15 The Lord Labors with Us
The Lord Labors with Us
Book of Mormon Videos https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/videos-and-images/book-of-mormon-videos?lang=eng
Jesus Christ is the Lord
of the vineyard.
Though the Gathering of Israel may seem daunting at times, it’s good to remember that Jesus is the Lord of the Vineyard, and to also remember His mission and the mission of the Church.
Moses 1:39: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”
Four-fold Mission: Proclaiming the Gospel, Perfecting the Saints, and Redeeming the Dead, and to Care for the Poor and Needy.
I believe that in our day, much of the emphasis of gathering will be in this fourth area. Through love, service, ministering, and charity, we will invite others to Come to Christ.
The Lord has made us stewards over small sections of His vineyard to assist Him in His work:
Our families, our friends, and our own circle of influence: which may include our workplaces, our neighborhoods, our meetinghouses, our ministering assignments (whether through the Church or through the Spirit), our clubs, our service choices.
When we are serving, we are never alone. Because this is the
Lord’s work, He will be there with us and we will feel blessed in countless
ways.
How have you been blessed through ministering? Have you felt the Lord’s
presence in your service? Have you experienced joy and felt relief from anxiety
and depression? Have you made new connections both with the Lord and your brothers
and sisters? Do you have new friends? Remember that you are not alone. The Lord
is working with you, and He can also work through you.
Jacob
5:72 “And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their
mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey
the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.”
Make a post, with this scripture and the paragraphs above. (I posted it.)
God knows and loves every one of us. We are all His children. He prepares ways for each of us to hear and accept the gospel, even multiple times.
Jacob 5:72 It is possible for all of us to gain understanding and to repent and recognize Jesus as our Savior, so that He may become the Head of our corner, as we build upon His foundation.
Jacob 5:75 I want to be among the number that rejoices in the fruit of the Lord, those who have accepted His salvation.
Video: Jacob Teaches the Allegory of the Olive Trees: title I found: The Olive Tree: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2012-08-1680-the-olive-tree?lang=eng
Old Testament Olive Vineyard: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2012-08-1640-old-testament-olive-vineyard?lang=eng
The Lord cares for His people.
Jacob 5
is an allegory of God’s dealings with His people throughout the ages. Look for
the symbolism throughout the story.
The vineyard represents the world.
The Lord of the Vineyard is Jesus Christ.
The tame olive tree represents Israel, or the Lord’s covenant people. Jacob
5:3
The wild olive tree represents ?
The good fruit
The bad fruit
Look for messages in this chapter that are particularly for you.
This chapter is also about Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Vineyard.
verses 40–41, 46–47 Jesus loves all of us so much, and He doesn’t want to lose any of us. He works and prays and weeps over His vineyard. He did everything possible to save all of us. Yet he asks His servants, “What could I have done more for my vineyard?” He also asks who has corrupted His vineyard.
It is amazing to me that even with all the Lord has done for
us, even in making His Infinite and Eternal Atonement on our behalf, He still
is patient and loving and kind for us. He seeks us out and plants us where we
will have the best schooling and opportunities to insure our greatest success:
humility, Faith in Jesus Christ, the ability to change and grow and show
obedience to Him.
And when we do that, He invites us to love His vineyard as He does and to join
in the work.
View diagram: https://assets.churchofjesuschrist.org/eb/07/eb070933d66e4fa1d68d3cf3ebef0005f8bf20ab/allegory_of_olive_tree.jpeg
For kids:
The Lord cares for His people.
Jacob 5
Possible approach:
Take a walk with your children outside. Look at a tree and explain the parts of
the tree and how it grows. Talk about the story in Jacob 5.
What did the Lord of
the vineyard do for His trees?
How can we be like workers in the story and help others feel the Savior’s love?
Another approach:
Have your children
help to plant and take care of a new tree. Have your children help harvest
fruit off of a tree. Let them see how you prune it to get ready for the next
season.
The reason that Jacob told this story to His people is that it is a message
inviting people to come unto Jesus.
Summarize the story
using these verses:
Jacob 5:3–4, 28–29, 47, and 70–72
Read Jacob 5:11, 41, 47, and 72 and see how much Jesus loves His vineyard.
Old Testament Olive Vineyard: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2012-08-1640-old-testament-olive-vineyard?lang=eng
The
Lord invites me to labor with Him in His vineyard.
Jacob
5:61–75
Jacob 5:70 The
Lord called you! He’s gathering other servants, and they are few. This work
will continue to progress, until it fills the whole earth. Keep your commitment
to let your light shine.
Jacob 5 contains truths
about working in the Lord’s vineyard.
verses 61–62 The
Lord calls laborers to His vineyard, and He labors with them!
70–75 The Lord and His laborers,
the few who are willing to leave other cares behind and labor with the Lord,
are doing a great work. The servants are obedient to the Master in all that He
asks them to do. Those who hear their words and join in the work are all made
equal, and they become like unto the precious fruit the Lord had in the beginning;
they all become covenant Israel through faith in Jesus Christ and by the power
of His atonement. We can all bloom as we labor with the Lord, wherever we are
planted. We will experience joy with Jesus in the preservation of many lives!
Jacob 5:71 If we
labor with our might, we can have joy with the Lord. I am inspired by the
message of Brightly Beams our Father’s Mercy. My light in needed in today’s
world to help point others towards Jesus the source of all true light.
How have you felt joy in
doing missionary work or serving in the Church?
Simply Beautiful—Beautifully Simple
President Russell M.
Nelson taught: “Anytime you do anything that
helps anyone—on either side of the veil—take a step toward making
covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple
ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel. It is as simple as that.”
What can I do to help gather
Israel?
