WE TALK OF CHRIST

THE JADEITE CABBAGE By Ellen C. Jensen

n my mission in , my one end and white on the other, and separate them. I have cracks and Ocompanion and I spent a little it has cracks and ripples. No skilled ripples in me. I will never be of any time during one preparation day at carver would waste time on such a worth. Don’t waste your time.” the National in . piece of jade, until someone came “Oh, you silly little jade. Trust me. The main attraction is a piece of art along whom the Chinese call a master I am a master carver. I will make a called the Jadeite Cabbage. So many carver. masterpiece of you.” people were admiring it, but all I saw If this jade could talk, I can imagine What makes the Jadeite Cabbage so was a cabbage carved out of jade. It the conversation it would have with amazing is that this anonymous mas- was pretty, no doubt, but there must this new carver. I imagine the carver ter carver used the weaknesses of the have been something I was missing. picking up this piece of jade. jade—the two colors, the cracks, and When we finished at the museum, I “What do you want?” the jade the ripples—to make the cabbage all asked my companion, “What did you would ask. the more lifelike. The opaque white think of the Jadeite Cabbage?” “I am looking for jade to carve,” the part became the stem of the cabbage, “I love that piece of art!” carver would say. and the cracks and ripples make the “Why?” I asked. “It’s just a cabbage.” “Then find another piece. I am of leaves come to life. If it weren’t for the “Are you kidding? The Jadeite no worth. I have two different col- “weaknesses” of this jade, it could not Cabbage is a metaphor for my life!” ors so intertwined that you’ll never have looked so real. she exclaimed. “The cabbage?” “Yes! Don’t you know the story?” THE LORD LOOKETH ON THE HEART “Apparently not.” “In our world, moral character ofttimes seems sec- She told me the story. And she was ondary to beauty or charm. But from long ago the right. It became the metaphor for my Lord’s counsel to Samuel the prophet echoes: ‘The Lord mission and my life. seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the out- ward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart’ For a jade carving to have great (1 Samuel 16:7).” value, the jade has to be one solid President Thomas S. Monson, “Canaries with Gray on Their Wings,” color. Carvings made out of perfect Ensign, June 2010, 4. jade sell for high prices because it is nearly impossible to find perfect jade. The Jadeite Cabbage is green on

12 Ensign HOW CAN I SEE MYSELF AS THE MASTER SEES ME? It’s a challenge to see ourselves as the Lord sees us. He sees us as children of God with great potential and great worth. But we sometimes focus on our short- comings. Our Father in Heaven has not created us to dwell on our flaws but rather to become beautiful masterpieces. Through the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, we can overcome our shortcomings. Because of the beauty of this piece light. We are all like this piece of Consider reading the follow- of art, it became a gift for one of the jade, except that we are still in the ing scriptures to learn how the royalties in China and adorned the process of being carved. We must Lord uses imperfect people to halls of beautiful Asian palaces until it trust the master carver, Jesus Christ, accomplish His work: Exodus ended up at the museum in Taiwan. who will take our weaknesses and 4:10–12; Jeremiah 1:4–10; 1 Nephi It reminds me of Ether 12:27: make them strengths. We, in our 4:1–6; Alma 26:12; Doctrine and “If men come unto me I will show imperfect view, sometimes focus on Covenants 35:17–18. unto them their weakness. . . . My our imperfections and then despair grace is sufficient for all men that because we think we’ll never mea- humble themselves before me; for sure up. But our Savior, Jesus Christ, if they humble themselves before sees us as we can become. As we me, and have faith in me, then will allow His Atonement to work in our I make weak things become strong lives, He will shape us into master- unto them.” pieces who will one day live with After I saw the Jadeite Cabbage, the King of kings. ◼ this scripture began to take on new The author lives in Utah, USA.

October 2014 13