Gospel Doctrine Commentary
Lesson No. Thirteen

The Symbolism and Meaning of the Allegory of the Olive Tree

Introduction - The Allegory of the Olive Tree was first given by Zenos and Jacob recorded it from the Brass Plates.  The purpose of this master piece is to explain the history of the house of Israel.  It is so complete and profound that it alone is absolute evidence of the divinity of the Book of Mormon. 

I believe that we should study and read directly from the scriptures.  Having done this almost daily for many years I find it very helpful and enjoyable to read commentaries by LDS scholars.  It is like having a gospel discussion with other students of the Book of Mormon.  In modern society and even in the church in depth gospel discussions are rare.  As I read good commentary for me it becomes a gospel discussion.  I have done this with the Book of Mormon Reference Companion.  I will use material from this book and the Book of Mormon Student Manual in my message on the Allegory of the Olive Tree.

Symbolism of the Allegory

Symbol

Vineyard

Tame olive tree

Wild olive tree

Branches

Grafting

Pruning, digging, dunging

Fruit

The main top of the tree

Decay

Roots

The servant

Lord of the vineyard

Transplanting the branches

Decaying branches

Burning the branches

Other servants

Outline of the Allegory

The most effective method for me to understand this allegory is to divide it into seven parts; each part represents sequential periods in the history of the house of Israel. The verses referred to are from Jacob 5.

• The founding and aging of the house of Israel (Vs 3)
  • The tree is planted (the founding of the house of Israel - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob)
  • The tree grows old and parts begins to decay (after many years the house of Israel began to fall into apostasy)
• The scattering of the house of Israel (Vs 4-14)
  • The Lord came to the vineyard and saw decay/apostasy Vs 4
  • The Lord acted to stem the decay by pruning, digging about, and dunging the tree (God did what he could, without destroying agency, to eliminate apostasy among the house of Israel Vs 4-5)
  • Part of the tree recovered but the top of the tree began to perish (some of the house of Israel began to repent but the leaders did not Vs 6)
  • The Lord worked to save the tree (God scattered Israel Vs 7-14)
    • The worst branches were cut out and burned (The more apostate parts of the house of Israel were destroyed Vs 7, 9)
    • Wild olive branches were grafted into the mother tree (non-Israelites were mixed with the house of Israel Vs 7-10)
    • Natural branches of the mother tree were grafted into other parts of the vineyard (Israel was scattered among the gentiles; some groups of Israelites, like Lehi and his family, were taken to America Vs 8, 13-14); America was prepared for the planting of the natural tree by being cleared of previous growth, the Jaredites Vs 44).
• The history of Israel in the New Testament period including the Nephites and the Lamanites (Vs 15-28)
  • The Lord returns after a long time (Mortal ministry of Jesus Christ Vs 15)
  • The mother tree with wild branches grafted in produced good fruit (Gentiles converts grafted into Israel produced good works Vs 16-18)
  • The mother tree and all the transplanted branches of the mother tree bore good fruit, except the last one the last one that was transplanted, half of which bore good fruit and the other half bad fruit (Scattered Israel produce good fruit, except the Nephites and Lamanites, which produced good and bad fruit Vs 19-25)
  • The Lord wanted to destroy the bad part of the last planting, but the servant counseled to try one more time to save the tree (God did not give up on the Lamanites, but continued to work with them Vs 26-28)
• The Great Apostasy (Vs 29-49)
  • After a long time the Lord came back to the vineyard and found that the mother tree bore only bad fruit (after the New Testament period the old world fell into apostasy Vs 29-37)
  • The natural trees which had been transplanted also bore only bad fruit; the bad part of the last transplanted tree had overcome the good part (all of scattered Israel had also gone into complete apostasy, and the Lamanites had destroyed the Nephites Vs 38-49)
• The gathering of the house of Israel (Vs 50-74)
  • The Lord determined to make one last effort to save his trees by grafting back into the natural tree the natural branches he had grafted into the wild trees (After a long period of apostasy, God will make a final attempt to gather Israel from among the gentiles Vs 50-74)
  • As part of the process the Lord will destroy the branches of natural trees that produce the most bitter fruit, and the newly grafted natural branches will begin to grow strong (God will gather scattered Israel to the gospel, while at the same time those parts of Israel that produce most evil works will be cut off Vs 57-69).
  • In this last effort to save the trees of the vineyard a few other servants will be called to labor (Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are called to help  prepare the earth for the Millennium Vs 61-63 and 70-74)
• The Millennium (Vs 74-76)
  • The pruning and grafting of the natural trees will continue until there is no more wild fruit on the natural trees (The Lord will continue to work with those who are gathered to the gospel and join the Church until the Millennium comes when there will be only good fruit Vs 74-76)
• The end of the world (Vs 77)
  • After a long time, the trees of the vineyard will again produce wild fruit.  Then the Lord will destroy the vineyard by fire (the Millennium ends when evil reappears; the Lord will preserve the good and destroy the bad, and the earth will be celestialized.