To understand Jacob 5, one must begin at the end of Jacob 4. In Jacob 4 the prophet Jacob had asked us to consider how the Jews could ever build on the “sure foundation” of Jesus Christ after they rejected Him (v. 17). To answer this question Jacob quotes the teachings of the prophet Zenos.
Zenos’ allegory of the olive tree teaches us about the Lord’s purposes in the scattering and gathering of the house of Israel. Interestingly, the olive tree tends to be God’s great object lesson when referring to the scattering, gathering, and salvation of His children (see my #BOMTC 1 Nephi 16 post for more on this). Chapter 6 then contains Jacob’s commentary on the major points of Zenos’ allegory, and Jacob emphasized the Lord’s mercy and justice while encouraging his people—and us—to repent.
Click here for a graphical explanation of the allegory of the olive tree
Interestingly, the scattering of “the branches of Israel” all over the world is a blessing to both Israel and to the Gentiles. Elder Bruce R. McConkie, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, explained:
“In general, the Lord sends to earth in the lineage of Jacob [Israel] those spirits who in pre-existence developed an especial talent for spirituality and for recognizing truth. Those born in this lineage, having the blood of Israel in their veins and finding it easy to accept the gospel, are said to have believing blood” (Mormon Doctrine, 81).
“What could I have done more for my vineyard?” (Jacob 5:41, 47, 49) “It grieveth me that I should lose this tree” (Jacob 5:7, 11, 32, 46, 51, 66)
As scattered Israel mixed with the Gentiles around them, the blood of Israel was spread even further. Elder James E. Faust, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, commented:
“The scattering of Israel throughout the world sprinkled the blood that believes, so that many nations may now partake of the gospel plan” (Ensign, Nov. 1982.).
Jacob 5 as a word cloud
What really stands out to me in these pages is how much the Lord loves “OLIVE” His children, and how much He desires “OLIVE” us to produce “good fruit” (good works).
“Good fruit” is referred to 7 times, and “fruit” 67 times. Sometimes I copy the text of a chapter or talk and create a word cloud to help me identify literary elements like the intent of the writer. You can see by the word cloud above that “fruit” (our part) is definitely a dominant theme in this message. If I were to LIKEN this allegory to us, I would say, “God loves ‘OLIVE’ us, and He will do whatever is necessary to help our lives to be as ‘fruitful’ as possible!”
God does indeed love “OLIVE” us, and wants “OLIVE” us to live “good fruit”-ful lives!
During the second day of His ministry among the righteous inhabitants of America, Jesus Christ again administered the sacrament to the people–this time in a miraculous manner. The Resurrected Lord also testified that in the latter days the Father would fulfill His covenant to gather Israel and bless all the nations of the earth.
As Jesus Christ continued to teach the people who had gathered that day, He also explained that the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in the last days would be a sign that the Father had begun to fulfill this covenant.
In the short video clip below Elder Russell M. Nelson talks about how the Book of Mormon gathers scattered Israel (see 3 Nephi 21:1–7).
The Book of Mormon Gathers Scattered Israel
“This doctrine of the gathering is one of the important teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Lord has declared: “I give unto you a sign … that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion” (3 Nephi 21:1). The coming forth of the Book of Mormon is a sign to the entire world that the Lord has commenced to gather Israel and fulfill covenants He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (See Genesis 12:2–3; 26:3–4; 35:11–12; and chapter headings for 3 Nephi 21; 29). We not only teach this doctrine, but we participate in it. We do so as we help to gather the elect of the Lord on both sides of the veil.
“The Book of Mormon is central to this work. It declares the doctrine of the gathering (Doctrines relating to the scattering and gathering of the house of Israel are among the earliest lessons taught in the Book of Mormon: “After the house of Israel should be scattered they should be gathered together again; … the natural branches of the olive-tree, or the remnants of the house of Israel, should be grafted in, or come to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer” (1 Nephi 10:14)). It causes people to learn about Jesus Christ, to believe His gospel, and to join His Church. In fact, if there were no Book of Mormon, the promised gathering of Israel would not occur (See Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith (1985), 554.). (Elder Russell M. Nelson, “The Gathering of Scattered Israel,” Ensign, Nov. 2006, 80).
Think of someone with whom you can share your testimony of Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, the Restoration of the gospel, and the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith to help this person receive the blessings of the restored gospel.
Ponder how you can encourage others to come to the Lord, including those who were previously faithful in the gospel but no longer are. For a great little story about how to do this see “On a Dare“.
