The Olive Tree

During a Sunday Sacrament meeting in the Provo Missionary Training Center (MTC), the wife of one the MTC presidency members gave a talk to all 3,000+ Elders and Sisters. The talk was regarding the Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob chapter 5 of the Book of Mormon. She mentioned that this was longest chapter in the entire book and that we should bare with her as her remarks would be long. I honestly do not remember what she talked about after her introductory statement, however this week while studying these chapters I realized that I missed out on a lot!

The allegory illustrates the history of the earth and the dealings of God and his people. It begins at the time of Israel (Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham), then spans the time to the birth of Christ, the Apostasy, the Gathering of Israel, the Millennium, and to the end of the Millennium. The allegory has a few main characters: the vineyard, trees, Lord of the vineyard, and servants. This vineyard represents the Earth, the trees the people of the Earth, the Lord of the vineyard Jesus Christ, and the servants the people that assist in the Lord’s work. The lord and servants do the same that any vineyard owner and workers would do; they do everything that the trees need to be healthy and produce good fruit.

Throughout the allegory we read that the lord and servants of the vineyard dig, prune, dung, graft branches, transplant roots to different ground, preserve good fruit, and burn the branches that produce bitter or no fruit. Sometimes he sends his servants to work in the vineyard and other times he physically comes and also works with the servants for the trees’ success. There are times when the trees produce good fruit and he takes the fruit with him and preserves them, and there are times when the trees become corrupt and only grew bitter fruit, in this the lord of the vineyard lament:

“…the Lord of the vineyard wept, and said unto the servant: What could I have done more for my vineyard? “

Jacob 5:41

What are we to learn from this story of the trees? We learn that we are the trees, we are the children of God, Jesus Christ came to the earth to atone for our sins so that we can live with the Father forever. Both Heavenly Father love us very much and want us to return to them no matter what we have done in this life, they want us all to gain Eternal Life.

We also learn that there are many trees and branches that have been scattered all over the earth, these branches, the natural branches, came from the natural tree Jacob. These are the twelve tribes, of which 10 are lost, that are to be gathered.

68. And the branches of the natural tree will I graft into the natural branches of the tree; and thus will I bring them together again, that they shall bring forth the natural fruit, and they shall be one.

Jacob 5:68

Of the 77 verses of Jacob 5, I believe that we are living in verse 72 where the the lord of the vineyard has called his servant, one last time, to nourish the vineyard.

71 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come.

72 And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.

jacob 5:71-72

In verse Jacob 5:70 it reads that the servant went and worked in the vineyard, and that he brought other servants and that they were few in number. I feel that the servant here is the our living prophet, Russell M. Nelson, and those few other servants that he is bringing with him are us, the members of the church and others that are going about nourishing the trees, the children of out Heavenly Father.

I love in verse 49-51, there is an interaction of the between the lord and the servant where the lord is ready to cast all the trees in to the fire that they no longer burden the ground of the vineyard but the servant steps in and wants to spare them a little longer.

49 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Let us go to and hew down the trees of the vineyard and cast them into the fire, that they shall not cumber the ground of my vineyard, for I have done all. What could I have done more for my vineyard?

50 But, behold, the servant said unto the Lord of the vineyard: Spare it a little longer.

51. And the Lord said: Yea, I will spare it a little longer, for it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard.

jacob 5 49-51

The Lord of the vineyard has done all he can do for us. He loves us and knows of out trials in this life. He wants us to believe in Him and to come unto to him, as we do we are bringing forth good fruit that He takes with Him.

Jacob ends his writing saying:

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts.

jacob 6:5