This past week as a part of my study of the Book of Mormon I read Jacob 5, which we also discussed more in depth during class. As my professor went into more detail about the meaning and symbolism of the olives trees and Lord of the vineyard, I was specifically enlightened about the meaning behind the plucking out of the wild branches. One person in my class mentioned that it was like the Mormon message “The Will of God” and for us to be able to produce the best “fruit” we must allow the Lord (God) to cut us down. While the wild branches remained on the tree they rapidly consumed all the good and produced nothing but bad fruit. The only way that they could be saved and once again produce good fruit was to remove all the bad branches. Just as in this story, we must let God and our Savior cut out the “bad branches”, so that we can be saved and flourish with “good fruit”. If we do not, the “bad branches” (whether they be sins, lost opportunities, or any sort of trial) will consume us and overtake the “good branches” to the point where we will, in turn, produce nothing but “bad fruit”. I am grateful to know though, that the reason God cuts us down is out of pure love and that the end reward is always so much greater than we could have ever imagined. I am also grateful that our Savior has provided a way for other things such as sin to be removed from our lives. The removal or prevention of “bad branches” is how we will be able to feel the joy of our good fruits and be enabled to extend them to others.