Book of Mormon (Plain English Version)/Jacob/Chapter 5

by Timothy B. Wilson

Jacob reads of Zenos the Martyr's House of Israel metaphor, the "olive tree”
(compare Jacob, chapter 5...the longest in The Book of Mormon)

Note: The reference to Zenos being a martyr is found in Helaman 8:19.

The Father said the house of Israel (the Jews, or Judah, the lost tribes, and the tribe of Joseph) is like a tame olive tree, which He planted in his vineyard and cared for.

The tree grew, became old and started to decay.

Note: Abraham was the beginning of the Olive tree, planted in Canaan around 1900 BC. His grandson Israel (Jacob) went with his twelve sons into Egypt.

Their descendants were delivered from Egypt and wandered until Joshua led them into Canaan around 1350 BC.

The house of Israel began to grow in righteousness under King David and Solomon, but by 931 BC, its government had begun to decay spiritually and politically.

Seeing this, the Father of the vineyard said, "I will prune out its wicked leaders and divide it into two kingdoms:

I will water it by sending many prophets, who will declare righteousness to the people (prophets such as Jehu and Elijah).

Then perhaps the house of Israel will repent, sprouting new, righteous young branches, and not die."

So He pruned it, dug around it, and watered it--sending many prophets to both kingdoms. After much time, part of the house of Israel began to grow in truth, but the main branches at the top of the tree (their kings) began to die spiritually (by worshipping idols).

Seeing this, the Father of the vineyard said to the Savior, "Losing the entire house of Israel, the whole olive tree, would grieve me.

Therefore, bring in the branches from a wild olive tree (the Assyrian and Babylonian kings). We will pluck out and burn the dying main branches (the apostate kings of Israel) and replace them with wild branches.”

Note: The northern kingdom of Israel was invaded by the Assyrians (a wild olive tree branch) in 722 BC.

The Father of the vineyard said, "I will pluck out the young and tender branches and plant them in other parts of my earth. Then I will not lose the whole house of Israel if the roots die, and I will still preserve the good fruit (those who keep their covenants).

Take the branches of the wild olive tree and graft them into the tame tree.”

Note: The southern kingdom of Judah was invaded by the Babylonians (another wild olive tree branch) in 587 BC.

The Savior did as he was told and grafted the wild branches into the olive tree.

And in His mercy, the Father of the vineyard cared for the house of Israel's spiritual roots.

Note: Through Daniel, Esther and Nehemiah, the Lord caused the house of Israel's roots to be nourished.

Then He said, "The tender branches that I plucked out (scattered tribes, Jews, Mulek & Lehi's people) will be preserved for myself, that I may lay up their fruit before the last day, for it would grieve me to lose the house of Israel and its fruit."

The Father hid the natural branches that had been plucked out in separate places upon His earth. He planted them here and there according to His will and pleasure.

After many years had passed, the Father said to the Savior, "Come, let us go down to the vineyard."

They both went down to labor, and the Son said to the Father, "Look at the tame olive tree, the roots of Israel!"

The Father of the vineyard saw the mother tree in which the wild branches had been grafted.

The tree began to bear much good fruit (keeping the laws and commandments of Moses).

Note: The mother tree was the Babylonian captives of Judah, now returned to Jerusalem. Lehi saw this return in vision. See 4 Nephi 10:3.

Even though wild branches had been grafted into the mother tree, it bore good fruit, just as good as the natural branches transplanted to other places.

The Father then exclaimed to the Savior, "Look, the branches from the wild tree have taken hold, getting strength from the spiritual roots of the house of Israel (the prophets of Judah).

The wild branches are now bearing tame fruit!

It is good that we brought in the wild branches (many who converted to the Lord) or else the tame roots would have died by now, having no branches to nourish them.

Now I will have much fruit (covenant people) before the last day. Come, let us now go to the other parts of the earth to see if the transplanted natural branches of the house of Israel are also bearing good fruit."

They went to the other parts of the earth, and the Father said to His Son, "Look at these!"

The Son saw the first tree (scattered Jews) bearing The wild branches are now bearing tame fruit!

The Father told the Savior to harvest the fruit, for He had nourished that tree for a long time. Then the Savior asked his Father, "Why did you plant the first branch in the poorest spot in the vineyard?"

The Father replied, "Counsel me not. I knew this was a poor spot, and so I nourished it for a long time. Now you see it has brought forth much good fruit (many people keeping their covenants).

