“Jacob 5:1–53: ‘The Lord of the Vineyard,’” Book of Mormon Teacher Manual (2024)
“Jacob 5:1–53,” Book of Mormon Teacher Manual
Jacob 5:1–53
“The Lord of the Vineyard”
God cares about all of His children, those who are righteous and those who choose to be unrighteous. Jacob shared Zenos’s allegory of the olive trees, which symbolically illustrates the scattering of some who were righteous and some who were not. This allegory also illustrates the Lord’s efforts to gather Israel in the last days. This lesson can help you feel the love Jesus Christ has for you and for all people.
Inviting the Holy Ghost to testify of truth. As you teach true doctrine from the scriptures and words of the prophets, the Holy Ghost will have the opportunity to testify of truth. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, we can “know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:5).
Student preparation: Consider providing students with the diagram entitled “The Allegory of the Olive Trees (Jacob 5)” found in the “Commentary and Background Information” section. Invite students to use the diagram to help them study the allegory in Jacob 5 and become familiar with its overall message.
Possible Learning Activities
God’s love for those who stray
As an alternative to the following scenario, consider showing the video “Unplanned Pregnancy, Adoption and The ‘Best Gift Ever,’” found at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 0:00 to 1:41.
Lisa feels guilty about some of the mistakes she has recently made. She is beginning to wonder if God still cares for her because of these mistakes.
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What might you say if you were trying to help someone who has feelings like Lisa’s?
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Why might it be hard to recognize or feel God’s love after we choose to sin?
Today you will study a scriptural account that demonstrates the Lord’s love for those who go astray. As you study, search for important lessons about Jesus Christ’s willingness to help those who have turned away from Him. Ponder how the truths you learn can help you in your circumstances.
The allegory of the olive trees
Jacob prophesied that the Jews would reject Jesus Christ (see Jacob 4:15). To help his people understand how the Savior would help the Jews return to Him, Jacob taught them an allegory given by a prophet named Zenos. An allegory uses symbolic characters, objects, and actions to teach truths.
The following are some of the key symbols of the allegory, along with their possible meanings. Consider listing these symbols in your study journal or scriptures.
Consider copying the following chart on the board and inviting students to copy it into their study journals. You could add students’ insights and comments to it throughout the lesson.
An expanded chart with additional symbols is found in the “Commentary and Background Information” section.
|
Symbol |
Possible Meaning |
|---|---|
Symbol Lord or master of the vineyard | Possible Meaning Jesus Christ |
Symbol The vineyard | Possible Meaning The world |
Symbol Tame olive tree | Possible Meaning The house of Israel, the Lord’s covenant people |
Symbol Wild olive tree | Possible Meaning Gentiles (those who have not made covenants with the Lord) and apostate Israel |
To help you prepare to learn about Jesus Christ as you study Jacob 5, write “What I learn about Jesus Christ from Jacob 5” in the center of a blank page in your study journal and draw a circle around it. Throughout the lesson, look for truths and insights about Jesus Christ, the Lord of the vineyard. Record these findings in or around the circle in your study journal.
Understanding the allegory
If you have not already done so, provide students with the diagram entitled “The Allegory of the Olive Trees (Jacob 5),” found in the “Commentary and Background Information” section. Students could refer to portions of this diagram throughout the lesson.
The beginning of the allegory can represent the time before Jesus Christ’s mortal ministry. Read Jacob 5:3–6, looking for what happened to the tame olive tree, which represents God’s covenant people.
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What do you think the decay of the tree symbolizes?
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What do you think the master of the vineyard’s pruning, digging, and nourishing might represent?
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What do these actions teach you about Jesus Christ? (Add your insights to your journal page.)
It may be helpful to illustrate the following points by drawing a representation of them on the board.
After this first visit, the master of the vineyard took two other important actions to save his tame olive tree:
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He commanded that the main decaying branches of the olive tree be removed and that some branches from a wild olive tree be grafted to the main tree (see Jacob 5:7–10). This grafting can represent the Lord’s efforts to help Gentiles become part of His covenant people through baptism and conversion.
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He took young and tender branches from the main olive tree and grafted them into different portions of the vineyard (see Jacob 5:8, 13–14). This can represent the scattering of Israel to different portions of the world. Some of those who were scattered were righteous, such as Lehi’s family (see 1 Nephi 10:12–13). Others were scattered because of wickedness.
The remainder of the allegory portrays visits the lord of the vineyard made to his vineyard at later times. These visits can symbolize different time periods in the world’s history.
Consider dividing students into partnerships or small groups and assigning each group one of the following sets of verses to study. Students could then report their findings to the class.
Study the following verses, looking for what happened to both the main tree and the scattered trees during each visit.
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Second visit (symbolizing the time of Jesus Christ): Jacob 5:15–17, 19–20, 23–28
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Third visit (symbolizing the Great Apostasy): Jacob 5:29–32, 38–41, 46–47
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What did you notice about the state of the trees and the fruit during these visits?
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What did you notice about the words and actions of the lord of the vineyard during these visits?
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What do these words and actions teach you about Jesus Christ? (Add your insights to your journal page.)
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared one lesson we can learn about God from these verses:
After digging and dunging, watering and weeding, trimming, pruning, transplanting, and grafting, the great Lord of the vineyard throws down his spade and his pruning shears and weeps, crying out to any who would listen, “What could I have done more for my vineyard?” [Jacob 5:41, 49].
What an indelible image of God’s engagement in our lives! What anguish in a parent when His children do not choose Him nor “the gospel of God” [Romans 1:1] He sent! How easy to love someone who so singularly loves us! (Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Grandeur of God,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2003, 72)
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What stood out to you from this statement? Why?
The continued efforts of the lord of the vineyard
Read Jacob 5:51–53, looking for what the lord of the vineyard chose to do after seeing his trees in a state of decay.
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What do these verses teach you about the Lord? (Add your insights to your journal page.)
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How would you summarize the lessons you have learned from Jacob 5 in one statement of truth?
One truth we can learn from Jacob 5 is that the Lord loves all Heavenly Father’s children and continues to care for them even if they turn away from Him.
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How could this truth help someone feel a greater desire to repent?
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What are some examples from the scriptures or from your life that illustrate how the Lord continues to love and care for people even after they turn away from Him?
If the beginning of the following video was shown earlier, consider watching the rest here (time code 1:41 to 5:42).
Think about how what you have learned and felt today could influence your life. Consider recording your impressions in your study journal.