The Parable of the Sower

When Christ started using parables, his diciples were confused because they were hard to understand.

After telling the parable of the sower, they ask him why he has started using parables. Christ responds in Matthew 13:11-16.

11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the amysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

12 aFor whosoever hath, to him shall be bgiven, and he shall have more cabundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall ahear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

15 For this people’s aheart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their beyes they have cclosed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should dheal them.

16 But blessed are your aeyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

He uses parables to teach because only those who are looking for truths will find them in what he says. Those looking to quote him and say it's wrong, or who just aren't looking for the truth, will just hear a story and its surface meaning.

So the parable of the sower that he tells the crowd is this: (Matthew 13:3-8)

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

5 Some fell upon astony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And some fell among athorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8 But other fell into good ground, and abrought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

So as the sower is tossing his seeds, some fall onto a path, of which the dirt is very packed and hard so the seeds cannot go into the dirt. Then birds come and eat them so they do not grow.
And some fall in stony places. There is some dirt, so they grow quickly. But there is not enough for the plants to have deep roots, so when the sun comes up, they dry up and die.
The seeds that fall by thorny plants grow, but the other plants keep sunlight and water getting to them. So they are choked and die.
But the seeds than fall onto good ground grow big and healthy. They produce lots of fruit.

If you're not really looking for any gospel truths, all you would learn from that parable would be to plant your seeds in good ground.

But if you are looking for truth, there are several lessons you could learn, a few ways you can interpret the story.
But when the disciples ask what the parable means, this is what Christ answers (in Matthew 13:18-23):

18 ¶ aHear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and aunderstandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and bcatcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

20 But he that received the seed into astony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when atribulation or bpersecution ariseth because of the word, by and by che is offended.

22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this aworld, and the bdeceitfulness of criches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that aheareth the word, and bunderstandeth it; which also beareth cfruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

So the Sower is Christ, and the seeds are his word. The different grounds could be seen as our hearts.
The wayside would be those who are hard-hearted, and do not wish to know of the gospel, or do not understand it. The birds would be Satan. He comes and takes away anything that might have been sowed in their hearts.
The stony places would be the hearts of those who get excited about the gospel, and grow in it quickly. But the sun is tribulation and persectution. When they are faced with those, they die in the church.
The thorny ground would be those of the world. The thorny plants would be worldly things. The seed is planted, and their testimony grows. But then, because of their cares of the world, it dies.
The good ground would be of those truly seeking a testimony. When they here the word, they let it grow. They let their testimonies grow strong and they are rightous. They are able to bring forth good works. And Christ says that some bring forth "an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." So even within the rightous, some will be more so than others and bring forth more good works than others.

The Joseph Smith Translation of Matthew13:23 is this:
But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth and endureth; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

So those of the good ground also endure in the church. They stick with it, and are able to endure worldy temptations.

I know that if we seek the truth, we will find it. And if we seek the understanding so that we do understand it, and live by the ways of the gospel, we can bring forth fruit. "Some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.