Sunday Thoughts

The following Sunday Thoughts are generated through my preparations to teach Gospel Doctine class. The focus of study this year is the Book of Mormon, A Second Witness of Christ. I have made every attempt to support the doctrinal statements made through the scriptures and through a search of the reference library found on http://www.lds.org/. The primary purpose of these mini-sermons is for the benefit of my immediate family that I might fulfil my responsibility to teach correct principles and the doctrines of salvation to my children.
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Last week, the gospel doctrine lesson was primarily directed at Jacob, chapter 5, the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees, written by Zenos, an Israelite prophet not included in the Old Testament text. I have to admit that while I understood the concept of the allegory, I never took the time to examine all the elements within the allegory. Preparing the lesson helped me to understand why the allegory was quoted by Jacob and why Mormon included it in his abridgement.

The point of the allegory is two-fold. First to witness of the Messiahship of Christ and his love for mankind and second to show how the house of Israel can reject the sure the foundation of Christ and yet be reclaimed in the end.

Jacob quoted the allegory because the spirit led him to prophesy regarding the spiritual stumblings of the house of Israel and that Christ would be the only sure foundation upon which they could build their lives (Jacob 4: 14-18)

Understanding the symbols used in the allegory is the only way to obtain the full meaning. The vineyard is the world in which we live. The Master of the Vineyard is Jesus Christ. The tame olive trees represents the House of Israel, the Lord's covenant people. The wild olive trees represent the Gentiles, those not born into the House of Israel. The branches and shoots are groups or tribes of people. The servants who work with the Master of the Vineyard are prophets, apostles and other authorized servants. And finally, the fruit represents the good and evil works of the groups or tribes of people.

In addition to the symbols, it is also important to understand some other concepts. For the most part, the first visit of the Master of the Vineyard contains the important concepts that help the reader understand how Jesus Christ cares for his covenent people. In Jacob 5:3-4, the Master of the Vineyard went forth and saw that his olive tree, the House of Israel, was decaying or falling into apostacy and sin. He pruned the tree and digged about it and nourished it by sending prophets and mobilizing his servants to discipline the people, to ground the people in sound doctrine and to revitalize their spirituality. The Master of the Vineyard continues this pattern, sometimes at the urging of his prophets, until the end of the allegory thus demonstrating his love for the people of the world. The Masters intent was to always preserve the root of the tree or the faithful and unwaving core of the House of Israel.

To save the core, he brought the gospel to the wild olive tree or the Gentiles. Converts have a way of invigorating the long-standing membership of the church. He moved new shoots or certain righteous groups to the nethermost parts of his vineyard. The three principle groups, the Lehites, Mulekites and Jaredites are a prime example of starting new tame olive trees away from the corruption of the original tree. We can assume that there are other groups yet unknown who were part of the greater diaspora of ancient Israel.

It is tempting to want to align the time periods of the allegory to actual events in the history of the House of Israel. There is simply not enough context in the allegory to do so. However, there is an excellent article in the August, 1988, Ensign entitled "The Tame and Wild Olive Trees - An Allegory of Our Savior's Love", by Ralph Swiss. Brother Swiss breaks down the allegory into seven scenes and provides some potential historical examples that are thought provoking and show the long-suffering of Christ toward the House of Israel.

Further study about olive trees helps me to understand why olive trees are the perfect symbol for the allegory. Olive trees can produce abundant good fruit when properly tended. Olive trees can live in harsh conditions and in climates with temperature extremes. The trees require constant nourishment to survive and produce good fruit. Tame olive trees can become wild if untended. Wild olive trees can become tame and produce good fruit through grafting in tame olive branches. Olive trees may produce fruit for centuries. Dying olive trees send out new shoots from the roots which can be planted and mature in to fruit bearing trees. Thus the root may go on producing new trees and fruit for thousands of years. The olive brand is a symbol of peace.

The allegory is representative of the Saviour's love for the House of Israel and ultimately, of all mankind. There are at least four verses which signal this love. Jacob 5: 4, 7, 33 and 60. The Master of the Vineyard will continue to send his prophets and servants to nourish his people and to keep them in the straightway. He is grieved when his best efforts do not produce good fruit. He is anxious to lay up the fruit of the vineyard or to bring eternal life to his children. He does not give up on the House of Israel. While he can become frustrated with a fruitless season, he is easily entreated to nourish his people again. The Master's ultimate objective is to have joy in the fruit of his vineyard.

Take the words of Zenos to heart. His words are a type of the plan of salvation and how the Lord preserves his people. Have full confidence that the Lord will reclaim the House of Israel and that Israel will claim Christ as their foundation in due time. Recognize that the servants working in the vineyard before the millenium are latter-day saints called to serve and bring about the three-fold mission of the Lord's church. How blessed will be those who have labored in the vineyard.