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.
[2]
The
Olive Tree and the Work of God: Jacob 5 and Romans 11, James E. Faulconer,
Maxwell Institute.
[3]
Botanical
Aspects of Olive Culture Relevant to Jacob 5, Wilford M. Hess, Daniel
Fairbanks, John W. Welch, and Jonathan K. Driggs, Maxwell Institute.
[4]
Jacob’s Allegory: The Mystery of Christ, M. Catherine Thomas, Maxwell Institute.
[5]
Botanical Aspects of Olive Culture Relevant to Jacob 5, Wilford M. Hess, Daniel
Fairbanks, John W. Welch, and Jonathan K. Driggs, Maxwell Institute.
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