," said the man, "I have worn these clothes for many years. They are comfortable to me. They keep me warm and protect me."

And God said, "Do you believe that your new clothes will be better, warmer, more comfortable, and more beautiful than anything you have ever worn?"

"Yes," said the man, "I believe."

"Then take off the rest of your clothes," said God.

And the man removed his shirt and his pants and stood before God in his undergarments and said to God, "I have done as you asked. I am ready for my new clothes."

And God said, "I know that was hard for you. It was uncomfortable and took a great deal of courage. But the clothes I have prepared for you are fresh and new and will provide for all of your needs. You must take off your undergarments, too."

"But God," said the man, "If I take off my undergarments, I will be naked. I will be ashamed and embarrassed."

And God said, "Do you believe that what I have prepared for you will cover again your nakedness?"

And the man wept.

"Yes, I believe," said the man, "But this is greater than anything you have asked of me. I do not have the strength to do it by myself."

"Then I will send my son to strengthen you and help you," said God.

And God sent his son to help the man, and the man took off his undergarments and stood naked before God.

And God was pleased.

God dressed the man in his new suit of clothes, and the man praised God.

The man then went into the world and was admired by many. And when they asked him how he had received his beautiful garments and where they could get some, too, he led many people to God. The man loved his new clothes and was pleased with what had become of his life. He praised God daily for the beautiful clothes he wore and all he had been able to accomplish.

God saw all this and said to the man, "You have been faithful and a good steward of all that I have given you. I am pleased with what you have done, and I would like to give you far more."

And the man was overcome with joy and said, "Oh Lord, what must I do to receive these additional blessings?"

And God said, "Take off your clothes."

© Margie Remmers 2006

The History of the Parable

In December of 2006, my family and I drove to Florida so that I could attend a business training seminar in Orlando. My husband has family about an hour and a half away, so we were able to combine business with pleasure and turn it into a little mini-vacation. On Friday, December 1, I attended the first day of the seminar and learned some powerful lessons about who I was and why certain things were happening in my business. And then on Saturday, December 2, as I was pondering these things during my commute, I received a powerful vision--one that would literally change the course of my life.

I cannot say with any certainty how long it lasted. It seemed at the same moment both an instant and an eternity, but during that time the heavens opened up to me and I was given wisdom and knowledge beyond what my earthly frame could handle. I was overwhelmed in the truest sense of the word, and I am only just now learning how to live each day with the knowledge I received.

Joseph Smith said that if any man had merely a glimpse of the lowest kingdom, he would kill himself just to get there. And now I understand. Alma the Younger was unconscious for 3 days when he was carried away in a vision. King Lamoni's entire court fell to the ground as if dead. After being in the presence of God, Moses "fell unto the earth...and it was for the space of many days before [he] did again receive his natural strength." After the First Vision, Joseph Smith recounted that, "When the light departed, I had no strength."

This is how I felt for several weeks. I was unable to function. I was late everywhere I went, because I was too busy savoring each moment. For the first time in my life, I appreciated the wonders of the world around me and the fact that my body allows me to experience it. Food tasted better. Colors were brighter. For the first time in my life, I saw every person as a child of God--as a brother and a sister--and I had an almost irresistible urge to hug each person I encountered, whether I knew them or not. For the first time in my life, the scriptures, which for 38 years I did not understand and had hardly picked up, became my best friend. I could see what I never saw before. I could see that it's all in there--all the secrets of God and the universe as plain as day.

I understood what it means to hunger and thirst after righteousness. I understood how Enos could spend all day and into the night in prayer and supplication, crying out to God, because when I prayed it was intoxicating--more so than any drug could be--and I had to tear myself away to attend to my other duties.

Brothers and sisters, God lives. He has a body of flesh and bone, and you are his children--made in the likeness and image of him. You have within you infinite power--more than you can possibly comprehend--you just don't know how to use it yet. You have been fooled into thinking that because you are in this earthly state, you are "powerless until"--until you die, until the resurrection, until you reach the celestial kingdom. But that is a lie from the father of lies. You have it right now. More power than you can imagine. More power than you ever dreamed of. You have the power to change your life and the lives of those around you. You have the power to achieve anything. You have the power, just like the Nephites at the time of Jacob, "to command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey...or the mountains, or the waves of the sea." Right now. It is God's power, and it is engineered in you. It is part of you. And He is waiting for you to use it. He stands at the door and knocks, ready to pour blessings down upon you so much that you cannot receive it. "As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri River in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-Day Saints." Open the door. Ask and ye shall receive. Delight in the law of the Lord and whatsoever you do, shall prosper. As Paul said to the Romans, "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

My purpose is not to relate all that I saw in my vision–I couldn't, even if I wanted to, because the words do not exist. My purpose is to bear to you my testimony. To echo the words of Paul and Isaiah, when they said, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

This is what I know. And this is what I share with you.

-- Margie