“It Grieveth Me That I Should Hew Down All the Trees”

Brant Gardner

The Lord has made tremendous efforts, yet the result is universally disastrous. All of the branches are now yielding unfit fruit with the possible exception of the two unmentioned and invisible branches in the poor and poorer soil. There is no historical way to determine their fate.

The narrative now moves to an important crisis. The Lord’s efforts have apparently failed, and the various trees are ripe only for destruction. We need not assume that the Lord seriously plans to destroy the human race. Rather, this crisis strengthens the story without necessarily implying that our Father, while actually feeling the sorrow described, also feels the desire for destruction.

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 2

References