Laborers in the Vineyard

[Indefinite Integral]

Link to Question

As I read this question and answer, I thought the writers wrote some great responses, but I feel like nobody touched on what I really perceived to be as the "payment" given at the end of the day.

The questioner talks about working hard and never getting paid while others work hardly at all and get paid a ton. The writers responded speaking of how payment is not always on our own time table, but on the Lord's, which is true. However, I think it misses the real point.

At this point in our lives, we are still in the day. The day has not yet ended and we are ALL still working. I see things like money, or blessings as merely working conditions in terms of the parable. The true payment is yet to come, and is much more than any worldly thing.

From my perspective, the payment that we will all receive is the gift of the atonement. Through the atonement we are all given the opportunity to receive the same payment - the chance to be made perfect and return to our Heavenly Father. None who desire it and work for it are denied, no matter when they are "hired". All receive the same wonderful blessing of eternal life and exaltation. Is this not more important than any earthly blessing?

Maybe I'm off base and the questioner/writers are on the right track, but I feel like this removes all inconsistencies and is much more accurate. What do you think? I was considering posting this as a comment, but decided to post here instead.

[UffishThought]

I thought the same thing, but I'll admit I didn't read all of the responses because I was feeling lazy. Your interpretation is the one that first sprung to my mind when I read the question, though, and I was surprised I didn't see it in my skimming.

[yayfulness]

I was actually really disappointed for the same reason. Eternal life is the million-dollar paycheck at the end of the day, blessings in mortality are the pennies we pick up off the ground while working. Yeah, they're worth something, but if you focus on who got more pennies, you're missing the entire point.

Edit: Actually, it looks like Rating Pending brought that up as well. So my disappointment stands partly corrected. But I still wish that had been the overarching point of the answers, rather than just one element.

[Indefinite Integral]

Edit: Actually, it looks like Rating Pending brought that up as well. So my disappointment stands partly corrected. But I still wish that had been the overarching point of the answers, rather than just one element.

I just went back and read RPs answer again as well. I guess he does mention it a little, but it feels like a footnote. The gift of the atonement and the opportunity to be forgiven are, in my opinion, the focus of Elder Holland's talk. Not just a footnote to be tacked on at the end.

I mean, really, what does a house or an easy life mean in comparison to the ultimate gift. They really are just pennies picked up along the way to our million dollar paycheck.