Jacob 6:1-4

Chapter 6

The Lord shall recover Israel in the last days—Then the world shall be burned with fire—Men must follow Christ to avoid the lake of fire and brimstone. About 544–421 B.C.

1 AND now, behold, my brethren, as I said unto you that I would prophesy, behold, this is my prophecy—that the things which this prophet Zenos spake, concerning the house of Israel, in the which he likened them unto a tame olive-tree, must surely come to pass.

2 And the day that he shall set his hand again the second time to recover his people, is the day, yea, even the last time, that the servants of the Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and prune his vineyard; and after that the ^fend soon cometh.

3 And how blessed are they who have labored diligently in his vineyard; and how cursed are they who shall be cast out into their own place!  And the world shall be burned with fire.

4 And how merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the house of Israel, both roots and branches; and he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long; and they are a stiffnecked and a gainsaying people; but as many as will not harden their hearts shall be saved in the kingdom of God.

Jacob 6:1-4

Jacob has completed telling the Allegory of the Tame and Wild Olive Trees.  He then begins to comment and teach the people about the meaning of the allegory.

He tells the Nephites Zenos was speaking about the house of Israel and used the tame olive tree to represent them.  “After reading the full allegory to his brethren, Jacob turns immediately to an extended interpretation in the form of a prophecy of his own (Jacob 6:1). Unlike the more historically oriented interpretations of Lehi and Nephi, Jacob moves directly to the implications for individuals.”[1]  Paul would use the olive tree in his epistle to the Romans.  “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee” (Romans 11:21). 

Teaching the poor of the Zoramites, Alma₂ would refer to Zenos.

13 Behold, if ye do, ye must believe what Zenos said; for, behold he said: Thou hast turned away thy judgments because of thy Son.

14 Now behold, my brethren, I would ask if ye have read the scriptures?  If ye have, how can ye disbelieve on the Son of God?

15 For it is not written that Zenos alone spake of these things, but Zenock also spake of these things—

Alma 33:13-15

When the day comes that the Lord will, for the second time, to recover Israel.  For the last time, the servants will go forth to nourish and prune the vineyard (Earth) and the end will come soon.  “A clause from Jacob 6:2 serves as a good synopsis of the point Jacob and Paul are making that the salvation of Israel is the Lord's gracious work: "The Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and prune his vineyard." He will do what is necessary to fulfill his covenant to Israel.”^[2]

Those that work in the Lord’s vineyard will be most blessed.  The Lord told Joseph Smith and the Church, “Hearken and hear, O ye my people, saith the Lord and your God, ye whom I delight to bless with the greatest of all blessings, ye that hear me; and ye that hear me not will I curse, that have professed my name, with the heaviest of all cursings” (D&C 41:1) “[F]or Jacob the parable shows the blessings that come to those who continue to work in the vineyard (Jacob 6:3) … Jacob sees in it the message that Israel, including his audience, must be faithful.”

Once the work is done, “the world shall be burned with fire.”  The Savior told the Nephites, “For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch” (3 Nephi 25:1).  Nephi wrote, “And when that day shall come they shall be visited of the Lord of Hosts, with thunder and with earthquake, and with a great noise, and with storm, and with tempest, and with the flame of devouring fire” (2 Nephi 27:2).

John Welch and Stephen Ricks wrote:

Chapter 5 follows as a promise to those who will labor in the vineyard, as Jacob 6:3 makes clear. But every divine promise is also a warning, as Jacob 6:3 also shows: "And how blessed are they who have labored diligently in his vineyard; and how cursed are they who shall be cast out into their own place!"[3]

Later in the article, Welch and Ricks wrote:

While Zenos's allegory was addressed expressly to the house of Israel (Jacob 5:1) and thus focuses on the central tree that symbolizes Israel, the vineyard in this story represents the entire world (Jacob 6:3). There are many trees in that vineyard. Only through their interdependence and mutual support do the trees of the orchard become fruitful and pleasing to the Lord. The central tree is preserved only by receiving grafts from other trees, and vice versa.[4]

God is merciful and remembers the house of Israel, “both roots and branches.”  “For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God” (2 Samuel 7:24).  He stretches out his hands to Israel, “but they are a stiffnecked people.”  “Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go” (Nehemiah 9:19).       

Nephi wrote, “Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts!  For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts” (2 Nephi 28:32).

