the Raiment Curator
a Parable about the Atonement
by Steven W. Hughes
His own garments were impeccable!
They were not flashy or trendy,
but perfect.
His loyalty to His Owner
was readily apparent.
Their countenances were identical
and their end goal indistinguishable.
The Owner trained the Master
in all
His ways.
There was no stain that the
Master had not seen!
No disfigurement he could not reconcile!
There was no odor he
had not encountered!
as well as the fiber of each article
and knew the appropriate treatment.
He understood the complete use of
chemicals and fabric tolerance.
and its properties
and use in rehabilitation of textiles.
Many there were that came to Him
with their apparel
to have stains blotted out,
fabrics renewed and made whole.
His process for restoration was exact
and without fail,
so long as the customer had faith in Him and
patience for the process
which could only happen
in the curator’s timetable.
Upon receipt of an article,
the Master treated it as his own.
Discussing with its owner the history,
use and misuse of the good.
bar coded and scanned
into the Master’s log.
Each and every garment was
studied and inspected,
and given its exact and specific blueprint
for complete curation.
of a
piece was known
by the Master Curator.
Every thread memorized.
Upon completion,
each piece was once again inspected,
carefully packaged and presented to
the
customer with
detailed instructions for ongoing care.
in the Master’s ways,
which was also the Owner’s ways.
They were not perfect apprentices,
but
they were worthy,
able and authorized
to do the Curator’s will.
They were sent out all over the land
to find articles for their work.
They represented Him well
teaching His ways.
Patrons that heeded the apprentices
were made whole.
They observed the Master
for what he was
and had great joy!
When they heeded his word,
all their stains and blemishes
were as though they never existed.
The Curator had a competitor.
He was a flashy dresser.
Always wanting to be above his clientele.
He saw them as beneath him;
unworthy of his presence.
He too had been trained
in the art of restoration
by the same Owner
as the Master Curator.
He knew the techniques
and requirements
that resulted in complete perfection.
He understood the patience required
for cleaning and achieving results.
He knew the chemistry and applications.
However, he despised the Owner.
Defiled his name.
Jealous of the Owner’s fortune
and power.
He demanded it all for himself.
He wanted uncountable volume.
He labored extensively
teaching his employees
the art of deception,
and the fraudulency of speed.
Infatuated with the hypocrisy
of his methods,
he easily betrayed his patrons.
He found practices to cut costs
and reduce overhead.
He diluted chemicals and cleaning agents
and
found other designs
to mimic repair.
Stains were not properly removed,
but covered up temporarily.
Repairs were cut short in
the name of profit
and did not last.
Alterations were faked and disguised.
He lost track of the countless lies.
He utilized every form of media
to advertise and
entice new clientele.
He had no shame in his ways.
He had no care for his customers;
Or their raiment.
He loathed the Owner
and the Master Curator
and did everything in his power
to discredit Them.
And so it was that the competitor
continued
to grow his business,
promoting himself and
disassociating with the Owner.
He grew in his narcissism
and debauchery.
He
lost many apprentices,
but did not care.
He disposed of them as quickly as
the “un-restorable” garments.
As his deceit became apparent,
he moved from village to village.
He hired and fired attorneys
to handle the complaints.
He was proud of what he had achieved.
There was a never-ending
world of customers.
He didn’t care that many customers would
leave
as long as his business grew.
He would never change his ways.
However, the Master Curator
continued His business as usual,
slowly growing His business.
At times losing customers
that did not have the patience
to see their garments properly restored.
And at times reestablishing clientele
that came to understand the need
for the process to be done
in the Master Curator’s ways.
He never lost His love for His work.
His life’s work of making things clean.
We also have a Curator for our lives.
He is the Master Curator,
also known as Wonderful, Counseller,
The Mighty God,
The Everlasting Father, and
The Prince of Peace.
He is the Good Shepherd
that loves His followers.
He knows each of us by name.
Those that follow Him,
know Him and recognize His voice.
He is the Master Curator of our souls,
removing sins and stains from sin.
Even the toughest,
most menacing and difficult,
ground-in stains
can be removed by Him.
Though our stains may
be blatantly scarlet,
He can make them as white as snow.
Even though our stains are crimson red,
He can make them as clean
and pure as wool.
He will forever love His work
in making us clean.
_________________________
Steven W. Hughes
November 20, 2016
_______________________________
About the Author
Steve W. Hughes works in insurance claims
helping people put their lives back together after an accident or tragedy. He
has found great satisfaction in this work and many similarities to the work of
the gospel of Jesus Christ. He has
served as a youth leader, bishop and high counselor in the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He graduated from the University of Utah majoring
in Economics and minoring in Sociology. He lives in Murray, Utah with his wife,
4 kids and German Shepherd dog. This parable is his testimony of the reality of
the Savior of the world and Son of God.
__________________________________
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
would like to acknowledge my wife Laura and our four children
for always being my support and strength
and the loves of my life.
I would also like to acknowledge my brother Calvin
for helping format this book, adding
powerful imagery
and encouraging me to finish it.
I would also like to acknowledge another
testament of Jesus Christ
that has given me a sure knowledge of the
reality
of the Savior and His ability to make
each and every person clean.
That testimony came through study of The
Holy Bible
and The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
_________________________
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to the Savior,
Jesus Christ, and to His teachings.
May those who read this parable draw closer to Him by truly understanding what He has overcome for them, and then following Him.
Working in insurance claims affords me the opportunity to encounter many kinds of individuals. Often, insurance companies utilize many businesses that specialize in various forms of restoration to assist insureds’ following a loss. The inspiration for this parable came one day when I visited a dry cleaning/laundry facility that had a very special individual working there.
Sicandor is from India and his parents came to America to live their dream. He has a unique gift of being able to clean just about any kind of stain from any kind of textile. From years of experience, he knows how to identify specific kinds of stains and which chemicals and solvents to use to rid the textiles and garments of these stains. It was a joy to watch Sicandor as he enthusiastically explained the process of cleaning various kinds of materials using a number of combinations of cleaning agents.
I immediately thought of the Son of God and His ability to
likewise cleanse our souls of various kinds of sins and shortcomings using the
most powerful cleaning agent ever, the infinite and eternal Atonement.
______________________________
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