The connection between Zenos's olive tree and the Tree of Life

I have started digging into tree-language in the scriptures since there is a lot of it. I believe that there are two primary sources of this: 

1. The trees in the Garden of Eden, especially the tree of life
2. Joseph of Egypt / The olive tree in Zenos' allegory

In the previous post, we saw how these two sources seem to influence almost all tree symbolism in the scriptures. Today we will look at a possible connection between the two.

Helaman 14:16-18 brought me down this rabbit hole.

16 Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.

17 But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord.

18 Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that whosoever repenteth the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire; but whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness.

We have already seen that "hewn down and cast into the fire" is a reference to Zenos' olive tree. But in verse 18, "hewn down" seems synonymous with "cut off", which is a reference to the tree of life. At least it talkes about Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, referring to the Garden of Eden and the first death in verse 16, and then "cut off again" in verse 18 as part of the second death.
The observation that the synonymous "hewn down" and "cut off" in this verse are associated with Zenos' olive tree and the tree of life, respectively, indicates a connection between the two.

Another relevant scripture is this

that they might receive the word with joy, and as a branch be grafted into the true vine, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord their God. (Alma 16:17)

"As a branch be grafted into the true vine" sounds like Zenos language we find in Jacob 5, but the outcome, "enter into the rest of the Lord", sounds like the tree of life. Perhaps there isn't that much of a difference? There are several other indications that there isn't. I was afraid I had read too much into this, but started to find parallels between Alma's tree of life and Jacob 5 as I looked further into it. While searching to see if anyone else had made this connection I found an article that I also linked to in my previous post on this subject and it points out the same plus a lot of other reasons to connect the tree of life with Zenos' olive tree. It's quite long but if you want read the details of these connections, the first 10 pages or so would do. A shorter summary is given below

• The end of Alma 32 talks about the seed (word of God) we plant in our hearts growing to a tree of life. It uses expressions like "nourish the tree" and focuses on "diligence" when doing so. He describes the fruit as "precious" and says that unfruitful trees are "plucked up and cast out". We find all of this language in Jacob 5 too.
• Jacob's comments after quoting the allegory in Jacob 6 shares many common elements with Lehi's vision of the tree of life in 1 Nephi 8. Jacob talks about a "narrow" way leading to "eternal life" (Jacob 6:11) and those who make "a mock of the great plan of redemption", elements found in Lehi's dream. Cleaving to God (Jacob 6:5) is similar to clinging to the iron rod. The vineyard represents "the world", similar to Lehi's field and the fruit is described in similar terms by Lehi (1 Nephi 8:10-12), Nephi (1 Nephi 11:8-9) and Zenos (Jacob 5:61)
• After Lehi has told his family about his dream of the tree of life, he starts talking about the scattering and gathering of Israel and uses Zenos's tree to explain it in 1 Nephi 10:12-14. In 1 Nephi 15, when Nephi's brothers ask Nephi what this means, he uses the same Zenos language to explain. After that, his brothers ask about the tree that Lehi had seen in vision. It seems evident that they saw a connection between these two trees.
• In early Jewish and Christian tradition, the tree of life is sometimes considered to be an olive tree. Hugh Nibley has pointed out that in the art-work of the third century A.D. Dura-Europos synagogue, the tree of life is depicted as both a tree and a vine.

But what does this all mean? Is the tree in Jacob 5 really the tree of life? Wouldn't it lead to a lot of inconsistency if the two were equated? The tree of life represents the love of God, the olive tree represents the House of Israel. People eat the fruit of the tree of life but produce the fruit of the olive tree. On the other hand, you could argue that the love of God is manifest through his invitation to us to become his covenant people. And the other argument is actually solved beautifully by Isaiah 3:10.

Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 

However, I don't think the point is that we are supposed to equate the two. I just think that this connection is meaningful and provides depth to my understanding of the gospel and the plan of salvation. Instead of talking about the two trees (in the Garden of Eden), perhaps we should talk about the three trees. Not to make it a tongue twister but to highlight all the aspects of the plan of salvation with the beautiful tree symbolism.

1. The tree of knowledge of good and evil represents our transition from the premortal existence to this life. We become subject to death and sin. We enter into a world full of opposition to learn and grow.
2. Zenos's olive tree represents the covenants offered in this life (including the spirit world for many). The growth we were supposed to experience in this life of oppositions is multiplied when we are grafted into that tree through covenants and receive nourishment through the roots.
3. The tree of life represents the transition into the eternities for the righteous: Immortality and eternal life and a full-scale experience of the love of God that we only got a small taste of in mortal life.

As with all symbolism, there are different ways to look at it and layers of meaning. I have been thinking and posting about "Christ and covenants" lately. The connection between these trees adds depth to that. The tree of life represents the love of God manifest in the atonement of Christ. Being grafted into the olive tree through covenants bring us to Christ and enable us to experience the full effect of his atonement. It is like being grafted into the tree of life because life is exactly what Christ is offering and covenants ultimately unite us with God.

Seeing this connection helps make sense of the "cut off" expression discussed a while back. The "cut off from the people" (olive tree) in the Old Testament is synonymous with the "cut off from his presence" (tree of life) in the Book of Mormon. It also adds depth to these words by Christ

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. (John 15)

There is a lot of Zenos language here, but viewing this both in terms of the House of Israel (coming to Christ through covenants) and the tree of life (the effects of His atonement) is very meaningful.