Time Out for Women

The third discourse (Jacob 4�6) was never spoken, but written to us�indeed, to all whom Jacob hoped would read his record (Jacob 4:3; Jacob 7:27). It sheds light on Jacob to think of him slowly inscribing the characters of this lengthy document on the recalcitrant metal and addressing his audience as �my beloved brethren.� Again, he is impelled by �over anxiety� for the welfare of souls�in this case, the souls of people far removed from him in time. As before, his theme is how, after rejecting the Lord, a people may return to Him and build upon the sure foundation that he provides. (Jacob 4:17.) And once more, Jacob relates the up-and-down career of Israel to the spiritual lives of individuals.

The sermon consists mainly in quoting Zenos� allegory of the olive grove. (Jacob 5.) This may be the most profound allegory in literature. It seems to hold the key for understanding the vicissitudes of God�s covenant people on the earth, the principles upon which a righteous people may be established, and the Lord�s intensified latter-day work of gathering and nourishing the choice branches of Israel while pruning away those branches�of Israel or otherwise�that bear bitter fruit. And besides all this, though too rich and complicated to be outlined here, the allegory enables us to feel the pains the Lord has taken for the nurturing and reclamation of Israel. What looks like punishment�the scattering of Israel as branches cut off from their main trunk and the roots whose nourishment they could not assimilate�was not punishment at all, but the Lord�s devoted effort to do the one thing that could save his people. This explains an otherwise puzzling aspect of the Book of Mormon. It shows, to use but two examples, how Lehi could read of Jerusalem�s destruction and its inhabitants� dispersion and, immediately thereafter, rejoice and praise God because of it. (1 Ne. 1:14.) It shows why Jacob, fully aware of the afflictions that awaited Israel, could nonetheless write, �And how merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the house of Israel, both roots and branches; and he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long; and they are a stiffnecked and a gainsaying people; but as many as will not harden their hearts shall be saved in the kingdom of God.� (Jacob 6:4; cf. 2 Ne. 9:17�22.)

Jacob closes this sermon by once again pleading with his audience�with us this time�not to wither, not to bring forth evil fruit after we have been nourished so lovingly, not to make a mockery of the redemption or reject the revealed words that speak of it or quench the Holy Spirit that testifies of it.

After Jacob thought he had finished his record and bid his readers farewell, something occurred that brought his people a blessing for which he had long labored and prayed. It restored �peace and the love of God � again among the people.� (Jacob 7:23.) The event was an encounter with Sherem, the antichrist who had seduced many into apostasy. Sherem�s was an aggravated case of living a lie. Through Jacob�s faith Sherem was brought to confess the truths that he had denied. The astonished multitude was overcome and began again to live the gospel. Because it brought this blessing, Jacob was moved to add to his record the story of this event.

Jacob ends his record by handing the plates on to his son, Enos, and, with the loving hope that many of us would read it, bids us a second farewell. (Jacob 7:27.)

trivera

Posts: 918

Posted: 1 Apr 2008 05:35 PM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

Whit, I think you meant lesson 13 . . . not sure if you want to start the thread over again with the correct lesson in the subject (maybe you did and I didn't see it) or not. We have two weeks for this one. I will back with something to say about the lesson itself.

Toni

whitlarson

Posts: 5156

Posted: 1 Apr 2008 08:14 PM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

I can't believe I did it again!!

That's the second time this year I've put the wrong lesson title. Oh well... I'll just leave it - but thanks for letting me know. That's what happens when my copy/paste job doesn't go so well. :)

Yep, two weeks - maybe we'll actually post a little more this lesson...

I really need to be better about the posting.............. (AND the copy/pasting!)

ctr2002

Posts: 14241

Posted: 3 Apr 2008 04:54 PM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

bump

how do I get my students to love this as much as I? If not more?

alrightalready

Posts: 5388

Posted: 3 Apr 2008 05:16 PM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

Once in a conference in a foreign language (I'm not good with languages) I sat and worked through the allegory of the Olive Tree (assuming that's your question CTR) - I just worked through it one or two verses at a time and wrote next to each verse what it meant.

I wonder if your students might enjoy working it through like a puzzle - if you copy paste the section, put in spaces between the verses just large enough for a line or two of writing and get them to fill in their interpretation.

Not knowing your kids, they may enjoy a crossword puzzle better, with the clues coming from nominated verses.

Or would they enjoy having some actual plants there - maybe pot plants, or some small branches off trees to do some actual grafting?

Perhaps you might liken it to moving students between classes at school to see what happens with the behavioural and performance levels of the class overall when different types of students are added to the class or taken away - or maybe getting them to imagine what could happen to their favourite sporting teams if coaches did this? It could even work to look at families and how they would change if certain family members were removed, or other people adopted in.

