 Symbol | Meaning |
| Vineyard | The world |
| Master of the vineyard | Jesus Christ |
| Tame olive tree | The house of Israel, the Lord’s covenant people |
| Wild olive tree | Gentiles (people not born into the house of Israel) |
| Branches | Groups of people |
| Servants | Prophets and others called to serve |
| Fruit | Lives or works of people |
Decay in the vineyard represents apostasy. When the master of the vineyard found his tame olive tree decaying, asked his servant to graft in some wild branches. The grafting represents bringing Gentiles into the house of Israel through baptism. This began when Peter was commanded in a vision to take the gospel to the Gentiles Acts 10.
The master of the vineyard asked his servant to transplant the tame branches into distant parts of the vineyard. This occurred, when was Israel scattered Amos 9:8–9. Some parts were scattered through war; others were commanded to go to various parts of the world.
The master continued to work in the vineyard with his servant. Jesus' hand is continually laboring with his servants to preserve the vineyard. When the master visited the vineyard for the second time, he discovered the wild, grafted branches became tame and brought forth good fruit Jacob 5:15–18.) The bearing of good fruit symbolizes the good the children of God do around the world. Converts to the gospel of Jesus Christ add life and strength to the vineyard by working with their new found zeal.
When the master visited the natural (tame) branches he had planted in various places around the vineyard, he found they bore fruit Jacob 5:19–25. The branches planted in poor ground brought forth good fruit, while the branches planted in good ground yielded both good and wild fruit.
When the master visited the vineyard the third time, all the fruit was corrupt. This symbolized universal apostasy Jacob 5:29–32, 37–42. The apostasy occurred because of the “loftiness” of the vineyard Jacob 5:37, 40, 48. Loftiness or pride prevent trees and people from bearing good fruit.
The master’s nurture, care, grief, and hope tell us that Jesus has tender feelings for His people Jacob 5:41, 47; Jacob 5:4; Jacob 5:33; Jacob 5:60. Knowing the Lord loves me, gives me strength to endure and even attempt to blossom.
To save his corrupted vineyard, the master chose to nourish and prune the trees. He chose to graft in the original branches that were producing good fruit Jacob 5:49–54, 58, 62–64. This final nourishing, pruning, and grafting represents the restoration of the gospel and the gathering of Israel 1 Nephi 10:14; 2 Nephi 29:14; D&C 33:3–6.
The “other servants” mentioned are the children of Jesus Christ Jacob 5:61, 70; Doctrine and Covenants 133:8. His servants are few, however, the results of their efforts will be miraculous Jacob 5:71–75. True believers of Christ can help in this final nourishing, pruning, and grafting in the Lord’s vineyard by being examples of the true believers and treating all they meet with charity. They can bear witness of Jesus at all time and in all things and in all places by living what they profess.