M. Catherine Thomas explains God’s efforts.

If God is seeking access to his children continually, what is the meaning of the periods of divine absence in the allegory? The Lord declares, "I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long" (Jacob 5:47). Jacob drops the word almost when he reiterates: "He stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long. . . . Come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. . . . For why will ye die? . . . For behold, . . . ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day long" (Jacob 6:4–7). Cleave is atonement language. It is not God who has ceased to cleave, but man who has rejected God's love. These periods in which we do not see divine activity signify not so much the Master's absence, but rather Israel's voluntary withdrawal from the true olive tree.[5]

Noel Reynolds explains:

In explaining the prophecies of Zenos, Jacob urged his brethren to repent and come unto God with full purpose of heart and not harden their hearts, for "as many as will not harden their hearts shall be saved in the kingdom of God" (Jacob 6:4; cf. 6:5). People harden their hearts because of unbelief (Mosiah 26:1–3) or because their hearts are set on riches or other things incompatible with God's commands (see Alma 17:14).[6]

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[1] Nephite Uses and Interpretations of Zenos, Noel B. Reynolds, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 30, 2014.

[2] The Olive Tree and the Work of God: Jacob 5 and Romans 11, James E. Faulconer, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 30, 2014.

[3] The Allegory of the Olive Tree, John Welch and Stephen Ricks, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 30, 2014.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Jacob's Allegory: The Mystery of Christ, M. Catherine Thomas, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 30, 2014.

[6] The True Points of My Doctrine, Noel B. Reynolds, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 30, 2014.

Jacob 5:73-77

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.

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 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.

75 And it came to pass that when the Lord 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 blessed 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 natural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is cast away, behold ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit of my vineyard.

76 For behold, for a long 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.

77 And when the time cometh that evil fruit shall again come into my vineyard, then will I cause the good 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 season and the end; and my vineyard will I cause to be burned with fire.

Jacob 5:73 - 77

The servants and the Lord of the vineyard worked hard to save the trees.  Their efforts paid off.  Natural fruit began to grow and thrive.  As this happened, the wild branched were cut off and cast away. 

Hugh Nibley observes:

To restore the tree the Lord of the garden must work with a will: "When I apply my hand to dig the furrows thereof," says the Thanksgiving Hymns, "its roots strike even on granite, its stocks are firm-grounded in the earth."⁶⁰ Through Zenos the Lord commands: "Dig about the trees, both old and young, the first and the last.... Prepare the way for them, that they may grow" (Jacob 5:63—64). And when this is done, "the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly; ... and they did keep the root ... thereof equal, according to the strength thereof" (Jacob 5:73).[1]

The servants followed the commands of the Lord.  Finally, the bad branches had been cast out of the vineyard.  The Lord had preserved the trees that again brought forth natural fruit.  They became like one body and all fruits were equal.  The Lord, in a revelation He gave Joseph Smith for a conference, said, “I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine” (D&C 38:27).

The natural fruit had been preserved, “which must most precious to [the Lord of the vineyard] from the beginning.”

James Faulconer explains Zenos’s point.

Note that just as the possibility of good fruit is what keeps the Lord from destroying the vineyard, the presence of evil fruit brings the vineyard's burning. The point of Zenos's story is the gathering of fruit, not the preservation of either branches or root.[2]

Caring for the trees was important.

Achieving uniformity in the crop is obviously desirable, since a small percentage of very bitter fruit mixed in with the rest would reduce the quality of oil for the entire batch. Hence, the Lord of the vineyard strived to achieve a situation in which all the trees "became like unto one body; and the fruits were equal" (Jacob 5:74). Once this condition was achieved, the crop was stabilized "for a long time" of fruitful harvesting (Jacob 5:76).[3]

The Lord called his servants together.  He told them this is the last time they had taken care of his vineyard.  “[B]lessed art thou; for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard … ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit of my vineyard.”

The angel speaking to Nephi told him, “And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be” (1 Nephi 13:37).

Speaking of the worth of souls, the Lord told Joseph Smith, “And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me” (D&C 18:15-16).

At the end the Lord speaks to his servant, "Blessed art thou, because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard.... Ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit of my vineyard" (Jacob 5:75). Jacob echoes these words: "How blessed are they who have labored diligently in his vineyard" (Jacob 6:3)—those who have participated in the divine activity of at-one-ment. In latter days the Lord has said, "I will gather together in one all things, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth" (D&C 27:13). The allegory underscores the fact that the greatest work going forth on the earth is the work of bringing those who are scattered, alienated, and miserable back into harmony and oneness with each other and with the Creator.[4]

Why did the Lord say this was the final time they would nourish the vineyard?  “After a certain point, however, rejuvenation is impractical or impossible and the tree dies. Hence, the Lord of the vineyard recognizes that the end is at hand when he goes into the orchard to prune and harvest for the last time (Jacob 5:75).”^[5]

The Lord will lay up the fruit for a long time “against the season which speedily cometh.”  When the time comes that wild fruit grows again, he will cause his vineyard to be burned.

And here ends Zenos's allegory. 

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[1] Prophets in the Wilderness, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 28, 2014.

[2] The Olive Tree and the Work of God: Jacob 5 and Romans 11, James E. Faulconer, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 28, 2014.

