1. Parable of the Talents Matthew 25:14-46 Lesson 29
 The Lord will bless us if we faithfully use the gifts and abilities He has given us, regardless of how many we have or what they may be. 

2. The Master and the Servants
The Lord Jesus Christ
Master of the servants
The Talents
The gifts and abilities the Lord gives His disciples
The Servants
The Lord’s disciples
Matthew 25:14-18

3. Talent
In the Savior’s time, a “talent” was a unit of weight and also a large sum of money.
In modern usage, the word “talent,” as used in this parable, has come to represent any spiritual gift or any skill or ability given to us by God, and the parable teaches that we are responsible to use these gifts wisely and profitably.
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
(1)
Matthew 25:15

4. Servant 1
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
(1)
Matthew 25:16

5. Servant 2
 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
(1)
Matthew 25:17

6. Servant 3
  But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
(1)
Matthew 25:18

7. Well Done
(1)
Matthew 25:19-24

8. Wicked and Slothful Servant
 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
(1)
Matthew 25:25-28

9. “[The third servant’s] loss was not because he did anything wrong, but rather because his fear had prevented him [from] doing anything at all. Yet this is the process by which most of our blessings are lost. …
Fear can prevent us from using the gifts and abilities the Lord has given us. If we do not develop and use our spiritual gifts for good, then we will lose them
“… When one fails to use the muscles of his arm he loses his strength. … When we don’t develop our abilities, we lose our abilities. When the people in past ages have not honored the Priesthood, it has been taken from them. … Neither spiritual, mental nor physical talents develop while they are buried in the earth.” (3)
(1)

10. Choosing to Use Our Gifts
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall betaken away even that which he hath.
If we faithfully use the gifts and abilities the Lord has given us, then we can fulfill our divine potential and receive eternal life
Some of the gifts and abilities we have in mortality were received and developed in our premortal life.
We can choose to continue to develop those gifts and others in mortality.
Matthew 25:29
(1)

11. “The growth in our own talents is the best measure of personal progress. … Comparing blessings is almost certain to drive out joy.
We cannot be grateful and envious at the same time. If we truly want to have the Spirit of the Lord and experience joy and happiness, we should rejoice in our blessings and be grateful.” (2)

12. The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
In the Savior’s time, sheep and goats typically grazed together, but they were separated at the end of the day. 
The separating of the sheep and goats represents the Judgment that will occur at the Savior’s Coming. 
The righteous will receive a place at the King’s right (representing a place of honor and power)
the unrighteous will be assigned to the King’s left (representing disfavor)
This judgment will largely be based on how well individuals have shown their love for God by caring for others
Matthew 25:31-46
(1)

13. “At the final day the Savior will not ask about the nature of our callings. He will not inquire about our material possessions or fame.
He will ask if we ministered to the sick, gave food and drink to the hungry, visited those in prison, or gave succor to the weak.
When we reach out to assist the least of Heavenly Father’s children, we do it unto Him. That is the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
As we love and serve others, we show our love for the Lord. As we neglect others’ needs, we neglect the Lord.
Matthew 25:31-40; Matthew 24:40
(4)

14. Sources:
Suggested Hymn: #219 Because I Have Been Given Much
Videos:
Extraordinary Gift (4:25)
The Old Shoemaker (3:28)
The Coat (2:08)
New Testament Institute Student Manual Chapter 8
Elder Quentin L. Cook (“Rejoice!” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 29, 30).
Elder Sterling W. Sill (The Law of the Harvest [1963], 375).
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (“The Great Commandment,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 30).

15. After a long time: Matthew 25:19
The Second Coming is represented by the arrival, “after a long time,” of a master who had entrusted his servants with talents (Matthew 25:19). The servant who doubled his two talents received the same commendation as the one who doubled his five talents (see Matthew 25:21, 23); each was expected to try to improve on what he had been given. Thus, in the end, only the servant who did nothing with his talent was rejected by his master. (1)
Missing opportunities to build the kingdom of God: Matthew 25:29
“Some of us are too content with what we may already be doing. We stand back in the ‘eat, drink, and be merry’ mode when opportunities for growth and development abound. We miss opportunities to build up the kingdom of God because we have the passive notion that someone else will take care of it. The Lord tells us that He will give more to those who are willing. They will be magnified in their efforts. … But to those who say, ‘We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have’ [2 Nephi 28:30].
“The Lord entrusts all of His servants, including every priesthood holder, with spiritual talents. … While we are not all equal in experience, aptitude, and strength, we have different opportunities to employ these spiritual gifts, and we will all be accountable for the use of the gifts and opportunities given to us” President James E. Faust (“I Believe I Can, I Knew I Could,” Ensign, Nov. 2002, 50).
Talents: Matthew 25:15
"Talents are not given to us to be put on display or to be hidden away, but to be used. The Master expects us to make use of them. He expects us to venture forth and increase what we have been given according to our capacities and abilities (see Matthew 25:26-30). As servants of the Lord, we should use every opportunity to employ our talents in his service. To fail to do so means to lose them. If we do not increase, we decrease. Our quest is to seek out the talents the Lord has given us and to develop and multiply them, whether they be five, two, or one. We need not attempt to imitate the talents given to other persons.“
"The special talents with which we have been blessed-our intelligence, physical abilities, time, money, and the many opportunities given to us-have come from the Lord. They have been entrusted to us to be used, not for safekeeping or to be hidden away. These were given to us according to our ability to use-not for our own gain, but for the Lord's purposes here upon earth. We are like tenant farmers, who, given the use of the land, make their own selection as to the crop they will raise, and they work according to their own skill and desire to work. Some have the ability to sow, cultivate, and raise a bounteous crop, but others are less successful. There are some persons who will work hard and produce, while others, lacking initiative and desire, will fail. The day comes, however, when an accounting must be made." (The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, edited by Clyde J. Williams, 271.) Howard W. Hunter (The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, edited by Clyde J. Williams, 70.)