The video below is a powerful illustration of what can happen as people “discover” the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
A Book of Mormon Story
A young bishop in England describes how the Book of Mormon came to life for him and changed his perspective forever. (5:15)
For many of you who are reading along with the Book of Mormon Translation (#BOMTC) Challenge, I’m sure you’ve had your eyes opened and your hearts touched by certain verses of scripture that you perhaps hadn’t appreciated before. Wouldn’t it be great if we could help gather scattered Israel by simply showing the world what’s in this book?
The YouTube channel, “I Love the Book of Mormon” (Now called “Mormon Light” and Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/ilovethebookofmormon) has the goal of opening up the words of the Book of Mormon to the world – one verse at a time. People from around the world record a short video reading their favorite verse and sharing how it’s impacted them. There are over 100 videos up already, and they hope to add many more, but could use your help! By doing this, people can hear the words of the Book of Mormon and feel the power it contains.
President Ezra Taft Benson said:
“The time is long overdue for a massive flooding of the earth with the Book of Mormon for the many reasons which the Lord has given. In this age of the electronic media and the mass distribution of the printed word, God will hold us accountable if we do not now move the Book of Mormon in a monumental way.” (“Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon“, CR, Oct. 1988)
Will you help gather scattered Israel by flooding the earth with the Book of Mormon, one verse at a time? Check out the intro video to find out how to get involved. Let’s help gather the scattered by sharing the Book of Mormon!
“I Love The Book of Mormon Challenge”
Please leave your thoughts about a special verse, teaching, etc. that you enjoyed at one of the following:
To understand Jacob 5, one must begin at the end of Jacob 4. In Jacob 4 the prophet Jacob had asked us to consider how the Jews could ever build on the “sure foundation” of Jesus Christ after they rejected Him (v. 17). To answer this question Jacob quotes the teachings of the prophet Zenos.
Zenos’ allegory of the olive tree teaches us about the Lord’s purposes in the scattering and gathering of the house of Israel. Interestingly, the olive tree tends to be God’s great object lesson when referring to the scattering, gathering, and salvation of His children (see my #BOMTC 1 Nephi 16 post for more on this). Chapter 6 then contains Jacob’s commentary on the major points of Zenos’ allegory, and Jacob emphasized the Lord’s mercy and justice while encouraging his people—and us—to repent.
Click here for a graphical explanation of the allegory of the olive tree
Interestingly, the scattering of “the branches of Israel” all over the world is a blessing to both Israel and to the Gentiles. Elder Bruce R. McConkie, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, explained:
“In general, the Lord sends to earth in the lineage of Jacob [Israel] those spirits who in pre-existence developed an especial talent for spirituality and for recognizing truth. Those born in this lineage, having the blood of Israel in their veins and finding it easy to accept the gospel, are said to have believing blood” (Mormon Doctrine, 81).
“What could I have done more for my vineyard?” (Jacob 5:41, 47, 49) “It grieveth me that I should lose this tree” (Jacob 5:7, 11, 32, 46, 51, 66)
As scattered Israel mixed with the Gentiles around them, the blood of Israel was spread even further. Elder James E. Faust, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, commented:
“The scattering of Israel throughout the world sprinkled the blood that believes, so that many nations may now partake of the gospel plan” (Ensign, Nov. 1982.).
Jacob 5 as a word cloud
What really stands out to me in these pages is how much the Lord loves “OLIVE” His children, and how much He desires us to produce “good fruit” (good works).
“Good fruit” is referred to 7 times, and “fruit” 67 times. Sometimes I copy the text of a chapter or talk and create a word cloud to help me identify literary elements like the intent of the writer. You can see by the word cloud above that “fruit” (our part) is definitely a dominant theme in this message. If I were to LIKEN this allegory to myself I would say, “God loves me, and He will do whatever is necessary to help my life to become as ‘fruitful’ as possible!”
God does indeed love “OLIVE” us, and wants “OLIVE” us to live “good fruit”-ful lives!
During the second day of His ministry among the righteous inhabitants of America, Jesus Christ again administered the sacrament to the people; and this time in a miraculous manner. The Resurrected Lord also testified that in the latter days the Father would fulfill His covenant to gather Israel and bless all the nations of the earth. Israel would be gathered, and all the nations of the earth would be blessed. As Jesus Christ continued to teach the people who had gathered, He also explained that the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in the last days would be a sign that the Father had begun to fulfill this covenant.
In the short video clip below Elder Russell M. Nelson talks about how the Book of Mormon gathers scattered Israel (see 3 Nephi 21:1–7).
The Book of Mormon Gathers Scattered Israel
“The Book of Mormon is central to this work. It declares the doctrine of the gathering. It causes people to learn about Jesus Christ, to believe His gospel, and to join His Church. In fact, if there were no Book of Mormon, the promised gathering of Israel would not occur” (Elder Russell M. Nelson, “The Gathering of Scattered Israel,” Ensign, Nov. 2006, 80).
