Jacob 1 - That We Might Persuade Them to Come Unto Christ I'm taking an online economics class right now, which prompted me to think of the definition of economics in the context of the scriptures. Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. In the case of Nephi and his successor Jacob, the plates upon which they engraved their record was a scarce resource. They were costly to make and difficult to engrave, and instilling a tradition of passing them through generations was surely cumbersome. Recognizing the great importance of spiritual things and the challenge of maintaining records, Nephi instructed Jacob to prioritize religious instruction saying, " if there were preaching which was sacred, or revelation which was great, or prophesying, that I should engraven the heads of them upon these plates, and touch upon them as much as it were possible, for Christ’s sake, and for the sake of our people" (Jacob 1:4). This priority was not only reflecte...
In elementary and middle school mowing the lawn and caring for the yard was my responsibility. I loved it and would spend hours pulling weeds, turning earth, and edging flower beds. I could get lost in the feel of the soil and felt a lot of satisfaction watching plants grow and bloom.
I can trace my love for Jacob chapter 5 and the allegory of the olive tree back to this time. It was also one of the first times that I discovered the power of parables and allegories to tie our visceral earthly experiences with spiritual truths. But this is the first time reading through that I have noticed that a discussion of chapter 5 cannot happen without considering the introduction Jacob give the allegory at the end of chapter 4. After describing the wickedness of the House of Israel, he asks, "And now, my beloved, how is it possible that these, after having rejected the sure foundation, can ever build upon it, that it may become the head of their corner?Behold, my beloved brethren, I will unfold this mystery unto you" (Jacob 4:17-18).
The allegory of the olive tree is a message of hope that illustrates God's infinite and perfect love for his children. In painstaking detail Jacob quotes the prophet Zenos and recounts the unfailing care that Jesus, the master of the vineyard, has taken and will take to help his people, his vineyard, become righteous and produce good fruit.
"And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard went forth, and he saw that his olive tree began to decay; and he said: I will prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it, that perhaps it may shoot forth young and tender branches, and it perish not ... and he said unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree" (Jacob 5:4, 7). Here Zenos teaches about the nature of God. He is aware of us and our spiritual condition. He takes immediate an thorough action to save us. Lastly, he experiences sorrow for the sins of His children. Taking this a step further we learn that even though God is a perfect and exalted being that has no cause within himself to sorrow, he still experiences grief and anxiety on an ongoing basis, and has an existence filled with work. These nuances to our understanding of his nature and what it means to be like God shatters the notion that heaven is a place of leisure and that a perfect existence would be absent negative emotion. Seemingly exasperated after numerous failed attempts to produce good fruit, "it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard wept, and said unto the servant: What could I have done more for my vineyard?" (Jacob 5:41) "But what could I have done more in my vineyard?" (Jacob 5:47)
When after some effort wild branches brought forth fruit, God "beheld that it was good; and the fruit thereof was like unto the natural fruit. And he said unto the servant: Behold, the branches of the wild tree have taken hold of the moisture of the root thereof, that the root thereof hath brought forth much strength; and because of the much strength of the root thereof the wild branches have brought forth tame fruit." (Jacob 5:17-18). The difference between good fruit and bad fruit is how much the branches "take hold of the moisture of the root." It is easy for us to view ourselves and others as static beings unable to change, but all people who drink deeply of the gospel and enter into covenants with God will become more righteous, not because of our own abilities or goodness, but because of "the much strength of the root."
Even more interesting to me is the phrase "that the root thereof hath brought forth much strength" in verse 18. One likely reading is that the moisture of the root strengthened the branches and that the "much strength"refers to growth and productivity of the formerly wild branches. But another way of reading this phrase is that wild branches drawing on the moisture of the root somehow strengthened the root. In fact, throughout chapter 5, the master of the vineyard frequently comments on his desire to preserve and strengthen the root in hope that it will one day nourish branches that produce good fruit. The Book of Mormon Student Study Guide defines the roots of the tame olive tree as "The covenants the Lord makes with His children. God's covenants seem to be absolute and unchanging, so how can our behavior and righteousness enhance these covenants? A similar question could be asked about God Himself. His work and his glory is to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life. He is perfected, omniscient, and all-powerful, and yet our decision to accept Christ's atonement and life righteously constitutes and expands His already infinite glory. To understand this, I like to think of the covenant in broader terms as our covenant community, the church, or the kingdom of God on earth. The more fully we participate in God's covenant organization, the more strength is available for others to draw from.
Another dimension of God's personality highlighted by this allegory is His persistence. God faced numerous setbacks; His vineyard "hath brought forth much fruit, and there is none of it which is good. And behold, there are all kinds of bad fruit; and it profiteth me nothing, notwithstanding all our labor" (Jacob 5:32). Even after further effort "notwithstanding all the care which we have taken of my vineyard, the trees thereof have become corrupted, that they bring forth no good fruit" (Jacob 5:46). It was certainly not for lack of effort, "Nay, I have nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long, and the end draweth nigh." (Jacob 5:47). God labored patiently over millennia, enlisting the aid of His servants to guide the House of Israel to righteousness.
After all this effort comes one of the most joyful passages in the Book of Mormon:
"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent his servant; and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him, and brought other servants; and they were few. And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might ... and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself. 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. And there began to be the natural fruit again in the vineyard; and the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly ... And thus they labored, with all diligence, according to the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, even until the bad had been cast away out of the vineyard, and the Lord had preserved unto himself that the trees had become again the natural fruit; and they became like unto one body; and the fruits were equal; and the Lord of the vineyard had preserved unto himself the natural fruit, which was most precious unto him from the beginning" (Jacob 5: 70-74).
Application Questions
What is my vineyard and how am I laboring in it? What challenges and setbacks am I facing in this stewardship? What can I learn from the allegory of the olive tree to help overcome them?
Thinking over the course of your life, when and how have you felt God's hand pruning, grafting, guiding and nourishing you? Write them down!
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