[3] Botanical Aspects of Olive Culture Relevant to Jacob 5, Wilford M. Hess, Daniel Fairbanks, John W. Welch, and Jonathan K. Driggs, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 4, 2014

[4] Jacob's Allegory: The Mystery of Christ, M. Catherine Thomas, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 28, 2014.

[5] Botanical Aspects of Olive Culture Relevant to Jacob 5, Wilford M. Hess, Daniel Fairbanks, John W. Welch, and Jonathan K. Driggs, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 4, 2014

Jacob 5:67-72

67 And the branches of the natural tree will I graft in again into the natural tree;

68 And the branches of the natural tree will I graft into the natural branches of the tree; and thus will I bring them together again, that they shall bring forth the natural fruit, and they shall be one.

69 And the bad shall be cast away, yea, even out of all the land of my vineyard; for behold, only this once will I prune my vineyard.

70 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.

71 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might.  For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish 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.

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.

Jacob 5:67-72

Having decided to make one last attempt to save the vineyard, the Lord decides to graft the natural tree branches on the natural tree once again.  This will bring them together and they will bring forth good fruit once again.

The trees that are bad will be cast out of the vineyard.  For only one more time, the Lord will prune his vineyard.

After quoting the words of Isaiah, Nephi observed:

15 For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must be burned.

16 For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous.

17 Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire.  Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire.

23 For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake; they are those who must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed as stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet.

1 Nephi 22:15–17, 23

Towards the end of his life, Nephi would refer to this subject again.

9 And with righteousness shall the Lord God judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.  And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

10 For the time speedily cometh that the Lord God shall cause a great division among the people, and the wicked will he destroy; and he will spare his people, yea, even if it so be that he must destroy the wicked by fire.

2 Nephi 30:9-10

So, the Lord sent his servant to bring other servants to help him fulfill the desire of the Lord; however, the servants were few.  The Lord would refer to this allegory in a revelation given Joseph Smith.  “And the lord of the vineyard said unto one of his servants: Go and gather together the residue of my servants, and take ^ball the strength of mine house, which are my warriors, my young men, and they that are of middle age also among all my servants, who are the strength of mine house, save those only whom I have appointed to tarry” (D&C 101:55). “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted [GR they were harassed], and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:36-38).

This would be referred to by the angel during Nephi’s great vision.  “And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon ^ball the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw” (1 Nephi 14:12).

Paul Y. Hoskisson comments on these verses.

Rather than raze the unprofitable, apostate earth, God decided to try one more time to establish the gospel on the earth to see if the trees of the vineyard would produce good fruit. He began by having the branches from the mother tree "grafted into the natural trees" and branches from the natural trees "grafted into their mother tree" (Jacob 5:55 and 56). He instructed the servant to "dig about them, and prune them, and dung them once more, for the last time" (Jacob 5:64). From the beginning of the gathering of the house of Israel until the Millennium, from the Restoration until the Second Coming, there is an unbroken effort by the main servant and "other servants" (Jacob 5:70) to "labor in the vineyard" with all their might for "the last time" (Jacob 5:71). The servant and his co-workers "did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things" (Jacob 5:72).[1]

The servants were commanded to work in the vineyard “with your might.”  The Lord again emphasizes that this is the final time he will nourish his vineyard.  Then end is near.  If they labor with all their might, they will be able to enjoy the fruit which he gathers “against the time which will soon come.” 

Again, the Lord would use the vineyard in revelations given Joseph Smith.  “Wherefore lay to with your might and call faithful laborers into my vineyard, that it may be pruned for the last time” (D&C 39:17) and “Wherefore, labor ye, labor ye in my vineyard for the last time—for the last time call upon the inhabitants of the earth.  For in mine own due time will I come upon the earth in judgment, and my people shall be redeemed and shall reign with me on earth.  For the great Millennium, of which I have spoken by the mouth of my servants, shall come” (D&C 43:28 - 30).

After receiving their command from the Lord, they went out and worked with all their might.  Not only did the servants labor, but the Lord labored as well.

In order to accomplish the necessary pruning, the Lord instructed the servant to "go to, and call servants" (Jacob 5:61). The servant organized a small pruning team (Jacob 5:70), and the Lord encouraged them to work hard (Jacob 5:71). They then went to work, taking instructions from the Lord and working together with him (Jacob 5:72).[2]

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[1]  The Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob, Paul Y. Hoskisson, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 26, 2014.

[2] Botanical Aspects of Olive Culture Relevant to Jacob 5, Wilford M. Hess, Daniel Fairbanks, John W. Welch, and Jonathan K. Driggs, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 4, 2014

Jacob 5:62-66

62 Wherefore, let us go to and labor with our might this last time, for behold the end draweth nigh, and this is for the last time that I shall prune my vineyard.

63 Graft in the branches; begin at the last that they may be first, and that the first may be last, and dig about the trees, both old and young, the first and the last; and the last and the first, that all may be nourished once again for the last time.

