Day 105: February 4, 2012
Jacob 5
Chapter 5 of Jacob is the allegory of the Olive Tree as told by the Prophet Zenos. It is a long chapter so I will be covering it little by little. Mostly I want to get into my notes what the different things mean and then apply it to my life. According to the Book of Mormon institute manual it says, “Zenos’s allegory of the olive tree reveals God’s personal involvement in the history and destiny of the house of Israel. President Joseph Fielding Smith encouraged us to ponder the depth of Jacob 5: ‘The parable of Zenos, recorded in Jacob chapter five of his book, is one of the greatest parables ever recorded. This parable in and of itself stamps the Book of Mormon with convincing truth. No mortal man, without the inspiration of the Lord, could have written such a parable. It is a pity that too many of those who read the Book of Mormon pass over and slight the truths which it conveys in relation to the history, scattering, and final gathering of Israel.’”
Elder Holland said, “This allegory as recounted by Jacob is from the outset intended to be about Christ….
“Even as the Lord of the vineyard and his workers strive to bolster, prune, purify, and otherwise make productive their trees in what amounts to a one-chapter historical sketch of the scattering and gathering of Israel, deeper meaning of the Atonement undergirds and overarches their labors. In spite of cuttings and graftings and nourishings that mix and mingle trees in virtually all parts of the vineyard, it is bringing them back to their source that is the principal theme of this allegory. Returning, repenting, reuniting, at-one-ment-this is the message throughout.
“…At least fifteen times the Lord of the vineyard expresses a desire to bring the vineyard of the harvest to his ‘own self’ and he laments no less than eight times, ‘it grieveth me that I should lose this tree.’ One student of the allegory says it should take place beside the parable of the prodigal son, inasmuch as both stories ‘make the Lord’s mercy so movingly memorable.’
“Clearly this at-one-ment is hard, demanding, and at times, deeply painful work, as the work of redemption always is. There is digging and dunging. There is watering and nourishing and pruning. And there is always the endless approaches to grafting-all to one saving end, that the trees of the vineyard would ‘thrive exceedingly’ and become ‘one body;…the fruits [being] equal,’ with the Lord of the vineyard having ‘preserved unto himself the…fruit.’ From all the distant places of sin and alienation in which the children of the Father find themselves, it has always been the work of Christ (and his disciples) in every dispensation to gather them, heal them, and unite them with their Master.”
Symbols:
Vineyard-the world
Master of the Vineyard-Jesus Christ
Tame Olive Tree: House of Israel, covenant people
Wild olive tree- Gentiles, not born into House of Israel
Branches-Groups of People
Servants-Prophets and other called to serve
Fruit-Lives or works of people
Decay-apostasy
Grafting-bringing gentiles into house of Israel by baptism
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