Leavening and Mustard Seed

Throughout the New Testament the Savior repeatedly teaches the people about the kingdom of God. Often He uses two or more examples at a time saying, “The kingdom of God is like. . .” and then goes on to give several metaphors. At one point he compares the kingdom of God to a grain of mustard seed which grows into a tree that houses nesting birds. He immediately follows that by saying the kingdom of God is like leaven which grows to make three measures of dough rise.

Often there are layers of interpretation in metaphors and there are in this one. When we look at the parable on the macro level we see the kingdom of God is the Church and the Book of Mormon is the mustard seed “planted” in the earth to come from the Hill Cumorah and “grow” to cover the earth. The interesting thing is that there is no such thing as a mustard tree. The mustard seed grows into a bush that probably wouldn’t accommodate many nesting birds. The Savior knew this. So what he is saying is that this tiny mustard seed (His kingdom) was going to grow into something far beyond expectations. It would be miraculous. And as we know, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon has spread the gospel in miraculous ways and the angels, like birds, now reside in its branches. The Church has also risen like bread to nourish all the people of the world who partake of it.

But there is another interpretation. Later we are told that the kingdom of God can also be in us. “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:20-21). Looking at the parable on this micro level we learn a different lesson. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines kingdom as “politically organized community or major territorial unit having a monarchical form of government headed by a king or queen” and “a realm or region in which something is dominant.” Thus we learn that if the kingdom of God is within us it has a king, Jesus Christ, and a dominant force, His gospel, within us. Both of these things, the mustard tree and the bread, begin with a tiny grain. What the Savior is teaching us is that all we need to do is plant the tiny grain and then make sure it is nourished by trusting and Living in Truth and then it will grow into a miraculous tree (something beyond our expectations) and into three loaves of bread that will nourish and sustain us—three being a symbol of the Godhead.

When the seed and/or the grain of leavening have grown, we can then offer others a safe and joyful place to reside and leavening so the kingdom of God can also abide in them.