In the allegory, the master of the vineyard has a prized olive tree that begins to be old and decay. In order to preserve the tree, he and his servants nourish and prune it. They graft on branches from other trees and take branches that are grafted in various places around the vineyard. Eventually, the branches that were taken away are returned and the tree is able to produce good fruit.
At one point in the allegory, the servant asks his master why he took one of the natural branches of the tree to a particular spot in the vineyard. The Master's response is instructive to us all.
And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: How comest thou hither to plant this tree, or this branch of the tree? For behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of thy vineyard. And the Lord of the vineyard said unto him: Counsel me not; I knew that it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore, I said unto thee, I have nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it hath brought forth much fruit (Jacob 5:21-22, emphasis added).
Sometimes we feel like we have been planted in a poor spot of ground. Our circumstances may feel overwhelming or seem impossible to overcome. The Lord is aware of each of us and our circumstances. Through this parable, the Lord teaches us that he diligently nourishes especially those who are in a bad spot. His goal is often to strengthen us in those circumstances rather than removing us from them.
Prior to sharing this allegory, the prophet Jacob taught that "the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power" (Jacob 4:7). The Lord is there to support us at every age and to turn our trauma and struggles and difficult circumstances to our advantage and great benefit.
This message is repeated often in the scriptures. The sons of Mosiah didn't have much experience being the good guys when they left home to teach a people that were as likely to kill them as to listen to them. To the contrary, the sons of Mosiah had rebelled against God and sought to destroy the church for many years before their conversion. With their change of heart also came a desire to share their faith with those who did not believe.
As recent converts headed to the mission field, the sons of Mosiah "had many afflictions" and "did suffer much, both in body and in mind, such as hunger, thirst and fatigue, and also much labor in the spirit" (Alma 17:5). It would have been easy in those moments to feel like they did not measure up spiritually, like maybe they should turn around and go back to their life as princes among their people, or that perhaps they could not really be successful.
And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God to bring, if it were possible, their brethren, the Lamanites, to the knowledge of the truth...
And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted. And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls (Alma 17:9-11).
There were a lot more hard days after that. They were persecuted and cast in prison. On more than one occasion, the Lamanites did try to kill them. Yet, at the end of a fourteen-year mission in a hostile foreign nation, Ammon rejoiced.
My brothers and my brethren, behold I say unto you, how great reason have we to rejoice; for could we have supposed when we started from the land of Zarahemla that God would have granted unto us such great blessings?... And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work. Behold, thousands of them do rejoice, and have been brought into the fold of God (Alma 26:1, 3-4).
He continued:
I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever (Alma 26:11-12).
Not many years later, the prophet-general Helaman found his army in a precarious situation. His armies were outnumbered by a well-supplied force that attacked them daily. Unable to fight or retreat, Helaman's army held their position until they had nearly starved to death. When reinforcements finally came, they were only a small fraction of what would be needed to be victorious and the provisions they brought were insufficient for the number of men in the camp. Helaman's army was embarrassed, grieving and afraid.
Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people. Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause that we should hope for our deliverance in him (Alma 58:10-11).
Their prayers eventually led to a strategic retreat, a surprise attack and an unlikely victory without the loss of a single soldier. Helaman wrote afterward that their supplies and reinforcements were still inadequate, "but, behold, it mattereth not-- we trust God will deliver us, notwithstanding the weakness of our armies, yea, and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies" (Alma 58:37).
In each case, circumstance stacked the odds against the faithful. The novice sons of Mosiah were not the experienced clergy one might expect could convert the hardened Lamanites; nor were the armies of Helaman sufficient to defeat their enemies in battle. Success came not because their circumstances suddenly changed, but because the Lord nourished them this long time. He prepared them to have faith despite their trials and gave them strength through His grace to prevail in the critical moments.
Whatever our circumstances, the Lord is providing nourishment to strengthen us now and prepare us for what lies ahead. Sometimes that strength comes in ways we do not expect or enjoy. The Apostle Paul taught about one way the Lord taught him the humility and patience he needed for his life:
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh... For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
As I look back over the course of my life, I can see the multitude of methods the Lord has used to nourish me and help me grow in times of good and bad. I am grateful for the youth leaders who gave of their time to build my testimony and the embarrassing acne inversa that taught me compassion for others. I can see how struggling as an undergraduate student helped me learn how to do well as a graduate student; how a difficult home life as a youth has helped me be a better parent; how the Lord taught me leadership skills for the workplace through my church assignments; and how much I needed to wait for certain blessings.
Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, our circumstances don't have to limit our outlook. Though we may feel like we have been planted in a poor spot of ground, we need not counsel the Lord. He has a plan for me and for you and his view of success is grander than our own. He will nourish us throughout our lives, if we will accept it. His grace is sufficient for those who turn to Him.