Jacob: A Brief Theological Introduction

"What could I have done more for my vineyard?" In one of the Book of Mormon’s most magisterial passages, the lord of a vineyard looks over his beloved olive trees with great sorrow and strives to redeem them. This allegory represents Jesus Christ’s labor to save not only individual souls but an entire world. Perhaps more than any other Book of Mormon prophet, Jacob manifests the same divine anxiety, having been born in a “wild wilderness” and inheriting the task of uniting a divided people. In this brief theological introduction, Deidre Nicole Green presents Jacob as a vulnerable and empathetic religious leader deeply concerned about social justice. As a teacher consecrated by his brother Nephi, Jacob insists on continuity between religious and social life. His personal experiences of suffering, his compassion for those in society’s margins, and his concern for equality are inseparable from his testimony of Jesus Christ. Because of Christ, Jacob lovingly and mournfully seeks to nurture a faithful and just community, even against all odds of success.