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.

65 And as they begin to grow ye shall clear 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.

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.

Jacob 5:62-66

The Lord of the vineyard continues to explain to his servant what he will do.

This will be the last time he will do anything in the vineyard.  “This is, however, the last time the Lord of the vineyard will, through grafting and pruning, clean and purify the vineyard (Jacob 5:62–63; see also D&C 24:19; 39:17; 43:28; and 95:4). He will continue this process until there is no more degeneracy or corruption anywhere in the vineyard and the whole earth is full of his glory.”^[1] 

The Lord had been talking about burning the vineyard.  This appears to be a drastic measure.  The truth is, it isn’t.

[B]urning an olive grove is a symbol of rebirth. The Lord's efforts throughout the allegory represent the last effort, leading to the "last time" that he will graft and plant as he does to rejuvenate the old tree in his vineyard (Jacob 5:62–64, 71, 75–77), but the image of burning in the end is not one of destruction. It conveys botanically the idea of starting over. It reminds us that the Lord had preserved the roots of the young shoots planted in the nethermost parts for an unstated future purpose (Jacob 5:54). After the vineyard is burned, the old stump will be removed and the young roots will shoot forth new growth carrying forth the favorable genetic [material].^[2]

The Lord decided to graft branches beginning with the last tree and continuing until he finishes with the first.  The process will work the same as they nourish the tree.  They will begin with the last tree and continue until they finish with the first tree.  This is the last time he will nourish them.

The angel speaking to Nephi during his great vision told him, “And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last” (1 Nephi 13:42).

Referring to the words of Ether, Moroni₂ wrote:

10 And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel.

11 And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father, Abraham.

12 And when these things come, bringeth to pass the scripture which saith, there are they who were first, who shall be last; and there are they who were last, who shall be first.

Ether 13:10-12

The Lord told Joseph Smith, “But remember that all my judgments are not given unto men; and as the words have gone forth out of my mouth even so shall they be fulfilled, that the first shall be last, and that the last shall be first in all things whatsoever I have created by the word of my power, which is the power of my Spirit” (D&C 29:30).

Writing about Zenos’s allegory, Hugh Nibley explained:

To restore the tree the Lord of the garden must work with a will: "When I apply my hand to dig the furrows thereof," says the Thanksgiving Hymns, "its roots strike even on granite, its stocks are firm-grounded in the earth."⁶⁰ Through Zenos the Lord commands: "Dig about the trees, both old and young, the first and the last. . . . Prepare the way for them, that they may grow" (Jacob 5:63—64). And when this is done, "the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly . . . and they did keep the root . . . thereof equal, according to the strength thereof" (Jacob 5:73).[3]

Dig around the trees, the Lord says.  Prune and fertilize the trees.  Again, he emphasizes, “for the last tie, for the end draweth nigh.”  If the grafts grow and bring forth natural fruit, “then shall ye prepare the way for them, that they may grow.”

Rather than raze the unprofitable, apostate earth, God decided to try one more time to establish the gospel on the earth to see if the trees of the vineyard would produce good fruit. He began by having the branches from the mother tree "grafted into the natural trees" and branches from the natural trees "grafted into their mother tree" (Jacob 5:55 and 56). He instructed the servant to "dig about them, and prune them, and dung them once more, for the last time" (Jacob 5:64).[4]

As they grow, the servant is told to clear away the branches that have bitter fruit, according to the strength and size of the roots. 

In Jacob 5:65 it is stated, "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." If all of the branches were replaced at the same time, the tree and roots could be overstressed. Perhaps the "roots being too strong for the graft" refers to excess water and minerals being made available at the deficit of photosynthetic products, because the newly grafted branches would not have enough foliage to photosynthesize and translocate carbon compounds to the roots.[5]

Don’t clear all the bad branches 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.”  Paul Hoskisson writes:

The gathering described in the allegory is also deliberately slow … From the transplanted tame trees that had become wild, natural branches would be cut and grafted back into the mother tree, and from the mother tree which had also become wild, branches would be grafted into the transplanted tame trees. As these branches gain strength and as the roots can bear it, the branches that continue to produce wild fruit will eventually be pruned out and destroyed.^[6]

The Lord does not want to lose the trees in his vineyard.  The servant is told to clear away the bad so the good grows.  The root and top of the tree should be the same in strength.  The good should overcome the bad, “and the bad be hewn down and cast into the fire.”  The Lord will “sweep away the bad out of my vineyard.”

It is necessary to achieve and maintain a proper balance between the roots and branches of the olive tree. Due to various climate and soil conditions, the one may grow more vigorously than the other. Pruning does not necessarily stop excessive growth when trees are young and may even aggravate the imbalance between the above- and below-ground portions of the tree. When trees are young with inadequate foliage, pruning should be minimized. As trees get older more severe pruning becomes necessary because of the now diminished root activity.[7]

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[1] The Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob, Paul Y. Hoskisson, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 24, 2014.