What will I do today? How
will I meet the Lord today?
verse 75The Lord
will give me joy with Him when I labor in His vineyard.
Israel, Israel, God Is Calling
Video: Gathering Israel: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2012-08-1640-old-testament-olive-vineyard?lang=eng
Gospel Topics: Inviting All
to Receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Gospel Topics: Participating
in Temple and Family History Work
Teach doctrine. Make
sure your discussions focus on the foundational doctrine in the scriptures. You
can do this by reading scriptures together and then sharing with each other the
truths you find, as well as experiences with living these truths.
The
Lord remembers His people in love and mercy.
Jacob
6:4–5
cleave is to adhere to or stick to
Jacob 6:4–5 “4 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.
5 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts.
How has the Lord extended His arm of mercy for your benefit? What has He done for you personally?
For kids:
Heavenly Father loves me and will forgive me as I
repent.
Jacob
6:4–5
Jacob 6:4–5 Even
when I make wrong choices, all is not lost. The Lord atoned for me. If I am
humble, turn to Him and repent, He will help me and bless me. His hand is ever
ready to grab my hand and lift me up. He cleaves to me, and I should cleave to
Him. He loves me, and I should love Him.
Remembering in Whom We Have Trusted
What do we need to do to be
saved in the Kingdom of God? Be clean. Allow Jesus to clean and save us.
I can stand strong when
others challenge my faith in Jesus Christ.
Jacob 7:1–23
There are many individuals today that are just like Sherem, who try to destroy
our faith in Jesus Christ. Jacob couldn’t be swayed. His faith and trust in
Jesus was firm, and he had visitations from angels to strengthen him day by
day. He knew how to respond.
How will you respond when others attack your beliefs, or attack you for your
faith?
The Cost—and Blessings—of Discipleship
Video: Sherem Denies Christ: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2019-10-0700-sherem-denies-christ-jacob-7?lang=eng
For kids:
I can stand up for what I know is true.
Jacob
7:1–23
How can I help my children to want to stand up for what is right and true? How can I help them to always remember Jesus Christ and to choose to follow Jesus over every other opposing worldly voice?
Story video: Jacob and Sherem: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/book-of-mormon-stories/chapter-10-jacob-and-sherem?lang=eng
Jacob
7:1–23 How did Jacob stand for the right?
How have you chosen to stand for what is right and true? How do you stand with
Jesus?
Dare to Do Right
I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/jacob/5?lang=eng
Jacob quotes Zenos relative to the allegory of the tame
and wild olive trees—They are a likeness of Israel and the Gentiles—The
scattering and gathering of Israel are prefigured—Allusions are made to the
Nephites and Lamanites and all the house of Israel—The Gentiles will be grafted
into Israel—Eventually the vineyard will be burned. About 544–421 B.C.
Vs 22 How often do we think that we can tell the Lord or even our
spiritual leaders that we see something they overlooked?
The Lord invites us to labor with Him so that we can learn what He
already knows. He wants us to learn to be good stewards and loving
undershepherds.
Vs 27 How willing am I to work to preserve and
restore a cause that may currently seem hopeless? How great is my love and
care? Do I hope for a great harvest? Do I remember the worth of souls?
Vs 47 God our Father has done everything in order to preserve all of His
children from corruption. He even sent His own Son? Can you see why He is
calling forth laborers to labor in His vineyard. He loves us.
There are those who seek our destruction. What will you do? Will
you join in the service of the Lord, or will you stand idly by allowing many to
perish? Be one that saves.
Vs
48 Are we sometimes to big for our britches? Don't
get ahead of yourself. Be humble, and allow the Pruner to prune you so that you
can grow?
Vs 70-72 You've been
called,now choose to be chosen. Remember with the gathering and the grafting
that we are to be one. We need to not be spoilt, to not be arrogant, to not
think that we are grander than anyong else. We need to be one, so that we can
be the Lord's.
Vs 74 He has worked so hard so that we can all become
like Him and share in Eternal Life with Him.
Vs 75 There is already so much joy that Jesus overcame the world. Just
think how joyful the Father and all of us will be when we also overcome the
world!
Don't you dare say anyone is a bad apple. Don't do it. Just think
of the time ahead when the natural fruit will be preserved and be good, even
like as it was in the beginning. Look for the good in others, and help them to
see it too.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/jacob/6?lang=eng
The Lord will recover Israel in the last days—The world will
be burned with fire—Men must follow Christ to avoid the lake of fire and
brimstone. About 544–421 B.C.
Vs
3 Be a laborer and be worthy to wear the garment
of a laborer.
Vs 4 God remembers all of
us, our fathers and mothers, the current generation, and our children. He is
reaching out to all of us. Are we learning to love as He does? Do we seek the
salvation and happiness of everyone too?
Vs 5-6 Hold tight to the
Lord, just as He is holding tight to you. Hear Him and be obedient.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/jacob/7?lang=eng
Sherem denies Christ, contends with Jacob, demands a sign,
and is smitten of God—All of the prophets have spoken of Christ and His
Atonement—The Nephites lived out their days as wanderers, born in tribulation,
and hated by the Lamanites. About 544–421 B.C.
Vs
5 If we have the Holy Ghost with us and are having
spiritual experiences with the Lord from day to day, our testimonies won't be
shaken. Jacob saw angels and heard the voice of the Lord regularly. Our prophet
has asked us to learn to hear the voice of the Lord.
Vs 10-12 We have the
scriptures. All the prophets have testimfied of Jesus Christ. We have seen with
our own eyes the works of God. We have felt the confirmation of the Spirit and
felt the Lord's guiding hand in our lives.
We have had the privilege of hearing the testimony of many prophets, who were called of God.
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