The grafting of the young and tender branches is descriptive of the scattering and dispersion of specified groups of Israelites to different parts of the world. Normally a people are scattered because of wickedness (see commentary on 1 Nephi 10:12-14). Occasionally, however, the Lord scatters a people to preserve the identity of groups of Israel and thus fulfill the Abrahamic covenant (see Jeremiah 23:1-2; 1 Nephi 21:1).