Ripe in iniquity

"Ripe in iniquity" is a phrase used frequently in the Book of Mormon. Some of the things I have learned recently help me frame this phrase and better understand the dealings of God with his children. At least so I think. This goes back to the topic of "righteousness" and the initial creation-covenant connection. Here is a detailed description. A simpler summary is given in the next paragraph:

In the scriptures, the creation is sometimes described as a bonded web of life. These bonds formed the great covenant of peace. All creation was supposed to exist in harmony within its designated bounds and humans had a special responsibility to preserve it. The term, righteousness, is used to describe the action and state that maintains or restores this covenant. Terms like iniquity, unrighteousness and wickedness are typical descriptions of actions that disrupt the covenant.

With this as backdrop, there is no wonder that God is very concerned with raising up a righteous people, as the Book of Mormon clearly demonstrates. How can he possibly do that without violating the very important principle of free agency? Using Zenos' allegorical language in Jacob 5, he can nourish, dig about, dung and prune. That is exactly what he does. Sometimes the people respond well, but unfortunately they often don't. When they reach a certain point of wickedness, despite the Lord of the vineyard doing everything he can possibly do, they are "ripe in iniquity" and must be cut off or destroyed. This sounds rather harsh but I believe it is ultimately for the best.

The Lord of the vineyard longs for the good fruit, because it is the purpose of its creation, keeping the covenant intact, and the only way to exaltation. When the tree is growing bad fruit, He has a bit of a dilemma. At an early stage, it may be possible to do something to save it. The servant frequently asks the Lord of the vineyard to consider possibilities to spare it a little longer. But it gets to a point where nothing can be done, where the tree only produces bad fruit and the fruit is ripe. In that case, the course of action is more dramatic: Cut off the rotten branches or trees, in some cases even burn them, and start over.

And we will nourish again the trees of the vineyard, and we will trim up the branches thereof; and we will pluck from the trees those branches which are ripened, that must perish, and cast them into the fire. (Jacob 5:58)

Is this unmerciful? No, because the alternative is to let the bad fruit keep growing and "overcome" (Jacob 5:48) the good fruit, corrupting everything. This will ultimately give the vineyard no chance of producing good fruit as it was created to do. But the cutting off and hewing down is not something he takes lightly.

But what could I have done more in my vineyard? Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it? Nay, I have nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long, and the end draweth nigh. And it grieveth me that I should hew down all the trees of my vineyard, and cast them into the fire that they should be burned. Who is it that has corrupted my vineyard? (Jacob 5:47)

Notice how trees producing bad fruit corrupt the whole vineyard. Wickedness disrupts the covenant and the peace and balance is no longer intact. This is similar to what Enoch saw in vision, where the whole earth is grieving under the weight of the sins of men

And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the earth; and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying: Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face? (Moses 7:48)

This really leaves the Lord of the vineyard no choice. When people are ripe in iniquity, it affects the whole creation and God's purposes cannot be achieved. To give people a chance to produce good fruit and the bonds of creation restored, the branches producing only bad fruit need to be cut off.

Yea, and cursed be the land forever and ever unto those workers of darkness and secret combinations, even unto destruction, except they repent before they are fully ripe. (Alma 37:31)

Note that "fully ripe" designates a crucial limit. A point of no return of sorts, before which they must repent. Not that the Lord of the vineyard would not forgive them if they repented after that point, but because the people in that state would not want to. There are many scriptures in the Book of Mormon using this idea of being ripe. Another example:

But behold, it is for the righteous’ sake that it is spared. But behold, the time cometh, saith the Lord, that when ye shall cast out the righteous from among you, then shall ye be ripe for destruction; yea, wo be unto this great city, because of the wickedness and abominations which are in her. (Helaman 13:14)

I will not include all those examples. But Nephi 17:35-40 sums this up nicely, so I will conclude with that.

35 Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God. But behold, this people had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of God was upon them; and the Lord did curse the land against them, and bless it unto our fathers; yea, he did curse it against them unto their destruction, and he did bless it unto our fathers unto their obtaining power over it.

36 Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possess it.

37 And he raiseth up a righteous nation, and destroyeth the nations of the wicked.

38 And he leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the wicked he destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for their sakes.

39 He ruleth high in the heavens, for it is his throne, and this earth is his footstool.

40 And he loveth those who will have him to be their God. Behold, he loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants which he had made; wherefore, he did bring them out of the land of Egypt...

43 And now, after all these things, the time has come that they have become wicked, yea, nearly unto ripeness; and I know not but they are at this day about to be destroyed