[2] Botanical Aspects of Olive Culture Relevant to Jacob 5, Wilford M. Hess, Daniel Fairbanks, John W. Welch, and Jonathan K. Driggs, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 4, 2014

[3] Prophets in the Wilderness, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 24, 2014.

[4] The Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob, Paul Y. Hoskisson, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 24, 2014.

[5] Botanical Aspects of Olive Culture Relevant to Jacob 5, Wilford M. Hess, Daniel Fairbanks, John W. Welch, and Jonathan K. Driggs, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 4, 2014

[6] The Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob, Paul Y. Hoskisson, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 24, 2014.

[7] Botanical Aspects of Olive Culture Relevant to Jacob 5, Wilford M. Hess, Daniel Fairbanks, John W. Welch, and Jonathan K. Driggs, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 4, 2014

Jacob 5:57-61

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.

58 And we will nourish again the trees of the vineyard, and we will trim up the branches thereof; and we will pluck from the trees those branches which are ripened, that must perish, and cast them into the fire.

59 And this I do that, perhaps, the roots thereof may take strength because of their goodness; and because of the change of the branches, that the good may overcome the evil.

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 fruit 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—

61 Wherefore, go to, and call servants, that we may labor diligently with our might in the vineyard, that we may prepare the way, that I may bring forth again the natural fruit, which natural fruit is good and the most precious above all other fruit.

Jacob 5:57-61

After counseling with his servant, the Lord told him to remove only the wild branches that were most bitter.  Otherwise, he was to graft branches as the Lord told him.

Natural trees do not change genetically to "become wild" (see questions 3 and 4). In the instance of Jacob 5:57, the wild branches are not plucked from the tree except those that are the most bitter. The only reason for grafting wild branches on tame trees is that they may provide more vigor for rejuvenation than tame branches. However, there are good reasons to remove the branches with the bitterest fruit.[1]

Once that was done, they would continue to nourish the trees and trim the branches. The Lord decides to pluck branches from the trees that will be cast into the fire.  These words a reminiscent of the words of Isaiah. 

“When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour” (Isaiah 27:11).

To pluck means to pick out, cull or strip,¹²⁷ cut or remove. Zenos reflects a difference in the severity of pruning: ranging from "plucking off" whole branches or sections (Jacob 5:7) to "trimming up" selected growth (Jacob 5:58). White states that after several years trees should be pruned and all unwanted branches should be lopped: "Remember the old proverb 'He who ploughs the olive‑grove, asks it for fruit; he who manures it, begs for fruit; he who lops it, forces it to give fruit.'"[2]

The work the Lord does he does so that, “perhaps, the roots thereof may take strength because of their goodness … that the good may overcome the evil.”  Paul Hoskisson likens this process to the work of the Restoration.

This grafting and pruning process is evident today in the Restoration. Successful grafting consists of "coming to a knowledge of the true Messiah" (1 Nephi 10:14), Christ, through the word of God … In 1820, when the Prophet Joseph went into the grove to pray (perhaps it was not coincidence that the Restoration began in a grove of trees), the entire world was devoid of the kind of fruit the Lord desired … From that beginning in nineteenth-century frontier America, peoples and cultures have been exposed to the healing influence of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the renewed scriptural heritage of the house of Israel. The realization of this healing process can be seen in the Restoration. As soon as the people who accept the gospel are able to receive them, God reveals correct principles, doctrines, and eternal ordinances. In this way the scriptural heritage of the house of Israel, the roots, "may take strength" (Jacob 5:59) and bless the peoples and cultures nourished by them.[3]

So, how does a change in the branches affect the roots?

Rootstocks have a direct bearing on the quality of the fruit. Temperate fruit tree growers "often select a certain rootstock for a particular fruiting cultivar because it will dwarf the tree" to facilitate fruit harvesting and, in most instances, will bring the tree into production sooner. The tree is dwarfed, but not the roots nor the fruit. Hartmann et al. point out that for "some species, particularly citrus, the type of rootstock can . . . influence the quality of fruit produced by the scion cultivar. . . ."[4]

Because the Lord preserved natural branches and roots, he grafted natural branches into the mother tree.  He has preserved the roots of the mother tree.  And, he hopes, the trees in his vineyard will bring forth good fruit that he might “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 fruits.”

Once again, these words echo Isaiah.  “He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit [IE the blessings of salvation]” (Isaiah 27:6).

This shows how Israel will be preserved.