I might think about referring them to their groups of friends since this is something they do have power to make decisions in, and probably have seen change with introducing new friends to the group. Maybe just give some of them assignments to think about how their friends have influenced the behaviour of the whole group in certain situations and share that with the class. Looking at quorum and class behaviour might also be something they could identify with.

emsbones

Posts: 1311

Posted: 4 Apr 2008 03:44 AM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

Ancient History...BYU 1973...my Book of Mormon instructor was a botanist ...and spent a lot of time on this allegory...and believed it to be an authentic account of the way olive vineyards were grown in ancient days (pre-BYU)

whitlarson

Posts: 5156

Posted: 10 Apr 2008 04:06 PM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

Just blowing the dust off so I can come post later...

whitlarson

Posts: 5156

Posted: 10 Apr 2008 04:09 PM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

BTW, I thought the Meridian article about Zenos was very interesting this week. :)

ctr2002

Posts: 14241

Posted: 10 Apr 2008 04:44 PM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

There's dust?

uspj

Posts: 496

Posted: 10 Apr 2008 05:17 PM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

thanks Whit. God Bless you! I love Meridian, don't you? With all that's going on in the news this week, separating from those that would lead us astray, and following our true Prophet as he follows our Saviour is yet another blessing of the Book of Mormon, that wonderful Book of Books, written for OUR DAY. hugs

egillespie

Posts: 3340

Posted: 10 Apr 2008 08:08 PM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

Gulp. Jacob 5??? Good thing I'm not posting much or you would all be in deeeeeeeeeep trouble.

ctr2002

Posts: 14241

Posted: 10 Apr 2008 08:15 PM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

sure wish you'd post MUCH on THIS thread E...

c'ome on... just do it eh? :)

verily

Posts: 1402

Posted: 10 Apr 2008 08:18 PM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

I've been looking all week for this thread. I thought maybe you were waiting another week cause I never saw it. I did this lesson the week before conference...and CTR I used the seminary video for it....I think it is really good at explaining the allegory of the olive tree. I'd remembered it from something else. We would watch bits of it, and then talk about it to make sure they understood it. I thought it went very well. But I am also glad I found this thread finally and or that someone bumped it. thanks

whitlarson

Posts: 5156

Posted: 11 Apr 2008 09:58 AM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

This thread hadn't been touched in so long, there was definitely dust.

E - if you have time, you should definitely comment more.

I am heading back out of town again today so I don't have time to post much. I just love what the counsel is at the end of chapter 6 - "repent ye, and enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life. O be wise; what can I say more?"

Why do you think Chapter 7 is included in this reading and what have you all gotten from that chapter?

Whit

whitlarson

Posts: 5156

Posted: 13 Apr 2008 10:22 AM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

Some thoughts this morning:

This week, as I was reading "The Peacegiver" (excellent book, by the way) I was thinking of the Garden of Gethsemane and those beautiful, old olive trees. And I thought of the wonderful symbolism brought forth by this allegory we have been studying - and it just seemed so fitting and beautiful that the Savior would offer his sacrifice there among the olive trees.

I've also been thinking a lot this past week or so about antichrists... Chapter 7 definitely lays out this topic. Again, I don't think it is as important to go around pointing out the antichrists as it is to develop the gift of discernment and avoid any false teachings - wherever we might hear them preached. Chapter 7 shows us that if we have the Spirit with us, we'll be okay. Jacob says, "Behold, the Lord God poured im his Spirit into my soul, insomuch that I did confound him in all his words."

The reading this week is definitely about how hard the Savior works on our behalf - how much he has done for us that we may have eternal life... and yet there are periods of apostasy and corruption - but still he labors and provides prophets and other leaders to continue the grafting until at last the good are gathered safely in and the the bad are cast away and the vineyard is burned... I feel a renewed desire to live in the Spirit and thereby avoid antichrists and apostasy.

lorig

Posts: 3239

Posted: 13 Apr 2008 01:08 PM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

I have enjoyed having a couple of weeks to study this lesson. I have felt of the Savior's love, once again, for all mankind. I have learned things about myself and how I need to develop more patience and love towards all around me. I too have been thinking about antichrists. I loved how Jacob confounded Sharem. We must seek the Spirit, study the scriptues, and live the commandments so that we too can draw upon the powers of heaven. After Sunday School today I was talking to a a member in my ward about the lesson. He said he recently received an email that made light of the story of Adam and Eve. He did not find it funny. We talked about how things like this type of email can lead to the developing in our minds thoughts that are not correct. I thought of times when I have taken too lightly the mocking of a gospel principle and it be labelled humour. I know that I am certainly going to pay more attend to what is funny in my life and what is not.

verily

Posts: 1402

Posted: 13 Apr 2008 02:46 PM
Subject: The Allegory of the Olive Trees - BOMSG - Lesson 12

I really like both of your comments this morning. It is just a reminder that we have to be extra mindful. The lines between good and bad seem more blurred, or maybe as I get older it feels that way. I don't know if blurred is the right word...but Satan has gotten good at making evil look good and good evil. I have seen so much of believers as being labeled narrow minded, judgemental, politically incorrect....etc.etc. so that evil can become more acceptable. and I have seen good people fall into those traps....and walk away from truth. I have heard motivational speakers, and such, who sound so good in what they are saying...but after a bit of research realize that they are just a few degrees off...where further down the road their ideas can be way off.... And like you both mentioned Jesus is still trying, and working to save all who will be saved. Gratefully He won't give up easily...and hopefully we can all be in a position to assist. I LOVE the gospel plan...and His great love for His children. Thanks for your thoughts!

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