Jacob 5

(February 15, 2014)
I had a couple of thoughts as I read through this chapter.  The first comforting thought had to do with the olive culture.  Lately I have been reading about the olive culture and how olives were grown and prepared in the Mediterranean during the time of Lehi.  This was information that was simply not available to Joseph Smith, and was alien to the way that he farmed in rural New York in 1820.  The fact that he got so many elements of the olive culture correct – while not proof – is yet another evidence of the nature of the Book of Mormon as a translated work, rather than a created one.

The second thought was focused more on the text of the allegory.  In the past, I have read this in a ‘macro’ fashion – it was a tale of a civilization, and the covenant people.  But as I read it this time, I realized that there was more to the story than that.  This was also an allegory of the individual – Jacob even hints at that in his commentary.  We are to bring forth good fruit, but we bring forth evil fruit instead.  We are separated from God, given bare spots of ground to work (areas where we lack talents) and fertile spots (areas where we have talent).  In some we develop strength and good work through humility, while in others we can become corrupt because of pride (loftiness).  And so forth.  It was, to me, an interesting way to read this chapter.