While the following article could have been linked from other headings as well as this one I am recommending it to you here because of the security and consistency provided by a good ward family, the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Savior Himself.
June 2011 Ensign, p10, He Carried My Sorrows
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Verse 77
"And when the time cometh that evil fruit shall again come into my vineyard, then will I cause the agood and the bad to be gathered; and the good will I preserve unto myself, and the bad will I cast away into its own place. And then cometh the bseason and the end; and my vineyard will I cause to be cburned with dfire".
Verse 76
"For behold, for a along time will I lay up of the fruit of my vineyard unto mine own self against the season, which speedily cometh; and for the last time have I nourished my vineyard, and pruned it, and dug about it, and dunged it; wherefore I will lay up unto mine own self of the fruit, for a long time, according to that which I have spoken".
Verse 75
"And it came to pass that when the aLord of the vineyard saw that his fruit was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he called up his servants, and said unto them: Behold, for this last time have we nourished my vineyard; and thou beholdest that I have done according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit, that it is good, even like as it was in the beginning. And bblessed art thou; for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard, and have kept my commandments, and have brought unto me again the cnatural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is cast away, behold ye shall have djoy with me because of the fruit of my vineyard".
Verse 74
"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 aone 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".
Verse 73
"And there began to be the natural fruit again in the vineyard; and the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly; and the wild branches began to be plucked off and to be cast away; and they did keep the root and the top thereof equal, according to the strength thereof".
Verse 72
"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".
Verse 71
"And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and alabor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the blast time that I shall cnourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come".
Verse 66
" For it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard; wherefore ye shall clear away the bad according as the good shall grow, that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until the good shall overcome the bad, and the bad be hewn down and cast into the fire, that they cumber not the ground of my vineyard; and thus will I sweep away the bad out of my vineyard".
Verse 65
"And as they begin to grow ye shall aclear away the branches which bring forth bitter fruit, according to the strength of the good and the size thereof; and ye shall not clear away the bad thereof all at once, lest the roots thereof should be too strong for the graft, and the graft thereof shall perish, and I lose the trees of my vineyard".
Verse 64
"Wherefore, dig about them, and prune them, and dung them once more, for the last time, for the end draweth nigh. And if it be so that these last grafts shall grow, and bring forth the natural fruit, then shall ye prepare the way for them, that they may grow".
Verse 60
"And because that I have preserved the natural branches and the roots thereof, and that I have grafted in the natural branches again into their mother tree, and have preserved the roots of their mother tree, that, perhaps, the trees of my vineyard may bring forth again good afruit; and that I may have joy again in the fruit of my vineyard, and, perhaps, that I may rejoice exceedingly that I have preserved the roots and the branches of the first fruit—"
Verse 57
"And the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Pluck not the wild branches from the trees, save it be those which are most bitter; and in them ye shall graft according to that which I have said".
Verse 55
"And it came to pass that they took from the natural tree which had become wild, and grafted in unto the natural trees, which also had become wild".
Verse 54
"And, behold, the roots of the natural branches of the tree which I planted whithersoever I would are yet alive; wherefore, that I may preserve them also for mine own purpose, I will take of the abranches of this tree, and I will bgraft them in unto them. Yea, I will graft in unto them the branches of their mother tree, that I may preserve the roots also unto mine own self, that when they shall be sufficiently strong perhaps they may bring forth good fruit unto me, and I may yet have glory in the fruit of my vineyard".
Verse 52
"Wherefore, let us take of the abranches of these which I have planted in the nethermost parts of my vineyard, and let us graft them into the tree from whence they came; and let us pluck from the tree those branches whose fruit is most bitter, and graft in the natural branches of the tree in the stead thereof".
Verse 51
"And the Lord said: Yea, I will spare it a little longer, for it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard".
Monday, July 11, 2011
Verse 49
"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Let us go to and hew down the trees of the vineyard and cast them into the fire, that they shall not cumber the ground of my vineyard, for I have done all. What could I have done more for my vineyard"?
Verse 48
"And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: Is it not the aloftiness of thy vineyard—have not the branches thereof overcome the roots which are good? And because the branches have overcome the roots thereof, behold they grew faster than the strength of the roots, btaking strength unto themselves. Behold, I say, is not this the cause that the trees of thy vineyard have become corrupted"?
Verse 47
"But awhat could I have done more in my vineyard? Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it? Nay, I have nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have dunged it; and I have bstretched forth mine chand almost all the day long, and the dend draweth nigh. And it grieveth me that I should hew down all the trees of my vineyard, and cast them into the fire that they should be burned. Who is it that has corrupted my vineyard"?