Look over there, where I planted another branch (scattered tribes). You know this spot of ground was poorer than the first. But look at them. I nourished them a long time and they now produce much good fruit. Harvest that tree as well.”

And the Lord of the vineyard again said to His servant, "Look over here, where I planted and nourished another branch (others scattered tribes).

It bears much fruit. And look over here and see the last branch that I planted

(Mulek, Lehi, Ishmael and their families) in a very good (choice land) part of my earth. I have nourished them for a long time, but now only part (the Nephites) are righteous, bearing good fruit. The rest of them (the Lamanites) bear wild fruit that is not good. Let the Nephites completely destroy the wild branches (their brethren the Lamanites) who don't bear good fruit."

But the Savior said, "Let the Nephites preach to the Lamanites a little longer. Maybe the Lamanites will yet bear good fruit for you on the day of judgment."

Then the Father of the vineyard and His Son nourished the entire earth.

A long time passed, and the Father said to His Son, "Come, let us go down in the earth, for the end is near, and I must have good fruit (celestial souls) for myself before the last day."

They went to the tame olive tree again (the mother tree) whose natural branches had been broken off, and whose grafted-in wild branches had born good fruit. Now all types of fruit burdened the tree.

The Father of the vineyard tasted each type of fruit from the mother tree, sorted and counted them, and said, "We have taken. care of this tree for a long time.

In the past the wild branches were fed by the natural roots, and this tree gave me much good fruit. It still bears much fruit, but now it is all bad (general apostasy in Jerusalem). This tree no longer profits me in spite of all our work, and I will be sad to lose it now. What must we do to help this tree bear good fruit again?"

The Savior answered, "The wild branches we brought in, which once bore good fruit, are all corrupt again. However, the original roots are still good.”

The Father replied, "But even with good roots, this bad fruit is worthless to me. Yes, the roots are good. Because of their great strength, they once nourished the wild branches, which for a time bore good fruit.

But now look. The corrupt branches (governing powers) have overrun the spiritual roots. This is why their fruit is bad. Because this tree bears so much bad fruit, it will die unless we do something. Let's go down to the other parts of the earth and see if other natural branches also bear bad fruit."

And sure enough, all the natural branches (scattered Jews and/or tribes, and the descendants of Mulek, Lehi and Ishmael) had also become corrupt.

The wild fruit of the last tame tree (the Lamanites) had overcome (destroyed) the part of the tree that at one time had borne good fruit (the Nephites).

Upon seeing this, the Father of the vineyard wept while saying to His Son, "What more could I have done for my vineyard? I knew all the fruit had become corrupt, except for these (the Nephites). Now even they who once bore good fruit have become corrupt and are gone!

Now all the people of the earth are good for nothing except to be burned. Look at this branch of the last tree (the Nephites), withered away. I planted it in the best part of my earth--in the choicest land!

You saw me remove what was here before (the Jaredites) so I could plant this tree (the Nephites) in its place.

You saw this tree bear good fruit and' wild fruit. Because I did not destroy the wild branches (the Lamanites) long ago, they overcame the good branch.

Now in spite of all the care we have given to my earth, all the people in it have become corrupt.

I had hoped to save them--to have preserved their souls to myself before the last day. But look at them. They have all become like wild olive trees, good only for burning. Losing all of them grieves me.

What more could I have done? Have I ever stopped nourishing my vineyard? (Sending prophets, giving scriptures to the

people, etc.). It grieves me to cut down all the trees of my vineyard and burn them.

Who has corrupted my vineyard?"

The Savior answered, "The proud people (the lofty branches) have overcome their spiritual roots. They have grown too proud and rich to be fed by their spiritual roots.

The lofty branches have stolen the strength (the governing power) from their spiritual roots, starving and overcoming them. This is why your world has become corrupt.”

The Father replied, "Yes. Now let's cut down the trees and burn them, for I've done everything I can to save them."

But the Savior said, "Spare them a little longer."

The Father answered, "I will, for it would be sad to lose all the trees of my vineyard.

Note: Now comes the gathering of Israel in these last days. Isaiah's great prophecies describe these events.

Let us gather the branches planted in the outer parts of my earth (the Jews, the ten tribes, and the tribe of Joseph) and bring them back to their spiritual roots.

Let us pluck out the branches with most bitter fruit (the most wicked), and replace them with the natural branches. I will do this to save their roots for my own purpose.

The roots of the house of Israel are yet alive. To preserve these roots, I will graft their original, natural branches back into them, even though the branches have become corrupt.

