(Below is a list of questions and quotes that help me think about each verse as I read it. The numbers represent the verses in the chapter.)
The Lord loves us and is always working to bring salvation to His covenant people, even when they turn away from Him.
What is an allegory? What two trees are used as symbols in this allegory? Why do you need to be connected to Jesus Christ to have a spiritual life?
"This allegory as recounted by Jacob is from the outset intended to be about Christ [the Master of the vineyard]... Even as the Lord of the vineyard and his workers strive to bolster, prune, purify, and otherwise make productive their trees what amounts to a one-chapter historical sketch of the scattering and gathering of Israel, the deeper meaning of the Atonement undergirds and overarches their labors." - Jeffrey R Holland, Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon [1997], 165
"The Lord's servants took some of the branches and grafted them in to all the wild olive trees. Who were the wild olive trees? The Gentiles. And so the Lord sent his servants to all parts of his vineyard, which is the world, and planted these branches of the tree... Now in that parable the olive tree is the House of Israel... In its native land it began to die. So the Lord took branches like the Nephites, like the lost tribes, and like others that the Lord led off that we do not know anything about, to other parts of the earth. He planted them all over his vineyard, which is the world. No doubt he sent some of these branches into Japan, into Korea, into China. No question about it, because he sent them to all parts of the world." - Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Answers to Gospel questions [1957-66], 4:204-5
"In general, the Lord sends to earth in the lineage of Jacob [Israel} those spirits who in pre-existence developed an especial talent for spirituality and for recognizing truth. Those born in this lineage, having the blood of Israel in their veins and finding it easy to accept the gospel, are said to have believing blood." - Bruce R McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 81
"The scattering of Israel throughout the world sprinkled the blood that believes, so that many nations may now partake of the gospel plan." - James E Faust, GC, October 1982
1-12. Do you know a friend or loved one who has questioned God's love for him or her, particularly during a time of trial when the person may have turned away from God?
3. What does the decay in the tree represent? What occurs when individuals or groups of people turn away from the Lord and His gospel?
3-14. The First Visit: What does the master of the vineyard see happening to his tame olive tree? What does the master do about the decay? What does the grafting in of the branches of the wild olive tree represent? What does the planting of the tame branches in the nethermost parts of the vineyard represent?
4-6. What do the actions of the Master of the vineyard of pruning, digging and nourishing represent?
7. What emotions do you think the Lord was expressing here and why?
7-11. Using the meaning of the symbols below, ponder what the Lord of the vineyard and His servant do to try and save Heavenly Father's children.
15-28 The Second Visit: What the master of the vineyard visits the second time, what does he discover about the wild branches that were grafted into the tame olive tree? What has happened to the natural branches that had been planted in the nethermost parts of the vineyard? What branch of the house of Israel do you know that was taken to a choice land and at the time of Christ were partly righteous and partly wicked?
29-60. The Third Visit: What did the master of the vineyard discover about the tame olive tree during this third visit? What about the roots? What has happened to the branches planted throughout the vineyard? how does the master of the vineyard respond when he finds all the fruit corrupt? What does the master decide to do to try to save his vineyard?
61-77. The Fourth Visit: As the master makes a final effort to save his vineyard, whom does he enlist for help? Who are these 'other servants'? What are they striving to 'prepare the way' for in verse 61? What eventually happens to the bad branches? What happens to the good fruit? What does the master of the vineyard say about the servants who labored with him this last time?
1-77. How many times does this chapter record the Lord's efforts to nourish the trees of His vineyard? What does this teach you about His desire to help and assist, teach and bless you? How many phrases do you find in this chapter that indicate the Lord's love, concern, or sorrow for His vineyard? What have you learned from this chapter about the Lord's love for you? How have you seen His love manifested in your life or in the life of someone you know?
Symbols in this Allegory
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Jacob 5: The Allegory of
the Tame and Wild Olive Trees
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Symbol
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Meaning
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Tame olive tree (v. 3)
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The house of Israel, God’s covenant people
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The vineyard (v.3)
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The world
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Decay (v. 3)
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Sin and apostasy
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Master of the vineyard (v. 4)
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Jesus Christ
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Pruning, digging, and nourishing (v. 4)
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The Lord’s efforts to help us be righteous and produce good works.
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Branches (v. 6)
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Groups of people
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Wild olive tree (v. 7)
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Gentiles- those who have not made covenants with the Lord. Later in
the allegory, natural olive trees, representing portions of the house of
Israel in apostasy, are also described as ‘wild’.
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Plucking and grafting branches (v. 7-8)
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The scattering and gathering of the Lord’s covenant
people. In addition, the grafting of wild olive branches into the tame olive
tree represents the conversion of Gentiles who become part of the Lord’s
covenant people through baptism.
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Burning branches (v. 7)
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God’s judgments upon the wicked
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Fruit (v. 8)
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The lives or works of people
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Roots of the tame olive tree (v. 11)
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The covenants the Lord makes with those who follow Him. Roots may
also represent individuals with whom the Lord covenanted anciently, such as
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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Images of this Allegory
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