Paul uses the olive tree to show how Israel will be preserved through an act of grace. The Lord will use Israel's jealousy of the Gentiles to entice Israel to return. Though Zenos too shows how Israel will be preserved through grace, he uses the olive tree in a very different way than does Paul. Zenos's parable demonstrates the lengths to which the Lord of the vineyard will go to preserve his fruit. As Jacob 5:60 makes clear, Zenos allegorizes the olive tree to show how the Lord can preserve his fruit (which remains undefined in the parable)…[5]

The Lord told his servant to call all of his servants to work “diligently with our might in the vineyard.”  His desire was that he might again have natural fruit.  Calling servants is a major part of the Gospel.  The Lord told Joseph Smith, “Wherefore lay to with your might and call faithful laborers into my vineyard, that it may be pruned for the last time” (D&C 39:17).

We once again see similarities between the Tree of Life and the vineyard.  “[T]he description of the fruit of the olive tree as ‘good and the most precious above all other fruit’ (Jacob 5:61) suggests an additional parallel, a parallel between the trees in the vineyard and the tree of life.”^[6]  M. Catherine Thomas expands on this.

When Jacob is about to introduce the allegory he exhorts the reader to be the first-fruits of Christ (Jacob 4:11). Nephi says that the fruit from Lehi's dream tree is "most precious and most desirable above all other fruits" (1 Nephi 15:36). In identical language, the olive tree's natural fruit is "most precious above all other fruit" (Jacob 5:61) and "most precious unto him from the beginning" (Jacob 5:74); that is, the fruit from both trees is described as "most precious." It would seem that the fruit represents harvestable souls, or those that can be or have been sanctified by the Savior's atoning power.[7]

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[1] Botanical Aspects of Olive Culture Relevant to Jacob 5, Wilford M. Hess, Daniel Fairbanks, John W. Welch, and Jonathan K. Driggs, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 4, 2014

[2] Ibid.

[3] The Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob, Paul Y. Hoskisson, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 22, 2014.

[4] Botanical Aspects of Olive Culture Relevant to Jacob 5, Wilford M. Hess, Daniel Fairbanks, John W. Welch, and Jonathan K. Driggs, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 4, 2014

[5] The Olive Tree and the Work of God: Jacob 5 and Romans 11, James E. Faulconer, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 22, 2014.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Jacob's Allegory: The Mystery of Christ, M. Catherine Thomas, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 22, 2014.

Jacob 5:50-56

50 But, behold, the servant said unto the Lord of the vineyard: Spare it a little longer.

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.

52 Wherefore, let us take of the branches 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.

53 And this will I do that the tree may not perish, that, perhaps, I may preserve unto myself the roots thereof for mine own purpose.

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 branches of this tree, and I will graft 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.

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.

56 And they also took of the natural trees which had become wild, and grafted into their mother tree.

Jacob 5:50-56

The Lord of the vineyard is ready to burn the entire vineyard; however, the servant begged the Lord to spare it a little longer Truman Madsen writes:

Jesus went onto the mount overlooking the temple "as he was wont" (Luke 22:39). In the last days of his life, he lodged or "abode" there (Luke 21:37). On that hill (perhaps halfway up) was a vineyard of olive trees, reminiscent of the allegory of the tame and wild olive tree in the book of Jacob. The trees in that allegorical vineyard would have been hewn down and cast into the fire were it not for the pleading of the servant (Jacob 5:50). The Lord of the vineyard would be grieved to lose even one tree. The Lord of the vineyard, according to one interpretation, was the Father of us all. The servant in the vineyard was the Messiah. The task, the weightiest in all history.[1]

The Lord agrees, “for it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard.”  The Lord was very concerned about his vineyard and the well-being.  David Seeley and John Welch write about the Lord’s concern.

The Lord's love and concern is repeatedly projected. The Lord and his servants toil tirelessly, again and again, to bring forth fruit from this vineyard. No effort was spared. Even after it became obvious that it might be better to cut down all the old trees and start over, the servant begs with the Lord to "spare it a little longer" (Jacob 5:50).[2]

Paul Hoskisson writes about the place of the apostasy.

The text states explicitly that between earlier periods, between the scattering of Israel and the day of the former-day Saints and again between the day of the former-day Saints and the Lord's acknowledgment of the Great Apostasy, "a long time passed away" (Jacob 5:50). Unlike the long passage of time between these previous periods, the allegory makes clear that no significant time transpired between the acknowledgment of the Great Apostasy (Jacob 5:49) and the beginnings of the gathering of Israel (Jacob 5:50 and following).[3]

The Lord tells the servant to the branches he planted in the farthest part of the vineyard.  Graft them into the tree from where they came.  He will prune the branches whose fruit is bitter and graft natural branches of the tree in their place.

He does it so the tree wouldn’t perish, but to preserve the roots.  He took the roots of the natural branches and grafted them into other trees.  He also planted these branches elsewhere in the vineyard. 

