Editing Book of Jacob (section)

== Narrative ==
The book of Jacob can be divided into four parts:<ref>{{harvnb|Hardy|2023|pp=171-172}}; {{harvnb|Thomas|2016|p=47}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Summary
!Chapters and verses
|-
|Transition to Jacob's leadership
|1
|-
|Jacob's sermon in the temple
|2-3
|-
|Jacob's prophetic knowledge and the allegory of the olive tree
|4-6
|-
|Anti-Christ Sherem, Nephite militarization, and Jacob's farewell
|7
|}
===Transition to Jacob's leadership===
The prophet Nephi grows old and transfers record keeping responsibility to Jacob. He instructs Jacob to only record spiritually important events, and Jacob writes that the goal of his writing is to convince the people to "come unto Christ." Nephi dies, and rulers succeeding him are called "second" and "third" Nephi respectively. Jacob explains that he uses the term "Nephite" to refer to anyone who is friendly to the people of Nephi.<ref>{{harvnb|Hardy|2023|pp=171-172}}; {{harvnb|Thomas|2016|p=47}}</ref>

===Jacob's sermon in the temple===
Jacob offers a speech in the temple in his office of priest and teacher. He identifies three wicked practices among the Nephites: desiring polygamy, or multiple wives, searching out gold and silver, and being prideful. To combat these tendencies, Jacob counsels the people to free captive people and take care of the hungry, poor, and sick. He says that the practice of having multiple wives injures women. He compares the Nephites unfavorably with the Lamanites.{{sfn|Thomas|2016|pp=48-49}}

===Jacob's prophetic knowledge and the allegory of the olive tree===
{{main|Parable of the Olive Tree}}
Jacob expounds on the purpose of the plates and his knowledge of Christ and the resurrection, and how the Jews will reject Christ. Then he tells the allegory of the olive tree, citing it from [[Zenos]], an extra-Biblical prophet quoted by multiple writers in the Book of Mormon. The story describes the [[Gathering of Israel]] in the last days, where the house of Israel is a tame olive tree whose branches partially die. Throughout the allegory, the master of the vineyard tries to revive the olive tree by grafting in wild branches in order to preserve its fruit. For a time this plan succeeds, but the wild branches get into the tree's roots and the fruit becomes bad. Both wild and tame branches are grafted onto the tree, which saves it and its fruit. In a final harvest, the vineyard will be burned. After recounting the allegory, Jacob promises that it is true and calls his readers to repentance.{{sfn|Thomas|2016|pp=49-50}}

===Anti-Christ Sherem, Nephite militarization, and Jacob's farewell===
The final section in the book tells the story of an [[antichrist]] named Sherem, who preaches that there will be no Christ, tells Jacob that no one can know the future, and asks him for a sign. Jacob prays, and God smites Sherem, who later confesses that he was lying about Christ and then dies. Subsequently the Nephites become righteous again and attempt to convert the Lamanites to their religion. According to Jacob, the Lamanites hated the Nephites and liked killing them, and the Nephites learned how to defend themselves. When Jacob finishes writing on the plates, he bequeaths them to his son Enos.{{sfn|Thomas|2016|pp=51-52}}