Think of someone with whom you can share your testimony of Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, the Restoration of the gospel, and the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith to help this person receive the blessings of the restored gospel.
Ponder how you can encourage others to come to the Lord, including those who were previously faithful in the gospel but no longer are.
The video below is a powerful illustration of what can happen as people “discover” the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
A Book of Mormon Story
A young bishop in England describes how the Book of Mormon came to life for him and changed his perspective forever. (5:15)
For many of you who are reading along with the Book of Mormon Translation (#BOMTC) Challenge, I’m sure you’ve had your eyes opened and your hearts touched by certain verses of scripture that you perhaps hadn’t appreciated before. Wouldn’t it be great if we could help gather scattered Israel by simply showing the world what’s in this book?
People from around the world record a short video reading their favorite verse and sharing how it’s impacted them. There are over 100 videos up already, and they hope to add thousands more, but could use your help! By doing this, people can hear the words of the Book of Mormon and feel the power it contains.
President Ezra Taft Benson said:
“The time is long overdue for a massive flooding of the earth with the Book of Mormon for the many reasons which the Lord has given. In this age of the electronic media and the mass distribution of the printed word, God will hold us accountable if we do not now move the Book of Mormon in a monumental way.” (“Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon“, CR, Oct. 1988)
Will you help gather scattered Israel by flooding the earth with the Book of Mormon, one verse at a time? Please check out the intro video to find out how to get involved. Let’s help gather the scattered!
“I Love The Book of Mormon Challenge”
Please leave your thoughts about a special verse, teaching, etc. that you enjoyed at one of the following:
During the second day of His ministry among the righteous inhabitants of America, Jesus Christ again administered the sacrament to the people; and this time in a miraculous manner. The Resurrected Lord also testified that in the latter days the Father would fulfill His covenant to gather Israel and bless all the nations of the earth. Israel would be gathered, and all the nations of the earth would be blessed. As Jesus Christ continued to teach the people who had gathered, He also explained that the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in the last days would be a sign that the Father had begun to fulfill this covenant.
In the short video clip below Elder Russell M. Nelson talks about how the Book of Mormon gathers scattered Israel (see 3 Nephi 21:1–7).
The Book of Mormon Gathers Scattered Israel
“The Book of Mormon is central to this work. It declares the doctrine of the gathering. It causes people to learn about Jesus Christ, to believe His gospel, and to join His Church. In fact, if there were no Book of Mormon, the promised gathering of Israel would not occur” (Elder Russell M. Nelson, “The Gathering of Scattered Israel,” Ensign, Nov. 2006, 80).
Think of someone with whom you can share your testimony of Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, the Restoration of the gospel, and the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith to help this person receive the blessings of the restored gospel.
Ponder how you can encourage others to come to the Lord, including those who were previously faithful in the gospel but no longer are.
The video below is a powerful illustration of what can happen as people “discover” the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
A Book of Mormon Story
A young bishop in England describes how the Book of Mormon came to life for him and changed his perspective forever. (5:15)
For many of you who are reading along with the Book of Mormon Translation (#BOMTC) Challenge, I’m sure you’ve had your eyes opened and your hearts touched by certain verses of scripture that you perhaps hadn’t appreciated before. Wouldn’t it be great if we could help gather scattered Israel by simply showing the world what’s in this book?
People from around the world record a short video reading their favorite verse and sharing how it’s impacted them. There are over 100 videos up already, and they hope to add thousands more, but could use your help! By doing this, people can hear the words of the Book of Mormon and feel the power it contains.
President Ezra Taft Benson said:
“The time is long overdue for a massive flooding of the earth with the Book of Mormon for the many reasons which the Lord has given. In this age of the electronic media and the mass distribution of the printed word, God will hold us accountable if we do not now move the Book of Mormon in a monumental way.” (“Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon“, CR, Oct. 1988)
Will you help gather scattered Israel by flooding the earth with the Book of Mormon, one verse at a time? Please check out the intro video to find out how to get involved. Let’s help gather the scattered!
“I Love The Book of Mormon Challenge”
Please leave your thoughts about a special verse, teaching, etc. that you enjoyed at one of the following:
To understand Jacob 5, one must begin at the end of Jacob 4.
In Jacob 4 the prophet Jacob had asked us to consider how the Jews could ever build on the “sure foundation” of Jesus Christ after they rejected Him (v. 17). To answer this question Jacob quotes the teachings of the prophet Zenos.