One of the key elements of the allegory of Zenos is the image of taking cuttings from the tame tree and not just grafting them into other trees (Jacob 5:8–9) but clearing the ground (Jacob 5:44) and "planting" them elsewhere (Jacob 5:23, 24, 25, 54). These branches will take root (Jacob 5:54).[4]

The early Saints had a poor view of many Gentiles.  “It should be pointed out that the Saints did not categorically condemn all Gentiles. [Orson] Pratt identified the ‘most bitter’ branches destined to be plucked off as only ‘the more wicked portions of the Gentiles.’ According to Zenos, other branches, wild but not so bitter, were to be spared and grafted in elsewhere with the hope that the Lord ‘may yet have glory in the fruit of [his] vineyard’ (Jacob 5:54). Still, the general corruption of the Gentile religious world was a necessary precursor to the final phase of the Lord's redemptive work.”^[5]

The Lord and the servant took branches from the natural tree, which were wild and grafted them into natural trees, which had also become wild.  Paul Hoskisson explains what God is actually doing.

Rather than raze the unprofitable, apostate earth, God decided to try one more time to establish the gospel on the earth to see if the trees of the vineyard would produce good fruit. He began by having the branches from the mother tree "grafted into the natural trees" and branches from the natural trees "grafted into their mother tree" (Jacob 5:55 and 56).[6]

They also took branches of the natural trees, which were wild and grated them into the mother tree. 

Noel Reynolds explains how Lehi’s blessing to the posterity of Laman and Lemuel fits into this part of the Allegory.

When Lehi blesses the posterity of Laman and Lemuel, he promises them that the Lord "will not suffer that [they] shall perish" (2 Nephi 4:7). In this blessing, Lehi outlines how the Lord will fulfill Zenos's prophecy that he would not immediately pluck off and burn "the other part of the tree [that] has brought forth wild fruit" (Jacob 5:25–27) but would let it grow wild even until it overcomes and displaces the good branch. Eventually, this remaining branch will not be destroyed, but will be grafted back into the natural tree, that is, restored to the knowledge of the covenants of Israel and the true Messiah (Jacob 5:56).[7]

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[1] The Olive Press: A Symbol of Christ, Truman G. Madsen, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 20, 2014.

[2] Zenos and the Texts of the Old Testament, David Rolph Seeley and John Welch, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 20, 2014.

[3] The Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob, Paul Y. Hoskisson, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 20, 2014

[4] Botanical Aspects of Olive Culture Relevant to Jacob 5, Wilford M. Hess, Daniel Fairbanks, John W. Welch, and Jonathan K. Driggs, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 4, 2014

[5] Jacob 5 in the Nineteenth Century, Grant Underwood, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 20, 2014.

[6] The Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob, Paul Y. Hoskisson, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 20, 2014

[7] Nephite Uses and Interpretations of Zenos, Noel B. Reynolds, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 20, 2014.

Jacob 5:46-49

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 fruit; 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 hewn down and cast into the fire; and it grieveth me that I should lose them.

47 But what 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 stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long, and the end 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?

48 And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: Is it not the loftiness 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, taking strength unto themselves.  Behold, I say, is not this the cause that the trees of thy vineyard have become corrupted?

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?

 Jacob 5:46-49

The Lord of the vineyard continued his lament.  In spite of all the care he had given the vineyard, “the trees thereof have become corrupted, that they bring forth no good fruit.” Remember, as we read this, we are reading about the house of Israel, represented by the tree bringing forth corrupted fruit.  John the Baptist preached, “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire” (Luke 3:9).

He had hoped to preserve this tree, but it has become like the wild olive trees.  They are of no worth and should be cast into the fire, though “it grieveth [the Lord] that I should lose them.”

When preaching to the Nephites, the Savior told them, “But if it be not built upon my gospel, and is built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil, verily I say unto you they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return” (3 Nephi 27:11).

Alma² would also use this analogy, no doubt referring back to Jacob’s writings.  “And again I say unto you, the Spirit saith: Behold, the ax is laid at the root of the tree; therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire, yea, a fire which cannot be consumed, even an unquenchable fire.  Behold, and remember, the Holy One hath spoken it” (Alma 5:52).

Paul Hoskisson looks at how this relates to the Apostasy. 

The allegory leaves no doubt that God attempted everything in his power to prevent the Apostasy. When God came to inspect the world after the Apostasy had taken place and "all creeds [of the Apostasy had become] an abomination in [God's] sight" (Joseph Smith–History 1:19), God asked the servant in the allegory, "What could I have done more for my vineyard" to have prevented the Apostasy (Jacob 5:41)? The answer to this rhetorical question was that there was nothing he could have done more. He did not slacken his hand in creating the right environment and the necessary conditions for the gospel to flourish and produce fruit (Jacob 5:47). As explained in Jacob 5:28, "The Lord of the vineyard and the servant of the Lord of the vineyard did nourish all the fruit of the vineyard." But, as Jacob 5:46 explains, "Notwithstanding all the care which we [for example, the Lord and his servant] have taken of my vineyard, the trees thereof have become corrupted, that they bring forth no good fruit." In short, it was not lack of effort on God's part that allowed the Apostasy to occur.[1]

The Lord rhetorically asks, “[C]ould I have done more in my vineyard?  Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it?”  He then answers his own question.  No, he says.  I have done all I could.  I have nourished it, pruned it, fertilized it, and dug around it.  He is grieved to had to cut down all the trees in the vineyard and burn them. 

