Jacob 5 is the longest parable in the Book of Mormon. It typically is interpreted as a fairly straightforward description of God’s interactions with His chosen people throughout history. Here, I present an original alternative interpretation.
Prerequisites: Jacob 5 in the Book of Mormon. You do not need to be familiar with the rest of the Book of Mormon. Similar parables exist in Isaiah 5 and Romans 11.
Originally Written: May 2016.
Confidence Level: Interesting to think about.
The parable describes how the Lord of the vineyard cares for his olive trees, to teach how the Lord cares for His people.
The description is not particularly optimistic. Whenever a branch produces evil fruit, the Lord of the vineyard has little option but to pluck it off and cast it into the fire. At the end of the parable, the entire vineyard is going to be burned. Throughout the story, most of the trees in the vineyard appear to be wild. Sometimes, none of the trees are producing good fruit.
At one particularly difficult time, the Lord of the vineyard weeps and asks, almost in despair,
What more could I have done for my vineyard?
Jacob 5:41
This begs the question: Is there anything else that the Lord could have done for his vineyard?
The typical answer is no.
In verse 47, the Lord of the vineyard asks his question again and continues:
Have I slackened my hand, that I have not nourished it? Nay, I have nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long.
Jacob 5:47
The Lord of the vineyard makes it clear that there was little more that the Lord of the vineyard could have done to directly nourish the vineyard.
Nevertheless, I will insist that the answer to my question is yes. There is something else that the Lord could have done for his vineyard.
What else could the Lord of the vineyard have done?
The answer becomes obvious once you remember the meaning of the parable. Compare the parable to the history of God’s interactions with His people described in the rest of the scriptures. The parable has a massive hole in it. A necessary component of God’s plan for humanity is completely left out of the parable.
What key aspect of God’s plan for His people is missing from the parable?
The Atonement.
Once you realize that the Atonement is missing from the parable, the questions posed above have clearer answers.
Any description of God’s plan for His people without the Atonement is never optimistic. Without the Atonement, there is no way for branches that are currently bearing evil fruit to be redeemed. Without the Atonement, the only end that can exist for the vineyard is for it to be hewn done and cast into the fire.
The question: “What more could I have done for my vineyard?” is not rhetorical. It has a clear answer.
If the Lord wishes to save his vineyard, nourishing it is not enough. The Lord must give His life for the vineyard.