Zenos’ allegory of the olive tree teaches us about the Lord’s purposes in the scattering and gathering of the house of Israel. Interestingly, the olive tree tends to be God’s great object lesson when referring to the scattering, gathering, and salvation of His children (see my post in #BOMTC Day 6 for more on this). Chapter 6 contains Jacob’s commentary on the major points of Zenos’ allegory, and Jacob emphasized the Lord’s mercy and justice while encouraging his people—and us—to repent.
Click here for a graphical explanation of the allegory of the olive tree
“In general, the Lord sends to earth in the lineage of Jacob [Israel] those spirits who in pre-existence developed an especial talent for spirituality and for recognizing truth. Those born in this lineage, having the blood of Israel in their veins and finding it easy to accept the gospel, are said to have believing blood” (Mormon Doctrine, 81).
“What could I have done more for my vineyard?” (Jacob 5:41, 47, 49) “It grieveth me that I should lose this tree” (Jacob 5:7, 11, 32, 46, 51, 66)
As scattered Israel mixed with the Gentiles around them, the blood of Israel was spread even further. Elder James E. Faust, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, commented:
“The scattering of Israel throughout the world sprinkled the blood that believes, so that many nations may now partake of the gospel plan” (Ensign, Nov. 1982.).
Jacob 5 as a word cloud
What really stands out to me in these pages is how much the Lord loves “OLIVE” His children, and how much He desires us to produce “good fruit” (good works).
“Good fruit” is referred to 7 times, and “fruit” 67 times. Sometimes I copy the text of a chapter or talk and create a word cloud to help me identify literary elements, such as the intent of the writer. You can see by the word cloud above that “fruit” (our part) is definitely a dominant theme in this message. If I were to LIKEN this allegory to myself I would say, “God loves me, and He will do whatever is necessary to help my life to become as ‘fruitful’ as possible!”
God does indeed love “OLIVE” us, and wants “OLIVE” us to live “good fruit”-ful lives!
During the second day of His ministry among the righteous inhabitants of America, Jesus Christ again administered the sacrament to the people; and this time in a miraculous manner. The Resurrected Lord also testified that in the latter days the Father would fulfill His covenant to gather Israel and bless all the nations of the earth. Israel would be gathered, and all the nations of the earth would be blessed. As Jesus Christ continued to teach the people who had gathered, He also explained that the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in the last days would be a sign that the Father had begun to fulfill this covenant.
In the short video clip below Elder Russell M. Nelson talks about how the Book of Mormon gathers scattered Israel (see 3 Nephi 21:1–7).
The Book of Mormon Gathers Scattered Israel
“The Book of Mormon is central to this work. It declares the doctrine of the gathering. It causes people to learn about Jesus Christ, to believe His gospel, and to join His Church. In fact, if there were no Book of Mormon, the promised gathering of Israel would not occur” (Elder Russell M. Nelson, “The Gathering of Scattered Israel,” Ensign, Nov. 2006, 80).
Think of someone with whom you can share your testimony of Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, the Restoration of the gospel, and the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith to help this person receive the blessings of the restored gospel.
Ponder how you can encourage others to come to the Lord, including those who were previously faithful in the gospel but no longer are.
The video below is a powerful illustration of what can happen as people “discover” the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
A Book of Mormon Story
A young bishop in England describes how the Book of Mormon came to life for him and changed his perspective forever. (5:15)
For many of you who are reading along with the Book of Mormon Translation (#BOMTC) Challenge, I’m sure you’ve had your eyes opened and your hearts touched by certain verses of scripture that you perhaps hadn’t appreciated before. Wouldn’t it be great if we could help gather scattered Israel by simply showing the world what’s in this book?
People from around the world record a short video reading their favorite verse and sharing how it’s impacted them. There are over 100 videos up already, and they hope to add thousands more, but could use your help! By doing this, people can hear the words of the Book of Mormon and feel the power it contains.
President Ezra Taft Benson said:
“The time is long overdue for a massive flooding of the earth with the Book of Mormon for the many reasons which the Lord has given. In this age of the electronic media and the mass distribution of the printed word, God will hold us accountable if we do not now move the Book of Mormon in a monumental way.” (“Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon“, CR, Oct. 1988)
Will you help gather scattered Israel by flooding the earth with the Book of Mormon, one verse at a time? Please check out the intro video to find out how to get involved. Let’s help gather the scattered!
“I Love The Book of Mormon Challenge”
Please leave your thoughts about a special verse, teaching, etc. that you enjoyed at one of the following:
To understand Jacob 5, one must begin at the end of Jacob 4. The prophet Jacob asked how the Jews could ever build on the “sure foundation” of Jesus Christ after they rejected Him (Jacob 4:17). To answer this question Jacob quotes from the teachings of the prophet Zenos.
