The Value of Pearls

As a teenager, I read a short story about a girl with a favorite set of fake pearls. She'd wear the necklace until her neck turned green. Still, she rarely took it off. One night, her dad came to her and asked if she loved him, and she said yes. He then asked her if he could have her pearls. She begged him to consider anything else. Her favorite doll or book, but not her pearls! He said no, kissed her goodnight, and turned off the light. For two more nights this happened: he asked for the pearls, she begged him not to take them. He kissed her on the head and said never mind.

On the third night, the little girl sat in her bed sobbing when it was time for prayers and stories. Dad asked her what was wrong, and in her little hand was a ball of plastic pearls. She said she loved him so much that she'd give him her pearls. With tears in his eyes, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a little velvet bag with nearly identical pearls. Except these pearls were real.

The lesson was straightforward: if we give God our best, He’ll return it to us tenfold.

Pearls are a recognizable treasure across cultures and continents, not just a lasting Fifties trend. Jesus Christ also gave His disciples a parable of a pearl. For those that are unfamiliar, it’s an extremely short parable in which Christ compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a “merchant man seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he found one pearl of great price, went and sold all he had, and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46).

This lesson is not too different from the first, to attain the Kingdom of Heaven, we should give up all we have.

Christ implores His followers to give up what they have and follow Him. We saw it with the wealthy young ruler too, who was told to sell all he had and follow Christ. With the context of the pearl of great price and that of the wealthy young ruler, it makes sense that the modern parable I found as a teenager asks us to consider the worth of things that we fill our lives with.

As I think about the worth and value of things in today’s market, I must consider, to some extent, the return on investment, or if I’m getting my money’s worth for what I’m receiving. That goes for everything from buying a car to buying eggs. Value and worth are very personal financial concepts. For example, some families may prefer luxury brands and pay for the reputation of a quality product. Others may prefer to shop thriftily as our consumerism tends towards disposable over lasting. While we can make that determination for ourselves, we cannot make it for others.

So, what of God’s things? Scriptures, prayers, and church attendance are just a few of God’s things. Other examples may be service, donations, or teaching others. What are the value of these things? Where do these things fit in our life?

Our lives are busy with work, school, and self-care. Often, there is no time to do anything other than survive. Our time is our most valuable commodity, and frequently, that is what the Lord is asking for. He’s asking us to spend time with people in need, to study scriptures, and to attend church.

President Russell M. Nelson promised that “as [we] consistently give the Lord a generous portion of our time, He will multiply the remainder.” As we assign worth and value to God’s things, we know that the time and the effort we give up will be heaped upon us.

The blessings that are returned to us, though, frequently do not have the same quick return as scrolling through social media or playing a video game. We can get instant satisfaction from a screen, but the results last just as long. Those results are fleeting at best and nonexistent at worse.

If God asked us to give up social media or video games, and in return gave us meaningful people in our lives, would it be worth it? If He asked us to give him five minutes of prayerful meditation or scripture study, and in return gave us a peaceful feeling and productive drive to accomplish our tasks, would it be worth it?

If you were asked to part with your favorite thing in the whole world, do you value the things of God enough to faithfully give it to Him?

I cannot tell you what things of God are your personal pearls, that is something you must study and determine for yourself. I do know that as you find worth and value in God’s things and trust in Him, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will fill your life with light and clarity.

Ami Reece is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is a mother, the blogger behind Momisms, and an aspiring author. When she isn’t putting pen to paper, she’s experimenting in the kitchen as an amateur baker.