Verse 46
"And now, behold, notwithstanding all the care which we have taken of my vineyard, the trees thereof have become corrupted, that they bring forth no good afruit; and these I had hoped to preserve, to have laid up fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own self. But, behold, they have become like unto the wild olive tree, and they are of no worth but to be bhewn down and cast into the fire; and it grieveth me that I should lose them".
Verse 38
"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: Let us go down into the nethermost parts of the vineyard, and behold if the natural branches have also brought forth evil fruit".
Verse 37
"But behold, the wild branches have grown and have aoverrun the roots thereof; and because that the wild branches have overcome the roots thereof it hath brought forth much evil fruit; and because that it hath brought forth so much evil fruit thou beholdest that it beginneth to perish; and it will soon become ripened, that it may be cast into the fire, except we should do something for it to preserve it".
Verse 36
"Nevertheless, I know that the roots are good, and for mine own purpose I have preserved them; and because of their much strength they have hitherto brought forth, from the wild branches, good fruit".
Verse 35
"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: The tree profiteth me nothing, and the roots thereof profit me nothing so long as it shall bring forth evil fruit".
Verse 34
"And the servant said unto his master: Behold, because thou didst graft in the branches of the wild olive tree they have nourished the roots, that they are alive and they have not perished; wherefore thou beholdest that they are yet good".
Verse 33
"And the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: What shall we do unto the tree, that I may preserve again good fruit thereof unto mine own self"?
Verse 29
"And it came to pass that a along time had passed away, and the Lord of the vineyard said unto his bservant: Come, let us go down into the vineyard, that we may labor again in the vineyard. For behold, the time draweth near, and the cend soon cometh; wherefore, I must lay up fruit against the season, unto mine own self".
Verse 28
"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard and the servant of the Lord of the vineyard did nourish all the fruit of the vineyard".
Verse 25
"And he said unto the servant: Look hither and behold the last. Behold, this have I planted in a agood spot of ground; and I have nourished it this long time, and only a bpart of the tree hath brought forth tame fruit, and the cother part of the tree hath brought forth wild fruit; behold, I have nourished this tree like unto the others".
Verse 23
"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: Look hither; behold I have planted another branch of the tree also; and thou knowest that this spot of ground was poorer than the first. But, behold the tree. I have nourished it this long time, and it hath brought forth much fruit; therefore, gather it, and lay it up against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine own self".
Verse 22
"And the Lord of the vineyard said unto him: Counsel me not; I knew that it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore, I said unto thee, I have nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it hath brought forth much fruit".
Verse 21
"And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: How comest thou hither to plant this tree, or this branch of the tree? For behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of thy vineyard".
Verse 20
"And it came to pass that they went forth whither the master had hid the natural branches of the tree, and he said unto the servant: Behold these; and he beheld the afirst that it had bbrought forth much fruit; and he beheld also that it was good. And he said unto the servant: Take of the fruit thereof, and lay it up against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine own self; for behold, said he, this long time have I nourished it, and it hath brought forth much fruit".
Verse 19
"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Come, let us go to the nethermost part of the vineyard, and behold if the natural branches of the tree have not brought forth much fruit also, that I may lay up of the fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own self".
Verse 18
"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. Now, if we had not grafted in these branches, the tree thereof would have perished. And now, behold, I shall lay up much fruit, which the tree thereof hath brought forth; and the fruit thereof I shall lay up against the season, unto mine own self".
Verse 16
"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard, and also the servant, went down into the vineyard to labor. And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: Behold, look here; behold the tree".
Verse 13
"And these will I aplace in the nethermost part of my vineyard, whithersoever I will, it mattereth not unto thee; and I do it that I may preserve unto myself the natural branches of the tree; and also, that I may lay up fruit thereof against the season, unto myself; for it grieveth me that I should lose this tree and the fruit thereof".
Verse 11
"And the Lord of the vineyard caused that it should be digged about, and pruned, and nourished, saying unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, that perhaps I might preserve the roots thereof that they perish not, that I might preserve them unto myself, I have done this thing".
One of the common themes from the scriptures and prophets is the need for constant nourishment for our soul and our testimony. An object lesson I used to use on my mission and have on occassion since is to take some cornstarch, add water, and work it in my hand. As long as it is worked, it stays fairly firm. As soon as you stop working the mixture it seems to melt. This is how our testimony is. We need to nourish it constantly, we need to "drink deeply" from the waters of the gospel and we need to work our testimony by the actions in our lives and the words we speak.
Alma 32 provides a similar image in comparing our faith to a seed while explaining the need for constant nourishment.
"37And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.