Zenos’ allegory of the olive tree teaches us about the Lord’s purposes in the scattering and gathering of the house of Israel. Interestingly, the olive tree tends to be God’s great object lesson when referring to the scattering, gathering, and salvation of His children (see my post in #BOMTC Day 6 for more on this). Chapter 6 contains Jacob’s commentary on the major points of Zenos’ allegory. Jacob emphasized the Lord’s mercy and justice while encouraging his people—and us—to repent.
Click here for a graphical explanation of the allegory of the olive tree
The scattering of branches of Israel all over the world was a blessing both to Israel and to the rest of Heavenly Father’s children, the Gentiles. Elder Bruce R. McConkie, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, explained:
“In general, the Lord sends to earth in the lineage of Jacob [Israel] those spirits who in pre-existence developed an especial talent for spirituality and for recognizing truth. Those born in this lineage, having the blood of Israel in their veins and finding it easy to accept the gospel, are said to have believing blood” (Mormon Doctrine, 81).
“What could I have done more for my vineyard?” (Jacob 5:41, 47, 49) “It grieveth me that I should lose this tree” (Jacob 5:7, 11, 32, 46, 51, 66)
As scattered Israel mixed with the Gentiles around them, the blood of Israel was spread even further. Elder James E. Faust, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, commented: “The scattering of Israel throughout the world sprinkled the blood that believes, so that many nations may now partake of the gospel plan” (Ensign, Nov. 1982, 87–88).
Jacob 5 as a word cloud
What really stands out to me in these pages is how much the Lord loves “OLIVE” His children and how much He desires us to produce “good fruit” (good works). “Good fruit” is referred to 7 times, and “fruit” 67 times. Sometimes I copy the text of a chapter or talk and create a word cloud to help me identify literary elements, such as the intent of the writer. You can see by the word cloud above that “fruit” (our part) is definitely a dominant theme in this message. If I were to LIKEN this allegory to myself I would say, “God loves me and will do whatever He needs to do to help my life to be as ‘fruitful’ as it can be!”
God does indeed love “OLIVE” us, and wants “OLIVE” us to live “good fruit”-ful lives!
To understand Jacob 5, one must begin at the end of Jacob 4. The prophet Jacob asked how the Jews could ever build on the “sure foundation” of Jesus Christ after they rejected Him (Jacob 4:17). To answer this question Jacob quotes from the teachings of the prophet Zenos.
Zenos’ allegory of the olive tree teaches us about the Lord’s purposes in the scattering and gathering of the house of Israel. Interestingly, the olive tree tends to be God’s great object lesson when referring to the scattering, gathering, and salvation of His children (see my post in #BOMTC Day 6 for more on this). Chapter 6 contains Jacob’s commentary on the major points of Zenos’ allegory. Jacob emphasized the Lord’s mercy and justice while encouraging his people—and us—to repent.
Click here for a graphical explanation of the allegory of the olive tree
The scattering of branches of Israel all over the world was a blessing both to Israel and to the rest of Heavenly Father’s children, the Gentiles. Elder Bruce R. McConkie, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, explained: “In general, the Lord sends to earth in the lineage of Jacob [Israel] those spirits who in pre-existence developed an especial talent for spirituality and for recognizing truth. Those born in this lineage, having the blood of Israel in their veins and finding it easy to accept the gospel, are said to have believing blood” (Mormon Doctrine, 81).
“What could I have done more for my vineyard?” (Jacob 5:41, 47, 49) “It grieveth me that I should lose this tree” (Jacob 5:7, 11, 32, 46, 51, 66)
As scattered Israel mixed with the Gentiles around them, the blood of Israel was spread even further. Elder James E. Faust, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, commented: “The scattering of Israel throughout the world sprinkled the blood that believes, so that many nations may now partake of the gospel plan” (Ensign, Nov. 1982, 87–88).
Jacob 5 as a word cloud
What really stands out to me in these pages is how much the Lord loves “OLIVE” His children and how much He desires us to produce “good fruit” (good works). “Good fruit” is referred to 7 times, and “fruit” 67 times. Sometimes I copy the text of a chapter or talk and create a word cloud to help me identify literary elements, such as the intent of the writer. You can see by this word cloud that “fruit” (our part) is definitely a dominant theme in this message. If I were to LIKEN this allegory to myself I would say, “God loves me and will do whatever He needs to do to help my life to be as fruitful as it can be!”
God does indeed love “OLIVE” us, and wants “OLIVE” us to live “good fruit”-ful lives!
Book of Mormon Translation Challenge 