Likened Unto an Olive Tree

I am feeling pretty ambitious this week because I have decided to tackle the longest chapter in the Book of Mormon—with just a verse. If I am being perfectly honest, this semester has been a LOT harder than last semester. As a result, I am often exhausted and stressed. But surprisingly, I have had a greater amount of joy and satisfaction. Seriously, I cannot survive this semester alone; it has been forcing me to rely on the Lord and His promised blessings. It has been both a trial of faith and a huge blessing. Now, what does this have to do with Jacob 5, the longest chapter in the Book of Mormon? Well, in my class, we discussed the background of this chapter. The House of Israel is compared to an olive tree, and the Lord of the Vineyard visits it four times and does 5 specific things throughout the chapter to his trees:  prunes, digs, dungs (nourishes), grafts, and burns. It mentions three of these actions in Jacob 5:27, “But behold, the servant said unto him: Let us prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it may bring forth good fruit unto thee, that thou canst lay it up against the season.”

I feel like one of these trees the Lord is shaping. This semester I’ve been pruned—certain things have been cut out of my life because I literally don’t have time for them. And it’s been a huge blessing. I’m a better person because of it. The Lord has dug around me, loosening my stubbornness/pride and giving me trials to grow from in order to prepare me to be in a state where I can hear and act on His counsel—so that I can be nourished. I have learned to rely on God’s strength when I don’t have enough strength by myself. I have learned to be more humble, especially when I start comparing myself to others in regards to grades or spirituality. I have also had grafted branches implanted into my tree (so to speak). I’ve found service opportunities I never would have participated in before, like volunteering at an Elementary school. I’ve found so many ways to bless others with food or small, but heartfelt, letters. As I’ve tried to stay on top of school work and balance everything going on, I’ve noticed that God is burning my weaknesses and sins away, which hurts right now in the moment, but will someday make me stronger. I truly believe the Lord is purifying me so that He can use me for some greater purpose where I can produce good fruit/works.

  This has been comforting to know because it gives me hope that the Lord has a bigger picture for me than I can see right now.  Remember when life is difficult, and you feel like you are being cut up or dug about, the Lord is refining you. Hope and faith will carry you through. As President Thomas S. Monson once said, “the future is as bright as your faith.”