When these corrupt natural branches are strong again, maybe then they will bear good fruit for me, that I may yet have glory in the fruit of my orchard."

Then the Father and the Savior took branches from the mother tree that had become corrupt, and grafted them into the transplanted natural trees, which also had become corrupt.

Note: The original transplanting was the Jewish/Lamanite dispersions, caused by the wicked Gentiles.

Then they took the corrupt branches from the transplanted natural trees and grafted them back into their mother tree.

Note: This gathering is the gathering of the Jews, Lamanites, and dispersed tribes of Israel to their lands of inheritance, to be assisted by the righteous Gentiles (1 Nephi 15:15-18, 3 Ne 21:22-28, Mormon 5:14-15, 20).

The Father of the vineyard said to the Savior, "As we do this, only remove the most wicked from corrupt natural trees before doing as I have said. As we do this, we will send prophets to these corrupt natural branches once again.

We will destroy only the most wicked (those most ripe). We will do this so that the good, spiritual roots of the house of Israel will again be able to nourish their corrupt natural branches, and help them overcome evil.

Because I have saved the natural branches and their roots, perhaps the people of the house of Israel throughout my earth will bear good fruit once again, and I will have joy in them.

Now go. Give power to other servants, that we may all labor together diligently with our might in the earth, preparing the way, that I may yet have natural, good fruit again (the most precious fruit of all)!

Let us labor with our might this last time, for the end is near. This is the last time I will destroy the wicked of my earth. Gather the corrupt natural branches of the house of Israel back to both Jerusalems.

Bring the gospel to the Gentiles first (the latter-day restoration). Then gather the scattered Jews last.

Gather in Ephraim and Manasseh, the ten tribes, and Judah (the Jews), that they may all be taught the gospel one last time. Nourish the house of Israel one last time, for the end will soon come.

If these last grafts produce good fruit, then according to their strength and numbers, clear their way for them to produce more by destroying the wicked.

Do not destroy the wicked all at once, but only as fast as the natural, good fruit can take their place. By doing this, Israel's descendants will rely on me, and I will not lose them.

Their roots (spiritual power) and high branches (governing power) will be kept equal in strength until their good fruit completely overcomes the bad. Otherwise, I would lose the good fruit, which would grieve me.

This is how I will sweep the wicked from my earth. I will bring the corrupt natural branches back to their mother tree (gathering), and I will graft corrupt branches from the mother tree into the transplanted corrupt natural trees (dispersion).

After the natural branches have come together (the mingling of latter-day Israel), they will again bear good fruit as one, natural tree, and all the wicked in the world will be removed during this last cleansing.”

Then the Father of the vineyard sent His Son, who gave other servants power to preach and cleanse. These servants were few when compared to the hosts of the wicked.

The Father said to them, "Go and labor in my earth with all your might, mind and strength because this is the last time I will work in my earth, for the end is near.

If you labor mightily with me, you will have joy in the fruit that I will preserve to myself against the day of judgment, which soon comes.”

Then the servants labored with their might, obeying all the commandments of the Father, who labored with them.

The natural, good fruit grew again in the earth. The servants did as they were commanded, keeping the spiritual roots and the governing tops of the trees in balance.

Note: This balance is between the Lord's word and His law, which will go out from Zion (the old and new Jerusalems (2 Nephi 12:3).

They did this by destroying only part of the wicked at a time, allowing the natural branches to grow in their place.

The servants labored with all diligence, according to the Father's commandments, until all the wicked had been swept off the earth and the Father had preserved to Himself the natural fruit.

Now all of Israel's house had become unified in love, as one body, and were all equal. The Father of the vineyard had preserved to Himself the natural fruit (His righteous children) which had been most precious to Him from the beginning.

When the Father of the vineyard saw that His fruit was good, and that all the corrupt had been destroyed, He called up all His servants and said to them,

"We have nourished my earth for the last time, and you have seen me do my will, preserving the good, natural fruit, like it was in the beginning.

You are all blessed for having diligently labored with me in my earth, keeping my commandments, bringing the natural fruit to me again and destroying all the wicked.

Because of the good souls of the earth that you have gathered, you will have joy with me in my house. I will preserve these souls to myself for a long time after the last day, which soon comes.

I have nourished my people and have destroyed the wicked for the last time.

When evil comes upon the earth again (end of millennium), I will gather the good and bad. I will preserve the good to myself and throw the bad out to their own place.

Then the final judgment will come, and I will celestialize my earth with fire."