He asks, “Who is it that has corrupted my vineyard?”

M. Catherine Thomas explains verse 47 means that God will never give up on us.  It is we who gives up on him.

If God is seeking access to his children continually, what is the meaning of the periods of divine absence in the allegory? The Lord declares, "I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long" (Jacob 5:47). Jacob drops the word almost when he reiterates: "He stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long. . . . Come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. . . . For why will ye die? . . . For behold, . . . ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day long" (Jacob 6:4–7). Cleave is atonement language. It is not God who has ceased to cleave, but man who has rejected God's love. These periods in which we do not see divine activity signify not so much the Master's absence, but rather Israel's voluntary withdrawal from the true olive tree.[2]

The servant replied to his master.  “Is it not the loftiness of the vineyard-have not the branches thereof overcome the roots which are good?”  Here we see that it was pride that plagued the house of Israel.  Paul Hoskisson explains:

What then caused the Apostasy? The Lord of the vineyard himself asked that question at the end of Jacob 5:47, "Who is it that has corrupted my vineyard," that is, who has caused the Apostasy? In Jacob 5:48 the servant answered his Lord, "Is it not the loftiness of thy vineyard," pride, that caused the Apostasy? The servant further noted, in explaining the process of the Apostasy, "Have not the branches overcome the roots thereof, behold they grew faster than the strength of the roots, taking strength unto themselves." The Israelite and Gentile branches on the tame olive trees, through pride and haughtiness, took strength unto themselves. That is, rather than relying on their scriptural heritage for strength and nourishment, they relied on their own strength and abilities, thus nullifying the influence of the scriptural heritage from which they could have received direction and guidance. And by acting on their own in their pride they deemed themselves strong and grew in directions that were not appropriate, ending in apostasy.[3]

The Lord warned Joseph Smith, “We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion” (D&C 121:39). 

The branches had overcome the roots, but the roots were good.  Might this be the reason the vineyard had become corrupted. 

Matthew Roper writes:

So the Lehite "tree" of the allegory consists of a population geographically "transplanted" from the original Israelite promised land and "grafted" onto a wild root—or joined with non-Israelite people. Note that the Lord considers the new root to be "good" despite its being wild (Jacob 5:48). This allegorical description requires that a non-Israelite root—other peoples, in terms of this discussion—already be present on the scene where the "young and tender branch," Lehi's group, would be merged with them.[4]

The Lord told the servant to cut down the trees and burn.  He had done all he could have done.  “What could I have done more for my vineyard?”

This begs the question, why would the Lord burn down his vineyard? 

It has been known since ancient times that olive groves destroyed by fire sprout vigorously. The Lord appears ready to burn his entire vineyard and start over in verse 49, but the servant persuades him to work with the existing trees a little longer (Jacob 5:50).

Groves are sometimes burned deliberately to reconstitute them.¹⁸⁰ When reconstituting an olive tree by burning, the tree is taken up, leaving only the large roots. The bases are either burned or ripped up with a tractor. The new shoots are vigorous, but they do not grow in the same spot as the original tree, which complicates cultivation. Three of the main shoots are selected about a meter from each other. They are trimmed leaving three small-rooted bases, which are covered with soil…

Thus, burning an olive grove is a symbol of rebirth. The Lord's efforts throughout the allegory represent the last effort, leading to the "last time" that he will graft and plant as he does to rejuvenate the old tree in his vineyard (Jacob 5:62–64, 71, 75–77), but the image of burning in the end is not one of destruction. It conveys botanically the idea of starting over. It reminds us that the Lord had preserved the roots of the young shoots planted in the nethermost parts for an unstated future purpose (Jacob 5:54). After the vineyard is burned, the old stump will be removed and the young roots will shoot forth new growth carrying forth the favorable genetic [material].[5]

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[1] The Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob, Paul Hoskisson, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 18, 2014.

[2] Jacob's Allegory: The Mystery of Christ, M. Catherine Thomas, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 18, 2014.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Nephi's Neighbors: Book of Mormon Peoples and Pre-Columbian Populations, Matthew Roper, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 18, 2014.

[5] Botanical Aspects of Olive Culture Relevant to Jacob 5, Wilford M. Hess, Daniel Fairbanks, John W. Welch, and Jonathan K. Driggs, Maxwell Institute, accessed April 4, 2014.