Olive Pressing

Well I emailed Brother Skinner because he gave a great lecture on Olives. He hasn’t emailed me back and so I am stealing this from Marianne’s blog.

Brother Skinner gave us a little introductory forum on the olive tree before we picked. I thought the some of the insights he shared on the symbolism of the olive tree were really interesting:

1. The Olive tree is one of seven remaining species that are native to Israel. The tribe of Judah (also native/inheritors of the land of Isreal) is sometimes symbolized as an olive tree in the scriptures.

2. Olive tree is called the Tree of Life. Jesus Christ is also called the Tree of Life. Thus, the Olive tree is used as a symbol of Jesus Christ

3. Olive tree is sometimes called the tree of light (because of the way the leaves reflect the sun).

4. Olive tree is a symbol of peace. Doctrine and Covenants 88 is called the Olive Leaf because it is the Lord’s message of peace. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace.

5. The Garden of Gethsemane is both literally and figuratively an oil press.

6. Goodness and Perfection were pressed out in Gethsemane just as the good part of the olive is pressed out under an olive press.
- under the weight of an olive press the skin of the olive is first bruised and then broken
- contrite originally meant “that which was crushed”

7. Olives are incredibly bitter when you eat them right off the tree. The bitterness of the olive is pressed out in the olive press just as the bitterness of life is pressed out through the atonement

8. Olive oil was used as a healing agent

9. Of all the oils, olive oil is the purest and the brightest burning

10. Olive oil is the oil used for anointing

Now here are some pictures from the actually pressing! So much fun!

Olive Pressing with Desiree, Lizzy, and Lindsay!

Going around again with Shelly, Christine, and Lindsay!

Pretending to work with Lindsay, Liz, and Ben.