One of the common themes from the scriptures and prophets is the need for constant nourishment for our soul and our testimony. An object lesson I used to use on my mission and have on occassion since is to take some cornstarch, add water, and work it in my hand. As long as it is worked, it stays fairly firm. As soon as you stop working the mixture it seems to melt. This is how our testimony is. We need to nourish it constantly, we need to "drink deeply" from the waters of the gospel and we need to work our testimony by the actions in our lives and the words we speak.
Alma 32 provides a similar image in comparing our faith to a seed while explaining the need for constant nourishment.
"37And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.
38But if ye aneglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
39Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your aground is bbarren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof.
40And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the atree of life.
Verse 8
And behold, saith the Lord of the vineyard, I take aaway many of these young and tender branches, and I will graft them bwhithersoever I will; and it mattereth not that if it so be that the root of this tree will perish, I may preserve the fruit thereof unto myself; wherefore, I will take these young and tender branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I will.
Verse 7
And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard saw it, and he said unto his aservant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, go and pluck the branches from a bwild olive tree, and bring them hither unto me; and we will pluck off those main branches which are beginning to wither away, and we will cast them into the fire that they may be burned.
The branches from the wild olive tree represent converts, people who were not a part of Israel but who were brought into the church of God.
The branches from the wild olive tree represent converts, people who were not a part of Israel but who were brought into the church of God.
Verse 6
And it came to pass that after many days it began to put forth somewhat a little, young and tender branches; but behold, the main atop thereof began to perish.
The young and tender branches represent parts of Israel and while some of Israel continued in righteousness, much of it had become corrupt.
The young and tender branches represent parts of Israel and while some of Israel continued in righteousness, much of it had become corrupt.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Verse 5
"And it came to pass that he apruned it, and digged about it, and nourished it according to his word".
One of the devine missions of a prophet is to both prune and nourish Isreal and ultimately the world as a whole. This pruning includes both testifying and warning so that eventual distruction may be avoided.
Why a loving God would allow the distruction of some of his children will be discussed later.
On the LDS scripture website, this "pruned" is linked to 2 Kings 17: 13-18.
13Yet the Lord atestified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the bprophets, and by all the cseers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
One of the devine missions of a prophet is to both prune and nourish Isreal and ultimately the world as a whole. This pruning includes both testifying and warning so that eventual distruction may be avoided.
Why a loving God would allow the distruction of some of his children will be discussed later.
On the LDS scripture website, this "pruned" is linked to 2 Kings 17: 13-18.
13Yet the Lord atestified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the bprophets, and by all the cseers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
14Notwithstanding they would anot hear, but bhardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not cbelieve in the Lord their God.
15And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became avain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them.
16And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two acalves, and made a bgrove, and worshipped all the chost of heaven, and served dBaal.
17And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the afire, and used bdivination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do cevil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
Verse 4
"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 aprune it, and dig about it, and nourish it, that perhaps it may shoot forth young and tender branches, and it perish not."
The Master of the Vinyard is Jesus Christ
The branches represent groups of people
see Book of Mormon student manual: https://lds.org/si/bc/seminary/content/library/manuals/institute-student/book-of-mormon-student-manual_eng.pdf
Digging and nourishing is, I believe, the word of God and the care of God for our benefit, which sometimes may include chastisement.
see: “As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten” Elder D. Todd Christofferson: http://lds.org/ensign/2011/05/as-many-as-i-love-i-rebuke-and-chasten?lang=eng
The Master of the Vinyard is Jesus Christ
The branches represent groups of people
see Book of Mormon student manual: https://lds.org/si/bc/seminary/content/library/manuals/institute-student/book-of-mormon-student-manual_eng.pdf
Digging and nourishing is, I believe, the word of God and the care of God for our benefit, which sometimes may include chastisement.
see: “As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten” Elder D. Todd Christofferson: http://lds.org/ensign/2011/05/as-many-as-i-love-i-rebuke-and-chasten?lang=eng
Verse 3
"For behold, thus saith the Lord, I will liken thee, O house of aIsrael, like unto a tame bolive tree, which a man took and nourished in his cvineyard; and it grew, and waxed old, and began to ddecay."
