Jacob ended the prior chapter promising to explain how Israel, after rejecting the Messiah, can ever again build on a firm foundation. In this chapter, he answers that question by quoting an allegory in which a gardener patiently tends a grove of olive trees, working with them even through frustration, in hopes that they will one day produce good fruit.
Chapter Outline
- Introduction: The struggling tame olive tree (v. 1-6)
- Round one: Many branches from the tree grafted into other trees, replaced by branches from a wild olive tree (v. 7-14)
- Round two: Most trees are producing good fruit, even the ones in poor locations. One tree in a good location is partially tame, partially wild. (v. 15-28)
- Round three: Tragedy. All of the trees are corrupted. The Lord of the vineyard weeps (v. 29-49)
- Final round: With the help of servants, they gradually graft the natural branches back into the original tree, where they begin again to produce good fruit (v. 50-77)
My Takeaways
- God loves us and will continue to be patient with us for a long, long time as we learn to produce good fruit.
- For leaders: Be patient, counsel with your team, be willing to adapt, and work alongside those you lead.
- God is aware of our circumstances. We can thrive and bring forth fruit even in unfavorable conditions.
- Sequence matters when creating something new. Do things in the right order, and give each phase of work enough time.
- When we do God’s work, we experience joy. As we recruit other people to serve, we invite that joy into their lives.
Featured Blog Posts
The Allegory of the Olive Tree – Jacob 5
Jacob chapter 5 is known as the Allegory of the Olive Tree. Here’s a summary of the allegory: Characters The Lord of the vineyard, who represents Jesus Christ A servant A tame olive tree, representing Israel Three other olive trees in distant parts of the vineyard: Tree 1 is in a “poor spot of ground.” Tree…
Innovation Lessons from the Allegory of the Olive Tree – Jacob 5
As I listened to Jacob 5 this morning, it occurred to me that Zenos’s allegory of the olive tree teaches us how to innovate successfully. Here are some of the principles I noticed: Don’t expect your first idea to work. In the allegory, the master of the vineyard sees an olive tree beginning to decay…
Leadership Principles from Jacob 5
We can learn at least four leadership principles from the Allegory of the Olive Tree: Principle #1: Be patient. Make a plan, communicate it clearly, and then give it some time before evaluating whether it is working or not. Don’t micromanage, and don’t constantly check to see if the plan is working, or worse, constantly…
Who Were Zenos and Zenock?
The authors of the Book of Mormon quoted a number of prophets who lived in Israel before Lehi’s family left Jerusalem (about 600 B.C.). Some of those prophets, like Moses and Isaiah, also appear in the Bible. But others do not. Two of these prophets are Zenos and Zenock. Here’s what we know about them:…
❖ The tame olive tree – Jacob 1:1-6
He Pruned It, and Digged About It, and Nourished It – Jacob 5:4-5
4 And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard went forth, and he saw that his olive tree began to decay; and he said: I will prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it, that perhaps it may shoot forth young and tender branches, and it perish not.5 And it came…
❖ Round one: graft branches into other trees – Jacob 1:7-14
“It Grieveth Me That I Should Lose This Tree” – Jacob 5:7
Eight times during the allegory of the olive tree, the Lord of the vineyard says something similar to, “It grieveth me that I should lose this tree” (Jacob 5:7, 11, 13, 32, 46, 47, 51, 66). What is the significance of this statement? It testifies of his enduring love, and it clarifies why he keeps…
❖ Round two: The plan is working – Jacob 1:15-28
Counsel Me Not – Jacob 5:21-22
21 And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: How comest thou hither to plant this tree, or this branch of the tree? For behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of thy vineyard. 22 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto him: Counsel me not; I…
❖ Round three: Tragedy – Jacob 1:29-49
Relentless
God’s love for us is unwavering. Eight times in Zenos’s Allegory of the Olive Tree, the Lord of the Vineyard says, “It grieveth me that I should lose this tree.” Elder Patrick Kearon testified, “God is in relentless pursuit of you.”
Olive Trees and Forward-Looking, Blame-Resistant Leadership
In the Allegory of the Olive Tree, when the servant’s advice results in a negative outcome, the Lord of the vineyard could easily have blamed him, but he does not. Blaming is backward-looking. Effective leaders learn from mistakes but focus on the future.
“The Roots are Good”
In the Allegory of the Olive Tree, when a tree was producing bad fruit, the servant reminded the leader that the roots were still good. When you’re working on a worthy goal and encounter setbacks, don’t give up. Remember the goodness of the roots.
“Taking Strength Unto Themselves”
When the olive trees all produced bad fruit, the servant explained that the branches had overpowered the roots, “taking strength unto themselves.” In our daily lives, we need to make sure that our activities support our goals instead of overpowering them.
