The Head Stone of the Corner

In the Psalms we read, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner” (Psalms 118:22).  This verse is referenced both in the New Testament as well as once in the Book of Mormon.  We first see a reference to this statement in Psalms from the Savior when speaking to some of the Jewish leaders.  After Christ related the parable of the wicked husbandmen to the chief priests and scribes He asked them what the lord of the vineyard would do to the wicked husbandman.  These Jewish leaders responded, “He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.”  To this Christ then answered by quoting the above verse from the Psalms: “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?  Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” (Matt. 21:42-43).  The scriptures of the Restoration help us to understand the meaning of what Christ was saying here as well as the importance of this statement from Psalms in general. 

               We get a lot more insight from the JST that follows which contains a discussion between Jesus and the disciples.  The Savior said, “Verily, I say unto you, I am the stone, and those wicked ones reject me.  I am the head of the corner.  These Jews shall fall upon me, and shall be broken….  And when the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, he will destroy those miserable, wicked men, and will let again his vineyard unto other husbandmen, even in the last days, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons” (JST Matt. 21:51-52, 55).  So Christ is the “stone” and the “head of the corner” which I think we would simply say as “cornerstone”.  In fact Paul was likely referring to this verse in Psalms when He called Christ “the chief corner stone” to the Ephesians (Ephesians 2:20).  The “builders” then at least include those Jews in Christ’s day who should have known Him but rejected Him.  In the Book of Mormon as Jacob spoke about the Jews in Jerusalem, he said this: “And now I, Jacob, am led on by the Spirit unto prophesying; for I perceive by the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that by the stumbling of the Jews they will reject the stone upon which they might build and have safe foundation.  But behold, according to the scriptures, this stone shall become the great, and the last, and the only sure foundation, upon which the Jews can build.”  He then asked this question, showing that he likely was quoting from the original source in the Psalms and giving at the same time an interesting introduction to the allegory of Zenos: “And now, my beloved, how is it possible that these, after having rejected the sure foundation, can ever build upon it, that it may become the head of their corner?  Behold, my beloved brethren, I will unfold this mystery unto you” (Jacob 4:15-18).  Jacob then recounted the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees that we have recorded in Jacob 5 and which, according to Jacob, should answer the question of how the Jews will be able to make Christ their cornerstone even though they rejected Him in the meridian of time.  I think that Jacob gave us a clue about what he meant and how the allegory answers that question when he said this after recounting the allegory: “The day that he shall set his hand again the second time to recover his people, is the day, yea, even the last time, that the servants of the Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and prune his vineyard” (Jacob 6:2).  In other words, the Restoration of the gospel and missionary work of the last days as described in the allegory in Jacob 5:61-75 is how the Jews and all of the House of Israel will be given the opportunity to build once again upon the cornerstone of Christ.  So even though the “builders” rejected the Stone of Israel when He came in the flesh, through the mercy of the Restoration in our day Israel and the Jews can be gathered in again to build upon “the sure foundation” and the “rock of our Redeemer” (D&C 50:44, Helaman 5:12).