The olive tree is a wonderful symbol for the House of Israel. "One Jewish legend identifies the tree of life as the olive tree,3 and with good reason. The olive tree is an evergreen, not a deciduous tree. Its leaves do not seasonally fade nor fall. Through scorching heat and winter cold they are continually rejuvenated. Without cultivation the olive is a wild, unruly, easily corrupted tree. Only after long, patient cultivating, usually eight to ten years, does it begin to yield fruit. Long after that, new shoots often come forth from apparently dead roots. As one stands in the olive groves and is struck by the gnarled tree trunks that are at once ugly and beautiful, it is hard to avoid the impression of travail—of ancient life and renewing life. Today some trees, still productive on the Mount of Olives, are 1,800 years old, and perhaps older.4 The olive tree appears almost "immortal." http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=124&chapid=1465
see also: Book of Mormon Student Manual: Jacob 5
The olive tree is a wonderful symbol for the House of Israel. "One Jewish legend identifies the tree of life as the olive tree,3 and with good reason. The olive tree is an evergreen, not a deciduous tree. Its leaves do not seasonally fade nor fall. Through scorching heat and winter cold they are continually rejuvenated. Without cultivation the olive is a wild, unruly, easily corrupted tree. Only after long, patient cultivating, usually eight to ten years, does it begin to yield fruit. Long after that, new shoots often come forth from apparently dead roots. As one stands in the olive groves and is struck by the gnarled tree trunks that are at once ugly and beautiful, it is hard to avoid the impression of travail—of ancient life and renewing life. Today some trees, still productive on the Mount of Olives, are 1,800 years old, and perhaps older.4 The olive tree appears almost "immortal." http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=124&chapid=1465
see also: Book of Mormon Student Manual: Jacob 5
Overview
"Zenos [was a] Hebrew prophet, often quoted by the Nephite servants of God. All we are told of his personal history is that he was slain because he testified boldly of what God revealed to him. That he was a man greatly blessed of the Lord with the spirit of prophecy is shown by that wonderful and almost incomparable parable of the vineyard given at length by Jacob (Jacob 5). His prophecies are also quoted by Nephi (1 Nephi 19:10, 12, 16), Alma (Alma 33:3, 13, 15), Amulek (Alma 34:7), Samuel, the Lamanite (Helaman 5:11), and Mormon (III Nephi 10:16)" (George Reynolds, in Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 4:139).
Jacob 5 provides an historical as well as prophetic overview of God's dealing with Israel and explains many of His actions and interaction not only with Israel but the world as a whole.
It provides clues as to why a loving God and Father of us all would allow an individual, nation, or even most of the world, to be destroyed.
Please see the LDS student manual, allegory of the olive tree
Please also read 3 Nephi 10 for additional insight. As we read through the comments on individual scripture the connection will become more apparent.
Doctrine and Covenants section 88 is also referred to as The Olive Leaf and has implications to the gathering and nourishing of Israel.
Jacob 5 provides an historical as well as prophetic overview of God's dealing with Israel and explains many of His actions and interaction not only with Israel but the world as a whole.
It provides clues as to why a loving God and Father of us all would allow an individual, nation, or even most of the world, to be destroyed.
Please see the LDS student manual, allegory of the olive tree
Please also read 3 Nephi 10 for additional insight. As we read through the comments on individual scripture the connection will become more apparent.
Doctrine and Covenants section 88 is also referred to as The Olive Leaf and has implications to the gathering and nourishing of Israel.
See also Isaiah 5
As you read through the text and links, you will see the correlations made between Jacob 5 and the history of the world, the history of Israel, the temple, the tree of life, the mother of God, the Plan of Salvation, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
(Much of the information contained herein is my own opinion)
(Much of the information contained herein is my own opinion)
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Background
Many years ago while pondering on the Book of Mormon, already having a firm testimony of the truthfulness of the book I hypothesized that since the beginning of the Book of Mormon contained the writings of prophets familiar with the culture of Jerusalem and knowing that the beginning of the book contained writings from prophets from the time and culture of the Old Testament, while most of the Book of Mormon was abridged primarily by the prophet Mormon (far removed from Jerusalem by time and geography). I hypothesized that some of the words in Jacob 5, written by the prophet Zenos from the milieu of the Old Testament, would have distinctive language elements, which it does. Since that time I have studied the chapter in greater depth and found many distinct concepts and knowledge which would have been impossible for Joseph Smith or anyone growing up in New England or anywhere in the United States to have known and understood. For example, how would a young New England farm boy or almost anyone else in the new United States have gained significant knowledge of the growing and cultivation of olive trees so richly and accurately described in Jacob 5.
The allegory of the olive tree as presented by the prophet Zenos provides a firm testament of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon as well as an overview of God's dealing with the house of Israel and His love for all of His children.
"The parable of Zenos, recorded by Jacob in chapter five of his book, is one of the greatest parables every 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. Such members of the Church unto whom attention has been called to the great significance of this parable have said they fail to comprehend it. It is simple and very clear to the minds of those who earnestly seek to know the truth" Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 4:141
The allegory of the olive tree as presented by the prophet Zenos provides a firm testament of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon as well as an overview of God's dealing with the house of Israel and His love for all of His children.
"The parable of Zenos, recorded by Jacob in chapter five of his book, is one of the greatest parables every 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. Such members of the Church unto whom attention has been called to the great significance of this parable have said they fail to comprehend it. It is simple and very clear to the minds of those who earnestly seek to know the truth" Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 4:141
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