❖ Final Round: Servants – Jacob 5:50-77
“Ye Shall Have Joy” – Jacob 5:71, 75
At the end of the allegory of the olive tree, the Lord of the vineyard implements a massive plan to recover his olive trees. He and his servant, who have been working alone, recruit more people to help with the work (Jacob 5:61). As he instructs the new recruits, the Lord of the vineyard makes…
Old Testament Foundations
Sequential Creation
God created the earth in stages. That’s how He described the process to Abraham and to Moses. Here is His description of the process, as given in Genesis 1, Moses 2, and Abraham 4: Stage (Day) Task(s) Scripture References 1 Create lightDivide light from darkness Genesis 1:3-5Moses 2:3-5Abraham 4:3-5 2 Create an expanse or firmament…
Seasons
Timing matters. The successful life isn’t just about doing the right things. It’s about doing them at the right time. “To every thing there is a season,” said Solomon, “and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). He also said, “A word spoken in due season, how good is it!” (Proverbs 15:23). Isaiah was grateful that God…
Take Root and Bear Fruit
There’s a lot of change going on in my life right now. A couple of examples: I just started a new job, and the boundaries of our church congregation recently changed. Perhaps this explains why a simple sentence in 2 Kings caught my attention this week. The prophet Isaiah was reassuring King Hezekiah that he…
New Testament Parallels
Insiders Beware!
There is comfort in being included and valued, but there are dangers in feeling that we are uniquely chosen. God loves all of His children and blesses them in different ways at different times. Wd should celebrate all of those blessings.
“Worthy of His [or Her] Hire”
Jesus told the twelve and the seventy that they should accept the generosity of others because “the laborer is worthy of his hire.” This phrase can be seen as an admonition: Work hard. Be a laborer. Hard work can bring great joy.
Church History Connections
Receive Counsel
In Zenos’s Allegory of the Olive Tree, there is a scene in which one of the servants questions a decision made by the Lord of the Vineyard. “How comest thou hither to plant this tree, or this branch of the tree?” he asks. “For behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of…
Times and Seasons
When we truly have faith in God, we trust His timing. The author of the book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that many of our experiences occur on a schedule beyond our control: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and…
The Eleventh Hour: Laboring with Urgency
In the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, laborers are recruited for the final hour of the day. A similar pattern occurs in the Allegory of the Olive Tree. The Savior combined these two parables in an 1830 revelation to emphasize the urgency of preparing for His Second Coming.
“I Myself Will Go With Them”
In the Allegory of the Olive Tree, the Lord of the vineyard labors alongside His servants. In 1830, the Lord promised four missionaries, “I myself will go with them” (D&C 32:3). As we fulfill assignments from God, we can have confidence He labors alongside us.
All Posts Referencing Jacob 5
- Longsuffering and the Redemption of the Dead (12/6/2025)
- Cheerfully (10/26/2025)
- “My Strange Act” (9/3/2025)
- The Eleventh Hour: Laboring with Urgency (4/13/2025)
- “I Myself Will Go With Them” (4/11/2025)
- “Taking Strength Unto Themselves” (4/12/2024)
- “The Roots are Good” (4/11/2024)
- Olive Trees and Forward-Looking, Blame-Resistant Leadership (4/10/2024)
- Relentless (4/9/2024)
- Trusting the Answers We Receive from God (4/6/2024)
- A New Covenant (11/9/2023)
- Apostasy and Restoration (10/22/2023)
- Insiders Beware! (8/17/2023)
- The Cornerstone (5/19/2023)
- “Worthy of His [or Her] Hire” (3/12/2023)
- The New Testament and the Book of Mormon (12/22/2022)
- “I Am for You” (10/29/2022)
- Tzedakah/Tze’akah (9/8/2022)
- Seasons (8/30/2022)
- “I Uttered That I Understood Not” (8/2/2022)
- Take Root and Bear Fruit (7/17/2022)
- Moses Besought the Lord (5/1/2022)
- Sequential Creation (1/4/2022)
- Glory (12/28/2021)
- Receive Counsel (10/27/2021)
- Times and Seasons (8/12/2021)
- Who Were Zenos and Zenock? (7/17/2020)
- “Ye Shall Have Joy” – Jacob 5:71, 75 (3/20/2020)
- Innovation Lessons from the Allegory of the Olive Tree – Jacob 5 (3/18/2020)
- “It Grieveth Me That I Should Lose This Tree” – Jacob 5:7 (3/17/2020)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Diligence? (9/22/2019)
- How Can I Be a Better Employee? (8/31/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Obedience? (6/30/2019)
- Counsel Me Not – Jacob 5:21-22 (10/12/2017)
- That We May Labor – Jacob 5:15 (7/30/2016)
- Leadership Principles from Jacob 5 (4/6/2015)
- The Allegory of the Olive Tree – Jacob 5 (4/6/2015)
- He Pruned It, and Digged About It, and Nourished It – Jacob 5:4-5 (4/2/2015)