Many people struggle to understand the complex allegory relayed in Jacob 5. It is so prolific in its details about olive horticulture, many just skip it or browse quickly. Most of us wonder why Jacob spent so much effort carving the extensive story on metal plates when engraving was such a tedious process. Personally, I believe that, since it is a metaphor of the way Jesus Christ nurtures His people, Jacob (and Zenos, the original author) made sure they detailed the very loving and patient ways in which the Lord relates to us. Jacob wanted his people to know they were among the tender shoots, transplanted in the nethermost part of the vineyard.
I also believe it can strengthen my testimony of Joseph Smith as a Prophet of God.
One of the arguments made by critics is the Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon, whole cloth, inserting Biblical scriptures and tying them together loosely in a simple narrative. Of course, no serious student of the Book of Mormon could ever accept that claim since the book is very in-depth and complex and internally consistent. But those who argue are not usually serious students of the Book and are certainly not led by the Spirit. To challenge them to read the entire Book of Mormon may require more effort than they are willing to make. In that case, challenge them to study Jacob 5 and ask themselves: Could a young, 19th Century farm boy, from upstate New York have cobbled together such an exacting description of olive horticulture? The answer is, of course, no he couldn't.
Olive trees require a Mediterranean Climate in order to grow. You can see the olive-green (appropriate color choice) spaces which show areas of the world that have such a climate. The only place in the United States that has a Mediterranean Climate is a small portion of Southern California. If you find New York on the map, you can see that it has a Humid Continental climate, where one could grow deciduous fruit trees, but not olives. Below is a link to Cornell University Extension Site on the stages of growing such fruits as apples, peaches, and cherries.
Fruit Trees in Upstate New York
You will note that it doesn't describe a process anywhere remotely resembling the olive tree culture described in Jacob 5. Joseph Smith could not have known, particularly is such detail, the exact processes involved in growing a healthy olive tree. That allegory had to have been written by someone who lived in a Mediterranean Climate zone. Jacob himself couldn't have written it because he did not live in the Holy Land and was, most likely, living in a subtropical climate.
That brings us to the Old Testament-era prophet, Zenos, the original author of the allegory. He did live in the middle east. While he is not mentioned specifically in the Old Testament, this is not unusual. There are several prophets from this era who are mentioned in the Old or New Testament, but for whom we have no written record. The fact that parts of the olive tree allegory appear in the writings of other prophets, such as Ezekiel, leads me to believe that Zenos must have been an early prophet, when both kingdoms were intact and possibly even when Israel was united under David and Solomon. Some of the Psalms of David reference the olive tree as a symbol of Israel.
The lesson I take away from it all is that Jesus Christ is in charge. He is our Creator and our Savior. He does all that He can to nurture, protect, and guide us. The history of Israel, as allegorized in Zenos' story, is one of constant love and care. When we separate ourselves, we tie His hands. He cannot operate in anyway that would inhibit our agency. When I read of His pruning His vineyard, I don't see Him as a vengeful God like Zeus with his lightning bolts ready to zap us when we sin. Rather, I see Him as a shepherd who weeps when His sheep wander.
I experienced that response to sin during the four years that I mentored my best friend as he fought his demons. I recognized his sins and was often hurt by them, but I never stopped loving him nor lashed out in anger. I wept, and the angels wept with me.
Throughout the process, the Spirit taught me by my own experience how the Lord must feel when we stray.
I take comfort in knowing that, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, there is always a way back.
© March 2020 Dr. Kathleen Rawlings
Buntin Danielson
No comments:
Post a Comment